Assessment of Exposure to Synthetic Pyrethroids with the Use of Silicone Wristbands and Biomonitoring of Urinary Metabolites: A Pilot Study

A novel approach to assess exposure to synthetic pyrethroids includes the use of silicone wristbands (WBs). In this pilot study completed on (n = 24) volunteers, comprising a week-long sampling period, paired urine samples (metabolites), and WBs (native compounds) were analyzed. This study employed a newly developed method for the determination of six pyrethroids in WBs. Permethrin was the most frequently detected compound (58.3%) in WBs and its geometric mean concentration was 79.64 ng/g. The most frequently detected metabolite in urine was 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) (68.06%). The geometric mean concentrations of urinary pyrethroid biomarkers varied from 0.21 ng/mL for 3-PBA to 0.08 ng/mL for cis-3-(2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid (DBCA). Higher concentrations of urinary metabolites (3-PBA, DBCA, cis-DCCA, and trans-DCCA) and permethrin in WBs were detected in study participants who reported pest control in occupied buildings within the last 5 years. The concentrations of 3-PBA, cis-DCCA, trans-DCCA, and permethrin were greater among people using insecticides in their homes. Both the ownership of pets and the use of antiparasitic veterinary drugs also resulted in significantly higher concentrations of metabolites in urine and permethrin in WBs. Silicone wristbands turned out to be a promising tool that may supplement qualitative and quantitative assessment of external exposure and the detection of key sources of pyrethroids in a minimally invasive way. Although our study is only a pilot one with a small number of participants, both urine analysis and wristbands independently allowed for the identification of the same exposure predictors, thereby documenting a certain potential for the practical application of WBs in exposure assessment.