depending on the species and their feeding habits. Pyrethroid levels in human
milk samples were 87–1,200 ng/g lw for a rural area in Mozambique, where they
are used against the malaria vector, and 1.45–24.2 ng/g lw for urban and rural areas
of Colombia, Spain and Brazil. The contamination in milk decreased exponentially
with parity, supporting the hypothesis of maternal transfer of pyrethroids. The
maternal transfer of pyrethroids has been observed using several tissues from
mothers and foetuses of dolphins. Isomer-specific accumulation or metabolization
of pyrethroids has been assessed with somewhat consistent results, although
analysing environmental samples from the areas where biological samples are
collected would allow more accurate observations.
Keywords Bioaccumulation, Bioavailability, Maternal transfer, Metabolization,
Pesticides, Pyrethroids
Abbreviations
ADI
Acceptable daily intake
DDT
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroetane
EDI
Estimated daily intake
EF
Enantiomeric factor
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
f/m
Foetus-to-mother
HBB
Hexabromobenzene
HBCD Hexabromocyclododecane
K ow
Octanol-water partition coefficient
lw
Lipid weight
OPFR Organophosphorus flame retardant
PAH
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
PBDE Polybrominated diphenyl ether
PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
POP
Persistent organic pollutant
R
Diastereoisomeric factor
WHO
World Health Organization
ww
Wet weight
1 Introduction
Pyrethroids are commonly and extensively used in agronomics, on pets and cattle,
as domestic insecticides and for health purposes against lice, scabies or vectors
of diseases such as typhus or malaria [1].
206
Ò. Aznar-Alemany and E. Eljarrat
milk samples were 87–1,200 ng/g lw for a rural area in Mozambique, where they
are used against the malaria vector, and 1.45–24.2 ng/g lw for urban and rural areas
of Colombia, Spain and Brazil. The contamination in milk decreased exponentially
with parity, supporting the hypothesis of maternal transfer of pyrethroids. The
maternal transfer of pyrethroids has been observed using several tissues from
mothers and foetuses of dolphins. Isomer-specific accumulation or metabolization
of pyrethroids has been assessed with somewhat consistent results, although
analysing environmental samples from the areas where biological samples are
collected would allow more accurate observations.
Keywords Bioaccumulation, Bioavailability, Maternal transfer, Metabolization,
Pesticides, Pyrethroids
Abbreviations
ADI
Acceptable daily intake
DDT
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroetane
EDI
Estimated daily intake
EF
Enantiomeric factor
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
f/m
Foetus-to-mother
HBB
Hexabromobenzene
HBCD Hexabromocyclododecane
K ow
Octanol-water partition coefficient
lw
Lipid weight
OPFR Organophosphorus flame retardant
PAH
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
PBDE Polybrominated diphenyl ether
PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
POP
Persistent organic pollutant
R
Diastereoisomeric factor
WHO
World Health Organization
ww
Wet weight
1 Introduction
Pyrethroids are commonly and extensively used in agronomics, on pets and cattle,
as domestic insecticides and for health purposes against lice, scabies or vectors
of diseases such as typhus or malaria [1].
206
Ò. Aznar-Alemany and E. Eljarrat