Pyrethrins and pyrethroids
Pyrethrins are one class of insecticides. They are often marketed as "natural" and as "coming from the pyrethrum daisy". This is false. Pyrethrum is the chemical extracted from the pyrethrum daisy. It is not effective for very long so, to make this class of pesticides more effective and last longer, the pesticide industry has chemically produced synthetic pyrethrins, also called pyrethroids. All are toxic to the nervous system. They are known to trigger allergies. Several (alllethrin, bigentrhin, cypermethrin, lambda-cyalothrin, permethrin, resmethrin, sumithrin) have been recognized by the scientific community as endocrine-disruptors. They are also noted as accumulating in sediments in streams and water bodies, often at levels that kill all insects and other invertebrates living in sediments.
SNAP does not consider synthetic pyrethrins as green or reduced-risk products.
Recent Studies
August 4, 2008 Report Documents Poisonings from New Generation Pesticides
pyrethrins and pyrethroids were responsible for more than 26 percent of all major and moderate human incidents involving pesticides in the United States in 2007, up from just 15 percent in 1998 — a 67 percent increase. www.beyondpesticides.org
Sept 22, 2008 Pyrethroid Pesticide Affects Puberty at Low Levels www.beyondpesticides.org