OBJECTIVETo establish a method for simultaneously determining the urinary concentrations of 8 carbamate pesticides.

METHODSAfter being purified by acetonitrile precipitation, urine samples were transferred to a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry system, and the concentrations of 8 carbamate pesticides were determined by external standard method. A C18 column was used for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography; methanol/ammonium acetate solution was used as the mobile phase for gradient elution; the mass spectrometer was operated in a multi-reaction monitoring mode.

RESULTSThe calibration curves were linear when the urinary concentrations of these carbamate pesticides were 20~800 µg/L, and the recovery rates were 61.0%~121% at spiked levels of 20, 200 and 800 µg/L, with a relative standard deviation of 1.7%~5.5%.

CONCLUSIONThis determination method meets the Guide for establishing occupational health standards-part 5: Determination methods of chemicals in biological materials, and can be used for simultaneous determination of 8 carbamate pesticides in the urine of poisoning patients.