Determination of chlorinated insecticides in blood samples of agricultural workers.
Lindane, aldrin and p,p'-DDT were determined in blood samples from 71 farmers by means of an analytical method which combines a direct whole-blood extraction with n-hexane and gas chromatography (GC)-electron-capture detection (ECD), using a capillary column, applied to the organic extract. This technique allowed the determination of pesticides at levels varying from 0.1 to 180 micrograms per l of blood, the detection limit for every pesticide being 0.1 microgram/l. GC-mass spectrometry was used to confirm the identity of each pesticide. The advantage of capillary column GC-ECD for pesticide determination is its sensitivity and high resolution, which makes it possible to separate pesticides from a complex n-hexane extract obtained in a very simple pretreatment of the blood sample, which is itself a very complex matrix.
Rosell
M G
MG
Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo, Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo, Barcelona, Spain.
Obiols
J
J
Berenguer
M J
MJ
Guardino
X
X
López
F
F
Brosa
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D007306:Insecticides / Q000097:blood*
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D007306:Insecticides