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Analytical Methods for Determination Urinary Metabolites of Synthetic Pyrethroids

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Pyrethroid Insecticides

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 92))

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Abstract

Insecticides are natural and synthetic chemicals used to kill unwanted pests. However, humans and insect share similar molecular targets, and thus, insecticides are potentially hazardous to human health. Several health effects might be observed in experimental animals following controlled exposure to insecticides. Synthetic pyrethroids are still a relatively novel group of insecticides widely used not only in agriculture but also in human and veterinary medicine, forestry, and public health and for commercial pest control and residential consumer use. They play a unique role in fighting against malaria in tropical areas, where the WHO recommends pyrethroids among others for indoor residual spraying (IRS) and impregnation of bed nets to prevent mosquito biting.

Bearing in mind the widespread use of these substances around the world, one can expect that the exposure of human population is common and may pose a potential health risk. Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a scientific tool that allows to assess the extent of exposure based on the measurement of a given chemical or its metabolites in human body fluids or tissues.

The need to estimate the level of exposure in different populations has led to the development of a methodology based on the measurement of urinary metabolites, as synthetic pyrethroids are rapidly metabolized in humans and excreted mainly in the urine. Human biomonitoring is used commonly in epidemiological studies and provides valuable information on the aggregate exposure.

Numerous analytical methods have been developed for the determination of metabolites of synthetic pyrethroids in human urine capable of detecting both environmental and occupational exposure.

Here, in this chapter, we summarized recent achievements in the analysis of metabolites of synthetic pyrethroids in human urine, with both separation and non-separation methods and methods of sample preparation and some aspects of instrumental analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland

    Bartosz Wielgomas, Anna Klimowska & Wojciech Rodzaj

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  1. Bartosz Wielgomas
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  2. Anna Klimowska
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Correspondence to Bartosz Wielgomas .

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  1. Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

    Ethel Eljarrat

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Wielgomas, B., Klimowska, A., Rodzaj, W. (2020). Analytical Methods for Determination Urinary Metabolites of Synthetic Pyrethroids. In: Eljarrat, E. (eds) Pyrethroid Insecticides. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 92. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2019_430

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