Evaluation of Urinary Btex, Nicotine, and Cotinine as Biomarkers of Airborne Pollutants in Nonsmokers and Smokers

Abstract

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomeric xylenes (BTEX) are by-products of tobacco smoke and traffic emissions. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of cigarette smoking to urinary levels of BTEX present in humans. Nicotine and cotinine, biomarkers of exposure to tobacco smoke, as well as BTEX, were measured in urine of smokers (n = 70) and nonsmokers (n = 65) using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In smokers, a significant correlation was found between urinary BTEX levels and nicotine and cotinine. In addition, significant regression models with nicotine and cotinine as predictors showed that BTEX in smokers' urine was predominantly derived from exposure to tobacco smoke. In nonsmokers a weak correlation between BTEX and nicotine and cotinine was found in urine. Further, there was a lack of significant contribution of BTEX to urinary nicotine and cotinine concentrations in nonsmokers. Thus, it was presumed that vehicle exhaust was the main source of exposure to BTEX in nonsmokers.

Comparison of Urinary Biomarkers of Exposure in Humans Using Electronic Cigarettes, Combustible Cigarettes, and Smokeless Tobacco

“…Although we were unable to detect changes in most VOC metabolites in the urine of nonmentholated e-cigarette users, we did observe an increase in urinary metabolites of xylene-2MHA and 3MHA+4MHA, in users of e-cigarettes. Although the levels of xylene metabolites have been previously correlated with urinary cotinine and nicotine levels, 40 to our knowledge this is the first report showing that the levels of 2MHA and 3MHA+4MHA are increased in the urine of e-cigarette users. However, it remains unclear why the levels of 2MHA and 3MHA+4MHA were higher in mentholated than in nonmentholated e-cigarettes.…”

Biomarkers of Low-Level Environmental Exposure to Benzene and Oxidative DNA Damage in Primary School Children in Sardinia, Italy

“…A significant correlation between urinary excretion of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes and urinary cotinine was observed in studies of adult smokers and passive smokers [ 59 , 60 ] but not in nonsmokers [ 1 , 61 , 62 ]. In our study, we did not observe a correlation with passive smoking in children.…”

Alkaloid profiling of herbal drugs using high resolution mass spectrometry

“…Several methodologies have been developed to detect and quantify alks, including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a diode array detector (DAD) or fluorimetric detector (FLD), capillary electrophoresis, and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS) . The use of HPLC–DAD/FLD often does not allow adequate sensitivity and selectivity to be obtained for alks present at trace levels, and GC–MS approaches require time‐consuming preventive derivatisation steps.…”

“…19 Several methodologies have been developed to detect and quantify alks, including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a diode array detector (DAD) 20 or fluorimetric detector (FLD), 21 capillary electrophoresis, 22 and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS). 23,24 The use of HPLC-DAD/ FLD often does not allow adequate sensitivity and selectivity to be obtained for alks present at trace levels, and GC-MS approaches require time-consuming preventive derivatisation steps. Even with regard to HPLC-MS methods, to remove matrix interference, samples were manually pretreated using solid phase extraction (SPE), 17 Moreover, intake of alks due to domestic consumption of hot water infusions of these herbal products was investigated.…”