Cyhalothrin - Environmental Health Criteria 99

This report presents an in-depth evaluation of the environmental health criteria for cyhalothrin and lambda-cyhalothrin, two synthetic pyrethroid insecticides. Developed under international collaboration, the document addresses their identity, physicochemical properties, and analytical methods, detailing the production, applications, and exposure scenarios across agricultural, public, and animal health sectors. It thoroughly reviews the fate of these compounds in various environmental compartments, emphasizing their low mobility, rapid degradation in soil and water, and minimal bioaccumulation. The report outlines metabolic pathways and excretion mechanisms in mammals, as well as acute and chronic toxicological profiles observed in experimental animals. Special attention is paid to ecological effects, highlighting high toxicity to aquatic organisms under laboratory conditions, while field use appears less hazardous due to behavioral repellency and environmental breakdown.