title: Analytical methods for determining metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollutants in fish bile: A review.
abstract: The determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites in bile can serve as a tool for assessing environmental PAH exposure in fish. Biliary PAH metabolite levels can be measured using several analytical methods, including simple fluorescence assays (fixed fluorescence detection or synchronous fluorescence spectrometry); high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-F); gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after deconjugation, extraction and derivatization of the bile sample, and finally by advanced liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) methods. The method alternatives are highly different both with regard to their analytical performance towards different PAH metabolite structures as well as in general technical demands and their suitability for different monitoring strategies. In the present review, the state-of-the-art for these different analytical methods is presented and the advantages and limitations of each approach as well as aspects related to analytical quality control and inter-laboratory comparability of data and availability of certified reference materials are discussed.
authors.affiliation: IRIS - International Research Institute of Stavanger, N-4068 Stavanger, Norway; University of Stavanger, N-4036 Stavanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Jonny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Grete
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: Cinta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Porte
authors.forename: Margaret M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Krahn
authors.forename: Freek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ariese