Biomedical subjects

Dana B Barr

Publications and source records attributed to Dana B Barr.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

New high-resolution mass spectrometric approach for the measurement of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in human serum.

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. 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. 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.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

PubMed2003

A liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of specific organophosphorus pesticide biomarkers in human urine.

Organophosphorus pesticides are commonly used in both agricultural and residential settings. The widespread use of these chemicals makes it almost impossible for humans to avoid exposure. In order to determine background human exposure, there is a need for fast, reliable, and sensitive analytical methods. We have developed a sensitive method to quantify specific biomarkers of the organophosphorus pesticides acephate, azinphos, chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, diazinon, isazofos, malathion, methamidophos, parathion and pirimiphos or their O,O-dimethyl analogues in human urine, as their selective metabolites or as the intact pesticide. Isotopically labeled internal standards were used for eight of the analytes. The use of labeled internal standards in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry provided a high degree of specificity. Repeated analysis of urine samples fortified with high and low concentrations of the analytes gave relative standard deviations (RSD) of less than 10% for the analytes with an isotopically labeled standard. Analytes without isotopically labeled standards had higher RSD. For all compounds except methamidophos and acephate, the recoveries were greater than 70%. The limits of quantification for most of the analytes were in the range of 0.1 to 1 ng/mL. We detected concentrations of most of these pesticides and/or their metabolites in urine samples from non-occupationally exposed persons using our method. Our frequencies of detection for the analytes measured ranged from 1% to 98%.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed2003

Improved quantitative detection of 11 urinary phthalate metabolites in humans using liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Phthalates are widely used as industrial solvents and plasticizers, with global use exceeding four million tons per year. We improved our previously developed high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-APCI-MS/MS) method to measure urinary phthalate metabolites by increasing the selectivity and the sensitivity by better resolving them from the solvent front, adding three more phthalate metabolites, monomethyl phthalate (mMP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl)phthalate (mEOHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl)phthalate (mEHHP); increasing the sample throughput; and reducing the solvent usage. Furthermore, this improved method enabled us to analyze free un-conjugated mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (mEHP) by eliminating interferences derived from coelution of the glucuronide-bound, or conjugated form, of the mEHP on measurements of the free mEHP. This method for measuring phthalate metabolites in urine involves solid-phase extraction followed by reversed-phase HPLC-APCI-MS/MS using isotope dilution with (13)C(4) internal standards. We further evaluated the ruggedness and the reliability of the method by comparing measurements made by multiple analysts at different extraction settings on multiple instruments. We observed mMP, monoethyl phthalate (mEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (mBP), monobenzyl phthalate (mBzP), mEHP, mEHHP and mEOHP in the majority of urine specimens analyzed with DEHP-metabolites mEHHP and mEOHP present in significantly higher amounts than mEHP.

Atmospheric Pressure↗

PubMed2003

Comprehensive solid-phase extraction method for persistent organic pollutants. Validation and application to the analysis of persistent chlorinated pesticides.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is involved in many epidemiological studies regarding the measurement of chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in specimens obtained from humans. In addition to these commonly determined analytes, there is a need to include additional persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in our analyses, which further stresses the analyses because sample volumes remain small. Thus, a single method of analysis for all POPs in human serum is needed. CDC has recently developed a semiautomated and comprehensive solid-phase extraction method for POPs. The method is comprehensive since it was optimized for the extraction of many different POP compound classes. We then developed a purification and fractionation scheme that allows (a) separation of different compound classes by particular functionalities and (b) purification of those fractions to remove coextracted interferences. This paper describes the first step in the semiautomated comprehensive extraction and multiple fractionation method developed by CDC for monitoring POPs. In this paper, we validate the analysis of the persistent chlorinated pesticides, a compound class difficult to examine because of their structural diversity, in human plasma. The method was validated against an existing CDC method by using a spiked quality-control serum pool. The concentrations determined for all analytes using both methods were within 2%-14% relative standard deviations. A multilevel (i.e., 3-4 point) matrix spike showed good linearity for the analytes tested (r2 = 0.978-0.999). The method was then applied to 40-year-old archived plasma samples for the quantitative analysis of selected chlorinated pesticides. Mean recoveries of the 13C-labeled internal quantification standards ranged from 64% to 123% for the 11 monitored pesticides. The overall method proved to be robust by handling old coagulated plasma samples. It allowed faster throughput of samples than our previous methods and provided cleaner samples with less frequent interferences or background as analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The method represents a preliminary step in establishing an automated, comprehensive multiresidue analysis method for POPs in human serum.

Automation↗

PubMed2003

Nondietary ingestion of pesticides by children in an agricultural community on the US/Mexico border: preliminary results.

An environmental measurement and correlation study of nondietary ingestion of pesticides was carried out in a colonia in south Texas. The purpose of the study was to evaluate young children's exposure to environmental levels of organophosphate (OP) pesticides in the household. Samples were collected to measure levels of OP pesticides in housedust and on children's hands. These, in turn, were compared to levels of OP pesticide metabolites in urine. A total of 52 children, 25 boys and 27 girls, participated in the spring and summer of 2000. The children were 7-53 months of age at the time of recruitment. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were carried out using SAS statistical software. Seventy-six percent of housedust samples and 50% of hand rinse samples contained OP pesticides. All urine samples had at least one metabolite and over 95% had at least two metabolites above the limit of detection (LOD). Total OP loadings in the housedust ranged from nondetectable (nd) to 78.03 nmol/100 cm(2) (mean=0.15 nmol/100 cm(2); median=0.07 nmol/100 cm(2)); total OP loadings on the children's hands ranged from nd to 13.40 nmol/100 cm(2) (mean=1.21 nmol/100 cm(2); median=1.41 nmol/100 cm(2)), and creatinine corrected urinary levels (nmol/mol creatinine) of total OP metabolites ranged from 3.2 to 257 nmol/mol creatinine (mean=42.6; median 27.4 nmol/mol creatinine). Urinary metabolites were inversely associated with the age of the child (in months) with the parameter estimate (pe)=-2.11, P=0.0070, and 95% confidence interval -3.60 to -0.61. The multivariate analysis observed a weak association between concentrations of OP pesticides in housedust, loadings in housedust, and concentration on hands, hand surface area, and urinary levels of OP metabolites. However, hand loadings of OP pesticides were more strongly associated (r(2)=0.28; P=0.0156) with urinary levels of OP metabolites (pe=6.39; 95% CI 0.98-11.80). This study's preliminary findings suggest that surface loadings of pesticides, on hands, are more highly correlated with urinary bioassays and, therefore, may be more useful for estimation of exposure in epidemiologic studies than levels of pesticides in housedust.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed2003

The relationship between environmental exposures to phthalates and DNA damage in human sperm using the neutral comet assay.

Phthalates are industrial chemicals widely used in many commercial applications. The general population is exposed to phthalates through consumer products as well as through diet and medical treatments. To determine whether environmental levels of phthalates are associated with altered DNA integrity in human sperm, we selected a population without identified sources of exposure to phthalates. One hundred sixty-eight subjects recruited from the Massachusetts General Hospital Andrology Laboratory provided a semen and a urine sample. Eight phthalate metabolites were measured in urine by using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry; data were corrected for urine dilution by adjusting for specific gravity. The neutral single-cell microgel electrophoresis assay (comet assay) was used to measure DNA integrity in sperm. VisComet image analysis software was used to measure comet extent, a measure of total comet length (micrometers); percent DNA in tail (tail%), a measure of the proportion of total DNA present in the comet tail; and tail distributed moment (TDM), an integrated measure of length and intensity (micrometers). For an interquartile range increase in specific gravity-adjusted monoethyl phthalate (MEP) level, the comet extent increased significantly by 3.6 micro m [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.74-6.47]; the TDM also increased 1.2 micro m (95% CI, -0.05 to 2.38) but was of borderline significance. Monobutyl, monobenzyl, monomethyl, and mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalates were not significantly associated with comet assay parameters. In conclusion, this study represents the first human data to demonstrate that urinary MEP, at environmental levels, is associated with increased DNA damage in sperm.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Contemporary-use pesticides in personal air samples during pregnancy and blood samples at delivery among urban minority mothers and newborns.

We have measured 29 pesticides in plasma samples collected at birth between 1998 and 2001 from 230 mother and newborn pairs enrolled in the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health prospective cohort study. Our prior research has shown widespread pesticide use during pregnancy among this urban minority cohort from New York City. We also measured eight pesticides in 48-hr personal air samples collected from the mothers during pregnancy. The following seven pesticides were detected in 48-83% of plasma samples (range, 1-270 pg/g): the organophosphates chlorpyrifos and diazinon, the carbamates bendiocarb and 2-isopropoxyphenol (metabolite of propoxur), and the fungicides dicloran, phthalimide (metabolite of folpet and captan), and tetrahydrophthalimide (metabolite of captan and captafol). Maternal and cord plasma levels were similar and, except for phthalimide, were highly correlated (p < 0.001). Chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and propoxur were detected in 100% of personal air samples (range, 0.7-6,010 ng/m(3)). Diazinon and propoxur levels were significantly higher in the personal air of women reporting use of an exterminator, can sprays, and/or pest bombs during pregnancy compared with women reporting no pesticide use or use of lower toxicity methods only. A significant correlation was seen between personal air level of chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and propoxur and levels of these insecticides or their metabolites in plasma samples (maternal and/or cord, p < 0.05). The fungicide ortho-phenylphenol was also detected in 100% of air samples but was not measured in plasma. The remaining 22 pesticides were detected in 0-45% of air or plasma samples. Chlorpyrifos, diazinon, propoxur, and bendiocarb levels in air and/or plasma decreased significantly between 1998 and 2001. Findings indicate that pesticide exposures are frequent but decreasing and that the pesticides are readily transferred to the developing fetus during pregnancy.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Assessing human exposure to phthalates using monoesters and their oxidized metabolites as biomarkers.

Phthalates are a group of industrial chemicals with many commercial uses, such as solvents, additives, and plasticizers. For example, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is added in varying amounts to certain plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride, to increase their flexibility. In humans, phthalates are metabolized to their respective monoesters, conjugated, and eliminated. However, despite the high production and use of DEHP, we have recently found that the urinary levels of the DEHP metabolite mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) in 2,541 persons in the United States were lower than we anticipated, especially when compared with urinary metabolite levels of other commonly used phthalates. This finding raised questions about the sensitivity of this biomarker for assessing DEHP exposure. We explored the utility of two other DEHP metabolites, mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), as additional DEHP biomarkers. These metabolites are formed by oxidative metabolism of MEHP. In urine from 62 people, both the range and the mean urinary levels of MEOHP and MEHHP were on average 4-fold higher than those of MEHP; the mean of the individual ratios of MEHHP/MEOHP, MEHHP/MEHP, and MEOHP/MEHP were 1.4, 8.2, and 5.9, respectively. These data suggest that MEOHP and MEHHP are more sensitive biomarkers of exposure to DEHP than is MEHP. These findings also suggest a predominant human metabolic route for DEHP hydrolysis to MEHP followed by oxidation of MEHP; they also imply that a similar mechanism may be relevant for other high-molecular-weight phthalates, such as di-n-octyl, di-isononyl, and di-isodecyl phthalates.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed2003

Semen quality in relation to biomarkers of pesticide exposure.

We previously reported reduced sperm concentration and motility in fertile men in a U.S. agrarian area (Columbia, MO) relative to men from U.S. urban centers (Minneapolis, MN; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY). In the present study we address the hypothesis that pesticides currently used in agriculture in the Midwest contributed to these differences in semen quality. We selected men in whom all semen parameters (concentration, percentage sperm with normal morphology, and percentage motile sperm) were low (cases) and men in whom all semen parameters were within normal limits (controls) within Missouri and Minnesota (sample sizes of 50 and 36, respectively) and measured metabolites of eight current-use pesticides in urine samples provided at the time of semen collection. All pesticide analyses were conducted blind with respect to center and case-control status. Pesticide metabolite levels were elevated in Missouri cases, compared with controls, for the herbicides alachlor and atrazine and for the insecticide diazinon [2-isopropoxy-4-methyl-pyrimidinol (IMPY)]; for Wilcoxon rank test, p = 0.0007, 0.012, and 0.0004 for alachlor, atrazine, and IMPY, respectively. Men from Missouri with high levels of alachlor or IMPY were significantly more likely to be cases than were men with low levels [odds ratios (ORs) = 30.0 and 16.7 for alachlor and IMPY, respectively], as were men with atrazine levels higher than the limit of detection (OR = 11.3). The herbicides 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and metolachlor were also associated with poor semen quality in some analyses, whereas acetochlor levels were lower in cases than in controls (p = 0.04). No significant associations were seen for any pesticides within Minnesota, where levels of agricultural pesticides were low, or for the insect repellent DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) or the malathion metabolite malathion dicarboxylic acid. These associations between current-use pesticides and reduced semen quality suggest that agricultural chemicals may have contributed to the reduction in semen quality in fertile men from mid-Missouri we reported previously.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Phthalate exposure and human semen parameters.

BACKGROUND: There is scientific and public concern about commonly used chemicals, including phthalates, that are associated with reproductive toxicity in laboratory animals and are hormonally active. People are exposed to phthalates through diet, consumer products and medical devices. The present study explored whether environmental levels of phthalates are associated with altered semen quality in humans. METHODS: We recruited 168 men who were part of subfertile couples and who presented to the Massachusetts General Hospital andrology laboratory for semen analysis between January 2000 and April 2001. Semen parameters were dichotomized based on 1999 World Health Organization reference values for sperm concentration (< 20 million/ml) and motility (< 50% motile), as well as Tygerberg Strict criteria for morphology (< 4% normal). The comparison group was men for whom these semen parameters were all above the reference values. In urine, eight phthalate metabolites were measured with high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Specific gravity-adjusted phthalate metabolite levels were categorized into tertiles. RESULTS: There was a dose-response relation between tertiles of mono-butyl phthalate and sperm motility (odds ratio per tertile = 1.0, 1.8, 3.0; P-value for trend = 0.02) and sperm concentration (1.0, 1.4, 3.3; P-value for trend = 0.07). In addition, there was a dose-response relation between tertiles of mono-benzyl phthalate and sperm concentration (1.0, 1.4, 5.5; P-value for trend = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There were dose-response relations for monobutyl phthalate and monobenzyl phthalate with one or more semen parameters, and suggestive evidence for monomethyl phthalate with sperm morphology. The lack of a relation for other phthalates may indicate a difference in spermatotoxicity among phthalates.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

A multi-analyte method for the quantification of contemporary pesticides in human serum and plasma using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

We have developed a sensitive and accurate analytical method for quantifying 29 contemporary pesticides in human serum or plasma. These pesticides include organophosphates, carbamates, chloroacetanilides, and synthetic pyrethroids among others and include pesticides used in agricultural and residential settings. Our method employs a simple solid-phase extraction followed by a highly selective analysis using isotope dilution gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Our method is very accurate, has limits of detection in the low pg/g range and coefficients of variation of typically less than 20% at the low pg/g end of the method linear range. We have used this method to measure plasma pesticide concentrations in females living in an urban area. We found detectable concentrations of carbaryl/naphthalene, propoxur, bendiocarb, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dicloran, captan and folpet or their metabolites in more than 20% of the plasma samples tested.

Calibration↗

PubMed2002

Analytical methods for biological monitoring of exposure to pesticides: a review.

Synthetic pesticides have been used since in the early to mid twentieth century. In the US alone, over 800 pesticide active ingredients are formulated in about 21,000 different commercial products. Although many public health benefits have been realized by the use of pesticides, their potential impact on the environment and public health is substantial. For risk assessment studies, exposure assessment is an integral component, which has unfortunately, often been weak or missing. In the past several decades, researchers have proposed to fill these missing data gaps using biological monitoring of specific markers related to exposures. In this paper, we present a review of existing analytical methodology for the biological monitoring of exposure to pesticides. We also present a critical assessment of the existing methodology and explore areas in which more research is needed.

Environmental Monitoring↗

PubMed2002

Public health decisions: the laboratory's role in the Lorain County, Ohio, investigation.

In 1994 officials from the Ohio Department of Health reported that some residents of Lorain County, Ohio, possibly had been exposed to methyl parathion (MP), a highly toxic restricted-use pesticide. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assisted in the investigation by providing epidemiologic and laboratory support to the state and local health departments. Although the initial investigation found MP inside the homes, it was unclear if the residents were exposed. CDC used a new biological monitoring method to measure urinary p-nitrophenol (PNP), the metabolite of MP. This biological monitoring measures the internal dose from exposure to toxic chemicals from all routes. Laboratory analyses demonstrated that the urine of residents contained moderate to high levels of PNP, with median, mean, and highest reported concentrations of 28, 240, and 4,800 g/L, respectively, thus confirming exposure of the residents. Almost 80% of the residents had urinary PNP concentrations above the 95th percentile of the reference range concentrations. This information, combined with other analytical results of air and wipe tests, guided public health officials' decisions about the potential risk in each household. In this article we illustrate the laboratory's role in providing information to assist in making these public health decisions. Furthermore, it illustrates how a multidisciplinary team from various governmental agencies worked together to protect the public's health.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed2002

Chicago area methyl parathion response.

The Illinois Department of Public Health participated in the Chicago, Illinois, area methyl parathion (MP) response with several other federal, state, and local government agencies beginning in April 1997. This response was initiated on evidence that hundreds of homes in the Chicago area were illegally treated for cockroaches with MP over a period of several years. Through applicator receipt books and information reported by property owners and tenants, 968 homes were identified as having been treated with MP. Upon implementation of a response plan developed by the Methyl Parathion Health Sciences Steering Committee, environmental sampling and urine monitoring were provided for eligible households. Environmental sampling was conducted in 903 homes, with MP detected above levels of concern in 596 residences. Residents of these homes were offered urine sampling to determine the extent of exposure to MP. Urine samples were collected and analyzed for p-nitrophenol in 1,913 individuals. Implementation of the protocol resulted in 550 residents being relocated during the remediation of 100 households.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Measurement of p-nitrophenol in the urine of residents whose homes were contaminated with methyl parathion.

During the last several years, illegal commercial application of methyl parathion (MP) in domestic settings in several U.S. Southeastern and Midwestern States has affected largely inner-city residents. As part of a multiagency response involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and state and local health departments, our laboratory developed a rapid, high-throughput, selective method for quantifying p-nitrophenol (PNP), a biomarker of MP exposure, using isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We measured PNP in approximately 16,000 samples collected from residents of seven different states. Using this method, we were able to receive sample batches from each state; prepare, analyze, and quantify the samples for PNP; verify the results; and report the data to the health departments and ATSDR in about 48 hr. These data indicate that many residents had urinary PNP concentrations well in excess of those of the general U.S. population. In fact, their urinary PNP concentrations were more consistent with those seen in occupational settings or in poisoning cases. Although these data, when coupled with other MP metabolite data, suggest that many residents with the highest concentrations of urinary PNP had significant exposure to MP, they do not unequivocally rule out exposure to PNP resulting from environmental degradation of MP. Even with their limitations, these data were used with the assumption that all PNP was derived from MP exposure, which enabled the U.S. EPA and ATSDR to develop a comprehensive, biologically driven response that was protective of human health, especially susceptible populations, and included clinical evaluations, outreach activities, community education, integrated pest management, and decontamination of homes.

Biomarkers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Quantitation of organophosphorus nerve agent metabolites in human urine using isotope dilution gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An isotope dilution gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (GC-MS-MS) method was developed for quantitating the urinary metabolites of the organophosphorus nerve agents sarin, soman, tabun (GA), VX, and GF. Urine samples were concentrated by codistillation with acetonitrile, derivatized by methylation with diazomethane, and analyzed by GC-MS-MS. The limits of detection were less than 4 microg/L for all the analytes except for the GA metabolite, which had a limit of detection of less than 20 microg/L.

Calibration↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Quantitation of dialkyl phosphate metabolites of organophosphate pesticides in human urine using GC-MS-MS with isotopic internal standards.

Human exposure to organophosphate pesticides can be estimated from the presence of urinary metabolites. An isotope-dilution gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) method was developed for quantitating the six dialkyl phosphate urinary metabolites of at least 29 organophosphate pesticides. Urine samples were spiked with stable isotope analogues of the dialkyl phosphates, evaporated using azeotropic distillation, followed by chemical derivatization of the metabolites to their respective chloropropyl phosphate esters. The chloropropyl phosphate esters were concentrated and then analyzed using GC-MS-MS. The limits of detection (LODs) of the method were in the low-to-mid picogram-per-milliliter range (parts per trillion) with coefficients of variation of less than 20%. The use of stable isotope analogues as internal standards for each of these metabolites allows for the highest degree of accuracy and precision. Additionally, the low LODs allow the use of this method in general population studies.

Environmental Exposure↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Quantitative detection of nine phthalate metabolites in human serum using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

We developed a highly sensitive method for the quantitative detection of nine phthalate ester metabolites in human serum. This method requires denaturation of the serum enzymes immediately after blood collection to avoid the hydrolysis of the contaminant diester parent compounds introduced during blood collection and storage. Before analysis, the samples were subjected to an enzymatic deconjugation to hydrolyze the glucuronidated phthalate monoesters and a solid-phase extraction to isolate the monoesters from other serum components. The extracts were analyzed using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The limits of detection of all nine phthalate monoesters in serum were in the low nanogram-per-milliliter range (0.6-1.3 ng/mL). Stable isotope-labeled internal standards for all analytes were used to improve precision and for recovery corrections. This highly selective method permits the analysis of phthalate monoesters without interferences resulting from the hydrolysis of the ubiquitous contaminant phthalate diesters by serum enzymes. In addition, it allows the direct measurement of the active phthalate monoester metabolites reportedly responsible for the reproductive and developmental toxicity of certain phthalates.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗