GSB alerts public on dangerous mosquito coils

Accra, June 17, GNA - Eleven brands of mosquito coils on Ghanaian markets are dangerous and harmful to human health, Ghana Standard Board (GSB) has found out. The eleven dangerous coils out of the 52 brands on the market contain allethrin and S-2. S-2, a banned chemical, contains a carcinogenic chemical that causes cancer and allethrin, though safe to use in killing mosquitoes; excessive exposure to the smoke from burning coils may have adverse effects on human health, which include nausea, vomiting, headache and red skin. These dangerous chemicals are found in imported coils mostly from China that have flooded the Ghanaian market.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra, Mr Kwabena Acheampong, Head of General Chemistry and Hallmarking of GSB, listed the 11 dangerous brands as Sunshine; Black mosquito; Yaxin; Target Tashu; RAD; Black Tiger; Verise; Wisdom; Touba; TLC; and Tonba Joy. He said after the importing companies were alerted of the dangerous chemicals found in the coils some of them instructed their manufacturers to remove the S-2 and thereby complied with GSB standards. "Manufacturers of TLC, Touba, Wisdom and Tonba Joy rectified the situation and complied with the GSB directives by removing the S-2," he said.

Mr Acheampong said toxicological studies indicated that all allethrin groups of chemicals were metabolised rapidly in mammals and there were no reports of accumulation of these compounds in animal tissues. He explained that they were highly biodegradable and disintegrate in sunlight and their restricted use, mostly against mosquitoes at low concentrations, resulted in little or no chance of their residues entering the food chain. "GSB has, therefore, set limits of these active ingredients in its standards (GS 147:1992-Standard Specification for mosquito coils)," He added.

Mr Acheampong said mosquito coil formulations contained active chemicals or ingredients such as allethrin; D-allethrin; D-transallethrin; bioallethrin and esbioallethrin (collectively known as synthetic pyrethroids). He said the standard allowed natural pyrethrum contained 0.2 per cent to 0.4 per cent and synthetic pyrethroid should contain 0.10 per cent to 0.35 per cent of these active chemicals "but the banned brands contained more than the standard requirement." According to Mr Acheampong, the growing menace of mosquitoes in the country had forced many people to resort to mosquito repellents in the form of body lotions, creams and mats and the active ingredients were effective in controlling the mosquito menace and the fumes emitted were toxic to mosquito. He said excessive exposure to the smoke of mosquito coils could be harmful and advised that users should avoid sleeping in a restricted environment with smoke from mosquito coils.

"Proper use of coils involves burning them at temperature at about 80 degrees Celsius. The smoke deters the mosquitoes from entering the room, whilst those inside are expelled or their host-finding ability is affected," he explained. Mr Acheampong cautioned the general public to be wary of mosquito coils flooding the markets and look out for the dangerous ones. Mr Adu Darkwa, Executive Director of GSB told the GNA, that GSB was in close collaboration, coordinating and cooperating with the Food and Drugs Board and Customs, Excise and Preventive Service to ensure the safety of Ghanaians. He said GSB's role in the enhancement of the quality of life of Ghanaians had been the promotion of standardization, metrology and conformity assessment and described them as the pillars for economic and sustainable development. Mr Darkwa said GSB was working hard to reduce the proliferation of sub-standard goods on Ghanaian markets however; its efforts were being hampered by the lack of a national policy framework for the development, implementation and maintenance of technical regulations.