Assessment of Preschool Children’s Exposure Levels to Organophosphate and Pyrethroid Pesticide: A Human Biomonitoring Study in Two Turkish Provinces

Abstract

Pesticides are products that were developed for the bene t of humanity. However, now they are one of the critical risk factors threatening the environment, and they create a signi cant threat to the environmental health of children. Organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid (PYR) pesticides are widely used in Turkey as well as all over the world. The main focus of this presented study was to analyze the OP and PYR exposure levels in urine samples obtained from 3-6 year old Turkish preschool children who lives in the Ankara (n:132) and Mersin (n:54) provinces. In order to conduct the determination of three non-speci c metabolites of PYR insecticides and four non-speci c and one speci c metabolite of OPs LC-MS/MS quantitative analyses were employed. The non-speci c PYR metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) (87.1%; n = 162) and the speci c OP metabolite 3,5,6-Trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPY) (60.2%; n = 112) were the most frequently detected metabolites in all urine samples. The mean concentrations of 3-PBA and TCPY were 0.38 ± 0.8 and 0.11 ± 0.43 ng/g creatinine, respectively. Although due to the large individual variation no statistically differences were found between 3-PBA (p = 0.9969) and TCPY (p = 0.6558) urine levels in the two provinces, signi cant exposure differences were determined both between provinces and within the province in terms of gender. Risk assessment strategies performed in light of our ndings do not disclose any proof of a possible health problems related to analyzed pesticide exposure in Turkish children.

A Comprehensive Review on Pesticide Residues in Human Urine

“…In 60% of the studies included in Table , the concentration of pesticides in urine is higher in women. Higher levels, exceeding 30% more, were reported for 3-PBA, DAPs, and TCPY in females. Slightly higher values for specific pesticides, e.g., ETU and glyphosate, , were observed in males.…”

“…In 60% of the studies included in Table 8, the concentration of pesticides in urine is higher in women. Higher levels, exceeding 30% more, were reported for 3-PBA, 83 DAPs, 45 and TCPY 42 specific pesticides, e.g., ETU 37 and glyphosate, 61,64 were observed in males. However, in some studies, no correlation was found between urinary levels and gender.…”

“…Both enzymatic hydrolysis and incubation at elevated temperatures under acidic conditions are suitable methods for deconjugation, enabling the disruption of chemical bonds between pesticides and conjugates, such as glucuronic acid, allowing the analytes to become available for subsequent analysis. Enzymatic deconjugation is commonly achieved through the use of β-glucuronidase, ,,,,, and it is in some cases complemented by arylsulfatase . Additionally, another approach involves subjecting the samples to high temperatures, reaching up to 100 °C, and incubating them for various durations, typically ranging from 30 min to 12 h. ,,,,,, This method was supported by several studies and serves as an alternative means of deconjugation in pesticide analysis.…”

“…Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is the predominant purification technique in urine analysis. SPE was used in several studies for analyzing pesticide residues in urine, mainly employing HLB cartridges ,,, and C18 cartridges. , Through SPE, impurities and undesired substances are eliminated from the extracted sample, ensuring that concentrated analytes are free from interfering compounds. While alternative methods may skip the cleanup step, they still achieve satisfactory outcomes with reduced analysis time.…”