Keywords Health, Pesticides, Pyrethroids
1 Introduction
The pyrethroid insecticides are widely and increasingly used worldwide, and their
metabolites were omnipresent in the urine samples collected from the general
population across different countries [1]. The general population is primarily
exposed to pyrethroids by ingestion of contaminated food (e.g., residues on fruits
and vegetables) and dust particles. Inhalation and dermal intakes can also occur via
residential and/or occupational indoor and/or outdoor application for pest control.
The possibility of adverse health effects of pyrethroids after short- or long-term
exposure has emerged as a major public health concern. A number of human studies
have suggested genotoxic, hormonal, and reproductive effects of pyrethroids in male
adults [1, 2]. Prenatal and childhood exposures have also been associated to
neurodevelopmental effects and different adverse birth outcomes in a few human
studies. During the last years, the body of research has grown and the possible longterm effects of pyrethroids deserve further evaluation. The purpose of the present
review is to evaluate the weight of evidence complied since earlier reviews on the
relationship between pyrethroid exposure and health effects.
2 Materials and Methods
As previous reviews included epidemiological studies up to about 2014, we
conducted an electronic search for recent articles published in peer-reviewed
journals using PubMed, starting from 2014 to March 2019. As a first step, all articles
containing the words pyrethÃ, permethrin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, cyfluthrin,
deltamethrin, and cyhalothrin in combination with any of the following, endocrinÃ,
reprodÃ, pregnanÃ, thyroid, hormone, genotoxÃ, tumor, cancer, immunÃ, respÃ, and
neuroÃ, in their title or abstract or as a keyword were collected. The references cited
in identified publications were also searched to locate additional articles. Studies
included in this paper were those written in English, pertaining to occupational or
environmental exposure to a specific pyrethroid or to the class of pyrethroids in
association with human health outcomes, and presenting original results. Because
there is a limited body of research, and to better identify the potential areas of
concern related to human pyrethroid exposure, all studies that met the abovedescribed criteria were included in this review, regardless of reporting quality.
260
A.-M. Saillenfait and S. Malard
1 Introduction
The pyrethroid insecticides are widely and increasingly used worldwide, and their
metabolites were omnipresent in the urine samples collected from the general
population across different countries [1]. The general population is primarily
exposed to pyrethroids by ingestion of contaminated food (e.g., residues on fruits
and vegetables) and dust particles. Inhalation and dermal intakes can also occur via
residential and/or occupational indoor and/or outdoor application for pest control.
The possibility of adverse health effects of pyrethroids after short- or long-term
exposure has emerged as a major public health concern. A number of human studies
have suggested genotoxic, hormonal, and reproductive effects of pyrethroids in male
adults [1, 2]. Prenatal and childhood exposures have also been associated to
neurodevelopmental effects and different adverse birth outcomes in a few human
studies. During the last years, the body of research has grown and the possible longterm effects of pyrethroids deserve further evaluation. The purpose of the present
review is to evaluate the weight of evidence complied since earlier reviews on the
relationship between pyrethroid exposure and health effects.
2 Materials and Methods
As previous reviews included epidemiological studies up to about 2014, we
conducted an electronic search for recent articles published in peer-reviewed
journals using PubMed, starting from 2014 to March 2019. As a first step, all articles
containing the words pyrethÃ, permethrin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, cyfluthrin,
deltamethrin, and cyhalothrin in combination with any of the following, endocrinÃ,
reprodÃ, pregnanÃ, thyroid, hormone, genotoxÃ, tumor, cancer, immunÃ, respÃ, and
neuroÃ, in their title or abstract or as a keyword were collected. The references cited
in identified publications were also searched to locate additional articles. Studies
included in this paper were those written in English, pertaining to occupational or
environmental exposure to a specific pyrethroid or to the class of pyrethroids in
association with human health outcomes, and presenting original results. Because
there is a limited body of research, and to better identify the potential areas of
concern related to human pyrethroid exposure, all studies that met the abovedescribed criteria were included in this review, regardless of reporting quality.
260
A.-M. Saillenfait and S. Malard