Retrospective screening of pesticide metabolites in ambient air using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry

Antonio López; Vicent Yusà; Maurice Millet; Clara Coscollà

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2015.11.068

Retrospective screening of pesticide metabolites in ambient air using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry

Talanta. 2016 Apr 1:150:27-36. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2015.11.068. Epub 2015 Dec 1.

Authors

Antonio López¹, Vicent Yusà², Maurice Millet³, Clara Coscollà¹

Affiliations

¹ Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, 21, Avenida Catalunya, 46020 Valencia, Spain; Public Health Laboratory of Valencia, 21, Avenida Catalunya, 46020 Valencia, Spain.
² Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, 21, Avenida Catalunya, 46020 Valencia, Spain; Analytical Chemistry Department, University of Valencia, Edifici Jeroni Muñoz, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain; Public Health Laboratory of Valencia, 21, Avenida Catalunya, 46020 Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: yusa_vic@gva.es.
³ Institut de Chimie et Procedes pour l'Energie, l'Environnement et la Sante, ICPEES UMR 7515, Groupe de Physico-Chimie de l'Atmosphere, Université de Strasbourg/CNRS, France.

PMID: 26838378
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2015.11.068

Abstract

A new methodology for the retrospective screening of pesticide metabolites in ambient air was developed, using liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS), including two systematic workflows (i) post-run target screening (suspect screening) and (ii) non-target screening. An accurate-mass database was built and used for the post-run screening analysis. The database contained 240 pesticide metabolites found in different matrixes such as air, soil, water, plants, animals and humans. For non-target analysis, a "fragmentation-degradation" relationship strategy was selected. The proposed methodology was applied to 31 air samples (PM10) collected in the Valencian Region (Spain). In the post-target analysis 34 metabolites were identified, of which 11 (3-ketocarburan, carbofuran-7-phenol, carbendazim, desmethylisoproturon, ethiofencarb-sulfoxide, malaoxon, methiocarb-sulfoxide, N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-L-alanine, omethoate, 2-hydroxy-terbuthylazine, and THPAM) were confirmed using analytical standards. The semiquantitative estimated concentration ranged between 6.78 and 198.31 pg m(-3). Likewise, two unknown degradation products of malaoxon and fenhexamid were elucidated in the non-target screening.

Keywords: Ambient air; High resolution mass spectrometry; Metabolites; Pesticides; Retrospective analysis; Transformation products.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air / analysis*
Analytic Sample Preparation Methods
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
Mass Spectrometry / methods*
Pesticide Residues / analysis*
Pesticide Residues / metabolism

Substances

Pesticide Residues