Rapid Analysis Of Pesticides Causing Acute Poisoning In Patients By High-Performance Liquid Chromatography With Column-Switching Technique

Rapid identification and quantification of pesticides in biological samples in cases of poisoning are very important in improving the survival rate in such cases. We previously investigated the effectiveness of a screening and quantification method for fat-soluble pesticides by HPLC equipped with a photo-diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD). In the present study, we investigated a more rapid method of screening and quantitative analysis of 10 important fat-soluble pesticides (propanil (DCPA), fenobucarb (BPMC), pyridaphenthion, napropamide, isoprothiolane, malathion, fenitrothion (MEP), edifenfos (EDDP), diazinon, and isoxathion) employing column-switching HPLC-DAD together with a direct injection method of biological samples. The detection limits of the 10 pesticides were less than 10 ng per injection, except for isoxathion in artificial gastric juice and urine. Linear calibration curves for the 10 fat-soluble pesticides in artificial gastric juice were in the range of 1-250 mu g/ml, and in serum and urine were in the range of 0.1-50 mu g/ml (except for isoxathion in urine). The recovery rates of all pesticides were greater than 80%, except for fenitrothion and diazinon in artificial gastric juice, edifenfos in serum, and diazinon and isoxathion in urine. This method was applied to three actual cases of acute poisoning, and we were able to provide important information to doctors on the basis of the rapid method of screening and quantitative analysis of pesticides in biological samples. The direct injection method in this paper could shorten analyzing time by 1-1.5 h compared to the previous method that necessitating solvent extraction prior to HPLC analysis.