Dubai: Residents should exercise extreme caution when buying pesticides as improper usage could be fatal, the Dubai Municipality has said.

Chemicals such as aluminium phosphide, usually available in grey tablets and used to eradicate rats and other pesticides, are being sold by unlicensed sellers and improper use could create serious problems, an official said.

Recent incidents of suffocation due to pesticide misuse have prompted the civic body to issue a warning.

People are buying aluminium phosphide from individuals not licensed to sell or circulate them, and are not qualified to use them, according to Hesham Abdul Rahman Al Yahya, Head of Pest Control Section of the municipality. “They are packed in cheap plastic bags with no warning labels on them,” he said.

Al Yahya said it was dangerous to use toxic and deadly aluminium phosphide in homes for the eradication of rats and insects as this pesticide reacts with moisture, air, and produces phosphine gas. The lack of awareness and misuse may result in poisoning or death.

Experts in the pest management industry said people should only buy products that are approved by the Ministry of Environment and Water.

“However, professional help is much safer and effective. Instead of trying to handle the pest problem on their own, people should go in for certified pest control companies,” said Hani Shehadeh, President of Ecovar, the representative of the National Pest Management Association in the Mena region.

 

Put safety first

Zuhoor Hussain Al Sabbagh, Director of Public Health Services Department, said Local Order No 11 of 2003 on public health and safety of the community to Article 37 prohibits importing and trading pesticides without permission from the competent authority. In addition, the pesticides should comply with the specifications approved by the department, in accordance with the health and environmental standards and technical requirements for the handling of such pesticides and the prevention of risks.

Cost is one of the major reasons cited by residents who decide to ‘do it themselves’ with regards to pest management, along with a dis-satisfactory experience with a pest management firm.

The experts, however, said people need to put safety first. Also, when it comes to selecting a pest management firm, they need to go in for the ones that are certified by the authorities.

The Dubai Municipality has a list of more than 100 pest control companies and the civic body rates them.