# Decoding the Liver–Blood Partitioning of Neonicotinoid Insecticides: Evidence from Paired Human Liver and Blood Biomonitoring

## TL;DR

This study examines how neonicotinoid insecticides distribute between human blood and liver tissues, finding significant differences and associations with liver cancer.

## Contribution

The study provides novel evidence on liver–blood partitioning of neonicotinoids in humans and links hepatic concentrations to liver cancer status.

## Key findings

- Neonicotinoids were detected in 84.6% of blood and 87.2% of liver samples, with dinotefuran being the most abundant compound.
- Blood-to-liver partition ratios varied with physicochemical properties and were lower in liver cancer patients.
- Hepatic concentrations of specific neonicotinoids were statistically associated with liver cancer status after adjusting for covariates.

## Abstract

Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are among the most widely used insecticides worldwide, and their increasing detection in environmental and human matrices has raised concerns about chronic exposure and potential health risks. However, human data on target-organ burdens and liver–blood partitioning of NEOs remain unclear. Here, we quantified nine NEOs in paired liver tissue and whole-blood samples from 234 individuals to characterize internal distribution patterns and liver–blood partitioning of NEOs in humans. Samples included both liver cancer patients and non-liver cancer individuals, enabling exploratory evaluation of disease-related differences. At least one NEO was detected in 84.6% of blood samples and 87.2% of liver samples, with median concentrations ranging from 0.15–3.52 ng/mL in blood and 0.39–10.99 ng/g in liver, respectively. Dinotefuran was the most abundant compound in both matrices, accounting for 43.9% of total NEOs in blood and 25.8% in liver, indicating substantial matrix-specific compositional differences. Blood-to-liver partition ratios (R_B/L) varied substantially among compounds and showed a significant inverse association with logKow (p = 0.026), suggesting physicochemical property-dependent partitioning. R_B/L values were generally lower in liver cancer patients, indicating a relative shift toward hepatic accumulation. In exploratory logistic regression analyses, hepatic concentrations of acetamiprid, dinotefuran, imidaclothiz, and thiamethoxam remained statistically associated with liver cancer status after adjustment for covariates. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of tissue-specific biomonitoring and internal partitioning for interpreting human exposure to NEOs and for reducing exposure misclassification when evaluating liver-related health outcomes.