Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat Hair

With over a quarter of the world’s bats species facing extinction, there is a need for ecotoxicological studies to assess if acute and sublethal exposure to newer pesticides such as neonicotinoids and carbonates contribute to population declines. Pesticide exposure studies in bats have been limited...

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Main Authors: Sarah E. Hooper, Sybill K. Amelon, Chung-Ho Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-02-01
Series:Toxics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/2/73
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author Sarah E. Hooper
Sybill K. Amelon
Chung-Ho Lin
author_facet Sarah E. Hooper
Sybill K. Amelon
Chung-Ho Lin
author_sort Sarah E. Hooper
collection DOAJ
description With over a quarter of the world’s bats species facing extinction, there is a need for ecotoxicological studies to assess if acute and sublethal exposure to newer pesticides such as neonicotinoids and carbonates contribute to population declines. Pesticide exposure studies in bats have been limited to terminal sampling methods, therefore we developed a non-invasive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method utilizing hair trimmings. The hair of big brown bats (<i>Eptesicus fuscus</i>) was collected and pooled by county to assess the best extraction solvent and solid-phase-extraction (SPE) clean-up cartridges. Using the best performing extraction solvent, methanol, and the best performing SPE cartridge, Chromabond HR-X, we developed an optimized multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of 3 neonicotinoids, clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam; 1 carbonate, carbaryl; and 4 systemic herbicides, 2,4-D, atrazine, dicamba, and glyphosate. The optimized protocol yielded the detection of 3–8 of the compounds in the county-level bat hair pools. 2,4-D, glyphosate, and imidacloprid were found in all samples with two of the county-level hair samples having glyphosate concentrations of over 3500 pg/mg of hair. This approach has great potential to facilitate non-terminal ecotoxicological studies assessing the effects of subacute (chronic) pesticide exposure in threatened and endangered bat species and other species experiencing population declines.
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spelling doaj.art-810742e1015149108532a8e76b3c35902023-11-23T22:20:22ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042022-02-011027310.3390/toxics10020073Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat HairSarah E. Hooper0Sybill K. Amelon1Chung-Ho Lin2Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts KN0101, West IndiesUSDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, 202 ABNR Building, 1111 Rollins St., Columbia, MO 65211, USACenter for Agroforestry, University of Missouri, 302 ABNR Building, 1111 Rollins St., Columbia, MO 65211, USAWith over a quarter of the world’s bats species facing extinction, there is a need for ecotoxicological studies to assess if acute and sublethal exposure to newer pesticides such as neonicotinoids and carbonates contribute to population declines. Pesticide exposure studies in bats have been limited to terminal sampling methods, therefore we developed a non-invasive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method utilizing hair trimmings. The hair of big brown bats (<i>Eptesicus fuscus</i>) was collected and pooled by county to assess the best extraction solvent and solid-phase-extraction (SPE) clean-up cartridges. Using the best performing extraction solvent, methanol, and the best performing SPE cartridge, Chromabond HR-X, we developed an optimized multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of 3 neonicotinoids, clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam; 1 carbonate, carbaryl; and 4 systemic herbicides, 2,4-D, atrazine, dicamba, and glyphosate. The optimized protocol yielded the detection of 3–8 of the compounds in the county-level bat hair pools. 2,4-D, glyphosate, and imidacloprid were found in all samples with two of the county-level hair samples having glyphosate concentrations of over 3500 pg/mg of hair. This approach has great potential to facilitate non-terminal ecotoxicological studies assessing the effects of subacute (chronic) pesticide exposure in threatened and endangered bat species and other species experiencing population declines.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/2/73batsChiropteraecotoxicologyglyphosateneonicotinoidnon-invasive methods
spellingShingle Sarah E. Hooper
Sybill K. Amelon
Chung-Ho Lin
Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat Hair
Toxics
bats
Chiroptera
ecotoxicology
glyphosate
neonicotinoid
non-invasive methods
title Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat Hair
title_full Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat Hair
title_fullStr Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat Hair
title_full_unstemmed Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat Hair
title_short Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Non-Invasive Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid and Systemic Herbicide Pesticide Residues in Bat Hair
title_sort development of an lc ms ms method for non invasive biomonitoring of neonicotinoid and systemic herbicide pesticide residues in bat hair
topic bats
Chiroptera
ecotoxicology
glyphosate
neonicotinoid
non-invasive methods
url https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/2/73
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