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What
is Permethrin?
Permethrin is a
man-made insecticide, structurally similar to a naturally-occurring chemical
called pyrethrum. Pyrethrum was initially derived from the crushed dried flowers
of the daisy Chrysanthemum, whose insecticidal properties have been recognized
since the 18th century. The permethrin which is currently sold to consumers is a
synthesized product that was developed in the 1970's.
How
does permethrin work?
Permethrin works as a contact insecticide, damaging the nervous system of
insects which come in contact with it, leading to either their death or
"knockdown". Permethrin is effective against multiple species of crawling and
flying insects, including mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, bedbugs, chiggers, and
flies. Ticks crawling across permethrin-treated pant legs or socks are likely to
drop off before they are able to attach and feed. Studies have shown that
permethrin-treated bed nets can dramatically reduce the risk of getting malaria,
through their ability to kill mosquitoes that fly into the treated netting.
Is Permethrin Safe?
Permethrin should be applied to clothing or other
fabrics. It is not intended for direct application to the skin. Once Permethrin
has dried on the clothing it bind very strongly to the fibers and absorption
through the skin is negligible.
Any permethrin that may get on the skin
inadvertently is poorly absorbed (less than 2% of applied dose). It is rapidly
inactivated by skin and liver esterases, its metabolites are then excreted by
the kidneys. Occupational exposure to high doses of permethrin has been
associated with symptoms of of itching, burning and numbness. Studies have shown
permethrin not to be a human teratogen, mutagen, or carcinogen.
Permethrin is also environmentally safe as it is
degraded by sunlight, its half life is less than 30 days in soil and the
chemical is readily metabolized by soil microorganisms
TENGARD PERMETHRIN LABEL
TENGARD PERMETHRIN MSDS
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Permethrin is a powerful, rapidly acting insecticide,similar
in structure to natural pyrethrim insecticide derived from the crushed and
dried flowers of the daisy Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium. Permethrin is a
human-made synthetic pyrethroid. It does not repel insects like DEET does
but works as a contact insecticide, causing nervous system toxicity that
leads to the death or "knockdown" (out of the air) of the insect. The
chemical is effective against mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and chiggers.
Permethrin has low toxicity in mammals, is poorly absorbed by the skin, and
is rapidly inactivated by ester hydrolysis(the insect can quickly get rid of
it so it does not necessarily kill.
Permethrin should be applied directly to clothing or other
fabrics (such as tent walls or mosquito nets, not to skin. The spray form is
nonstaining, nearly odorless, and resistant to degradation by heat or sun
and maintains its potency for at least 2 weeks, even through several
washings. In a field trial conducted in Alaska, persons wearing
permethrin-treated uniforms and a polymer-based 35% DEET product had more
than 99.9% protection (1 bite per hour) over 8 hours, even under conditions
of intense biting pressures; unprotected persons received an average of 1188
bites per hour.
Molecular Formula: C21H20Cl2O3
Synonyms:
Ambush; Ectiban; Pounce;
3-(2,2-Dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid
(3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl ester; (3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl
(+/-)-cis,trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate.
Physical Properties:
| Apparent Color |
Pale brown liquid |
| Molecular Weight |
391.30 |
| Boiling Pt |
220 deg C at 5.00E-02 mm Hg |
| Melting Pt |
34 deg |
| Water Solubility |
0.006 mg/L at 20 deg C |
| Density |
1.19 - 1.27 at 20 deg C |
| Vapor Pressure |
2.18E-008 mm Hg at 25 deg C |
Is Permetrin Safe?
Permethrin should be applied to clothing or other fabrics. It is not
intended for direct application to the skin. Once Permethrin has dried on
the clothing it bind very strongly to the fibres and absorption through the
skin is negligible.
Any permethrin that may get on the skin inadvertently is poorly absorbed
(less than 2% of applied dose). It is rapidly inactivated by skin and liver
esterases, its metabolites are then excreted by the kidneys. Occupational
exposure to high doses of permethrin has been associated with symptoms of of
itching, burning and numbness. Studies have shown permethrin not to be a
human teratogen, mutagen, or carcinogen.
Permethrin is also environmentally safe as it is degraded by sunlight,
its half life is less than 30 days in soil and the chemical is readily
metabolized by soil microorganisms. |
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