Polyethylene glycol used as a dispersant potentiates the toxicity of insecticides in mammalian cells rather than insects

IF 10.3 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environment International Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2025.109307

Thillaichidambaram Muneeswaran , Tanya Bhatt , Su Hwan Park , Muthuchamy Maruthupandy , Minsik Kim , Vartika Mathur , Jong-Ho Lee , Min-Seok Kim , Wan-Seob Cho

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Insecticides are used in household products with various dispersants such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (PLE) to improve solubility. Although certain effects are expected, the combination effects of insecticides and dispersants remain elusive. Here, five different classes of insecticides (i.e., dinotefuran, fipronil, hydramethylnon, indoxacarb, and etofenprox) were dispersed in water, PEG, and PLE, and their lung inflammation potential was evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis 24 h after intratracheal instillation into the lungs of rats. All chemicals dispersed in water caused no inflammation. However, among the five chemicals dispersed in PEG and PLE, only hydramethylnon showed significant neutrophilic inflammation and hydramethylnon in PEG showed 4-fold higher inflammogenic potential than that in PLE. The in vitro cytotoxic potential of hydramethylnon in PEG was 10–17 fold (in A549) or 12–14 fold (in dTHP-1) higher than that of hydramethylnon in PLE, and greater than 370 fold (in A549) or 65–169 fold (in dTHP-1) higher than that in water. PEG toxicity increased due to the micellar formulation of hydramethylnon in PEG, increasing cellular uptake by simple diffusion. Therefore, the observed potentiation effect highlights that the combination effect of formulation of hydrophobic compounds with dispersants should be carefully evaluated.

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来源期刊

Environment International 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

21.90

自引率

3.40%

发文量

734

审稿时长

2.8 months

期刊介绍： Environmental Health publishes manuscripts focusing on critical aspects of environmental and occupational medicine, including studies in toxicology and epidemiology, to illuminate the human health implications of exposure to environmental hazards. The journal adopts an open-access model and practices open peer review. It caters to scientists and practitioners across all environmental science domains, directly or indirectly impacting human health and well-being. With a commitment to enhancing the prevention of environmentally-related health risks, Environmental Health serves as a public health journal for the community and scientists engaged in matters of public health significance concerning the environment.