Multiple factors play a part in determining how effective
any repellent will be; these factors include the
species of the biting organisms and the density of
organisms in the immediate surroundings; the user’s age, sex, level of activity, and biochemical attractiveness
to biting arthropods; and the ambient temperature,
humidity, and wind speed.
31-34
As a result, a
given repellent will not protect all users equally. Examination
of the ranges of complete-protection times
in Table 1 shows variation in the ability of each repellent
to protect different subjects. Thus, these times
should be taken not as absolute values but, rather, as
an indication of the relative effectiveness of the tested
repellent products.