An Exploratory Study of the Metabolite Profiling from Pesticides Exposed Workers

Abstract

Pesticides constitute a category of chemical products intended specifically for the control and mitigation of pests. With their constant increase in use, the risk to human health and the environment has increased proportionally due to occupational and environmental exposure to these compounds. The use of these chemicals is associated with several toxic effects related to acute and chronic toxicity, such as infertility, hormonal disorders and cancer. The present work aimed to study the metabolic profile of individuals occupationally exposed to pesticides, using a metabolomics tool to identify potential new biomarkers. Metabolomics analysis was carried out on plasma and urine samples from individuals exposed and non-exposed occupationally, using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Non-targeted metabolomics analysis, using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) or partial least squares discriminant orthogonal analysis (OPLS-DA), demonstrated good separation of the samples and identified 21 discriminating metabolites in plasma and 17 in urine. The analysis of the ROC curve indicated the compounds with the greatest potential for biomarkers. Comprehensive analysis of the metabolic pathways influenced by exposure to pesticides revealed alterations, mainly in lipid and amino acid metabolism. This study indicates that the use of metabolomics provides important information about complex biological responses.

A Comprehensive Review on Pesticide Residues in Human Urine

“…While some studies involved solvent extraction, a deconjugation step, and SPE cleanup, others only used centrifugation in acidic conditions to ensure protein precipitation. ,,, …”

“…The analysis methods employed in the majority of the studies (29) for assessing urinary pesticides involved the use of LC-MS/MS or isotope-dilution LC-MS. Additionally, 22 studies utilized GC-MS and GC-MS/MS, 4 studies incorporated GC coupled to a flame photometric detector, and 4 studies made use of high-resolution MS, such as LC-Orbitrap-MS and LC-Q-ToF-MS. ,,, Pesticides exhibit diverse chemical properties, such as volatility and polarity, leading to variability in their analytical methods. Certain compounds are amenable to GC due to their volatility, while others are better suited for LC owing to their polarity (glyphosate, AMPA, 2,4-D).…”

“…All of the methods were designed as target methods, specifically focusing on the analysis of defined pesticides or metabolites. However, in two studies, different approaches were taken, where suspected and nontarget screening methods were initially employed, and metabolomics tools were used to identify unknown biomarkers …”

“…Some studies attributed their findings to environmental exposure. These studies analyzed occupational exposure in farmworkers, farmworkers and their families, spray applicants, and florists’ exposure to pesticides (16 studies). − Additionally, some studies analyzed exposure due to residence close to agricultural areas and/or urban areas (9 studies). ,− Other studies linked the exposure of pesticide residues to the diet (14 studies). ,− Some other studies focused on exposure to pesticides on pregnant women − and lactating mothers, − to understand the transfer of pesticides to children (9 studies). Other studies linked the exposure to urinary pesticides to health issues by targeting a specific group (11 studies), and others were simply generally assessing the levels and frequency of detection of targeted pesticides and metabolites for a given number of participants (total of 13 studies), ,− without specifically linking it to the exposure route or to the health issues.…”