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.
Keywords: Biomarker; Exposure assessment; Insecticide; Neonicotinoid; Urine; Variability.
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