Global occurrence of pyrethroid insecticides in sediment and the associated toxicological effects on benthic invertebrates: An overview

Abstract

Pyrethroids are the third most applied group of insecticides worldwide and are extensively used in agricultural and non-agricultural applications. Pyrethroids exhibit low toxicity to mammals, but have extremely high toxicity to fish and non-target invertebrates. Their high hydrophobicity, along with pseudo-persistence due to continuous input, indicates that pyrethroids will accumulate in sediment, pose long-term exposure concerns to benthic invertebrates and ultimately cause significant risk to benthic communities and aquatic ecosystems. The current review synthesizes the reported sediment concentrations of pyrethroids and associated toxicity to benthic invertebrates on a global scale. Geographically, the most studied area was North America, followed by Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa. Pyrethroids were frequently detected in both agricultural and urban sediments, and bifenthrin and cypermethrin were identified as the main contributors to toxicity in benthic invertebrates. Simulated hazard quotients (HQ) for sediment-associated pyrethroids to benthic organisms ranged from 10.5±31.1 (bifenthrin) to 41.7±204 (cypermethrin), suggesting significant risk. The current study has provided evidence that pyrethroids are not only commonly detected in the aquatic environment, but also can cause toxic effects to benthic invertebrates, and calls for better development of accurate sediment quality criteria and effective ecological risk assessment methods for this emerging class of insecticides.

Contribution of pyrethroids in large urban rivers to sediment toxicity assessed with benthic invertebrates Chironomus dilutus: A case study in South China

“…The chemical‐specific distributions of pyrethroids in waterbodies at different scale were likely related to their application patterns. Whereas bifenthrin, cypermethrin, and permethrin were heavily used in urban areas, λ‐cyhalothrin and esfenvalerate were equally used in urban and agricultural activities . As discussed in this section, pyrethroids originated from urban runoff may have a greater chance to be deposited in small creeks, resulting in higher residues for the 3 pyrethroids.…”

Developmental exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of bifenthrin alters transcription of mTOR and ryanodine receptor-dependent signaling molecules and impairs predator avoidance behavior across early life stages in inland silversides (Menidia beryllina)

“…Bifenthrin is a globally used pyrethroid that is extensively applied in the United States of America (Yadav et al, 2003; Chouaibou et al, 2006; Houndété et al, 2010; Li et al, 2017). Pyrethroid insecticides have been detected in sediments and in water from both urban and agricultural streams across the USA, with bifenthrin being the most frequently detected in recent times (Hladik and Kuivila, 2012).…”

Vortex‐assisted Emulsification Microextraction for the Determination of Pyrethroids in Mushroom

“…Currently, pyrethroids have been increasingly and intensively applied in agriculture, forestry, industry, and urban areas . They are among the most important classes of insecticides in crop farming, accounting for a 38% world insecticide market share: however, pyrethroids have potential adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems, such high toxicity to fish and non‐target invertebrates, as well as adverse influences on people. Pyrethroids might disrupt not only the endocrine and the reproductive systems, but also other systems in humans, such as the immune system and nervous system …”