DEET is commonly found in insect repellants. If used properly, the health risk of using these products is very low. DEET products are extensively used with very little risk to human health. Occasionally, there have been reports of people having negative reactions after excessive use of repellents containing DEET.
Researchers have not found any evidence that DEET causes cancer in animals or humans. DEET has been classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) as "not classifiable as a human carcinogen", which means that there is not enough evidence to say that it does or does not cause cancer.
Deet is toxic to insects which is why it's sold in insect repellent. DDT is highly toxic to a wide range of marine life and birds due to its bioaccumulation, so it is banned.
It is absorbed through the skin and digestive tract, so it is likely that DEET can also be absorbed through the lungs and into the blood. DEET in the lungs can be coughed up and swallowed, if it is not absorbed first.
Very often, people don't wash the product off their skin after returning indoors. This can result in overexposure, especially in cases where a product is applied too often (at short intervals) or daily for several days. A small amount of DEET is absorbed into the body when applied to the skin.
If used improperly, such as if someone swallows it or applies too much, DEET can cause severe health effects like seizures, low blood pressure, uncoordinated movements or death, Dr. Kennedy said. But those cases are rare — seizures, for example, occur only once in every 100 million uses, according to the E.P.A.
Why does DEET have a reputation for being harmful? DEET is neither intended nor safe for ingestion. Dr. Amin notes that oral intake can result in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and (in rare cases) seizures.
Nevertheless, no repellent is 100 percent safe and all repellents must be used carefully. Use of DEET concentrations above 50 percent have been associated with increased skin irritation and similar reactions.
DEET is a documented neurotoxin, meaning it can negatively impact the nervous system. When mixed with permethrin, another pesticide, animal studies show the mixture can cause the death of neurons in the brain and disease in the offspring of exposed adults.
For reference, a repellent containing 15% DEET typically provides up to six hours of mosquito protection, while a repellent with 25% DEET typically provides up to 8 hours of mosquito protection.
DEET has been classified as a Group D carcinogen (not classifiable as a human carcinogen.) Although DEET's use has been implicated in seizures among children, the Agency believes that the incident data are insufficient to establish DEET as the cause of the reported effects.
Products containing DEET are typically very low risk when people use them correctly. DEET can cause skin irritation in some people, but this is rare. Some people who have used high strength DEET or had exposure to DEET over a long period have experienced adverse effects. DEET is also toxic if ingested.
For more than 60 years, DEET has reigned as the undisputed champion of insect repellents. No longer. There's now a potentially better alternative on the market: picaridin. Both DEET and picaridin are proven to be effective at fending off ticks—and are superior to other repellents when it comes to protection time.
DEET is a widely used repellent that deters pests by making it harder for them to smell humans. Despite being effective, it has faced controversy over potential health and environmental impacts, including skin irritation and toxicity concerns. Some countries have even banned DEET due to these risks.
As there is no evidence of a relationship between the level of the DEET metabolite and health-related biomarkers of systemic inflammation (hS-CRP), immune function (lymphocyte), liver function (AST, ALT, and GGT), and kidney function (eGFR), exposure to DEET does not appear to have a deleterious impact on human health.
If it hasn't worn off by bedtime, you'll want to wash it off with soap and water, as it can be irritating if left on overnight. Unless you are camping overnight in an area with ticks or mosquitoes, you don't want it sitting on your skin if insects aren't a concern. “If you don't need it on, get it off,” Waldman says.
DEET, picaridin, and natural oils like lemon and eucalyptus oil are all very common and safe ingredients found in bug repellent. Some people prefer to stay away from DEET, as it can burn when it gets in your eyes and often comes with a potent smell.
In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency conducted a definitive assessment of the chemical. The agency turned up 46 seizures and four deaths that were potentially linked to deet exposure. It estimated that since 1960, the incidence of seizures with a potential link to deet exposure was 1 per 100 million uses.
DEET concentrations higher than 30% are not more effective and the chemical (which is absorbed through the skin) in high amounts can be toxic. Follow the directions on the label.
It's a chemical, after all — and bodies often react to chemicals. Some people experience rashes or irritated skin after using DEET. It can also irritate your eyes if sprayed too close to your peepers. More alarming, there have been rare reports of seizures associated with DEET.
Except for a few veterinary uses, DEET is registered for use by consumers, and it is not used on food. DEET is designed for direct application to people's skin to repel insects. Rather than killing them, DEET works by making it hard for these biting bugs to smell us.
Health Canada decided to limit DEET concentration to 30% in the country since 2002 due to an increased long-term risk observed with repeated applications. DEET is often sold and used in spray or lotion in concentrations up to 100%.
Endocrine Effects.
Several intermediate-duration and one chronic-duration oral study conducted gross and microscopic examinations of endocrine glands of animals following oral exposure to DEET and did not find significant treatment-related alterations.
However, if you're wearing clothing made from plastic materials, such as nylon, you could experience some chemical reactions. As demonstrated with a plastic cup, DEET can melt plastic because it is a member of the tolune chemical categories, and these chemicals are solvents meaning they melt things, basically.