Flammability testing of 22 conventional European pediculicides.
Lice have been parasitizing humans for at least 10,000 years. Since then, humans have tried to rid themselves of these unpleasant and potentially disease-carrying insects. Despite various plant extracts and chemical compounds being used to combat recurring infestations to this date, several lice populations have developed resistance to some of the abundantly used compounds. This resulted in the development of anti-louse products that physically kill the different lice stages. Today, a widely used group of delousing agents are dimethicones (polydimethylsiloxane PDMS) which function by suffocating the lice. However, many dimethicones and related products are highly flammable which makes them potentially dangerous for treatment. In the present study, we tested the flammability of 22 delousing agents in order to shed some light onto this currently unresolved problem in the product design of pediculicides. Thirteen products were easily ignitable, some even by distant contact with a sparkler.
Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Dorian.Doerge@senckenberg.de.|Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Dorian.Doerge@senckenberg.de.
Dorian D
DD
Dörge
Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
Thomas
T
Kuhn
Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
Sven
S
Klimpel
D000818:Animals; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010374:Pediculus / Q000254:growth & development*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D007306:Insecticides; D010936:Plant Extracts; C013830:baysilon
Anti-louse products; Dimethicones; Head lice treatment; Pediculus humanus capitis