GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDE POISONING - USE OF A ROUTINE AMINO-ACID ANALYZERAPPEARS TO BE A RAPID METHOD FOR DETERMINING GLYPHOSATE AND ITS METABOLITE IN BIOLOGICAL-FLUIDS

Glyphosate containing herbicides are an alternative to paraquat and ar e widely used throughout the world. Despite animal studies showing a l ow mammalian toxicity, human fatalities are reported after suicidal in gestions of glyphosate. Among the numerous analytical methods proposed , the reference method is the HPLC Monsanto procedure which is availab le in very few laboratories. The Monsanto procedure consists of a pre- column derivatization with detection of the resulting chromophore by H PLC with a variable wavelength UV/VIS detector. We propose a simple an d rapid method for the diagnosis and monitoring of glyphosate poisonin g. This method uses an aminoacid analyzer (Beckman 6300) with the prog ram for biological fluids. With this procedure the glyphosate and amin o methyl phosphoric acid retention rimes are respectively 1.75 and 3.5 4 min. This method gives a rapid result. The time between collecting t he sample and completing the result is 45 min. This method may be usef ul for the diagnosis and monitoring of glyphosate poisoning and is eas y to perform with an apparatus usually available in every laboratory i nvolved in aminoacid analysis.