Quantification of carcinogenic 4- to 6-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in human urine by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography–isotope dilution mass spectrometry

Microextraction techniques for occupational biological monitoring: Basic principles, current applications and future perspectives

The application of green microextraction techniques (METs) is constantly being developed in different areas including pharmaceutical, forensic, food and environmental analysis. However, they are less used in biological monitoring of workers in occupational settings. Developing valid extraction methods and analytical techniques for the determination of occupational indicators plays a critical role in the management of workers' exposure to chemicals in workplaces. Microextraction techniques have become increasingly important because they are inexpensive, robust and environmentally friendly. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive review and interpret the applications of METs and novel sorbents and liquids in biological monitoring. Future perspectives and occupational indicators that METs have not yet been developed for are also discussed.

Integrative analysis to explore the biological association between environmental skin diseases and ambient particulate matter

Although numerous experimental studies have suggested a significant association between ambient particulate matter (PM) and respiratory damage, the etiological relationship between ambient PM and environmental skin diseases is not clearly understood. Here, we aimed to explore the association between PM and skin diseases through biological big data analysis. Differential gene expression profiles associated with PM and environmental skin diseases were retrieved from public genome databases. The co-expression among them was analyzed using a text-mining-based network analysis software. Activation/inhibition patterns from RNA-sequencing data performed with PM_2.5-treated normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) were overlapped to select key regulators of the analyzed pathways. We explored the adverse effects of PM on the skin and attempted to elucidate their relationships using public genome data. We found that changes in upstream regulators and inflammatory signaling networks mediated by MMP-1, MMP-9, PLAU, S100A9, IL-6, and S100A8 were predicted as the key pathways underlying PM-induced skin diseases. Our integrative approach using a literature-based co-expression analysis and experimental validation not only improves the reliability of prediction but also provides assistance to clarify underlying mechanisms of ambient PM-induced dermal toxicity that can be applied to screen the relationship between other chemicals and adverse effects.

Green solid-phase microextraction fiber coating based on the metal-organic framework CIM-80(Al): Analytical performance evaluation in direct immersion and headspace using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for the analysis of water, urine and brewed coffee

A new solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating was prepared by the immobilization of the metal-organic framework (MOF) CIM-80(Al) on nitinol wires by a green in situ growth approach, using an aqueous synthetic approach, and without the need of any additional material to ensure the attachment of the MOF to the nitinol support. The coating was used for the development of headspace (HS) and direct immersion (DI) SPME methods in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as model compounds. Both methods were optimized and validated using the MOF-based fiber together with the commercial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fiber. The MOF extraction phase exhibited superior analytical performance for most of the PAHs in HS-SPME mode (and particularly for less volatiles), while the PDMS fiber presented better results in the DI-SPME method. The analytical performance of the MOF sorbent coating in HS- and DI-SPME methods was also evaluated in urine and brewed coffee samples, without requiring any pretreatment step apart from dilution for DI-SPME experiments, thus showing suitability of the novel coatings for the analysis of complex samples. The proposed CIM-80(Al) fiber was efficient and biocompatible (for using a low cytotoxic sorbent and a biocompatible core support), and it also demonstrated stability and robustness, with inter-fiber (and inter-day) relative standard deviation values lower than 19%, and reusability for more than 80 extraction cycles using 280 °C as desorption temperature.

Development of a method to profile 2- to 4-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in saliva samples from smokers and non-smokers by headspace-solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

This study reports the development of a method based on headspace (HS)-solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-gas chromatography (GC)-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) for the quantification of 2- to 4-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in saliva samples. Eight unmetabolized compounds (naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene) were quantified using six deuterated PAHs as surrogate internal standards. The absence of matrix effect allowed saliva samples to be quantified by external calibration method. The optimized method resulted easy, with minimal sample pre-treatment (homogenization of the sample), and it achieved the highest sensitivity up to date: limits of quantification (LOQ) were in the 0.8-26.4 ng L^-1 range, with a significant improvement in comparison with the few existing methods. Intra- and inter-run precisions provided CV values <18.1%, and accuracies within 20% of the spiked concentration. The application of the method to the analysis of fresh saliva samples collected by spitting from smokers (n = 10) and non-smokers (n = 10) showed that PAHs were quantifiable in all samples and that smokers had higher levels of all compounds than non-smokers. These results show that the method is suitable for quantifying low-boiling PAHs in saliva samples from individuals exposed at different PAH levels.

Biological Monitoring of Occupational Exposure to Metals in Electric Steel Foundry Workers and Its Contribution to 8-Oxo-7,8-Dihydro-2'-Deoxyguanosine Levels

In this study, the urinary concentrations of selected metals in workers from an electric steel foundry in Tunisia were assessed and compared with existing biological limit values and general population reference values. Moreover, the association between oxidative DNA damage, measured as urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and co-exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated. Urinary levels of 12 metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in end-shift spot samples from 89 workers. The urinary levels of phenanthrene (U-PHE), as marker of exposure to PAHs, and 8-oxodG were also available. Median levels ranged from 0.4 µg/L (cobalt, Co, and thallium, Tl) to 895 µg/L (zinc, Zn). Only 1% of samples was above the biological limit values for Co, and up to 13.5% of samples were above limit values for Cd. From 3.4% (Co) to 72% (lead, Pb) of samples were above the reference values for the general population. Multiple linear regression models, showed that manganese (Mn), Zn, arsenic (As), barium (Ba), Tl, and Pb were significant predictors of 8-oxodG (0.012 ≤ p ≤ 0.048); U-PHE was also a significant predictor (0.003 ≤ p ≤ 0.059). The variance explained by models was low (0.11 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.17, p < 0.005), showing that metals and PAHs were minor contributors to 8-oxodG. Overall, the comparison with biological limit values showed that the study subjects were occupationally exposed to metals, with levels exceeding biological limit values only for Cd.

Supported-liquid phase extraction in combination with isotope-dilution gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry for high-throughput quantitative analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites in urine

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants with a number of them being carcinogenic. One of the approaches to assess human exposure to PAHs is to measure their urinary metabolites, monohydroxyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs), with a method allowing for high throughput and short turn-around time. We developed a method to quantify nine urinary OH-PAHs by using supported liquid phase extraction (SLE) and isotope dilution gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). SLE demonstrated advantages over the traditionally used liquid-liquid extraction techniques. The target analytes with spiked deuterated and ¹³C-labeled internal standards were extracted from urine by SLE after enzymatic cleavage of the glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. The extracted analytes were then derivatized with N-Methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA), and analyzed by GC-MS/MS. Six solvent mixtures were evaluated as the SLE extraction solvent, and pentane:chloroform (7:3, v/v) was selected due to its best overall analytical performance. Method detection limits for the 9 analytes ranged from 2.3 to 13.8 pg/mL. Precision and accuracy were satisfactory. SLE and internal isotope labeled standard combination reduced matrix effect effectively. This new method using SLE sample preparation techniques coupled with GC-MS/MS proves applicable to urinary measurements for PAH exposure studies for general population.

ETS Exposure and PAH Body Burden in Nonsmoking Italian Adults

Active smoking is associated with increased body burden of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); the aim of this study was to assess whether environmental tobacco smoking (ETS) increases the internal dose of PAHs. In 344 nonsmoking Italian adults, out of 497 individuals selected as representative of the population of the town of Modena, ETS exposure was evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire and by the measurement of urinary cotinine (COT-U). PAH exposure was assessed by the measurement of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPYR) and of ten urinary PAHs. In all subjects, median (5th⁻95th percentile) COT-U was 0.47 (.

Human biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsand metals in the general population residing near the municipal solid waste incinerator of Modena, Italy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

A cross-sectional biomonitoring study was carried out to investigate exposure to incinerator emission in relation to the body burden of selected biomarkers in the population living around the plant.

METHODS

Approximately 500 people, aged 18-69 yrs, living within 4 km from the incinerator were randomly selected form the population register. Exposure was measured through fall-out maps of particulate matter (PM), used as tracer for incinerator emissions. Ten metabolized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from naphthalene to chrysene, 1-hydroxypyrene and twelve metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Ni, Zn, V, Tl, As, Sn) were measured in spot urine samples. Confounders, such as diet, smoking, traffic, occupation and personal characteristics were assessed by questionnaires and objective measurements, and included into multivariate linear regression models.

RESULTS

Metal concentrations in urine were in line with or higher than Italian reference limits, besides Cr and V with more than twofold concentrations. Metal levels did not show clear association to exposure categories. Most abundant PAHs were naphthalene (median 26.2 ng/L) and phenanthrene (7.4 ng/L). All PAHs, but benz[a]anthracene and 1-hydroxypyrene, were found in more than 52% of samples, and included in regression models. Significant associations between urinary PAHs and exposure were found, strong for fluorene, and weaker for naphthalene, fluoranthene and pyrene. Results were confirmed by sensitivity analyses. Correlation with variables reported in literature were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The study indicates that the emissions were very low and highlights that specific urinary PAHs provided useful information about the internal dose arising from incinerator emission.

New insights into urine-based assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-exposure from a rat model: Identification of relevant metabolites and influence of elimination kinetics

A gas chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry method dedicated to the analysis of 50 metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) was applied to urine specimens collected from female Long Evans rats under controlled exposure to a mixture of PAHs (at 7 doses ranging from 0.01 to 0.8 mg/kg, by gavage, 3 times per week for 90 days). On four occasions (day 1, 28, 60 and 90), urine samples were collected over a 24 h period. Among these 50 OH-PAHs, 41 were detected in urine samples. Seven additional OH-PAHs were identified for the first time: 1 corresponding to metabolite of pyrene and 3 of anthracene. Strong linear dose versus urinary concentration relationships were observed for 25 of the 41 OH-PAHs detected in rat urine, confirming their suitability for assessing exposure to their respective parent compound. In addition, some isomers (e.g. 1-OH-pyrene, 3-OH-/4-OH-chrysene, 10-OH-benz[a]anthracene, 8-OH-benzo[k]fluoranthene, 11-OH-benzo[b]fluoranthene and 3-OH-benzo[a]pyrene) that were detected starting from the lowest levels of exposure or even in controls were considered particularly relevant biomarkers compared to metabolites only detected at higher levels of exposure. Finally, on the basis of the excretion profiles (on days 1, 28, 60 and 90) and urinary elimination kinetics of each OH-PAH detected at days 1 and 60, this study highlighted the fact that sampling time may influence the measurement of metabolites in urine. Taken together, these results provide interesting information on the suitability of the analysis of OH-PAHs in urine for the assessment of PAH exposure, which could be taken into consideration for the design of epidemiological studies in the future.

Investigating unmetabolized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in adolescents' urine as biomarkers of environmental exposure

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of interest to human biomonitoring studies due to their carcinogenic potential. Traditionally metabolites of these compounds, like 1-hydroxypyrene, are monitored in urine, but recent methods allow the determination of the parent compounds in urine, which give additional information regarding sources and toxicity of PAHs. In order to assess the feasibility of incorporating these methods in a human biomonitoring study, the 16 USEPA parent PAHs were determined in 20 urine samples. These samples were obtained from 10 boys and 10 girls aged 14-16 years, participating in the third Flemish Environment and Health Study (Flanders, Belgium). Of these 16 parent PAHs, nine could be determined in more than 95% of the samples and three (including benzo(a)pyrene) in more than 50%. Several correlations were found between different PAHs, but not between pyrene and its metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene. Diagnostic PAH ratios in urine and air samples pointed towards combustion sources and are in line with the ratios in environmental samples. Benzo(a)pyrene, naphthalene and fluorene have the highest carcinogenic potential in our cohort, when using toxic equivalency factors. Some associations between PAH congeners and determinants of exposure were found, while fluorene and acenaphthylene were positively associated with thyroid hormone levels and benzo(a)pyrene showed a positive correlation with DNA damage by comet assay. These results confirm that parent PAHs in urine are useful as biomarkers of exposure in biomonitoring studies.

Using in vitro bioaccessibility to refine estimates of human exposure to PAHs via incidental soil ingestion

PAH bioaccessibility in contaminated soil was determined using the organic physiologically based extraction test with the inclusion of a sorption sink. Silicone cord was incorporated into the assay in order to overcome the limited capacity of the in vitro medium to accommodate desorbable PAHs. Initially, silicone cord sorption efficacy was determined by assessing sorption kinetics using PAH-spiked sand (phenanthrene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene; 10-1000mgkg(-1)). Irrespective of PAH and concentration, >95% of the initial PAH mass partitioned into the silicone cord within 12h although rates were lower at higher concentration and with increasing hydrophobicity. When PAH bioaccessibility was assessed in contaminated soil (n=18), contamination source (i.e. pyrogenic versus petrogenic) influenced PAH bioaccessibility. Individual PAH bioaccessibility ranged up to 81.7±2.7% although mean values ranged from 2.1 (acenaphthalene) to 20.8% (benzo[k]fluoranthene) with upper 95% confidence intervals of the means of 4.5 and 28.3% respectively. Although a PAH in vivo-in vitro correlation is yet to be established, bioaccessibility approaches incorporating sorption sinks represent a robust approach for estimating PAH bioavailability as the desorbable fraction may be a conservative measure of the absorbable fraction.

Effects of oil pipeline explosion on ambient particulate matter and their associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Effects of the oil pipeline explosion on PM(2.5)-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their substituted (alkylated, nitrated, oxygenated, hydroxyl and chlorinated) derivatives are assessed near the accident scene of Qingdao, China. Compared with those in TSP-PM(2.5), gaseous phase, burn residue and unburned crude oil, eighty-nine PAHs in PM(2.5) are identified and quantified to investigate the composition, temporal and spatial distribution, and sources. The concentrations of PM(2.5)-associated parent PAHs increase approximately seven times from the non-explosion samples to the explosion samples (mean ± standard deviation: 112 ± 2 vs 764 ± 15 ng/m(3)), while some substituted products (nitro- and oxy-) increase by two orders of magnitude (3117 ± 156 pg/m(3) vs 740 ± 37 ng/m(3)). The toxicity evaluation indicates the BaP equivalent concentrations (based on the US EPA's toxicity factors) in PM(2.5) are much higher than those in the other phases, especially for a long duration after the tragic accident.

Microextraction in urine samples for gas chromatography: a review

Since the complexity origin of biological samples, the research trends have been directed to the development of new miniaturized sample preparation techniques. This review provides a comprehensive survey of past and present microextraction methods followed by GC analysis for preconcentration and determination of various analytes in urine samples. These techniques have been classified in three general groups, including liquid-, solid- and membrane-based techniques. The principal of different microextraction methods that are located in each general group as well as their various extraction modes and the recent developments introduced for them has been presented. Subsequently, a comparison survey has been carried out among different microextraction techniques and finally a future perspective has been predicted based on the existing literature.

Are urinary PAHs biomarkers of controlled exposure to diesel exhaust?

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were evaluated as possible biomarkers of exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) in two controlled-chamber studies. We report levels of 14 PAHs from 28 subjects in urine that were collected before, immediately after and the morning after exposure. Using linear mixed-effects models, we tested for effects of DE exposure and several covariates (time, age, gender and urinary creatinine) on urinary PAH levels. DE exposures did not significantly alter urinary PAH levels. We conclude that urinary PAHs are not promising biomarkers of short-term exposures to DE in the range of 106-276 µg/m(3).

In vivo measurement, in vitro estimation and fugacity prediction of PAH bioavailability in post-remediated creosote-contaminated soil

In this study, PAH bioavailability was assessed in creosote-contaminated soil following bioremediation in order to determine potential human health exposure to residual PAHs from incidental soil ingestion. Following 1,000 days of enhanced natural attenuation (ENA), a residual PAH concentration of 871 ± 8 mg kg(-1) (∑16 USEPA priority PAHs in the <250 μm soil particle size fraction) was present in the soil. However, when bioavailability was assessed to elucidate potential human exposure using an in vivo mouse model, the upper-bound estimates of PAH absolute bioavailability were in excess of 65% irrespective of the molecular weight of the PAH. These results indicate that a significant proportion of the residual PAH fraction following ENA may be available for absorption following soil ingestion. In contrast, when PAH bioavailability was estimated/predicted using an in vitro surrogate assay (FOREhST assay) and fugacity modelling, PAH bioavailability was up to 2000 times lower compared to measured in vivo values depending on the methodology used.

Biomonitoring of the general population living near a modern solid waste incinerator: a pilot study in Modena, Italy

BACKGROUND AND GOALS

As part of the authorization process for the solid waste incinerator (SWI) in Modena, Italy, a human biomonitoring cross-sectional pilot study was conducted to investigate the degree to which people living and working in the proximity of the plant were exposed to SWI emissions.

METHODS

Between May and June 2010, 65 subjects living and working within 4km of the incinerator (exposed) and 103 subjects living and working outside this area (unexposed) were enrolled in the study. Blood, serum and urinary metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg, Mn, Ni), urinary benzene, toluene, xylene (BTEX), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), and urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analysed. Information about lifestyle, anthropometric characteristics, residence, and health status was collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Exposure to particulate matter (PM) emitted from the SWI was estimated using fall-out maps from a quasi-Gaussian dispersion model. A multiple linear regression analysis investigated the relationship between biomarkers and the distance of a subject's place of residence from the SWI plant or the exposure to PM.

RESULTS

Urinary BTEX and SPMA and blood, serum and urinary metals showed no differences between exposed and unexposed subjects. PAHs were higher in exposed than in unexposed subjects for phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene (median levels: 9.5 vs. 7.2ng/L, 0.8 vs. <0.5ng/L and 1.6 vs. 1.3ng/L, respectively, p<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that blood Cd and Hg and urinary Mn, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene and pyrene were inversely correlated to the distance of a subject's residence from the SWI. Urinary Mn, fluorene and phenanthrene were directly correlated to PM exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

This study, although not representative of the general population, suggests that specific biomarkers may provide information about the degree of exposure the subjects working and living in the proximity of the SWI plant may have to emissions from that facility.

Urinary carcinogenic 4-6 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coke oven workers and in subjects belonging to the general population: role of occupational and environmental exposure

AIM

A new solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method (SPME-GC-MS) to detect urinary unmetabolized 3-, 6-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was applied to coke oven workers and general population subjects with the aim to assess exposure to carcinogenic PAHs, to evaluate the role of occupational and environmental variables on PAHs levels, and to compare present results with those previously obtained with a less sensitive method.

METHODS

A total of 104 coke oven workers (CW) from Poland [recruited in 2000 (CW-2000; n=55) and 2006 (CW-2006; n=49)], and 45 control subjects from the same area, provided urine spot samples for measurement of 10 PAHs (from phenanthrene to benzo[g,h,i]perylene). The comparison between the two methods was performed only on CW-2000 subjects. Information regarding personal characteristics and job variables was collected by a questionnaire.

RESULTS

The new method enables the quantification of 5-, 6-ring PAHs; precision and accuracy were in the 7.3-20.8% and 89.4-110% range, respectively; in CW-2000 samples results obtained with the new and the old method were highly correlated (Lin's concordance correlation coefficients: from 0.790 to 0.965); the mean difference between measured PAHS increased with the molecular weight of the analytes (from +5 to +27%). Urinary PAHs were above or equal to the quantification limit, depending on the compound, in 67-100% (min-max), 26-100% and 6-100% of samples from CW-2000, CW-2006 and controls, respectively. Chrysene and benz[a]anthracene were the most abundant carcinogenic PAHs with median levels of 43.4, 13.4, and 2.3 ng/L and 45.9, 14.9, and 0.7 ng/L in CW-2000, CW-2006, and controls, respectively, while benzo[a]pyrene levels were 6.5, 0.7 and <0.5 ng/L. The multiple linear regression model showed that the determinants of exposure were the use of wood and/or coke for house heating for controls, and job title or the plant for CW-2006.

CONCLUSIONS

Urinary benzo[a]pyrene and other carcinogenic PAHs were, for the first time, quantified in urine samples from both occupationally and environmentally exposed subjects. These results show that urinary PAHs can discriminate exposure at different levels. Moreover, the simultaneous determination of several PAHs allows for the development of excretion profiles to assess exposure to specific compounds.