Insecticides of neonicotinoides class: determining exposure via workers' urine.

For biomonitoring of exposure in workers with insectocaricides, the authors created a method of multi-component assessment oflowlevels of neonicotinomides in workers' urine, based on last generation tandem liquid mass-spectrometry (triple quadrupole) with ionization source - electrostatic dispersion (positive ionization) in dynamic multi-reaction monitoring with two transitions of parent ions (for quantitative assessment and ionic ratio confirmation). After the work, the operators gave urine samples (about 100 ml in average) that were frozen and kept under -20°C before analysis. Samples were defrozen before analysis, and each urine portion of 5 ml was diluted by equal volume of 0,1% formic acid. To extract substances out of the samples, solid-phase extraction (cartridges based on octadecylsilane) was applied, elution was performed with 1 ml of methanol. Lower limit of the substances detection in urine - 0,02-0,05 ng/ml, lower limit of the quantitative assessment - 0,1-0,2 ng/ml. The method was tested on monitoring of the workers' exposure to preparations based on imidaclopride and clotianidine in natural conditions of pesticides use in agriculture with various processing technologies. midacloprid was identified in urine of 3 professional operators after wheat and oat seeds treatment and after subsequent seeding at lower limit of detection (0,02 ng/ml), lower limit of quantitative assessment (0,1 ng/ ml) and 0,34 ng/ml.

[Biomonitoring in workers exposed to pesticides: development and application of method detecting imidacloprid in urine].

Imidacloprid is a relatively new insecticide in neonicotinoids chemical class with neuroactivity in insects, being one of the most widely used insecticides in the world. For biomonitoring in workers exposed to pesticides, the authors designed a method detecting low levels of Imidacloprid in urine of operators, based on tandem liquid mass-spectrometry with ionization source--electrostatic dispersion (positive ionization) in multi-reaction monitoring regime with subsidiary ion (mass/charge) 209 for quantitative assessment and ion 175.1 for confirmation onion ratio. The study incorporated diurnal urine, about 100 ml of average sample was frozen and kept at temperature -20C for analysis. Before extraction, the sample was unfrozen, an aliquot of 5 ml was selected, diluted with 5 ml of 0.1% formic acid. The substance was concentrated out of the urine samples via solid-phase extraction with application of cartridges based on octadecylsilane, eluition--1 ml of methanol. Lower limit of Imidacloprid detection in urine is 0.02 ng/ml, of the quantitative assessment--0.1 ng/ ml, linear range of concentrations measured 0.1-10 ng/ml. The method was tested for monitoring in workers exposed to Imidacloprid preparations in natural conditions of pesticides application in agriculture, with various processing technologies. Imidacloprid was identified in urine of two professional operators after work in seed treatment and the subsequent seeding at lower limit of detection (0.02 ng/ml) and 0.34 ng/ml.

[Features of nano aerosols action and safety measures].

The article presents results of studies concerning influence of high-dispersed aerosol formed in traditional plasma processes on operators' health. Consideration also includes new technologies to obtain metall-containing nanoproducts; the authors recommend protection measures for workers, methods and devices to control nano aerosols in air.

[Providing studies quality for pesticides risk evaluation in their use according to proper laboratory practice rules].

The article covers experience of proper laboratory practice in hygienic studies examining air and workers' skin for assessment of exposure levels of pesticides in natural conditions of agricultural production.