Determination of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (HO-PCBs) in blood plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry.
Hydroxylated metabolites of polychlorinated biphenyls (HO-PCBs) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) are halogenated phenolic compounds, and they are increasingly common as environmental contaminants mainly in the blood of wildlife and humans. A methodology based on high-performance liquid chromatography (reversed-phase)-electrospray (negative) ionization-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-ESI(-)-MS-MS) in the select ion monitoring or multiple reaction monitoring modes was developed for HO-PCB and PCP determination in blood plasma and serum. Among 11 environmentally relevant HO-PCB congeners and PCP spiked to fetal calf serum, quantitative assessments, including matrix effects on ESI(-) suppression/ enhancement, showed process (recovery) efficiencies of 73% to 89% without internal standard (IS) correction, and 88% to 103% with IS correction, and method limits of quantification ranging from 1 to 50 pg/g (wet weight). Using the developed LC-ESI(-)-MS methodology in comparison with GC-MS and GC-ECD based approaches, similar results were found for HO-PCB identification and quantification in the plasma of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) from the Canadian arctic. LC-ESI(-)-MS identified four HO-PCB congeners [4'-HO-2,2',4,6,6'-pentachlorobiphenyl (4'-HO-CB104), 4-HO-2,3,3',4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (4-HO-CB107), 4-HO-2,3,3',5,5',6-hexachlorobiphenyl (4-HO-CB165) and 3'-HO-2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-heptachlorobiphenyl (3'-HO-CB180)], and 14 additional tetra- to hepta-chlorinated HO-PCBs isomers in the polar bear plasma.
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4. Robert.Letcher@ec.gc.ca
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D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada; D002417:Cattle; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006900:Hydroxylation; D010416:Pentachlorophenol / Q000097:blood; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D012015:Reference Standards; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D001503:Ursidae / Q000097:blood*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010416:Pentachlorophenol; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls