Blood concentrations of volatile organic compounds in a nonoccupationally exposed US population and in groups with suspected exposure

Abstract

Exposure to certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly occurs in industrialized countries. We developed a method for measuring 32 VOCs in 10 mL of whole blood at low concentration. We used this method to determine the internal dose of these compounds in 600 or more people in the US who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. From our study results, we established a reference range for these VOCs in the general population of the US. We found detectable concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 2-butanone, acetone, benzene, chloroform, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, styrene, tetrachloroethane, and toluene in most of the blood samples of nonoccupationally exposed persons. The accuracy of VOC evaluations depends on the ability of investigators to make sensitive and reproducible measurements of low concentrations of VOCs and to eliminate all sources of interference and contamination.

Development of a Screening Approach to Interpret Human Biomonitoring Data on Volatile Organic Compounds: Reverse Dosimetry on Biomonitoring Data for Trichloroethylene

“…Although the model overestimated the 90th to 99th percentiles compared with the NHANES III data, they were within a factor of 3. The model predictions for the 1st to 75th percentiles are below the detection limit of 10 ng/L in the NHANES III study, (11,33) which is consistent with the data (Table VII). Thus the forward dosimetry of the TEAM drinking water data performed with the PBPK model, using published chemical-specific parameters, was able to provide predictions in reasonable agreement with the biomonitoring data from the NHANES III study during the same historical period.…”

“…The distribution of predicted TCE concentrations in blood is shown in Fig. 3 and can be compared to the data from NHANES III (11,33) (Table VII). Although the model overestimated the 90th to 99th percentiles compared with the NHANES III data, they were within a factor of 3.…”

“…Thus the forward dosimetry of the TEAM drinking water data performed with the PBPK model, using published chemical-specific parameters, was able to provide predictions in reasonable agreement with the biomonitoring data from the NHANES III study during the same historical period. (11,33) The second Monte Carlo analysis was performed using the same physiological and exposure parameters as the first, but with QSPR-estimated chemicalspecific parameters. The QSPR-based Monte Carlo analysis predicted a distribution that is somewhat broader than the published model-based analysis (Fig.…”

“…Therefore, the predicted TCE concentration in blood was a result of total ingestion and inhalation exposures to TCE, based on 1 µg/L TCE in tap water. The ECF, in units of (µg/L TCE a Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-94; (11,33) ND: results below detection limit (10 ng/L). (11,33) in water)/(µg/L TCE in blood), was then calculated after each simulation.…”

“…The ECF, in units of (µg/L TCE a Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-94; (11,33) ND: results below detection limit (10 ng/L). (11,33) in water)/(µg/L TCE in blood), was then calculated after each simulation. The distribution of ECFs was obtained from Monte Carlo analysis (Table VIII).…”