PCB News
Mass spectrometric method for PCBs and pesticides
in serum developed
September 29, 2003
Scientists have developed a new high-resolution mass spectrometric
approach for the measurement of polychlorinated biphenyls and
organochlorine pesticides in human serum.
According to recent research from the United States, "To increase our
analytical throughput for measuring polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and
organochlorine (OC) pesticides without sacrificing data quality, we have
developed and validated a combined PCB/OC pesticide gas
chromatography-high- resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) analysis."
"In a single GC-HRMS analysis, both selected PCBs and OC pesticides are
detected and quantified," reported John R. Barr and colleagues at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Previously, this has been
difficult, if not impossible, because of the major difference in masses of
the most abundant electron-impact ions. However, we have identified
slightly less abundant ions to monitor that allow us to successfully
combine these analytes into a single analysis without sacrificing any
analytical sensitivity or instrument reliability. Consequently, we have
been able to double our analytical throughput by modification of mass
spectrometric parameters alone."
"Our new methodology has been validated against our current GC-HRMS
method, which entails using two separate injections, one for PCB analysis
and one for OC pesticide analysis," said Barr and his associates. "The two
methods differ by less than 4% overall, with no systematic bias. We used
this method to analyze approximately 350 serum samples over a period of
several months. We found that our new method was as reliable in automated,
overnight runs as our current method."
Barr and his coauthors published their study in the Journal of
Chromatography B - Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life
Sciences (New high- resolution mass spectrometric approach for the
measurement of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in
human serum. J Chromatogr B, 2003;794(1):137-148).
For additional information, contact John R. Barr, Division of Laboratory
Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Mailstop F17, Atlanta, GA
30341, USA. E-mail: jbarr@cdc.gov.
Publisher contact information for the Journal of Chromatography B -
Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences is: Elsevier
Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of
Diagnostics, Pesticide, and Environmental Health.
This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff
and other reports.
Copyright 2003 Health & Medicine Week
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