Mouse Anti-Bifenthrin monoclonal antibody, clone BFT

Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide, used on both farmland and the home. Frequently used in orchards, nurseries, residences and farmsteads to eradicate invasive ants and other farm pests. Bifenthrin is anti-aphid, anti-worm, anti-mosquito and anti-beetle – it is used to repel insects in the textile sector. As usage increased, bifenthrin has gained traction as a competitive alternative to organochlorine insecticides due to its wash and aquatic toxicity capabilities. Chemically, bifenthrin is a stable substance, typically found as a white waxy solid that is poorly soluble in water. It is commonly available in powder, granular, or pellet forms, and exhibits strong residual activity in the soil. Studies indicate that the half-life of bifenthrin in various soil types can range from 7 days to 8 months, with low mobility, allowing it to persist for extended periods. Due to its low solubility in water, bifenthrin primarily contaminates the environment through soil residues, presenting a relatively lower risk for groundwater contamination. But during water flow or runoff periods, some elements of bifenthrin can migrate to surface water and become aquatically contaminated, especially during the rainy season or in excessive amounts. Bifenthrin is a chiral chemical that comes in two enantiomers: 1S-cis-bifenthrin and 1R-cis-bifenthrin. Those two isomers differ markedly in their biological properties, especially their toxicity. 1S-cis-bifenthrin is 3-4 times more virulent than 1R-cis-bifenthrin, the latter one of which is generally used in agricultural applications where it has greater insecticidal activity. The toxicity mechanism is primarily because of its interactions with voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). In insects, bifenthrin selectively opens these sodium channels, which leads to abnormal excitability of the neuron, and neurotoxicity. Bifenthrin does not have a cyano group, like other pyrethroids, which makes its action mechanism short, but it's still powerful enough to kill insects.

Figure 1. Schematic Representation of the Effects of Bifenthrin and Its Metabolites II and III (Source: Mukherjee, I., et al., 2010)

The toxicity of bifenthrin is negligible for mammals and invertebrates. It is due to their higher body temperature and accelerated metabolism, which decreases bifenthrin absorption and accumulation. However, prolonged use can cause mild skin and eye irritations such as stinging, redness and headaches and nausea. Bifenthrin remained in the environment because it is hydrophobic. It is a weak water absorber, so it doesn't dissolve much in water, and tends to end up as residues in the soil. It is rapidly biodegraded in nature – particularly in aerobic environments – where it is degraded by microbes like bacteria and fungi into degradation compounds such as 4'-hydroxybifenthrin. In mammals, bifenthrin is quickly decomposed by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system into inert acids and alcohols. These metabolites are highly non-acute, readily excreted from the body, and not toxic to mammals. It is highly insecticidal, but it is not well known what bifenthrin does to non-target species, particularly aquatic ones. For aquatic organisms, the toxic effect of bifenthrin lies on the fact that it kills ATPase, which inhibits water-dwelling life's ability to absorb oxygen. Fish and water fleas exposed to too much bifenthrin can become oxygen deficient and die. It is especially toxic in cold water where pH and water calcium ions play a major role. Bee bifenthrin has an LC50 (lethal concentration) of approximately 17 mg/L. At sub-lethal levels, bifenthrin delays bees' breeding season, stunts larval-adult development, and reduces the sustainability of the life cycle – and it bothers farmers.

Although bifenthrin's acute toxicity is not severe, it still causes neurotoxicity in high enough doses. Skin contact can sting or cause allergic reaction; eye contact can sting or hurt. Bifenthrin has been identified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Class C potential carcinogen on the basis of experimental evidence that it causes bladder tumours, adenomas and other cancers in mice. Therefore, chronic or high-dose exposure could be health-threatening, particularly among workers who may come into contact with high doses of bifenthrin, and experience neurological symptoms including headaches, nausea and loss of coordination. Due to its toxic effects on aquatic life, the EPA banned bifenthrin from use by anyone but licensed pesticide applicators. However, at low concentrations, bifenthrin is still available for public use, particularly in home pest control. It has also been approved for use in specific regions, such as in Texas, where it is used for crisis exemptions to combat the red imported fire ant. Despite its wide application in agriculture, the increasing use of bifenthrin, coupled with the emergence of resistance, suggests that further evaluation of its risks in agriculture and public health may be necessary. Environmental protection and the safeguarding of non-target organisms have become major limiting factors for its use. In summary, bifenthrin is an efficient pyrethroid insecticide with significant insecticidal effects, widely applied in agricultural and home pest control. Its neurotoxic action against insects makes it highly effective in pest control. However, its environmental and non-target organism toxicity, particularly to aquatic species and bees, remains an important issue of concern. Moving forward, further adjustments to bifenthrin's usage strategies may be needed, in accordance with new environmental protection standards, and the exploration of more eco-friendly alternatives could be beneficial.

Mouse Anti-Bifenthrin mAb, Clone BFT
Anti-Bifenthrin Monoclonal Antibody (BFT)
Bifenthrin mAb, Mouse, Clone BFT
Mouse Monoclonal Anti-Bifenthrin Antibody