Insects as Chemical Sensors: Detection of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants and Hydrolysis Products in the Blow Fly Using LC-MS/MS

Abstract

In this work, blow flies were investigated as environmental chemical sample collectors following a chemical warfare attack (CWA). Blow flies sample the environment as they search for water and food sources and can be trapped from kilometers away using baited traps. Three species of blow flies were exposed to CWA simulants to determine the persistence and detectability of these compounds under varying environmental conditions. A liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to detect CWA simulants and hydrolysis products from fly guts. Flies were exposed to the CWA simulants dimethyl methylphosphonate and diethyl phosphoramidate as well as the pesticide dichlorvos, followed by treatment-dependent temperature and humidity conditions. Flies were sacrificed at intervals within a 14 day postexposure period. Fly guts were extracted and analyzed with the LC-MS/MS method. The amount of CWA simulant in fly guts decreased with time following exposure but were detectable 14 days following exposure, giving a long window of detectability. In addition to the analysis of CWA simulants, isopropyl methylphosphonic acid, the hydrolysis product of sarin, was also detected in blow flies 14 days post exposure. This work demonstrates the potential to obtain valuable samples from remote or access-restricted areas without risking lives.

Morphological and genetic differences in legs of a polygamous beetle between sexes, Glenea cantor (Coleopter: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae)

“…This structure is also covered with a large number of cone-shaped spines, which further increase its adhesion to provide greater attachment during the expression of pre-spawning behaviour [ 32 , 35 , 36 ]. Some studies have shown through electrophysiological experiments that there are contact chemical sensilla on the legs of insects, which can not only perceive salt, water, sugar, and alkaloids [ 37 , 38 ] but also perceive the host extract [ 39 ] and act as a spawning stimulator [ 40 ]. Through ultramicrostructural observation, it was found that the sawtooth-shaped rigid discs are tapered to a point, which is very similar to the shape of the spore sensillum (SG) on the ovipositor [ 28 ].…”

Single-Chain Conjugated Polymer Guests Confined inside Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs): Boosting the Detection and Degradation of a Sulfur Mustard Simulant

“…What is worse, the dispersion of SM in the environment, where it remains active for hours to weeks depending on the ambient temperature and soil pH, further exacerbates the lethal effect of SM. Existing detection methods are largely limited to colorimetric assay, , mass spectrometry, , surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and ion mobility spectroscopy . The main limitations of these technologies are either cost, reliability, sensitivity, ease of use, or all of the above.…”