Urinary excretion of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid in middle-aged and elderly general population of Japan

Abstract

Limited data are available on the background levels of exposure to synthetic pyrethroid (PYR) in Japan despite their frequent application for agriculture and indoor extermination and possible effects of chronic and/or low-dose PYR exposure on human health. This study was conducted to describe the level and distribution of one of the major PYR metabolites, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), in urine samples collected from a general population in Japan. The subjects were 535 individuals (184 men and 351 women; 61.5 ± 9.8 years of age, mean ± S.D.) residing in a town in Hokkaido, a dairy and agricultural area. Urinary 3-PBA was found detectable in 98% of samples above the limit of detection of 0.02 μg/L. The geometric mean values of urinary 3-PBA in occupationally exposed farmers (n = 87) and the remaining general group without occupational exposure (n = 448) were 0.38 μg/L and 0.29 μg/L, respectively, ranging from < LOD to 17.09 μg/L. No significant differences in urinary 3-PBA concentrations were shown between these two groups. Moreover, 3-PBA concentrations were found comparable to those reported in some countries. The present study is, to our knowledge, the first report of a biological monitoring study of urinary 3-PBA, which elucidated the background environmental exposure level of PYR in the Japanese general population without occupational exposure. Further nationwide studies covering different seasons and age distribution are needed to monitor the urinary 3-PBA levels in Japan.

Analysis and evaluation of pyrethroid exposure in human population based on biological monitoring of urinary pyrethroid metabolites

“…In recent studies, except those using LC-MS/MS for analysis, the metabolites are detected at nearly 100% of study participants in the general population. 12,38,39) Considering that 3-PBA is derived from representative PYRs, a higher detection ratio of 3-PBA than with other PYR metabolites is a predictable consequence. Although CDCA is also derived from some PYRs, studies reporting urinary CDCA concentrations have been rarely published.…”

“…The sensitivity of the GC-MS method for 3-PBA and DCCA is sufficient to monitor low-level PYR exposure in the general population in epidemiological studies, since the metabolites are detected in nearly 100% of study participants in population studies. 12,38,39) Recently, immunoassays for urinary PYR metabolites, such as 3-PBAlc, 3-PBA and DCCA, have been developed. [40][41][42] The limit of quantitation of a competitive indirect enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for cis/trans-DCCAglycine has become as low as 1.0 mg/l.…”

Comparison of urinary concentrations of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid among general residents in rural and suburban areas and employees of pest control firms

“…The concentration of 3-PBA in urine was measured following a method established previously (Ueyama et al 2009). Each sample was hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid at 100°C for 2 h and mixed with tert-butyl-methyl-ether.…”

“…There have been numerous studies in which urinary metabolites were quantiWed in the urine of such highly PYR-exposed individuals as pest control operators (PCOs) or agricultural workers (Hardt and Angerer 2003;Wang et al 2007). In contrast, studies on the levels of PYR metabolites in the urine samples of general populations were limited in number abroad (Becker et al 2006;CDC 2005;Heudorf and Angerer 2001;Saieva et al 2004;Schettgen et al 2002), and few in Japan (Ueyama et al 2009). …”

Optical sensing of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid as a pyrethroid pesticides exposure marker by surface imprinting polymer capped on manganese-doped zinc sulfide quantum dots

“…and used as a general marker for the exposure to these pyrethroids. Besides its antiestrogenic activity, it is also considered as endocrine disruptor chemical [21][22][23]. The ill effects of pyrethroids and 3-PBA are massive ingestion include agitation, hypersensitivity, tremor, salivation, choreoathetosis and seizures [24][25][26].…”