title: Optimization of a method for determining dioxin in whole blood samples based on solvent extraction and simplified cleanup.
abstract: Dioxins, including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs), such as mono-ortho-PCBs and non-ortho-PCBs, are environmental pollutants that have deleterious effects on human health. Although screening of blood samples for dioxins is necessary, the current methods are time-, reagent- and labor-intensive. To optimize the extraction and cleanup of dioxins, we have designed a column chromatography method, coupled with a water washing step. We used a tandem simplified multilayer silica gel-activated carbon dispersed silica gel column (TS-ML-AC) rather than the conventional two columns. We compared three liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) methods and two pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) methods, when used with this column. For each of these extraction methods, we compared the quantity of lipid obtained when the water washing step was omitted and when it was performed by shaking 30 times by hand or 30 min by a machine. We found that TS-ML-AC was superior to the conventional pair of columns in that only about one third of the solvent and only one quarter of the time was necessary. Of the five extraction methods, the acetone/hexane PLE (AcP) method was superior, since it reduced the amount of organic solvent to half or less of the amount required for the LLE methods. The cleanup step using water was best accomplished by the hand-shaking method. Our results indicate that, for the analysis of dioxin in whole blood samples, the use of AcP together with TS-ML-AC and water washing by hand shaking should be used.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Kimiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Jae-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takazawa
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimine
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants