title: A method for quantification of volatile organic compounds in blood by SPME-GC-MS/MS with broader application: From non-occupational exposure population to exposure studies.
abstract: Humans are continuously exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as these chemicals are ubiquitously present in most indoor and outdoor environments. In order to assess recent exposure to VOCs for population-based studies, VOCs are measured in the blood of participants. This work describes an improved method to detect 12 VOCs by head-space solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography coupled with isotope-dilution mass spectrometry in selected reaction monitoring mode (SPME-GC-MS/MS). This method was applied to the analysis of trihalomethanes, styrene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, o-xylene) in a population-based biomonitoring study (Canadian Health Measures Survey). The method showed good linearity (>0.990) in the range of 0.010-10μg/L and detection limits between 0.007 and 0.027μg/L, precision better than 25% and good accuracy (±25%) based on proficiency testing materials. Quality Control data among runs over a 7 month period showed %RSD between 14 and 25% at low levels (∼0.03μg/L) and between 9 and 23% at high levels (∼0.4μg/L). The method was modified to analyze samples from a pharmacokinetic study in which 5 healthy volunteers were exposed to single, binary and quaternary mixtures of CTEX (chloroform, ethylbenzene, toluene and m-xylene), thus the expected concentration in blood was 1 order of magnitude higher than those found in the general population. The method was modified by reducing the sample size (from 3g to 0.5g) and increasing the upper limit of the concentration range to 395μg/L. Good linearity was found in the range of 0.13-395μg/L for toluene and ethylbenzene and 0.20-609μg/L for m/p-xylene. Quality control data among runs over the period of the study (n=13) were found to vary between 7 and 25%.
authors.affiliation: Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, 50 Columbine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada. Electronic address: Rocio.aranda-rodriguez@hc-sc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aranda-Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, 50 Columbine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabecinha
authors.affiliation: Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, 50 Columbine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeromy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harvie
authors.affiliation: Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, 50 Columbine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
authors.forename: Zhiyun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Département de santé environnementale et santé au travail, Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Marguerite d'Youville, 2375 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada.
authors.forename: Axelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchand
authors.affiliation: Département de santé environnementale et santé au travail, Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Marguerite d'Youville, 2375 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tardif
authors.affiliation: Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, 50 Columbine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nong
authors.affiliation: Département de santé environnementale et santé au travail, Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Marguerite d'Youville, 2375 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada.
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haddad
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction / Q000379:methods*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Biomonitoring; Blood; Exposure studies; General population; Solid-phase microextraction; Volatile organic compounds