Quantitation of neonicotinoid metabolites in human urine using GC-MS

A rapid and sensitive analytical method using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the measurement of neonicotinoid (NEO) metabolites 6-chloronicotinic acid (6CN), 2-chloro-1,3-thiazole-5-carboxylic acid (2CTCA) and 3-furoic acid (3FA) from human urine. After acid hydrolysis, the metabolites were extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE) column (Bond Elute Plexa PCX) and eluted with methanol. N,O-bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide with 1% trimethylchlorosilane (BSTFA-TMCS, 99:1) was used for the derivatization of metabolites and analyzed by GC-MS with the electron ionization mode. The elution solvent, derivatization reagent and its conditions were mainly optimized for improved detection and quantitation of the metabolites based on signal-to-noise ratio, recoveries and reproducibility. Our present method offered a sufficiently low limit of detection (0.1 mu g/L for each metabolite) with satisfactory within-run and between-day accuracy and precision (variability less than 12.3%, R.S.D). This method is simple, sensitive and precise, and has been successfully applied to quantify low concentrations of urinary 6CN, 2CTCA and 3FA for the occupational NEO exposures survey (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.