Biomonitoring of organic and inorganic chemicals in the hair of Vietnamese people via spectral and chromatographic analysis

Abstract

<p> <b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">A combination of spectral and chromatographic analytical methods has been executed to monitor chemicals in the hair of Vietnamese people. Methods were developed for the determination of some chemical elements in hair by inductively coupled-plasma atomic emission spectroscopy with limits of detection reaching 1 - 100 μg<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">l<span style="white-space:nowrap;">^－</span></span></b><b>^{<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">1</span>}</b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">. A supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and clean-up procedures were established for isolating organochlorine pollutants (OCPs) and organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) from the hair of the Vietnamese test subjects. Eight OCPs and OPPs were determined by SFE with carbon dioxide only and methanol-modified carbon dioxide extraction at 350 bar and 45<span style="white-space:nowrap;">℃</span>, followed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The results indicated that OCPs can be extracted quantitatively using CO₂ only, whereas <span>OPPs require a modifier for extraction. The lim</span>its of detection that were found were between 0.7 to 1.3 μg<span style="white-space:nowrap;">·</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">g<span style="white-space:nowrap;">^－</span></span></b><b>^{<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">1</span>}</b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">, and good linearity (r² > 0.9861) <span>was </span>achieved within the tested ranges. The activities<span> </span>of the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) and the monooxygenases cytochrome P450 (CYP 450) were determined and compared to the acetylation and <span>oxidation phenotypes of healthy Vietnamese test</span><span> subjects. The variations in the concentra</span>tion of chemical elements in human hair were shown to be dependent upon the activities of the two-<span>phase metabolic system, on the individual’s gen</span>der and the duration of residence within Russia.</span></b> </p