Evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by d-phenothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide used primarily for the household control of head lice and other insects and for the treatment of stored grain. The opening sections review available data on worldwide industrial production and use and summarize studies conducted to assess residues in stored grain. A section devoted to the behaviour of d-phenothrin in the environment concentrates on investigations of photodegradation and transport, concluding that photodegradation under outdoor conditions is rapid, but that d-phenothrin remains virtually intact for up to 12 months on grains stored in the dark. The most extensive section evaluates toxicological data from studies in experimental animals and in vitro test systems. The evaluation confirms a low toxicity for d-phenothrin and an absence of mutagenic, teratogenic, embryotoxic, oncogenic, and neurotoxic effects. Concerning effects on human health, the book notes that d-phenothrin has not, during more than a decade of use, been reported to have caused human poisoning or other toxic effects. The book concludes that d-phenothrin, when used as recommended, is not likely to pose a hazard to either human health or the environment.

eng rus.

WHODOC

WHO monograph

4