Avaluació de l’exposició i del risc de plaguicides a l’atmosfera en dues poblacions del País Valencià

L’avaluació del risc per a la població general front a la inhalació de plaguicides d’ús actual en l’agriculturaha sigut estudiada en una zona rural (Sant Jordi del Maestrat) i una remota (Morella) del País Valencià.L’avaluació del risc s’ha realitzat utilitzant una metodologia desenvolupada prèviament i que parteixde la mesura dels nivells de plaguicides en la fase particulada de l’atmosfera (PM10) per estimar lesconcentracions totals a l’aire. Un total de 88 mostres recollides des de gener fins a desembre de 2010s’analitzaren per cromatografia de gasos i líquids acoblada a detectors d’espectrometria de masses. Esdetectaren 10 plaguicides dels 34 analitzats, amb concentracions mitjanes des de 6.36 fins a 337.65 pgm-3 en ambdues estacions. L’avaluació del risc es va calcular per a les poblacions al voltant de les duesestacions de mostra. Per a adults, xiquets i lactants el risc d’inhalació crònica estimada, expressadacom Quocient de Perill (Hazard Quotient, HQ) ha sigut <1 per a tots els plaguicides.Exposure and risk assessment to airborne pesticides in two sampling sites ofValencia RegionRisk assessment of inhalated currently used pesticides in the general population has been studied ina rural and a remote sampling sites of Valencia Region. The risk assessment was conducted using amethodology developed previously and based on the measurement of the levels of pesticides in theparticulate phase of the atmosphere (PM10) to estimate the total concentrations in the air. A total of88 samples collected from January to December 2010 were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatographycoupled to mass spectrometry. 10 out of the 34 pesticides analyzed were detected, with mean concentrationsfrom 6.36 to 337.65 pg m-3 in both stations. The risk assessment was calculated for the populationsaround the two sampling sites. For adults, children and infants the risk of chronic inhalation,expressed as Hazard Quotient (Hazard Quotient, HQ) was <1 for all pesticides

Qualitative screening of 116 veterinary drugs in feed by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. Potential application to quantitative analysis

Veterinarian and human pharmaceuticals may be intentionally added to animal feed to enhance animal production. Monitoring these substances is necessary for protecting the consumers. In this work, a screening method covering 116 human and veterinary drugs has been developed and validated in five types of animal feed at 0.02 and 0.2 mg kg−1. After a simple extraction and dilution, the samples were analysed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS). Nearly all compounds tested were detected at 0.02 mg kg−1, based on the presence of the accurate-mass (de)protonated molecule. However, the identification using a second accurate-mass ion was more problematic at this level. Finally, the procedure was applied to 22 feed samples, where trimethoprim, robenidine, or α- and β-nandrolone were detected and identified. The potential applicability of the method to quantitative analysis of the compounds detected in the samples was also evaluated

Distributions and determinants of urinary biomarkers of organophosphate pesticide exposure in a prospective Spanish birth cohort study

Background: Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPs) has been associated with impaired child development. Pesticide exposure determinants need to be studied in order to identify sources and pathways of pesticide exposure. The aim of this paper is to describe prenatal exposure to OPs and evaluate the associated factors in pregnant women. Methods: The study population consisted of pregnant women ( n = 573) who participated in the INMA birth cohort study in Valencia (Spain, 2003 – 2006). OP metabolites were analyzed in maternal urine at the 32nd week of gestation using a liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry method. The analysis included non-specific (diethyl phosphate [DEP], diethyl thiophosphate [DETP], dimethyl thiophosphate [DMTP], dimethyl dithiophosphate [DMDTP]) and specific metabolites (2-diethylamino-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinol [DEAMPY], 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine [IMPY], para-nitrophenol [PNP], and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol [TCPY]). Information about the sociodemographic, environmental, and dietary characteristics was obtained by questionnaire. The association between log-transformed OPs and covariates was analyzed using multivariable interval censored regression. Results: The detection frequencies were low, DMTP and TCPY being the most frequently detected metabolites (53.8% and 39.1%, respectively). All the OP metabolites were positive ly associated with maternal intake of fruits and vegetables. Other maternal characteristics related to the OPs were body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy and smoking habit during pregnancy. Women with lower BMI and those who did not smoke presented higher OP concentrations. Moreover, mothers who had a yard or garden with plants at home or who lived in an urban area were also more exposed to OPs. Conclusions: The OP detection frequencies and the concentrations observed in our study population were low, compared with most of the previously published studies. Given the high vulnerability of the fet us to neurotoxicant exposure, further research on the determinants of the body burdenofOPsduringpregnancywouldbenecessary.The knowledge gained from such studies would enhance the effectiveness of public health control and future recommendations in order to reduce the risk to both the health of pregnant women and the health and development of their children.his study was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III [FIS- FEDER 13/1944, 13/2032, 14/0891, 14/1687, 16/1288 and Miguel Servet-FEDER CP15/0025]; Conselleria de Sanitat, Generalitat Valenciana (FISABIO UGP 15 – 230) and EU (FP7-ENV-2011 DENAMIC cod 282,957

Pesticide Inhalation Exposure of Applicators and Bystanders Using Conventional and Innovative Cropping Systems in the Valencian Region, Spain

This paper provides scientific results from a European LIFE project carried out in the Valencian region of Spain during the 2017 to 2018 time frame. In 2018, more than 60,000 tons of pesticides were commercialized in Spain, with approximately 15% destined for Valencian crops. In order to improve the air quality in the agricultural areas of this region, an innovative cropping system based on irrigation was developed and compared to conventional treatments based on hand-spray and turbo application. After applying conventional treatments to five types of crops (citrus, persimmon, nectarine, watermelon, and other stone fruits), a total of 13 active substances were detected in the air. The same active substances were applied to crops using the novel irrigation system, and no pesticide was detected in the air. Moreover, applicator and bystander populations in the region were assessed for their risk of inhalation exposure to pesticides, and no risk was found when either of the techniques, the innovative and the conventional agricultural one, were applied

Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to 15 Essential and Toxic Elements in Spanish Women of Reproductive Age: A Case Study

This case study investigates the exposure of 119 Spanish women of reproductive age to 5 essential (Co, Cu, Mn, V, Zn) and 10 toxic (Ba, Be, Cs, Ni, Pb, Pt, Sb, Th, Al, U) elements and assesses their risk. The essential elements (Co, Cu, Mn, V, and Zn) showed average concentrations (GM: geometric mean) of 0.8, 35, 0.5, 0.2, and 347 μg/L, respectively. Five of the toxic elements (Ba, Cs, Ni, Al, U) exhibited detection frequencies of 100%. The GM concentrations of the novel toxic elements were 12 μg/L (Al), 0.01 μg/L (Pt), 0.02 μg/L (U), 0.12 μg/L (Th), 0.009 μg/L (Be) and 4 μg/L (Cs). The urine analysis was combined with a survey to assess any variations between subgroups and potential predictors of exposure to elements in the female population. Significant differences were obtained between the rural and urban areas studied for the toxic element Cs, with higher levels found in mothers living in urban areas. In relation to diet, statistically significantly higher levels of essential (Cu) and toxic (Ba) elements were detected in women with a high consumption of fish, while mothers who consumed a large quantity of legumes presented higher levels of the toxic element Ni (p = 0.0134). In a risk-assessment context, hazard quotients (HQs) greater than 1 were only observed for the essential elements Zn and Cu in P95. No deficiency was found regarding the only essential element for which a biomonitoring equivalent for nutritional deficit is available (Zn). For the less-studied toxic elements (Al, Pt, U, Th, Be, and Cs), HQs were lower than 1, and thus, the health risk due to exposure to these elements is expected to be low for the female population under study

Human Biomonitoring of environmental pollutants

La biomonitorización en Humanos (HBM) es una herramienta de gran utilidad para la protección de la salud frente a la exposición a sustancias químicas a través de un análisis sistemático de contaminantes y/o sus metabolitos en muestras biológicas. Actualmente muchos gobiernos están trabajando para integrar los programas de biomonitorización en los planes de vigilancia ambiental de contaminantes en alimentos, aguas y aire, proporcionando una evaluación más precisa de la exposición y caracterización del riesgo en poblaciones derivado de la contaminación ambiental.Abstract: Human Biomonitoring (HBM) is a useful tool for health protection against exposure to chemicals through a systematic analysis of pollutants and/or its metabolites in biological samples. Many governments are working to integrate biomonitoring programs in environmental monitoring plans of pollutants in food, water and air, providing a more accurate exposure assessment and risk characterization in populations derived from environmental pollution

Biomonitorización Humana de contaminantes ambientales

La biomonitorización en Humanos (HBM) es una herramienta de gran utilidad para la protección de la salud frente a la exposición a sustancias químicas a través de un análisis sistemático de contaminantes y/o sus metabolitos en muestras biológicas. Actualmente muchos gobiernos están trabajando para integrar los programas de biomonitorización en los planes de vigilancia ambiental de contaminantes en alimentos, aguas y aire, proporcionando una evaluación más precisa de la exposición y caracterización del riesgo en poblaciones derivado de la contaminación ambiental.Human Biomonitoring of environmental pollutants.Human Biomonitoring (HBM) is a useful tool for health protection against exposure to chemichals through a systematic analysis of pollutants and/or its metabolites in biological samples. Many governments are working to integrate biomonitoring programs in environmental monitoring plans of pollutants in food, water and air, providing a more accurate exposure assessment and risk characterization in populations derived from environmental pollution

Methodological Aspects for the Implementation of the Air Pesticide Control and Surveillance Network (PESTNet) of the Valencian Region (Spain)

A large amount of pesticide, applied mainly during agricultural practice, is released into the atmosphere, decreasing air quality and potentially causing public health problems. The Valencian region, after Andalusia, is the Spanish region with the highest consumption of pesticides owing to its large areas of agricultural land and the existence of crops that require intensive use of pesticides. In this work, we describe the sampling and analytical tools developed in the last decade and their transference to the Regional Department for Environment, where the main objective of the research was the creation and implementation of an Air pesticide control and surveillance network (PESTNet) in the Valencian region in Spain. To be able to confirm that the established strategies were appropriate, a pilot scheme comprising three different sampling stations (two rural and one urban) was developed and implemented in 2020. The results showed that as many as 30 pesticides were detected in the three sampling stations, with the frequency detection ranging from 6% (beta-endosulfan, chlorpropham, endosulfan-sulfate, kresoxim-m, prochloraz) to 100% (azoxystrobin, chlorpyrifos-m, metalaxyl-M). On the other hand, the concentrations of the pesticides found oscillated between 14.4 (boscalid) and 4373.0 pg m−3 (chlorpyrifos-m). Moreover, a risk assessment was carried out, and no risks were observed for the studied population (infants, children, and adults) in the evaluated stations

A Fast and Automated Strategy for the Identification and Risk Assessment of Unknown Substances (IAS/NIAS) in Plastic Food Contact Materials by GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS: Recycled LDPE as a Proof-of-Concept

A fast and automated approach has been developed for the tentative identification and risk assessment of unknown substances in plastic food contact materials (FCM) by GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS. The proposed approach combines GC-HRMS full scan data acquisition coupled to Compound Discoverer™ 3.2 software for automated data processing and compound identification. To perform the tentative identification of the detected features, a restrictive set of identification criteria was used, including matching with the NIST Mass Spectral Library, exact mass of annotated fragments, and retention index calculation. After the tentative identification, a risk assessment of the identified substances was performed by using the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach. This strategy has been applied to recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which could be used as FCM, as a proof-of-concept demonstration. In the analyzed sample, 374 features were detected, of which 83 were tentatively identified after examination of the identification criteria. Most of these were additives, such as plasticizers, used in a wide variety of plastic applications, oligomers of LDPE, and substances with chemical, industrial, or cosmetic applications. The risk assessment was performed and, according to the TTC approach, the obtained results showed that there was no risk associated with the release of the identified substances. However, complementary studies related to the toxicity of the unidentified substances and the potential mixture toxicity (cocktail effects) should be conducted in parallel using bioassays

Determination of 60 Migrant Substances in Plastic Food Contact Materials by Vortex-Assisted Liquid-Liquid Extraction and GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS

A GC-HRMS analytical method for the determination of 60 migrant substances, including aldehydes, ketones, phthalates and other plasticizers, phenol derivatives, acrylates, and methacrylates, in plastic food contact materials (FCM) has been developed and validated. The proposed method includes migration tests, according to Commission Regulation (EU) 10/2011, using four food simulants (A, B, C, and D1), followed by vortex-assisted liquid–liquid extraction (VA-LLE) and GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, with a resolving power of 30,000 FWHM and a mass accuracy ≤5 ppm. The method was validated, showing satisfactory linearity (R2 ≥ 0.98 from 40 to 400 µg L−1), limits of quantification (40 µg L−1), precision (RSD, 0.6–12.6%), and relative recovery (81–120%). The proposed method was applied to the analysis of field samples, including an epoxy-coated tin food can, a drinking bottle made of Tritan copolyester, a disposable glass made of polycarbonate, and a baby feeding bottle made of polypropylene, showing that they were in compliance with the current European regulation regarding the studied substances