We measured urinary levels of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), a pyrethroid metabolite, in 1239 rural and urban elderly Koreans. We also examined pyrethroid exposure using a questionnaire data source;
Household pesticide sprays are a major source of community-level exposure to pyrethroids among older adults in South Korea, warning of the need for greater control of environmental factors to which pyrethroids are frequently exposed, including pesticide sprays.
For these reasons, studying the effects of pyrethroids in the elderly population may be important in Korea as well as in other countries with rapidly growing elderly populations. However, there are a limited number of studies comparing pyrethroid exposure or 3-PBA levels in older adults in rural or urban areas, and few studies report potential routes of exposure and possible sources of exposure.
Therefore, we measured 3-PBA levels in urine samples of elderly people in Korea and compared 3-PBA concentrations in urine of rural and urban elderly people. In addition, we assessed the proportion exceeding current limits to determine pyrethroid exposure among older adults in Korea. We also assessed potential sources of pyrethroid exposure using questionnaires and correlated them with urinary 3-PBA levels.
In this study, we measured urinary 3-PBA levels in Korean older adults living in rural and urban areas and examined the relationship between potential sources of pyrethroid exposure and urinary 3-PBA levels. We also determined the proportion of excesses of existing limits and assessed inter- and intra-individual differences in 3-PBA levels.
In a previously published study, we found a significant correlation between urinary 3-PBA levels and decline in lung function in urban older adults in South Korea [3]. Because we found that Korean urban older adults were exposed to high levels of pyrethroids in our previous study [3], we continuously compared the urinary 3-PBA levels of rural and urban older adults to evaluate the extent of excess pyrethroid values. This study then assessed potential sources of pyrethroid exposure.
Our study has several strengths. We used repeated measurements of urinary 3-PBA to reflect pyrethroid exposure. This longitudinal panel design may reflect temporal changes in pyrethroid exposure, which can easily change over time. In addition, with this study design, we could examine each subject as his or her own control and evaluate the short-term effects of pyrethroid exposure using 3-PBA as a covariate for time course within individuals. In addition, we were the first to identify environmental (non-occupational) sources of pyrethroid exposure in older adults in Korea. However, our study also has limitations. In this study, we collected information on the use of insecticidal sprays using a questionnaire, so the time interval between the use of insecticidal sprays and urine collection could not be determined. Although behavioral patterns of insecticidal spray use are not easily changed, due to the rapid metabolism of pyrethroids in the human body, the time interval between insecticidal spray use and urine collection can greatly influence urinary 3-PBA concentrations. In addition, our participants were not representative as we focused on only one rural and one urban area, although our 3-PBA levels were comparable to those measured in adults, including older adults, in the KoNEHS. Therefore, other environmental sources associated with pyrethroid exposure should be further studied in a representative population of older adults.
Thus, older adults in Korea are exposed to high concentrations of pyrethroids, with the use of insecticide sprays being the main source of environmental exposure. Thus, further research is needed on the sources of pyrethroid exposure among older adults in Korea, and tighter controls on frequently exposed environmental factors, including the use of insecticide sprays, are needed to protect people susceptible to pyrethroids, including exposure to environmental chemicals. elderly people.
Post time: Sep-27-2024