Mosquito, one of the animals that sucks and can make people fall ill. Fortunately, this little insect can be eradicated in many ways, one of which is by burning mosquito coils. But, what about safety for our health?
Did you know that female mosquitoes like to suck our blood from morning tonight? The blood is then used to make eggs so that they can multiply, not as a food source.
Well, so as not to always fall prey to mosquitoes, various ways have been done by humans to prevent mosquito bites. Starting from using mosquito nets on the bed, installing mosquito nets in the windows and ventilation holes of the house, or using mosquito coils. Mosquito repellent is also a lot of choices, ranging from mosquito coils, rub, spray, until electric. But is it safe to use mosquito coils, especially mosquito coils?
Beware of the Dangers of Using Mosquito Coils
When burned, this mosquito coil will produce dust and smoke. According to research, the amount of dust or smoke produced from mosquito coils can exceed healthy air quality standards or guidelines, so that it can cause undesired risks to health.
Burning one burning mosquito coil can produce 2.5 particulate matter (PM) as much as if we lit 75 cigarettes. PM 2.5 is a pollution particle that consists of small pieces (smaller than the diameter of a hair) of solid or liquid substances in the air. These particles can include dust, dirt, charcoal, smoke, or liquid. This article is dangerous because it can enter the inside of the lungs and even into the blood, so that it can cause problems in the lungs and heart, including triggering asthma and lung cancer. This happens especially in infants, children, and the elderly.
One burning mosquito coil can also produce formaldehyde (formalin) as much as 51 cigarettes. If you inhale too much formaldehyde, you can feel nausea, sore throat, cough, runny eyes, and skin irritation. Formaldehyde will irritate the respiratory tract, people with respiratory disorders such as asthma and bronchitis will be more sensitive to formaldehyde. The amount of formaldehyde in the air that exceeds 0.1 ppm alone can cause various symptoms above. Though the mosquito coil is called capable of producing formaldehyde levels of 0.5 to 7.5 mg per hour. For comparison, 1 mg / m3 = 0.801 ppm. Long-term formaldehyde exposure levels are even suspected to cause several types of cancer.
Tips for Using Safe Mosquito Coils
Health problems arising from the use of mosquito coils depend on the length of time and the amount of exposure to mosquito coils, so the exchange or ventilation of air is very important to minimize exposure to hazardous substances.
The following are some tips if you want to use mosquito coils to kill mosquitoes:
Always follow the instructions on the package.
