title: Investigation of the role of environmental contamination in the occurrence of residues of the veterinary drug phenylbutazone in cattle.
abstract: Phenylbutazone is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug licensed for use in horses to treat musculoskeletal disorders. It is not permitted in the European Union for use in animals destined for the food chain. Official statistics provided by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) show that 0.18% of bovines tested in the European Union between 2008 and 2014 for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were non-compliant, with phenylbutazone representing over 28% of these. Anecdotal evidence suggests animals that have not been treated with the drug may have produced non-compliant samples, possibly through some form of contamination. In this study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass-spectrometric detection was applied to bovine plasma samples to determine if detectable residues (CCα = 0.28 ng ml-1) may occur in untreated animals as a result of environmental contamination through normal farming practice. The study demonstrates that waste from animals treated with phenylbutazone, and spread on an area of pasture, can contaminate untreated bovines grazing the pasture many weeks later. It was determined that this contamination, which can persist over a significant period, may be due to the ingestion of as little as 30 μg phenylbutazone by a 500 kg bullock.
authors.affiliation: a Veterinary Sciences Division , Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast , UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: a Veterinary Sciences Division , Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast , UK.
authors.forename: Terence L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Fodey
authors.affiliation: a Veterinary Sciences Division , Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast , UK.
authors.forename: Wesley G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.affiliation: a Veterinary Sciences Division , Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast , UK.
authors.forename: Steven R H
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Crooks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D002417:Cattle; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004350:Drug Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D060434:Herbivory / Q000502:physiology; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D010653:Phenylbutazone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D006113:United Kingdom; D019155:Veterinary Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D010653:Phenylbutazone
keywords: Phenylbutazone; contamination; plasma