A simple method for the analysis of neonicotinoids and their metabolites in human urine

Abstract

Environmental contextThe agricultural usage of neonicotinoid insecticides is a matter of environmental and human health concern, requiring assessment of human exposure. The implementation of a human exposure assessment is dependent on analytical methods to quantitatively determine neonicotinoids in human urine. We describe a simple and sensitive method suitable for monitoring human exposure to neonicotinoids and their metabolites. AbstractAn analytical method for measuring seven neonicotinoid insecticides and four of their metabolites in human urine was developed based on solid phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The accuracy and precision of the method at three fortification levels (0.25, 2.50 and 10.0ngmL−1) of the target analytes in 500µL of urine were 83.7–119% and 2.0–11.3%, respectively. The average inter-batch precision (fortification level: 2.50ngmL−1) was 5.5–11.9%, and the limits of quantification ranged from 0.01 to 0.05ngmL−1 depending on the neonicotinoid. The method was applied to 20 spot urine samples collected from healthy adults in Albany, New York, United States. At least two of the neonicotinoids or their metabolites were found in each urine sample (median concentration: nd–0.43ngmL−1). The method is simple, sensitive and precise, and is well suited for measuring neonicotinoids in human urine for future exposure assessment studies.