Different types of mosquito coil, allegedly containing excessive toxic chemicals, are being marketed in the country without any approval from the concerned authorities.
The coils have posed a serious threat to public health, experts have said.
Currently, several companies have got Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) clearance to manufacture nearly 20 brands of mosquito coils while another 25-30 unauthorised locally-made and imported coils are abundantly available in the market.
However, the demand for mosquito repellents has risen substantially as the city dwellers have been facing mosquito menace for years.
The soaring demand has encouraged a section of greedy traders to produce substandard coils using toxic chemicals.
Usually, coils are made not to kill the mosquitoes but to drive them away from homes. However, many users in the capital found the coils killing mosquitoes. This proves existence of active poisonous ingredients (chemical) in the insecticide.
Health experts said, using coils with excessive active ingredients may cause long-term health hazards like cancer, respiratory diseases, allergy, decreased immunity, complication during pregnancy and birth defects.
Visiting wholesale markets, this correspondent found a range of unapproved brands of mosquito coil bearing fake BSTI seal while a variety of imported Chinese brands are also available.
Talking to the FE, a Chinese-brand mosquito coil distributor in the city's Rampura area Md Razzak said several Chawkbazar-based traders import different brands of coil from China as it has huge demand in Dhaka.
Agreeing with him, a grocery shop owner Monir Hossain said, prices of these coils are higher than those of other brands but people keep on buying it as the coil is quite effective to kill or drive away the mosquitoes while the local brands produce much smoke with little effect.
Several mosquito coil wholesalers at Chawkbazar said, the non-brand coils are widely manufactured in different parts of Narayanganj and Gazipur districts including Siddhirganj, Mouchak, Mizmizi, Sanarpara, Godnail, Nandalalpur and Fatullah areas.
Respiratory Medicine expert of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Dr AKM Mosharraf Hossain said, the smoke of contaminated coils can cause respiratory problems like asthma, dizziness, long-term headache and lung cancer.
However, he said no intensive research has been carried out in Bangladesh yet to examine chemical contamination in coils and its effect on humans.
Besides respiratory complexities, it was also reported by many researchers that cancer, birth defects and problems during pregnancy have also been observed due to toxic coil use.
Prof Dr. Benazir Ahmed, head of Parasitology department of National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) told the FE that the major active ingredient of the mosquito coil is pyrethrin, a flower extract accounting for about 0.3-0.4 per cent of the coil mass, recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
When a mosquito coil is burned, the insecticides evaporate with the smoke which prevents mosquitoes from entering rooms while pyrethrin does no harm to humans or other animals.
But a section of greedy traders use DDT (insecticide) and formalin in the coils for better result which might have serious effects on human body.
Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) officials said approval from Agriculture Directorate is required for producing, marketing and preserving mosquito coils according to the Pesticide Ordinance 1971 and the Pesticide Rules 1985.
After that BSTI approval is needed to sell the products in the market, they added.
Talking about availability of toxic and substandard mosquito coils in the market, they said, BSTI, during its drives, fine unauthorised mosquito coil manufacturers and for marketing products using fake BSTI seal.
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Source: The Financial Express