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GW Partners With COG and the DC Government to Survey DC Residents About Pest and Pesticide Related Health Risks

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 April 2008, 12:00 CDT

The potential health risks associated with pests such as rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, ants, fleas and bedbugs are an issue for DC residents. In 2007, nearly 3,400 DC residents called the DC Health Department to complain about rats on their properties. The current lack of data regarding pests and pesticide use make this issue difficult for DC residents and local policymakers to address.

In response to this issue, members of GW faculty in the Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health and Sociology have partnered with the District Department of Environment (DDOE) and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) to conduct a first-of-its kind survey of 800 DC residents to better understand resident concerns and perceptions about pests and the use of pesticides.

Beginning this spring, residents representing all eight District Wards will receive letters in the mail asking them to participate in the survey. They are strongly encouraged to respond so that the data will represent the views of all District residents. All personal information will be kept confidential and participants will be offered incentives. Survey results will be used to design programs to reduce pests and pest-related health and safety risks in DC.

"Working in concert with the COG, we know that getting input from residents of the District will lead to a more effective pest control plan in the city," said David Goldsmith, PhD, MSPH, associate research professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University Medical Center.

Some pests, including rats and cockroaches, spread bacteria that cause food-borne diseases. Jerome A. Paulson, MD, associate professor of Pediatrics and Public Health, The GW University Medical Center, notes, "children can be sensitive to cockroach allergens, creating health problems ranging from chronic runny noses to life-threatening asthma attacks." According to the National Collaborative Inner-city Asthma Study, allergies to cockroaches are a major factor in asthma in low-income urban areas.

"Given the high rates of asthma among children in the District, we really need to learn more about pest problems and about the products people use to treat them since both present risks to children with asthma," said Pamela Davidson, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Sociology, The GW University.

To combat pest problems, 80-90 percent of U.S. households use pesticides, which, if used or stored incorrectly, may expose children and pets to chemicals, according to a report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Capital Poison Center in Washington, DC ranks pesticides among the top 10 most common substances involved in pediatric poisoning. Children are more likely to be exposed to pesticides that are applied around the home and garden than through diet and drinking water. Pets can also become ill through exposure, since they are typically low to the ground.

About The GW Medical Center

The George Washington University Medical Center is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary academic health center is comprised of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences; the School of Public Health and Health Services; GW Hospital, jointly owned and operated by a partnership between The GW University and a subsidiary of Universal Health Services Inc.; and the GW Medical Faculty Associates.

About the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

Founded in 1957, COG is an independent, nonprofit association of 21 jurisdictions surrounding our nation's capital working for a better metropolitan region. For more information on COG, visit www.mwcog.org.

Source: Business Wire

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