Tissue pesticide residues

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prepared a manual of pesticide residue analysis dealing with samples of blood, urine, human tissue, and excreta, as well as water, air. soil, and dust. 

Tewari SN, Harplani SP. 1972. Detection of organo-phosphorus pesticide residues in autopsy tissues by thin layer chromatography. Proc Nat Acad Sci India 42(A) 287-292. 

Validation of the analytical methods for food of animal origin has to be performed with milk, egg, meat, and fat. The latter is required only if log Pqav is >3 and metabolism studies indicate significant residues in fat, because in this case it is likely that an MRL will be set. Other tissues such as kidney or liver must be validated only if an MRL is set or proposed for these tissues. The issue of the general necessity of analytical methods for food of animal origin is not addressed in Directive 96/46/EC or SANCO/825/00. At this moment, the Working Group Pesticide Residues proposes an MRL on a case-by-case basis. However, a pragmatic approach is presented in SANCO/825/00. 

For pesticide residue immunoassays, matrices may include surface or groundwater, soil, sediment and plant or animal tissue or fluids. Aqueous samples may not require preparation prior to analysis, other than concentration. For other matrices, extractions or other cleanup steps are needed and these steps require the integration of the extracting solvent with the immunoassay. When solvent extraction is required, solvent effects on the assay are determined during assay optimization. Another option is to extract in the desired solvent, then conduct a solvent exchange into a more miscible solvent. Immunoassays perform best with water-miscible solvents when solvent concentrations are below 20%. Our experience has been that nearly every matrix requires a complete validation. Various soil types and even urine samples from different animals within a species may cause enough variation that validation in only a few samples is not sufficient. 

Kanja LW, Skaare JU, Ojwang SBO, et al. 1992. A comparison of organochlorine pesticide residues in maternal adipose tissue, maternal blood, cord blood, and human milk from mother/infant pairs. Arch Environ Contain Toxicol 22 21-24. 

Arthur RD, Cain JD, Barrentine BF. 1975 The effect of atmospheric levels of pesticides on pesticide residues in rabbit adipose tissue and blood sera. Bull Environ Contamin Toxicol 14(6) 760- 764. 

Greer ES, Miller DJ, Burscato FN, et al. 1980. Investigation of pesticide residues in human adipose tissue in the northeast Louisiana area. J Agric Food Chem 28 76-78. 

Regarding the sampling in food residues, a representative sample consists of a large number of randomly collected units. Monitoring of pesticide residues for MRL compliance involves analysis of a composite sample, made up of a number of individual units [1]. The storage of a laboratory sample of homogenated or intact tissue may influence the final determined residue content dramatically. Samples should be analyzed without any delay, as some pesticide residues may degrade rapidly. 

In 1990, the National Research Council Committee on National Monitoring of Human Tissues reviewed and evaluated the uses and effectiveness of NHMP (NRC 1991). In its review, the committee noted that NHATS was effective in documenting a widespread and significant prevalence of pesticide residues in the general population and showed that reductions in use of PCBs, DDT, and dieldrin have been followed by a decline in measured concentrations of these compounds (NRC 1991). The committee s review of the program, with its discussion of the need for improved monitoring, was the impetus for the development of NHEXAS. 

Kaphalia, B.S., Seth, T.D., 1983. Chlorinated pesticide residues in blood plasma and adipose tissue of normal and exposed human population. Indian I. Med. Res. 77, 245-247. 

Waliszewski, S.M., Pardio, V.T., Chantiri, J.N., Infanzon, R.M., 1996. Organochlorine pesticide residues in adipose tissue of Mexicans. Sci. Total Environ. 181, 125-131. 

Whiting, F.M., Brown, W.H., Stull, J.W. (1973) Pesticide residues in milk and in tissues following long, low 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-... 

ELISA could potentially be used advantageously in many types of exposure and monitoring situations, for paraquat and other pesticides amenable to ELISA analysis. An obvious use of ELISA is the detection of pesticide residue levels in plant and animal tissues, or food extracts. Biological specimens such as plasma and urine currently analyzed by RIA seem particularly amenable to analysis by ELISA. Portable field kits could be developed to determine safe worker re-entry times into treated fields. Environmental samples such as soil, water, and air, can be analyzed by the ELISA. Pesticide conjugates have been proposed for skin testing of individuals suspected of sensitivity to pesticides (fi.) the ELISA could be used to detect specific antibodies in these individuals and aid in exposure studies. 

Distribution of Pesticide Residues in Human Body Tissues from Montgomery County, Ohio... 

Methods of measurement of pesticide exposures can be separated into two categories direct and indirect (Bristol et al., 1984 Nigg et al., 1990). Direct methods measure a pesticide residue in environmental media or on the skin surface before it has entered the body in order to estimate the potential dose. Indirect methods estimate the minimum absorbed dose by measuring residues in excreta, body fluids or tissues after exposure has occurred. Examples of direct methods are those that determine residues in air, water, food and on surfaces. Indirect methods may involve determination of the levels of specific pesticides, their metabolites or biological indicators ( biomarkers ), such as protein- or DNA-adducts, in blood, urine, feces, sputum, sebum, cerumen or adipose tissue. This chapter covers direct measurement methods only. 

Daglioglu, N., Gulmen, M.K., Akcan, R., Efeoglu, P., Yener, E., Unal, I. Determination of organochlorine pesticides residues in human adipose tissue, data from Cukurova, Turkey. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 85, 97-102 (2010)... 

Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide residues in human adipose tissue and liver tissue samples have been identified by mass spectrometry coupled with gas chromatography. A general, extensive extraction and cleanup procedure adapted from existing methods was used to isolate... 

Figure 8. Total ion current chromatograms of extracts containing organo-clMrine pesticide residues isolated from adipose tissue (A) fraction 1 and...

Definitive confirmation of pesticide residues was obtained by comparison of parent and fragment ion intensities and mass numbers of eluted pesticides and reference pesticides. Table I lists the residues encountered and the mass numbers and intensities of the characteristic fragments employed for identification in the adipose tissue sample. The mass spectral fragmentation patterns for all the compounds included in Table I with the exception of -HCH have been adequately discussed by other investigators (7). 

Table I. Gas Chromatographic Peak Identities and Characteristic Mass Spectral Fragments and Intensities of Some Organochlorine Pesticide Residues Isolated From Human Adipose Tissue...

Biros, F. J., Walker, A. C., Pesticide Residue Analysis in Human Tissue... 

The tremendous achievements which have been accomplished by the judicious use of pesticides in increased world-wide food production and the control of vector-bome diseases are very evident. In addition, pesticidal materials contribute to the effective control of undesirable species of pests including insects, plants, bacteria, fungi, etc., and assist in the nutrition, growth, and reproduction of certain desirable species. However, because of widespread use in these applications, pesticides have proliferated intensely in the biosphere and thus have significantly contributed to problems of environmental pollution. For example, the effects of these chemicals on public health and the survival of species of fish and wildlife are two specific areas of critical concern. The attention which has been focused in recent years on the occiurence of residues of pesticides and their metabohtes, as well as other industrially significant chemicals in the environment, is demonstrated by the numerous reports of various official and unofficial committees of inquiry which have considered this problem and have reported the results of large numbers of assays of pesticide residues in such diverse substrates as human and animal tissues, food, plants, water, soil, and air. 

Xenobiotics are frequently metabolized in plants by mechanisms that lead to the incorporation or inclusion of the xenobiotic into biological polymers or tissue residues that are not soluble in commonly used nonreactive solvents. These residues are frequently refered to as bound, insoluble, or nonextractable residues (2 ). Bound residues in plants have most commonly been detected in plant tissues treated with radloactlvely-labeled pesticides. These residues were an important topic of a symposium held in Vail, Colo, in 1975 (17) they have been discussed in mauiy more recent papers (11,154-1577"and they were discussed at a symposium at the l88th ACS National Meeting, 1984 "Non-extractable Pesticide Residues Characteristics, Bioavailability and Toxicological Significance". 

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