Integrated analysis of halogenated organic pollutants in sub-millilitre volumes of venous and umbilical cord blood sera.
A rapid, robust and economical method for the analysis of persistent halogenated organic compounds in small volumes of human serum and umbilical cord blood is described. The pollutants studied cover a broad range of molecules of contemporary epidemiological and legislative concern, including polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), polychlorobenzenes (CBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), DDTs, polychlorostyrenes (PCSs) and polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Extraction and clean-up with n-hexane and concentrated sulphuric acid was followed with analysis by gas chromatography coupled to electron capture (GC-ECD) and GC coupled to negative ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (GC-NICI-MS). The advantages of this method rest in the broad range of analytes and its simplicity and robustness, while the use of concentrated sulphuric acid extraction/clean-up destroys viruses that may be present in the samples. Small volumes of reference serum between 50 and 1000 microL were extracted and the limits of detection/quantification and repeatability were determined. Recoveries of spiked compounds for the extraction of small volumes (> or = 300 microL) of the spiked reference serum were between 90% and 120%. The coefficients of variation of repeatability ranged from 0.1-14%, depending on the compound. Samples of 4-year-old serum and umbilical cord blood (n = 73 and 40, respectively) from a population inhabiting a village near a chloro-alkali plant were screened for the above-mentioned halogenated pollutants using this method and the results are briefly described.
Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. jgoqam@cid.csic.es
Joan O
JO
Grimalt
Mike
M
Howsam
Daniel
D
Carrizo
Raquel
R
Otero
Mary Rosa Rodrigues
MR
de Marchi
Esther
E
Vizcaino
D002675:Child, Preschool; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008297:Male; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated