Children at high risk from pet flea collars

Posted on Apr 24, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Research

The Natural Resources Defense Council’s 2000 Poisons on Pets report led to the ban of six pesticides in pet products, but products containing tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur are still on store shelves.

NRDC reports on toxic chemicals in flea and tick collars.

Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on products designed to kill fleas and ticks on household pets, especially dogs and cats. While some of these products are safe, others leave harmful chemical residues on our pets’ fur and in our homes. These chemicals are highly hazardous to animals and humans, can damage the brain and nervous system, and cause cancer.

The April 2009 paper Poison on Pets II details a first-of-its-kind study by NRDC showing that high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dog’s or cat’s fur for weeks after a flea collar is put on an animal. Residue levels produced by some flea collars are so high that they pose a risk of cancer and damage to the neurological system of children up to 1,000 times higher than the EPA’s acceptable levels.

Children are particularly at risk from these pesticides because their neurological and metabolic systems are still developing.

Link to full press release and links to other resources.

Learn more about which products to avoid with the Green Paws product guide.

Photo of vintage flea collar ad (circa late 1950s) by lobstar28.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, Pesticides, Pet Care, Products, Research, Toxic

One Response to “Children at high risk from pet flea collars”

Bobby

27. Apr, 2009

When I first became ill back in the 80′s and the internet as we know it today didn’t exist, Prodigy had a bunch of discussion boards you could sign up for and sort of blog. Before I even knew what EI/MCS was I found that board and began asking questions. I found a person on there who used to let her dog sleep in her bed with it’s flea collar on. Fast forward, shortly after she became EI because of it. This has been know for years, and, yet again, nothing has been done! No surprise here! Really sad.

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