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Lead toxicity in Lucilia cuprina and electrochemical analysis: a simple and low-cost alternative for forensic investigation

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Abstract

Entomotoxicology allows the detection and analysis of substances such as poisons, drugs, and metals in necrophagous insects using analytical protocols. In a forensic situation related to death by gunshot, the gunshot residue (GSR) is dispersed at the crime scene and may be consumed by necrophagous insects. Lead (Pb) is the most abundant metal in GSR samples and it can be determined using non-portable methods. However, the toxicity effects of GSR samples on Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and the detection of Pb via portable electrochemical methods have not been investigated. This study describes for the first time the toxicity analysis of Pb on immature L. cuprina through their survival rate and influence of Pb on immature development. In addition, the bioaccumulation of Pb in the larvae samples was determined based on square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) measurements. The results revealed a low limit of detection to Pb (6.5 μg L−1) and the analytical performance was satisfactory because it measures Pb levels in larvae exposed to a diet containing 50 μg Pb g−1. Furthermore, the levels of Pb influenced the survival rate and development time of the immature L. cuprina. Larvae exposed to a high concentration of the metal (50 μg Pb g −1) showed statistically significant changes (p < 0.05). The presence of Pb in immature L. cuprina can be used to estimate the post-mortem interval; thus, the present study provides important information in forensic entomology.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank CAPES (grant 3363/2014) and CNPq (grants 426496/2018-3 and 142412/2020-1) and lastly M.Sc. Igor Santos Oliveira for his contributions to the present study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil

    Bárbara G. de O. Bessa & Welinton R. Lopes

  2. Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil

    Habdias de A. Silva-Neto & Wendell K. T. Coltro

  3. Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74001-970, Brazil

    Thiago L. Rocha

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  1. Bárbara G. de O. Bessa
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All authors conceived the research and went to field to perform the experiments. The first author wrote a first version of the paper and all authors contributed equally to reviewing critically the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors approved the final version of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Habdias de A. Silva-Neto.

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No humans or animals were used in this study. The meat used during the experiments was purchased from grocery stores.

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Bessa, B.G.d.O., Silva-Neto, H.d.A., Coltro, W.K.T. et al. Lead toxicity in Lucilia cuprina and electrochemical analysis: a simple and low-cost alternative for forensic investigation. Anal Bioanal Chem 413, 3201–3208 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03257-z

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