Sharjah: Authorities in Sharjah found dangerous pesticides and chemical substances stored inside a house in Sharjah, which is not designed for this purpose.
The Sharjah Police forensic laboratory report revealed that the storage of pesticides, which are hazardous products, could lead to an explosion and other serious consequences.
The large quantity of the seized pesticides was found by Sharjah Municipality inspectors who reported the issue to Sharjah Police saying that a business used a residential house to store hazardous pesticides that put lives of residents in the area at risk.
Colonel Dr Abdul Qader Mohammad Al Ameri, head of the Forensic Laboratory at Sharjah Police, said that the substances were found stored in a house that lacked the most basic safety measures. A study of the pesticides showed they needed to be stored at low temperatures and in a well- ventilated place. Improper storage could cause an explosion and fire and symptoms from any contact with the substance could range from dizziness to death.
Safety tips
Household pesticides can be used to control insects like cockroaches, mosquitoes and fleas, or rodents like rats and mice. Many pesticides are poisonous and can cause harm to humans. They are especially dangerous for children, older people, pregnant and nursing women and animals (pets). If you have a pest problem that you cannot manage yourself, hire an authorised pest control operator.
The pesticides that are used to control weeds and insects in and around homes can be significant health hazards. Exposure to certain pesticides is associated with health problems ranging from skin rashes to nervous system disorders and cancer. Children are at the greatest risk of harm because of their hand-to-mouth habits and still-developing nervous systems; also, the places they play are often the type of area that is treated with pesticides.
List of pest risk factors that you should watch for:
Leaving a garbage bin open with its lid off attracts pests, especially if the garbage is mostly organic. This is particularly bad if the garbage bin is left in a moisture-rich location such as underneath the sink. Rodents, flies, roaches and ants are all attracted to these food sources.
Regular inspections should be carried out to make sure that there are no gaps in the walls and piping through which pests can enter. Even small gaps can permit the entrance of pests such as ants and roaches while rodents are able to enter spaces much smaller than what you might expect.
Food that has not been sealed and is left in accessible locations will likely attract all manner of pests, particularly roaches and rodents.
Roofs and attics that have gaps and openings will end up hosting spiders and other pests such as cotton rats that can squeeze through them; these pests will then be able to spread throughout the rest of your living space from those entrance points.
Bodies of stagnant water are breeding pools for mosquitoes and other related nuisances that can enter through small gaps around windows and doors.
Piles of debris around your home can result in pests such as ants living in them or under them and these could enter and infest your home.
