May 1994 Risks From Natural Versus Synthetic Insecticides Joel R. Coats, Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, in the above titled article reviewed 108 publications, then posed and analyzed a difficult question. His stated goal is to clarify some of the confusion over risks and how they are assessed. The general public has little experience with controlling insect pests, which is usually limited to insects in the house, yard, garden or on pets.
Recent estimates indicate that one fourth of all pesticides are used in urban situations.
Although consumer buying practices reflect wide acceptance of pest control chemicals, the general populace displays considerable distrust when the products are in the hands of others. For the past 50 years most of the pesticides registered have been synthesized from petroleum-based sources, as are many industrial chemicals. First-generation synthetic insecticides were so persistent that even today the press features stories about the residues of DDT, heptachlor, mirex, etc. contaminating fish, water or soil. The second generation of synthetic chemicals comprised the organo-phosphorus and carbamate esters. These were more biodegradable, but many still manifested broad-spectrum toxicity, with a potential for poisoning nontarget insects, fish, wildlife, livestock, and humans.