Synthetic Pyrethroids
chemicalWATCH Factsheet SYNTHETIC PYRETHROIDS Pesticide products containing pyrethroids properties. They are not easily absorbed nasal stuffiness, headache, nausea, incoor- are often described by pest control opera- through the skin, but are absorbed through dination, tremors, convulsions, facial flush- tors and community mosquito management the gut and pulmonary membrane. Tests of ing and swelling, and burning and itching bureaus as safe as chrysanthemum flow- some pyrethroids on laboratory animals re- sensations. The most severe poisonings ers. While pyrethroids are a synthetic ver- veal striking neurotoxicity when administered have been reported in infants, who are not sion of an extract from the chyrsanthemum, by injection or orally. Systemic toxicity by able to efficiently break down pyrethroids they were chemically designed to be more inhalation and dermal absorption is low. The (ETN, Pyrethroids, 1994). With orally in- toxic with longer breakdown times, and are acute toxicity, calculated by LD s, ranges 50 gested doses, nervous symptoms may oc- often formulated with synergists, increas- from low to high, depending on the specific cur, which include excitation and convulsions ing potency and compromising the human formulation. Low toxicity is attributed to two leading to paralysis, accompanied by mus- bodys ability to detoxify the pesticide. factors: limited absorption of some pyre- cular fibrillation and diarrhea (ETN, Pyre- throids, and rapid biodegradation by mam- throids, 1994). Death in these cases is due to What are Synthetic Pyrethroids? malian liver enzymes (ester hydrolysis and respiratory failure. Symptoms of acute expo- Synthetic pyrethroids are synthesized de- oxidation). Insects, without this liver func- sure last about 2 days. rivatives of naturally occurring pyrethrins, tion, exhibit greater susceptibility to the which are taken from pyrethrum, the oleo- chemicals (Reigart et al., 1999).
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