A Study About The Effective Use of Eco-Friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent
A Study About The Effective Use of Eco-Friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent
A Study About The Effective Use of Eco-Friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent
A Research Proposal
Presented to the STEM Research Panel
Paombong High School, Inc.
Paombong, Bulacan
by
Jalaena Lou Lorenzo Miranda
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 2
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Problem Rationale 4-5
1.2 Significance of the Study 5
1.3 Statement of the Problem 6
1.4 Hypothesis 6
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Rationale/ Synopsis of the Literature 7-9
2.1.1 Related Literature 7-8
2.1.2 Related Studies 8-9
2.2 Discussion of Relevance 9-10
2.3 Conceptual Framework 10-11
3.0 Research Methods
3.1 Design 12
3.2 Selection 12
3.3 Instrumentation 12
3.4 Ethical Consideration 13
3.5 Data Gathering Procedure 13
3.6 Mode of Analysis 13-14
4.0 Results and Discussion
4.1 Materials/ Ingredients Used 15-16
4.2 Side Effects of Materials/ Ingredients Used 16-17
4.3 Home and Self-Evaluation to Mosquitoes 17
4.4 Organic Mosquito Repellent 17-18
4.5 Different Repellents Comparison 18
4.6 Longevity Comparison 19
5.0 Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Conclusion 20
5.2 Recommendation 21
References 22-24
Appendices 25
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 4
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Problem Rationale
The researcher came up with this research study because of the increasing
number of people having dengue caused by mosquito and malaria during summer
and rainy season. It is commonly caused by poor sanitation that causes
mosquitoes to live and survive in stagnant waters. Many people are not conscious
to clean and check their surrounding that makes it prone to mosquito’s existence.
Furthermore, this will be a big help to anyone to prevent themselves from
mosquitoes without causing any bad effects since it is easy to do, more natural
and affordable unlike any other mosquito repellents.
This research study aims to produce a quality and effective organic mosquito
repellent in form of spray that can be used anytime so that people will be not
susceptible to insects that can cause illnesses or diseases. The organic mosquito
repellent will be made from garlic, dried rosemary, peppermint and oregano
which are derived from nature. Unlike organically prepared which means to be
cultivated without the use of fertilizers. The mosquito repellent is targeted to be
good for environmental and human health to prevent side effects and damages.
This research study would benefit people of any age. Specifically, the residents
of Paombong and Malolos, Bulacan will benefit in this study to lessen the chances
of being susceptible to insect bites such as mosquito bites that may lead to
mosquito-related disease. This research study will be used by any individual to
prepare themselves for the rainy and summer season where dengue outbreak in
some areas are concerned. Through this research, once it is proven effective, they
will no longer buy commercial repellents that is expensive and may cause harm to
their health and to environment.
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 6
The study aims to examine and determine the effective use of eco-friendly and
organic mosquito repellent at home.
Specifically, the researchers aim to address the following questions:
1.) What are the ingredients used in making organic mosquito repellent?
2.) What is the best procedure to make a repellent?
3.) Is organic mosquito repellent more effective than commercial product
repellents?
4.) Why is it safe to human health and environment?
5.) How would this research study be beneficial for the community?
1.4 Hypothesis
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Rationale/ Synopsis of the Literature
2.1.1 Related Literature
Mosquito bites are not just simply bites because it turns into an infectious
disease that can be fatal and deadly. Pietrangelo (2016) states that mosquitoes
live near to areas where human lives like in stagnant water or in grass.
Moreover, the most common disease that we acquire from mosquito is
dengue fever. Dengue fever is known to be break-bone fever because it causes
severe pain in the muscle sand joints and severe headache (Alturas, J. & Hamili,
K.R., 2009). Additionally, in the Philippines, the DOH or Department of Health in
2017 reported that dengue cases from January 1 to March 25, 2017 decreased
unlike from the same time period last year. A total of 24, 958 cases were reported
which is 36.2% lower than last year.
However, it is important to be prepared to prevent having bites. Use of insect
repellent is necessary to be unattractive to mosquitoes. Pointer in 2017
emphasized that use of natural insect repellent is effective. Mercola (2015)
supports that using natural repellents are more effective than DEET. DEET has the
potential to cause health and environmental problems unlike using natural
repellents with no side effects.
In addition, peppermint leaves are effective to use as an ingredient to
mosquito repellent. An article online entitled Making Mosquito Repellent with
Mint Leaves (2012, April 24) proves that mint species release a pungent scent that
deters mosquitoes. The essence found in the peppermint stems, leaves and
flowers are also needed to be extracted to get the oil. Meanwhile, Hisky in 2011
proves that peppermint has high amount of menthol that may help to repel and
kill mosquitoes.
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 8
Similarly, rosemary can be also used for making repellents. Kathy Adams
stated in her article entitled Homemade Rosemary Mosquito Repellent Recipe, a
simple repellent can be made by just using dried rosemary and boiling water. This
repellent can be applied directly on your skin even on your pets.
Lastly, SavATree (2002, April 02) emphasizes that garlic contains a substance
called allicin when chopped, crushed or blended. It releases a strong odor that
makes a powerful repellent to insects such as mosquitoes and flies. An article
online entitled Garlic as a Natural Mosquito Repellent supports that garlic is more
effective in repelling mosquitoes. It is scientifically proven that garlic has the
ability to repel mosquitoes because of its strong smell and prevents it from looking
for their prey.
II to repel mosquitoes. However, Rodriquez, S.D. et. al. (2015) stated that repellent
containing DEET have long-lasting effect to deter mosquito which mostly contains
synthetic chemicals that may be harmful to human skin and environment.
In addition, many online articles have confirmed that herbs such as
peppermint, oregano, rosemary, catnip, garlic and osage orange fruit has repelling
effect that may help repel and kill mosquitoes. These herbs were proven that it
releases strong odor to be resistant to mosquito bites. Lastly, Hisky (2011) proved
that peppermint leaves can effectively repel mosquitoes as it contains high
amount of menthol.
group. A person will go outside of the house near a canal where mosquitoes are
mostly present. For control group, the left arm of the participant will not use the
formulated organic mosquito repellent. On the other hand, for the experimental
group, the right arm of the participant will be sprayed with the formulated
repellent. The activity will be conducted for 1 to 2 hours at night and the
repellency and protection from the repellent will be the basis for the
measurement of effectivity.
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 12
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODS
3.1 Design
In order to see the impact of using natural repellent, combination of
experimental research and qualitative research are used. Experimental research
will be needed to formulate the plan, procedure and execution of the natural
mosquito repellent using common ingredients that can effectively deter
mosquitoes. Also, qualitative research will be needed to clearly emphasize and
present the information to answer the research questions.
3.2 Selection
The researcher selected an approximate of 10 respondents from
Paombong and Malolos, Bulacan, male and female of any age. The respondents
are randomly chosen from the said areas because mosquitoes are present
everywhere. Also, they are chosen since assessment and observation are only
needed based on the tested product. Selected respondents may be either child or
adult who are willing to participate in the study.
3.3 Instrumentation
A questionnaire was used in gathering data. Self-constructed
questionnaire was done by providing questions to obtain the needed information.
The questionnaire has 2 parts. The first part is about home assessment to
mosquitoes to discover if the participant’s home were prone and susceptible to
mosquitoes. The second part is about organic mosquito repellent to examine the
efficacy of the product used. The questionnaire is consisted of items that
determined the effective use of organic mosquito repellent.
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 13
participants and will be used during day to night to assess what time of the day
mosquitoes were most active.
The product will be tested based on the hypothesis if organic ingredients
used as a material are effective to repel mosquitoes. The efficacy of the product
will be measured through the level of repellency and protection time on skin in
hours. The experiment will be analyzed using tables including explanations to
clearly present the data.
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 15
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS SND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the answer to specific questions and the output of
the study. It also includes the results of the evaluation conducted for the
experiment.
4.1 Materials/ Ingredients Used
Availability
Materials/ Chemical
Other Uses of
Ingredients Components
Ingredients
allicin, diallyl
disulfide, alliin,
ajoene, s-allyl
cysteine,
It may be used as raw
alliinase, diallyl
vegetable for culinary
trisulfide,
purposes, or as an Public
Garlic fructan, allyl
ingredient of Market
propyl disulfide,
traditional and modern
allixin, allyl
medicine.
mercaptan, syn-
propanethial-s-
oxide, sulfenic
acid
It is used for digestion
problems, including
heartburn, intestinal
gas (flatulence), liver
eucalyptol,
and gallbladder
carnosol,
Dried complaints, and loss of
rosmarinic acid, Supermarket
Rosemary appetite. It is also used
carnosonic acid,
for gout, cough,
ursolic acid
headache, high blood
pressure, and reducing
age-related memory
loss.
menthol, It can be used,
menthone, including cosmetics,
Peppermint Backyard
menthyl acetate, aromatherapy, relaxing
menthofuran, baths, and as a
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 16
Though it is a natural, it may still pose harm to those who are sensitive to
the aforementioned ingredients. It may cause different allergic reactions
especially to skin when directly applied. Precautionary measures must be done
before testing and using the product.
The participants are not completely protected from mosquito bites even
though they maintain the cleanliness of their surroundings to prevent mosquitoes
live and reproduce. There is still a chance that sometimes mosquitoes enter their
houses which still makes them susceptible to bites. Majority of them does not use
any kind of repellent to protect themselves from insects. As a result, they still get
bitten by mosquitoes especially during night time.
hours upon application. Also, it is convenient because they can make their own in
the home without going to the market. In addition, they did not encounter any
problem while using the product like skin reactions. On the other hand, they
suggested that the smell of the repellent and its shelf life for longer usage should
be improved. Lastly, the organic mosquito repellent can help the community to
make their own repellents in an easy way. Also, it can lessen the number of
individuals harmed by mosquito diseases.
Protection Side
Repellent Form Ingredients Availability Longevity
Time Effects
DEET and Dizziness,
1hr. and 2 to 3
OFF! Lotion other Market skin
30mins. years
ingredients reactions
Garlic,
1 and
Organic Peppermint,
Home/ 30mins ½
Mosquito Spray Oregano, None
Market to 2hrs mont
Repellent Dried
h
Rosemary
A B
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Conclusion
Organic repellent is all natural that keeps human protected from mosquito
that causes diseases like dengue and malaria which poses risk to human health.
Many were engage in using commercial repellents because it is ready to apply.
However, it contains the most active ingredient which is DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-
toluamide) in mosquito repellents which is harmful to human health and
environment. The researcher concluded that ingredients like garlic, dried
rosemary, peppermint and oregano which releases essential oils called ester are
effective because it releases strong scent that deters mosquitoes over maximum
of 2 hours of protection time. The repellent was convenient to the participants
because it does not have a disturbing smell, easy to apply, and leaves no sticky
feeling. Also, the repellent can also be made at home which is easier to do and
affordable. However, the smell and shelf life of the repellent must be improved.
Even it is DEET-free and all natural, organic repellent is more effective because it
provides high repellency as well as user safety. In addition, it is safe to human
health because no side effects were observed when the product was used as well
as to environment because no synthetic chemicals were added to the repellent.
The organic repellent is beneficial for the community because it provides an
alternative solution to prevent mosquito-related diseases out of natural resources
available in our home. Lastly, this research study is new because it uses
combination of 4 ingredients instead of one since all of them are proven effective
to deter mosquitoes, it will be effective if all of them complement with each other
and create a good repelling effect.
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 21
5.2 Recommendation
Plant-based repellents are good alternatives to repellents available in
market. The researcher recommended that when making the repellent, more
ingredients must be added to have a stronger version and improve repellency.
Also, further studies must be conducted to explore and improve the smell and
shelf life of the repellent using other natural ingredients. The smell and shelf life
are both important in making organic mosquito repellent to have a more
convenient use of the product. Moreover, ways must be explored to have
maximum level of protection against mosquitoes and appropriate actions must be
taken like users should clean their bodies before applying the repellent because
untidy body can be a factor to be vulnerable to mosquitoes and wear long clothes
that can protect themselves from mosquitoes especially during at night. Lastly,
having screens at windows and main door can also effectively help them to protect
themselves from entering mosquitoes inside their home.
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 22
REFERENCES
(2012, April 24). “Making Mosquito Repellent with Mint Leaves”. Retrieved from
http://www.searchamelia.com/making-mosquito-repellent-with-mint-
leaves
Alturas, J. and Hamili, K.R. (2009, October 12). “Dengue Fever”. Retrieved from
http://einstein-kethmae.blogspot.com/2009/10/research-paper-writing-
dengue-fever.html
Baguino, R. (2016, February 23). “Natural Mosquito Coil Made from Oregano and
Charcoal”. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/z3hkabbatdst/natural-
mosquito-coil-made-from-oregano-and-charcoal/
Baker, S.L. (2009, September 06). “Insect repellent DEET is toxic to brain cells”.
Retrieved from
https://www.naturalnews.com/026982_DEET_insect_repellent_brain.ht
ml
Flasche, S., Jit, M., Barraquer, I. R., Coudeville, L. et. al. (2016, November 29).
“The Long-Term Safety, Public Health Impact, and Cost-Effectiveness of
Routine Vaccination with a Recombinant, Live-Attenuated Dengue
Vaccine (Dengvaxia): A Model Comparison Study”. Retrieved from
http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1
002181#authcontrib
“Is Your Bug Spray Doing More Harm than Good?”. Retrieved from
https://dellaterrawellness.com/bug-spray/
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 23
Mercola, J. (2015, May 25). “This Natural Bug Repellent Works Better Than
Deet”. Retrieved from
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/05/25/natural-
insect-repellents.aspx
Oder, T. (2014, October 2). “12 plants that repel unwanted insects”. Retrieved
from https://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-
gardening/stories/12- plants-that-repel-unwanted-insects
Pietrangelo, A. and Rogers, G. (2016, July 07). “Mosquito Bite Symptoms and
Treatments”. Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/health/mosquito-bites
Pointer, K. and Sullivan, D. (2017, March 07). “Why Mosquito Bites Itch and How
to Stop Them”. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/why-
mosquito-bites-itch
Rani, N., Wany, A., Vidyarthi, A. S. and Pandey, D. M. (2013, May). “Study of
Citronella leaf based herbal mosquito repellents using natural binders”.
Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304488843_Study_of_Citrone
lla_leaf_based_herbal_mosquito_repellents_using_natural_binders
Rodriguez, S. D., Drake, L. L., Rice, D. P. et. al. (2015, October 2). The Efficacy of
Some Commercially Available Insect Repellents for Aedes aegypti (Diptera:
Culicidae) and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)”. Journal of Insect
Science, 15, 140. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iev125
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 24
Rutledge, R. and Day, J.F. (2002, September). “Mosquito Repellents”. Vero Beach,
FL: University of Florida. Retrieved from
http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/Mosquito_Repellents.htm
Schultz, G., Peterson, C. and Coats, J. (2006). “Natural Insect Repellents: Activity
against Mosquitoes and Cockroaches”. Washington, DC: American
Chemical Society. Retrieved from
https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/ja_schultz001.pdf
Scientific American. (nd). “Is it true that the DEET used in most mosquito
repellents is toxic?”. Retrieved from
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-it-true-that-the-deet/
Webb, C. (2015, May 01). “Are mosquito coils making us sick?”. Retrieved from
https://cameronwebb.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/are-mosquito-coils-
making-us-sick/
A Study about the Effective Use of Eco-friendly and Organic Mosquito Repellent 25
APPENDICES