Death to a menace?

Could ‘Formula Zx’ a repellent invented by a Sri Lankan be the answer to the dangers posed by mosquitoes?

Not a year has passed in recent times without the fear of mosquitoes gripping the country, what with the dengue and recent chikungunya outbreaks.

Charles de Silva, responding to an invitation by the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission to get rid of the mosquito threat, has invented an environment-friendly mosquito repellent which will also prevent the biological growth of mosquitoes.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, de Silva explained that ‘Formula Zx’ is a tentative name he has used for his environment-friendly mosquito repellent made of Neem oil and Soy lecithin.

Explaining the composition of Formula Zx, de Silva added that it is a result of combining two findings; the influence of Neem on mosquito larvae and the penetrative capability of Soy lecithin. “Neem has been known for its activation against larvae but had not been used due to its poor water solubility and the inability of oral infusion into the larvae. Formula Zx has circumvented both these barriers by mixing Neem oil with Soy lecithin which has the water solubility and oral infusion and provides a simple solution to a long standing problem,” he clarified.

In Formula Zx, the Soy lecithin and Neem oil are combined in an inseparable binary bond so that the soy molecule, acting as a vehicle, will carry the bonded Neem molecule into the body of the larvae.

“The Neem molecules disrupt the development of the larvae into the pupa stage. And as a result, only a small percentage of the larvae reach the fly stage and these too are weak and sterile. It will lead to a gradual decrease of the mosquito population, generation by generation.This is the foremost aim of Formula Zx,” de Silva explained.

Formula Zx is presented in a concentrated form and has to be diluted at the ratio 1:20, one part of Formula Zx mixed with 20 parts of water just before spraying. Twenty litres of Formula Zx can be sprayed over an area of 1 acre. “Spraying repeatedly every two weeks will give the best results,” he added.

It is meant to be sprayed over stagnant water pits, pools and marshy lands where mosquitoes lay eggs. “The formula floats downwards gently in the water and when the larvae come up to the water every few minutes, for a new intake of air, they have to pass the many layers of the Formula Zx laden water. This will unavoidably, disrupt or retard their lifecycle,” de Silva adds. “The FZ leaves a thin coat over the undisturbed water for many days, so the new mosquitoes that come to lay eggs too are repelled.”

“The cake that remains after the oil is extracted from the neem seed will provide harmless insecticidal manure. When this is mixed with urea, it will help to eliminate mosquitoes and other pests from paddy fields. It can also be sprayed over vegetable crops as a safe pest repellent and when diluted with water, it could even be used on babies as a mosquito repellent,” he said.

Formula Zx can be produced at a much cheaper price than any insecticide available in the market. “One litre of Formula Zx is expected to cost about Rs. 10- at the diluted level,” de Silva said.

“But I have not yet decided whether to market it or not. Helping to eradicate mosquitoes is more than enough for me. I do not expect any monetary profit through this venture. I run my own business of herbal cosmetics and look forward to the cooperation of the state or the private sector to take over my invention and use it to get rid of mosquitoes,” he said.