Determination of hydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in human hair by gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
The study describes the determination of mono-hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs), metabolites of PAHs, in human hair. Twelve selected OH-PAHs from two to four rings, generally determined in urine analysis, were investigated as markers of human exposure to PAHs. Following hydrolysis of hair specimens of 50-300 mg with 1M NaOH, OH-PAHs were extracted using dichloromethane and submitted to an optimized derivatization with (2S,4R)-N-heptafluorobutyryl-4-heptafluorobutoyloxy-prolyl chloride. Compounds were then analyzed using gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-NCIMS). The average inter-day and intra-day variability was 12% and 17%, respectively. The average recovery was 52% and the limits of detection and quantification ranged from 20 and 66 pmol/g for 1-OH-phenanthrene (i.e., 3.9 and 12.8 pg/mg) to 311 and 1030 pmol/g for 2-OH-benzo(c)phenanthrene (i.e., 75.9 and 251 pg/mg). The influence of hair washing with water as decontamination step, and enzymatic treatment (beta-glucuronidase) to hydrolyze conjugated derivatives were also tested. The application of the developed method to the analysis of 30 hair specimens (17 from non-smoker and 13 from smoker volunteers) demonstrated inter-individual qualitative and quantitative variations. According to the easiness of hair sampling and based on the extended detection windows provided by hair analysis, this method is proposed as a new promising tool for the assessment of human chronic exposure to PAHs.
Schummer
Claude
C
Laboratoire de Toxicologie, CRP-Santé, Université du Luxembourg, Campus Limpertsberg, 1511 Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
Appenzeller
Brice M R
BM
Millet
Maurice
M
Wennig
Robert
R
D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006203:Hair Preparations / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006900:Hydroxylation; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012907:Smoking; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods
D006203:Hair Preparations; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons