LC-MS characterization of contemporary pesticides in PM10 of Valencia Region, Spain

Abstract

Pesticides in the inhalable fraction of particulate matter (PM10) should be well tracked in order to contribute information to future exposure assessment in individuals of the general public. A total of 40 current-used pesticides and metabolites were searched for in ambient air samples collected from January through December 2010. The samples were taken from one remote, one urban and three rural sites in Valencia Region (Spain) and analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem (LC-MS/MS). In the PM10 fraction 17 pesticides and metabolites were detected overall, two of them currently banned (carbofuran and omethoate, although the latter is a metabolite of the permitted pesticide dimethoate). The detected pesticides appeared at frequencies ranging from 1 to 75%, with omethoate, terbuthylazine and its metabolites, and carbendazim presenting the highest frequencies. The concentrations detected ranged from few pg m−3 to thousands of pg m−3, with omethoate having the highest average concentration (141.15 pg m−3) in the 5 sites overall. Each station showed its own specific pesticide profile, which is linked to the different types of crops around each site. In the rural stations pesticide levels were greater in spring and early summer, which correlates with their application in agricultural practices. These findings suggest that more efforts are required to implement an extensive air monitoring network in Europe for pesticide control and to develop regulations or recommendations regarding safer pesticide levels in ambient air.