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Biomonitoring and evaluation of permethrin uptake in forestry workers using permethrin-treated tick-proof pants

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 26, pages 95–103 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

We conducted a randomized case–control trial to analyze uptake of the insecticide/arcaricide permethrin in wearers of permethrin-impregnated and non-impregnated pants in German forestry. Eighty-two male workers were each equipped for a 16-week period with permethrin-treated (test group) or with non-treated work pants (control group). Pants with or without lining to protect against cuts, obtained from two different distributors, were worn in each group. Urinary permethrin metabolite levels were measured by GC-MS/MS before, during and after wearing of the pants. Permethrin uptake was calculated using additional questionnaire data. In the control group, metabolite levels in the range of environmental background exposure (median: ~0.5 μg/l) were measured. Subjects wearing impregnated pants showed consistently significantly higher exposure levels even before the first use of the pants with a maximum after 1 week of wearing the pants (median: ~12.5 μg/l). Significant differences in internal exposure were found depending on which of the distributors the pants came from. Metabolite levels decreased probably due to permethrin losses associated with laundering the pants. Calculated permethrin uptake is below the value corresponding to the WHO-proposed acceptable daily intake. Based on our data, a marginally increased cancer risk compared with the general population cannot be excluded when wearing impregnated pants over a working-lifetime period.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (DGUV, Projekt-Nr. FF-FP0305). We thank all participants of the study for their cooperation and all colleagues involved in local forest administrations, accident insurers and Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e.V. (KWF) for their logistical support and expert advice. Furthermore, we wish to express our gratitude to the lab team of the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine for their dedicated analytical work.

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  1. Bernd Rossbach and Peter Kegel: First authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine,, Mainz, Germany

    Bernd Rossbach, Heike Süß & Stephan Letzel

  2. University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Institute of Teachers' Health at the Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine,, Mainz, Germany

    Peter Kegel

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  1. Bernd Rossbach
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Correspondence to Peter Kegel.

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Rossbach, B., Kegel, P., Süß, H. et al. Biomonitoring and evaluation of permethrin uptake in forestry workers using permethrin-treated tick-proof pants. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 26, 95–103 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2015.34

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