Determining volatile organic compounds in human blood from a large sample population by using purge and trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a major public health concern, because of their ubiquitous nature and the possible health effects associated with exposure to them. An analytical method has been developed that enabled the determination of parts per trillion levels of 32 VOCs in 10 mL of blood. Special efforts toward reducing blank levels and improving measurement sensitivity have resulted in an analytical method that shows excellent reproducibility and recovery even at these ultratrace levels. Results on normal human blood indicate that quantifiable levels of eleven VOCs can be found in virtually all whole blood samples. In a fraction of the samples, six other VOCs can also be determined at levels above detection limits. This method shows promise as a technique for estimating the normal baseline level of VOCs in human blood and may have future applications in cases of exposure.

Assessing exposure to disinfection by-products in women of reproductive age living in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Cobb county, Georgia: descriptive results and methods.

“…Whole blood samples were placed on wet ice or stored at refrigerator temperatures. Individual THM species levels (parts per trillion) in whole blood were determined by a modification of the previous heated purge and trap gas chromatography isotope dilution mass spectroscopy procedure (24). The use of selected ion monitoring and a Micromass Ultima mass spectrometer (Micromass, Beverly, MA) lowered detection limits into the parts-per-quadrillion range.…”

Olfaction in vector-host interactions

“…The binary blends were less attractive than the triple blend mentioned above . Aedes aegypti females also responded to other sulfides that are found on human skin, in human breath or may be present in human blood (Ashley et al 1992, Krotoszynski et al 1977, Philips 1997; carbon disulfide, methyl propyl disulfide and methyl sulfide, either in a dual-choice olfactometer and/or in landing assays were found to be attractive, but dimethyl trisulfide and ethyl disulfide were not (Allan et al 2006a) (Table 1).…”

“…Culex females landed more on membranes filled with avian than with bovine blood, whereas Aedes mosquitoes showed no landing preference (Allan et al 2006a). The volatile chemicals emanating from blood have been identified (Ashley et al 1992, Issachar et al 1982, Sastry et al 1980) but few of these have been tested for their effects on mosquitoes in the laboratory, although components found in exhaled breath and skin emanations may be similar to those present in blood (Sastry et al 1980). …”

Assessing exposure in epidemiologic studies to disinfection by-products in drinking water: report from an international workshop.

“…These compounds must be removed by heating the stoppers under vacuum prior to use. Current detection limits for THMs in blood are below 1 pg/mL (42), which is sufficient to provide quantitative levels of THMs in the blood of most users of chlorine-or chloramine-treated water. Blood samples can be stored under refrigeration for up to 10 weeks before analysis.…”