Recently, I received a package with a sheet of plastic in it that said “Micro-Pak Enhanced PE Sheets.” Wondering what it was, I saved it.

Micro-Pak Enhanced PE Sheets are intended to control, inhibit, and mitigate odor causing bacteria, mold, and mildew on products enclosed in packaging intended for shipment.

Items that may be packaged and treated with the sheets include footwear, clothing, luggage, handbags, purses, wallets, gloves, hats, belts, leather goods, sporting goods, furniture, packing boxes, carpets, photo albums, musical instruments, toys, bracelets, jewelry, dolls, lamps, vases, baskets, footwear components, bedding, tablecloths, housewares, and floral products.

Micro-Pak stickers and sheets are activated by moisture, so they don’t start working until they’re needed. When the relative humidity reaches a preset level, the sheets release a Pesticide within the box or polybag to actively eliminate mold spores. The pesticide spreads throughout the package to do its work.

I couldn’t find any information on whether these sheets are dangerous for consumers to handle. I’ll contact the U.S. Environmental Protection and see what it says.

Since my father died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is linked to pesticide exposure, and I had pesticide exposures as a child, how pesticides are used concerns me.

If you see these sheets in your packages, I’d put on disposable gloves and put of them in the trash right away.

I would certainly like to see the sheets labeled as containing pesticides. It's difficult to understand why they aren't labeled with that information.

The sheets are different from Silica Gel, a drying agent that comes in small, clear beads or rock crystals placed in little packets made of paper or cloth. The packets are put in products, such as food, clothing, medication, supplements, and electronics, to prevent moisture damage. The small particles can absorb large amounts of water. Silica gel is non-toxic, but it’s a choking hazard for young children when put in small packets.‌