Method for the simultaneous analysis of 300 pesticide residues in hair by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, and its application to biomonitoring of agricultural workers

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 277; p. 130215
• Main Authors: Park, Eunyoung, Lee, Jiho, Lee, Junghak, Lee, Jonghwa, Lee, Hye Suk, Shin, Yongho, Kim, Jeong-Han
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130215

Multiresidual pesticide analysis in hair can provide useful perspectives on the relationship between pesticides and human health. To establish a rapid and simultaneous analytical method using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, optimization of hair pulverization, extraction solvent and purification with dispersive SPE was performed for 300 pesticides. Hair pulverization was standardized with a ball mill, at 30 Hz for 20 min (10 min twice), using 3-mm diameter beads. For extraction, 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile was selected, and PSA d-SPE was chosen for clean-up among three different types of solid phase extraction. The limits of quantitation (LOQs) in this method were between 2.5 and 7.5 pg mg-1. In recovery test, fifty milligrams of hair powder were extracted with 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile, and incubated for three h at 40 ℃. The crude extract was treated using PSA-dSPE, dried under nitrogen gas, and reconstructed with acetonitrile. An aliquot was analyzed with LC- and GC-MS/MS. Recovery ranges were 22.7–131.1%, in LC-MS/MS analysis, and 81.1–151.8% in GC-MS/MS analysis. The validated analysis systems were applied to biomonitoring of ten agricultural workers, and residues of 28 target pesticides were detected in their hair. [Display omitted] •A simultaneous and rapid analysis of 300 pesticide residues in hair using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS.•Optimum pulverization parameters were established for hair.•Acidified extraction solvent and purification with primary secondary amine dSPE were used for efficient hair preparation.•The method successfully measured 28 pesticides in hair of 10 agricultural workers.