2023-06-02 07:02:31
A study by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) shows that the soap we use affects our attraction mosquitoes can significantly affect. This is due to the interaction between the soap ingredients and the individual odor profile of each person.
Attractive or repellent to mosquitoes?
Published in the journal iScience Study shows how different soaps can either attract or repel mosquitoes due to their interaction with our body’s natural odor.
“It is remarkable that one and the same individual, which is extremely attractive to mosquitoes when unwashed, becomes even more attractive to mosquitoes with one soap and becomes repellent or repellent to mosquitoes with another soap,” stressed Lead author Clément Vinauger.
The team analyzed the odor profiles of four volunteers, both unwashed and following washing with different soap brands – Dial, Dove, Native and Simple Truth. They found that each person gave off a unique odor profile that changed significantly with the use of soap.
Despite means of protection, increased attraction
The next step was to measure the volunteers’ attraction to Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. To do this, they examined the insects’ preference for substances that had absorbed the odors of the volunteers. Surprisingly, they found that washing with Dove and Simple Truth made some volunteers more attractive to the Sumerians, while Native soap had a repellent effect.
“What really matters to the mosquito isn’t the most common chemical, but rather the specific compounds and combinations of chemicals, not only from the soap but also from our personal body odors,” Vinauger said. “All of the soaps contained a chemical called limonene, which is known to be a mosquito repellent, but while this was the main chemical in all four soaps, three of the four soaps tested increased attraction to mosquitoes.”
According to the team, the following four fabrics were particularly attractive:
- Lilial
- Alpha-Isomethyl-Ionone
- Allyl-Heptanoat
- 4-tert-Butylcyclohexyl-Acetat
coconut for defense
The study also identified certain chemicals linked to the insects’ attraction and repulsion. For example, the researchers found that a coconut-scented substance repels them.
The researchers plan to explore these results further by testing more types of soap and examining the effects of soap use over time. This might potentially lead to the development of more effective, natural mosquito repellents.
Quelle: „Soap application alters mosquito-host interactions“ (iScience, 2023); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
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