|
|
Article: A mosquito repellent from tomatoes--the alternative to DEET? (EH Update).
- Article from:
- Journal of Environmental Health
- Article date:
- November 1, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Environmental Health Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Dr. Michael Roe of North Carolina State University has discovered that a substance produced by tomatoes repels mosquitoes and other insects more effectively than DEET-and is safer.
DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Army in 1946. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has found that the normal use of DEET does not present a health concern to the general population, the use of products containing DEET has been associated with rashes, swelling, itching, eye irritation, and, less frequently, slurred speech, confusion, and seizures. Products with high concentrations of DEET are considered ...