Application of chromato-mass-spectrometric methods of determination of exposure markers in biomonitoring researches in workers of productions of polyvinyl chloride and aluminum

Abstract

Introduction. The presence of highly toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the production of aluminum and organochlorine compounds (OCC) in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) poses a serious threat to the health of workers, necessitates biological monitoring of toxicants and their metabolites in biological media to assess health risks on basis of modern methods chemical analysis. Material and methods. Biomonitoring studies of the content of marker metabolite OCC - thiodiacetic acid (TDAA) in urine were performed in 65 workers of PVC production and PAHs metabolite - 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPyr) in 144 workers of the aluminum smelter using developed own methods of gas-chromato-mass-spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. Sample analysis was performed on an Agilent 7890A gas chromatograph with an Agilent 5979 mass selective detector. Results. Methodological methods and parameters of GC-MS measurement of TDAA and 1-OHPyr in urine, which provided high selectivity and sensitivity of the analysis of samples, were examined and considered. Reliable differences in the levels of marker metabolites among the groups of main and auxiliary occupations and persons in the control groups, their dependence on the degree of exposure to PAHs, and OCC were established. The highest concentrations of TDAA in urine were observed in unit operators of PVC workshop and 1-OHPyr - in anode workers of aluminum production. Discussion. The revealed reliable intergroup and interindividual differences in the contents of TDAA and 1-OHPyr in the urine of workers indicate the reliability and informativeness of the results of the analysis of biological media. The results are consistent with data from foreign studies, confirm the occupational - production nature of the exposure of toxicants among workers in the main professions of enterprises. Conclusion. The results of approbation of highly sensitive and selective methods for the determination of TDAA and 1-OHPyr in urine samples developed on the base of GC-MS method demonstrate the possibility of their use in biomonitoring studies of workers of productions and the population to adequately assess the exposure of highly toxic PAHs and OCC.