Novel Method Development for Extraction and Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Human Serum Samples

Abstract

In recent years, exposure to pesticides has gained widespread attention due to their adverse health effects. Long-term exposure to pesticides has shown hazardous effects on vital functions of the human nervous and reproductive systems. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the extent of pesticide exposure in humans. Primarily, it is quite challenging to determine trace levels of pesticide residues in biological matrices. Hence, a quick, multi-residue extraction procedure was experimented for pesticide residue analysis in human serum. Herein, the original QuEChERS extraction method was modified for achieving the best possible recoveries. A total of 15 representative pesticides from each class were selected and fortified into the human serum samples. The extraction was performed by employing acidified solution containing acetonitrile and ethyl acetate followed by vortex and centrifugation. The obtained aqueous layer was collected and vapourised to dryness and d-SPE clean-up was conducted utilising PSA. The extracted sample was injected into the GC-MS/MS system under MRM mode. The method development parameters such as linearity, % RSD, accuracy, LOD, LOQ and % ME were assessed. The results obtained for the serum matrix were found to be within the criteria mentioned in European Union SANTE/12682/2019 guidelines for method validation. The developed solitary method is quick, simple and highly efficient for routine pesticide residue analysis. Hence, a wide spectrum of pesticides can be analysed utilising the proposed method for human serum.