Are there health concerns related to using malathion for adult mosquito control?
A. Among the available mosquito control options, malathion has the most current and comprehensive safety information available. The adulticiding use of malathion has recently been reviewed by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) under its re- evaluation program. Canadian regulators apply high safety standards and rigorous risk assessment approaches that include special consideration of risk to sensitive sub-populations. The PMRA’s conclusions indicate that the continued use of malathion for adult mosquito control in residential areas, using ground or aerial ultra- low volume application, will not pose a health concern. During ultra-low volume application, malathion is applied at a rate of 60.8 grams/hectare for ULV ground, or 260 grams/hectare for ULV aerial application. Even for someone who is outdoors during the spray application, these application rates would result in estimated exposures that are far below the exposures that produce adverse effects in laboratory
