A groundbreaking review of 10 years' worth of adverse-reaction reports filed with  American Environmental Protection Agency by pesticide manufacturers, which found that pyrethrins and pyrethroids - used in thousands of supposedly "safer" pesticides - accounted for more than 26 percent of all fatal, "major," and "moderate" human incidents reported to the EPA in 2007. Based on information from the previously unreleased EPA pesticide incident-reporting system, this investigation spurred the director of the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs to announce the agency would begin a broad study of the human health effects of pyrethrins and pyrethroids.

Pyrethrins, extracted from the chrysanthemum plant, and their synthetic relatives, pyrethroids, have exploded in popularity over the last decade. They are now used in thousands of consumer products. These chemicals are found in bug-repellant clothing, flea collars, automatic misting devices, lawn-care products, and carpet sprays. ‘Safe' Pesticides Now First in Poisonings will rekindle the debate about the safety of modern pesticide use.

The Center for Public Integrity is dedicated to producing original, responsible investigative journalism on issues of public concern in the USA and around the world. The Center's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) is a collaboration of some of the world's leading investigative reporters. ICIJ extends globally the Center's style of watchdog journalism, working with 100 reporters in 50 countries to produce long-term, transnational projects.

Will our own and global governments increase regulations and ban all those chemicals where adverse reactions occur? What risks of exposure are acceptable? How safe is it to hug your dog wearing flea collars or after being rinsed with insecticde? Some thoughts here.