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. 2023 Apr:319:137904.
doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137904. Epub 2023 Jan 26.

Prevalence of neonicotinoid insecticides in paired private-well tap water and human urine samples in a region of intense agriculture overlying vulnerable aquifers in eastern Iowa

Darrin A Thompson  1 , Dana W Kolpin  2 , Michelle L Hladik  3 , Hans-Joachim Lehmler  4 , Shannon M Meppelink  2 , Matthew C Poch  4 , John D Vargo  5 , Victor A Soupene  4 , Nafis Md Irfan  6 , Morgan Robinson  7 , Kurunthachalam Kannan  8 , Laura E Beane Freeman  9 , Jonathan N Hofmann  9 , David M Cwiertny  10 , R William Field  4
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Prevalence of neonicotinoid insecticides in paired private-well tap water and human urine samples in a region of intense agriculture overlying vulnerable aquifers in eastern Iowa

Darrin A Thompson et al. Chemosphere. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

A pilot study among farming households in eastern Iowa was conducted to assess human exposure to neonicotinoids (NEOs). The study was in a region with intense crop and livestock production and where groundwater is vulnerable to surface-applied contaminants. In addition to paired outdoor (hydrant) water and indoor (tap) water samples from private wells, urine samples were collected from 47 adult male pesticide applicators along with the completions of dietary and occupational surveys. Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) were then calculated to examine exposures for different aged family members. NEOs were detected in 53% of outdoor and 55% of indoor samples, with two or more NEOs in 13% of samples. Clothianidin was the most frequently detected NEO in water samples. Human exposure was ubiquitous in urine samples. A median of 10 different NEOs and/or metabolites were detected in urine, with clothianidin, nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, 6-chloronicotinic acid, and thiacloprid amide detected in every urine samples analyzed. Dinotefuran, imidaclothiz, acetamiprid-N-desmethyl, and N-desmethyl thiamethoxam were found in ≥70% of urine samples. Observed water intake for study participants and EDIs were below the chronic reference doses (CRfD) and acceptable daily intake (ADI) standards for all NEOs indicating minimal risk from ingestion of tap water. The study results indicate that while the consumption of private well tap water provides a human exposure pathway, the companion urine results provide evidence that diet and/or other exposure pathways (e.g., occupational, house dust) may contribute to exposure more than water contamination. Further biomonitoring research is needed to better understand the scale of human exposure from different sources.

Keywords: Agriculture; Biomonitoring; Human exposure; Neonicotinoids.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Map showing the location of the eight counties in eastern Iowa where the study participants (n=47) reside.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Detection frequency of at least one NEO insecticide by vulnerability (high vs. intermediate), topography (karst vs. no karst), and geologic categories (alluvial vs. bedrock) in eastern Iowa (n=47).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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