Determination of atrazine in environmental samples (soil and water) by UHPLC-MS/MS

Atrazine is an extensively used herbicide in Argentina. It solubility in water is 30 mg/L and the average half life in underground waters is of 283 days. It moderate solubility and stability led to the findings of residues in air, soils, surface waters and underground waters. For this reason there is a great demand to determine atrazine and it degradation products at low ppt-ppb levels to satisfy environmental protection needs. This work deals with the optimization of the determination of atrazine in water and soil, by means of a rapid simple preparation procedure followed by determination using a UHPLC-MS/MS system, and its applications to measure real samples from the intensive agricultural Center Region of Argentina. Sample preparation was based on modifications of a SPE procedure described by Min et.al1. Performance aspects, mobile phases, ionization conditions and operation variables for fragmentation/detection in the triple quadrupole mass detector, in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) were evaluated. Separation was done in a rapid resolution UHPLC column (C18, 2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.7 µm), using a gradient elution of a mobile phase of water and acetonitrile, pH adjusted with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. LOD and LOQ limits were 1 ng/L and 3 ng/L in water and 20 ng/kg and 50 ng/kg in soil matrixes respectively. Validation of methodology following SANCO/12495/2011 specifications were achieved. Matrix effects evaluation showed significant ion suppression only in soil samples. Validated methodology were applied to study field samples of soil and surface waters: a) 21 samples of agricultural experimental soils from Córdoba Province, obtained at 5, 40 and 90 cm depth previously to atrazine treatment at concentration 48%, loading 2 L/ha), sampling at 7, 15, 30, 60 y 90 days after application. b) 48 samples of surface waters, collected monthly during one year in streams across agricultural zones of Santa Fe Province (Departments of Las Colonias and San Jerónimo): Aº Santa María (31° 41? 01.63?? S/ 61°10? 04.05?? O), Aº Corrallito (31° 47? 13.44?? S /61° 18? 40?? O), Aº Colastiné two sectors: 31° 54? 36.80?? S/61° 08? 49.54?? O y 31° 01?02.15?? S/60° 59´24.97?? O, the last one in the nearby to Río Coronda.publishedVersionFil: Repetti M. R. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química; Argentina.Fil: Regaldo L. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Murialdo R. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Magni, F. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química; Argentina.Fil: Ruiz Moreno D. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química; Argentina.Fil: García S. R. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química; Argentina.Fil: Beldoménico H. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química; Argentina.Química Analític

Providing a nurse-led complex nursing INtervention FOcused on quality of life assessment on advanced cancer patients: The INFO-QoL pilot trial

Purpose: Unmet needs for advanced-disease cancer patients are fatigue, pain, and emotional support. Little information is available about the feasibility of interventions focused on patient-reported outcome measurement developed according to the Medical Research Council (MRC) Framework in advanced-disease cancer patients. We aimed to pilot a nurse-led complex intervention focused on QoL assessment in advanced-disease cancer patients. Methods: The INFO-QoL study was based on an exploratory, nonequivalent comparison group, pre-test-post-test design. Study sites received either the INFO-QoL intervention or usual care. Adult advanced-disease cancer patients admitted to hospice inpatient units that gave their informed consent were included in the study. Subjects were 187 patients and their families and 19 healthcare professionals. We evaluated feasibility, acceptability, and patients' outcomes using the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale. Results: Nineteen healthcare professionals were included. The mean competence score increased significantly over time (p < 0.001) and the mean usefulness score was high 8.63 (\ub11.36). In the post-test phase, 54 patients were allocated to the experimental unit and 36 in the comparison unit. Compared to the comparison unit, in the experimental unit anxiety (R2 = 0.07; 95% CI = 120.06; 0.19), family anxiety (R2 = 0.22; 95% CI = 120.03; 0.41), depression (R2 = 0.31; 95% CI = 120.05; 0.56) and sharing feelings (R2 = 0.09; 95% CI = 120.05; 0.23), were improved between pre-test and post-test phase. Conclusions: The INFO-QoL was feasible and potentially improved psychological outcomes. Despite the high attrition rate, the INFO-QoL improved the quality and safety culture for patients in palliative care settings