As if Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that ensued wasn’t destructive enough, the United States Air Force decided to spray a toxic pesticide over 600,000 acres of the Houston, Texas area on Thursday night.

The reason? To supposedly combat the potential rise of any disease-carrying mosquitoes in the wake of the storm.

According to a statement from the Harris County Public Health Department:

“The insecticide, Dibrom (EPA-approved), is routinely used for aerial spray operations to combat mosquito-borne disease and will be used during the spray operation in Harris County.

“Dibrom is considered safe for the environment and is applied by licensed applicators, according to the label instructions.”

Despite the reassurances, multiple studies have shown potential negative health consequences for humans exposed to these chemicals.

One recent research effort concluded that babies living in China who were most exposed to Dibrom were at a greater risk of accruing deterioration to their motor skills.

Infants with the highest exposure performed 3% to 4% lower on tests measuring basic physical motions of the face, hands, fingers, and mouth when compared to those receiving the least amount of exposure.

Similarly, in 2012, the European Commission stated that “type 18 biocidal products containing naled pose a potential and unacceptable risk to human health and the environment.”