Target and Suspect Screening of Urinary Biomarkers for Current-use Pesticides: Application of a Simple Extraction Method

Imidacloprid affects human cells through mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress

Given their relatively low persistence and mammalian toxicity, neonicotinoid pesticides have been extensively used worldwide and are omnipresent in the environment. Recent studies have shown that neonicotinoids may pose adverse effects on non-target organisms other than the known neurotoxicity, raising emerging concerns that these insecticides might pose human health risk through additional toxicity pathways. In the present study, the mitochondria function, oxidative stress, DNA damages, and genes transcription levels were examined in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells after 48-h exposure to imidacloprid at concentrations from 0.05 to 200 μmol/L. Results showed that imidacloprid induced mitochondrial dysfunction with the degradation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels. In addition, imidacloprid caused oxidative stress by stimulating the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via the disruption of calcium ion level and mitochondrial function. Ultimately, the oxidative stress continued to produce DNA damage and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells at imidacloprid concentrations above 47.6 μmol/L. Among the evaluated endpoints, ATP was the most sensitive, with a median activity concentration of 0.74 μmol/L. The 5 % hazard concentration of imidacloprid was estimated to be 0.69 μmol/L, which can be used as a threshold for human health risk assessment for imidacloprid. Collectively, our results provide an important support for further research on potential toxicity of neonicotinoids related to mitochondrial toxicity in humans.

Identifying pesticides of high concern for ecosystem, plant, animal, and human health: A comprehensive field study across Europe and Argentina

The widespread and excessive use of pesticides in modern agricultural practices has caused pesticide contamination of the environment, animals, and humans, with confirmed serious health consequences. This study aimed to identify the 20 most critical substances based on an analysis of detection frequency (DF) and median concentrations (MC) across environmental and biological matrices. A sampling campaign was conducted across 10 case study sites in Europe and 1 in Argentina, each encompassing conventional and organic farming systems. We analysed 209 active substances in a total of 4609 samples. All substances ranked among the 20 most critical were detected in silicon wristbands worn by humans and animals and indoor dust from both farming systems. Five of them were detected in all environmental matrices. Overall, higher values of DF and MC, including in the blood plasma of animals and humans, were recorded in samples of conventional compared to organic farms. The differences between farming systems were greater in the environmental samples and less in animal and human samples. Ten substances were detected in animal blood plasma from conventional farms and eight in animal blood plasma from organic farms. Two of those, detected in both farming systems, are classified as hazardous for mammals (acute). Five substances detected in animal blood plasma from organic farms and seven detected in animal blood plasma from conventional farms are classified as hazardous for mammals (dietary). Three substances detected in human blood plasma are classified as carcinogens. Seven of the substances detected in human blood plasma are classified as endocrine disruptors. Six substances, of which five were detected in human blood plasma, are hazardous for reproduction/development. Efforts are needed to elucidate the unknown effects of mixtures, and it is crucial that such research also considers biocides and banned substances, which constitute a baseline of contamination that adds to the effect of substances used in agriculture.

Determination of pesticide residues in urine by chromatography-mass spectrometry: methods and applications

Introduction

Pollution has emerged as a significant threat to humanity, necessitating a thorough evaluation of its impacts. As a result, various methods for human biomonitoring have been proposed as vital tools for assessing, managing, and mitigating exposure risks. Among these methods, urine stands out as the most commonly analyzed biological sample and the primary matrix for biomonitoring studies.

Objectives

This review concentrates on exploring the literature concerning residual pesticide determination in urine, utilizing liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and its practical applications.

Method

The examination focused on methods developed since 2010. Additionally, applications reported between 2015 and 2022 were thoroughly reviewed, utilizing Web of Science as a primary resource.

Synthesis

Recent advancements in chromatography-mass spectrometry technology have significantly enhanced the development of multi-residue methods. These determinations are now capable of simultaneously detecting numerous pesticide residues from various chemical and use classes. Furthermore, these methods encompass analytes from a variety of environmental contaminants, offering a comprehensive approach to biomonitoring. These methodologies have been employed across diverse perspectives, including toxicological studies, assessing pesticide exposure in the general population, occupational exposure among farmers, pest control workers, horticulturists, and florists, as well as investigating consequences during pregnancy and childhood, neurodevelopmental impacts, and reproductive disorders.

Future directions

Such strategies were essential in examining the health risks associated with exposure to complex mixtures, including pesticides and other relevant compounds, thereby painting a broader and more accurate picture of human exposure. Moreover, the implementation of integrated strategies, involving international research initiatives and biomonitoring programs, is crucial to optimize resource utilization, enhancing efficiency in health risk assessment.

Assessing human exposure to pesticides and mycotoxins: optimization and validation of a method for multianalyte determination in urine samples

Humans are exposed to an increasing number of contaminants, with diet being one of the most important exposure routes. In this framework, human biomonitoring is considered the gold standard for evaluating human exposure to chemicals. Pesticides and mycotoxins are chemicals of special concern due to their health implications. They constitute the predominant border rejection notifications for food and feed in Europe and the USA. However, current biomonitoring studies are focused on a limited number of compounds and do not evaluate mycotoxins and pesticides together. In this study, an analytical method has been developed for the determination of 30 pesticides and 23 mycotoxins of concern in urine samples. A salting-out liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) procedure was optimized achieving recoveries between 70 and 120% for almost all the compounds and limits as lower as when QuEChERS was applied. The compounds were then determined by liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Different chromatographic conditions and analytical columns were tested, selecting a Hypersild gold aQ column as the best option. Finally, the method was applied to the analysis of 45 urine samples, in which organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides (detection rates (DR) of 82% and 42%, respectively) and ochratoxin A and deoxynivalenol (DR of 51% and 33%, respectively) were the most detected compounds. The proposed analytical method involves the simultaneous determination of a diverse set of pesticides and mycotoxins, including their most relevant metabolites, in human urine. It serves as an essential tool for biomonitoring the presence of highly prevalent contaminants in modern society.

Establishment of a modified QuEChERS extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for multiple pesticide residues followed by determination of the residue levels and exposure assessment in livestock urine

The establishment of an analytical method for pesticide residues in livestock urine can realize the real-time monitoring of pesticide pollution in livestock breeding. In this study, a novel method was developed for the determination of 106 pesticide residues in livestock urine based on a modified QuEChERS extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Acetonitrile was used to extract target analytes through acidic and alkaline switching of the sample environment. The purification effect of captiva EMR-Lipid on samples was investigated. Three kinds of materials, C18, polar enhanced polymer (PEP), N-propylethylenediamine (PSA), were selected from 20 kinds of materials as adsorbents for QuEChERS. A mass analysis was carried out using simultaneous scanning in both positive and negative ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring mode. All analytes showed good linearity, with correlation coefficients (R2) greater than 0.9923; their limits of quantification were 0.02-1.95 ng/mL. The average recoveries at low, medium, and high spiked levels were in the range of 70.1 %-117.3 %, with intra-day precision ranging from 3.4 % to 16.9 % and inter-day precision ranging from 4.0 % to 19.3 %. The established analytical method was used to analyze the pesticide residue in swine urine and bovine urine collected from farms in Yining, Xinjiang, China. A total of 8 pesticides were detected, and the residue ranged from less than the limit of quantitation to 22.4 ng/mL. The top three pesticides with the highest detection frequency were clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran. The exposure assessment based on the monitored pesticide residue concentration levels showed that the detected pesticides could pose little risk to cattle and pigs.

Variability of urinary biomarkers of neonicotinoid insecticides in Chinese population: Implications for human exposure assessment

Neonicotinoids are a class of the most widely used insecticides worldwide with a short biological half-life. The levels of neonicotinoids and their metabolites in urine have been detected as biomarkers for human exposure assessment. To understand the reliability of a single measurement of urinary neonicotinoid biomarkers in representing a true longer-term average exposure, in this study we evaluated the temporal variability of 14 neonicotinoids and/or their metabolites over one year in 114 Chinese young adults. The detection rates of 14 neonicotinoid biomarkers ranged from 18% to 100%. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of most neonicotinoid biomarkers indicated poor (ICC <0.4) reproducibility in spot urine samples during 1-week, 1-month, or 1-year periods, except for 5-hydroxy-imidacloprid (5-OH-IMI) within 1-week showing fair to good reproducibility (ICC = 0.40). Log-transformed 5-OH-IMI, dinotefuran, 1-methyl-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl) urea, N-desmethyl-acetamiprid, and N-desmethyl-thiamethoxam required a minimum of 2-4 spot urine samples over one year to obtain a reliable exposure evaluation. Using two or three spot urine samples to categorize the "true" exposure of the highest tertile indicated the higher specificities (0.60-1.00) than the sensitivities (0.24-0.93). We recommend that at least 2-4 spot urine samples are used to assess 1-year neonicotinoid exposure and seasonal variations should be considered when scheduling urine sample collection. This study provides a reference for appropriate sampling method and research design for the exposure assessment of neonicotinoids in biomonitoring and epidemiological studies.