Wastewater-based epidemiology as a novel tool to evaluate human exposure to pesticides: Triazines and organophosphates as case studies

Abstract

Production and application of pesticides have risen remarkably in the last few decades. Even if they provide many benefits, they can be hazardous for humans and ecosystems when they are not used cautiously. Human exposure to pesticides is well documented, but new approaches are needed to boost the available information. This work proposes a new application of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to assess the exposure of the general population to organophosphate and triazine pesticides (pyrethroid pesticides have already been validated). Several human urinary metabolites tested as WBE biomarkers, were suitable. Untreated wastewater samples from different European countries were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Biomarker concentrations were converted to mass loads and used to back-calculate the local population's exposure to the parent pesticides, using specific correction factors developed in this study. Exposure to organophosphates and pyrethroids showed spatial and seasonal variations. Finally, pesticide exposure was estimated in twenty cities of ten European countries and compared with the acceptable daily intake, concluding that some populations might face health risks. The study confirms WBE as a suitable approach for assessing the average community exposure to pesticides and is a valuable complementary biomonitoring tool. WBE can provide valuable data for public health.