Abstract
A rapid and simple organic extraction method for the determination of the chemical warfare agent, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin, GB) in human plasma has been developed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). In the course of method development, several organic solvents have been screened and chloroform show a low background and increase signal to noise ratio of GB among other organic solvents. Especially, the organic extraction method of reactivated GB from the human plasma has a 30% greater recovery yield than solid-phase ex-traction (SPE). This simple extraction method was successfully applied to the trace analysis of nerve agents in human plasma in the 3rd Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confidence building exercise on biomedical sample analysis.
Highlights
Chemical warfare nerve agents such as sarin (GB, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) represent some of the most toxic substances available for misuse by nations and terrorist groups
This paper describes improvements to the fluoride reactivation method by simple organic extraction of GB in plasma followed by analysis using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS)
This simple extraction method was successfully applied to the trace analysis of nerve agents in human plasma in the 3rd Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confidence building exercise on biomedical sample analysis
Summary
Chemical warfare nerve agents such as sarin (GB, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) represent some of the most toxic substances available for misuse by nations and terrorist groups. Other approaches use the protein adducts formed with nerve agents as exposure markers One such method involved the pepsin digestion of organophosphorus nerve agents conjugated butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) from plasma, followed by analysis of the target nonapeptide by LC-MS/MS [14]. This method has the ability to detect nerve agent inhibited BuChE, even after aging has occurred Another recent analytical development to improve the specificity and sensitivity of exposure assessment includes a GC-MS method for measuring fluoride ion regenerated alkyl methylphosphonofluoridates from plasma butyrylcholinesterase [15] [16]. This paper describes improvements to the fluoride reactivation method by simple organic extraction of GB in plasma followed by analysis using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). This simple extraction method was successfully applied to the trace analysis of nerve agents in human plasma in the 3rd Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confidence building exercise on biomedical sample analysis
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