Sensitive and specific multiresidue methods for the determination of pesticides of various classes in clinical and forensic toxicology

Original and sensitive multiresidue methods are presented for the detection and quantitation, in human biological matrices, of 61 pesticides of toxico logical significance in human. These methods involved rapid solid-phase ext raction using new polymeric support (HLB and MCX) OASIS(R) cartridges. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for volatile (organophosp hate, organochlorine, phtalimide, uracil) pesticides and liquid chromatogra phy-ionspray(R)-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for thermolabile and polar pestic ides (carbamates, benzimidazoles). Acquisition was performed in the selecte d ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Extraction recovery varied owing to the nature of pesticides, but was satisfactory for all. Limits of detection (LODs) an d limits of quantitation (LOQs) ranged, respectively, from 2.5 to 20 and fr om 5 to 50 ng/ml. An excellent linearity was observed from LOQs up to 1000 ng/ml for all the pesticides studied. The proposed procedures yielded repro ducible results with good inter-assay accuracy and precision, A few cases o f intoxication are presented to demonstrate the diagnostic interest of thes e methods: in two cases were determined lethal concentrations of endosulfan and carbofuran; in four other cases, the procedures helped diagnose intoxi cation with, respectively, parathion-ethyl, the association of bromacil and strychnine, bifenthrin and aldicarb. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd . All rights reserved.