Several concerns have been raised about possible health effects from mosquito spraying after Nassau County Department of Health (NCDOH) officials completed throughout the county.
Some residents feel that not only is the spray ineffective against the mosquito population but extremely hazardous to their own health.
"We all shouldn't be subject to being dosed with pesticides because there's a group of people who call up the health department and don't want mosquitoes to bother them at their barbecues," said Cathy Gottschalk, founder of the newly formed group NoSprayLI.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), spraying adulticides, pesticides intended to kill adult mosquitoes, is usually the least efficient mosquito control technique.
The New York State Department of Health has also reported that widespread aerial or ground spraying of adulticides can result in acute asthma attacks, other respiratory problems or dermatological problems.
"Our spray is approved and recommended by the department of environmental conservation," said Mary Ellen Laurain, Director of the Office of Communications and Health Education for the NCDOH. "They permit us and tell us what to spray."
"We recommend that people should avoid coming into direct contact with the spray," Laurain added. "The health effects are considered low. People should reduce or eliminate any exposure to the spray."
