Table 1
Summary of epidemiological studies investigating potential association between exposure to pyrethroids and respiratory outcomes
Reference
and study
Location
Design
Study dates
Population
sample size
Exposure assessment
Pesticides/metabolites
Outcomes of interest
Main pyrethroid
findings
Respiratory symptoms and disease (asthma)
Cherry et al.,
2018
[3]
Canada
Cross-sectional study
2002
2,422 grain
farmers
Self-reported use
Pyrethroids (class) (ever
use, total years of use)
Asthma (self-reported)
No association
(authors’ comment: use
too infrequent for any
strong conclusion)
Patel et al.,
2018
[4]
USA
Cross-sectional analyses
Part of the
Farm Ranch
Safety Survey
2011
11,210 primary
farm operators
(84% males)
Self-reported use in the
12 months prior to the
interview
Pyrethroids (class)
(use/no use)
Lifetime allergic rhinitis
(self-reported)
Significant association
between lifetime allergic rhinitis and overall
insecticide use and with
use of pyrethroids
(POR, adjusted prevalence odds ratio; 95%
CI, confidence interval
¼ 2.1; 1.6–2.7, and
2.4; 1.5–3.9, respectively) (2.6; 1.5–4.6
among operators with
crop farms)
Hoppin
et al., 2017
[5]
USA
Cross-sectional analyses
Part of the
Agricultural
Health Study
(AHS)
2005–2010
22,134 male
farm applicators
Self-reported current use 8 pyrethroids (permethrin, cyfluthrin,
bifenthrin,
esfenvalerate, lambdacyhalothrin, zeta
cypermethrin, tefluthrin,
pyrethrins) (use/no use
and days of use/year for
permethrin and
cyfluthrin-5 exposure
categories)
Allergic and
non-allergic wheeze
(self-reported)
Two pyrethroids associated with both allergic
and non-allergic
wheeze:
Permethrin OR; 95%
CI
¼ 1.38; 1.09–1.75,
and 1.35; 1.17–1.55,
respectively
And pyrethrins OR;
95% CI
¼ 1.70; 1.13–
2.56, and 1.43; 1.10–
1.85, respectively
262
A.-M. Saillenfait and S. Malard