In Lubumbashi, Lava is used by households to eliminate cockroaches and other insects.

And, Yasmine Musoko, a young mother, believes that it is an effective product.

 “My sister uses Lava very regularly. She takes two to three measurements, mixes with water and cleans the house. It gives a very good result,” she says.

On the other hand, Salva Amisi, another young woman, uses it mainly in the evening to eliminate mosquitoes, but her family stays outside while the chemical is being sprayed inside the house.

“I take a small amount of Lava, put it in a bottle, add water to the formula and spray the mixture around the house. After that, you have to close all the doors, otherwise, if you inhale the chemical, you may end up sneezing throughout the day,”

But the Democratic Republic of Congo has so far recorded over 22 serious cases of poisoning from Lava.

As it happens, Lava is designed to fight pests in the agricultural sector, essentially sprayed in wide open fields, not enclosed house walls.

And Lava has already been banned in Europe and even in Canada because it contains a toxic substance called dichlorvos.

However, it is now being used in DRC not just in farms but also domestically.

And now its domestic use poses health risks, explains Dr. Paul Musa, one of the researchers who conducted the study on what is being described as the dangers of Lava.

“Severe poisoning can cause breathing difficulties, coma and death in extreme cases. Between December 7, 2025 and February 25, 2026, we recorded 22 cases of poisoning that occurred after indoor spraying operations, including 14 hospitalized. Symptoms were dizziness, headache and nausea or worse,” said the expert.

This product is marketed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), even though it is being classified as a highly hazardous product by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dichlorvos is a synthetic organic chemical used as an insecticide.

It does not occur naturally in the environment, but industrial manufactured.

Dichlorvos is manufactured by a reaction between two other chemicals called chloral and trimethyl phosphite. It is also manufactured by heating a chemical called trichlorfon.

Dichlorvos is sold under many trade names including ‘Lava,’ ‘Vapona,’ ‘Atgard,’ ‘Nuvan,’ and ‘Task.’

Dichlorvos may also be called DDVP, which is an abbreviation for its full chemical name.

Pure dichlorvos is a dense colorless liquid that evaporates easily into the air and dissolves slightly in water. Dichlorvos has a sweetish smell and readily reacts with water.

The dichlorvos used in pest control is diluted with other liquids and used as a spray. It can also be incorporated into plastic that slowly releases the chemical. The dichlorvos present at hazardous waste sites will most likely be in a liquid solution or as solid plastic pellets or strips.