Photodegradation of nitenpyram under UV and solar radiation: Kinetics, transformation products identification and toxicity prediction.

The photodegradation of the neonicotinoid insecticide nitenpyram (NPY) under UV and solar irradiation has been investigated in water solutions in order to assess its persistence in the environment and its transformation into other potentially more toxic species. Time-courses were followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Transformation products (TPs) were identified by their accurate product ion spectra, obtained with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer after their liquid chromatographic separation.