A liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of specific organophosphorus pesticide biomarkers in human urine.
Organophosphorus pesticides are commonly used in both agricultural and residential settings. The widespread use of these chemicals makes it almost impossible for humans to avoid exposure. In order to determine background human exposure, there is a need for fast, reliable, and sensitive analytical methods. We have developed a sensitive method to quantify specific biomarkers of the organophosphorus pesticides acephate, azinphos, chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, diazinon, isazofos, malathion, methamidophos, parathion and pirimiphos or their O,O-dimethyl analogues in human urine, as their selective metabolites or as the intact pesticide. Isotopically labeled internal standards were used for eight of the analytes. The use of labeled internal standards in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry provided a high degree of specificity. Repeated analysis of urine samples fortified with high and low concentrations of the analytes gave relative standard deviations (RSD) of less than 10% for the analytes with an isotopically labeled standard. Analytes without isotopically labeled standards had higher RSD. For all compounds except methamidophos and acephate, the recoveries were greater than 70%. The limits of quantification for most of the analytes were in the range of 0.1 to 1 ng/mL. We detected concentrations of most of these pesticides and/or their metabolites in urine samples from non-occupationally exposed persons using our method. Our frequencies of detection for the analytes measured ranged from 1% to 98%.
Olsson
Anders O
AO
Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy N.E. MS-F17, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. aolsson@cdc.gov
Nguyen
Johnny V
JV
Sadowski
Melissa A
MA
Barr
Dana B
DB
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000652:urine*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000652:urine*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States
D015415:Biomarkers; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides