Monitoring of environmental persistent organic pollutants in hair samples of cats and dogs

Abstract

This study investigated 32 persistent organic pollutants, including 9 organochlorine pesticides, 15 polychlorinated biphenyls, 6 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 2 organophosphate pesticides in the hair samples of domestic cats and dogs living in an urban area in Samsun, Turkiye. Hair samples were collected from 35 cats and 38 dogs, grouped by sex and age (<3 or >3 years old). Samples were extracted using a liquid-liquid extraction method and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed the presence of organochlorine pesticides (n = 58, 468.65 ± 92.30 ng/g), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (n = 57, 15.65 ± 3.91 ng/g), polychlorinated biphenyls (n = 55, 54.11 ± 9.47 ng/g), and organophosphate pesticides (n = 25, 568.43 ± 113.17 ng/g) in the samples. PCBs 81, 118, 128, 208, and 2,4-DDE were not detected in any samples. Only one sample did not contain any of the searched compounds. Fluorene was the most frequently detected pollutant (n = 53, 72.6 %), followed by β-hexachlorocyclohexane (n = 34, 46.6 %). The highest maximum concentration was observed for hexachlorobenzene (2748.03 ng/g), followed by aldrin (2313.45 ng/g) and fenitrothion (2081.13 ng/g). Pollutant concentrations did not differ between cats and dogs, sexes, and ages (p > 0.05). This study highlights the significant threat that urban areas pose to pets, and therefore, POPs should be monitored periodically in hair and other samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to investigate POP levels in hair samples from cats and dogs in Turkiye.

Keywords: GC–MS; Hair; POPs; Pets.