Quantitative determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the blood by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection for the tasks of socio-hygienic monitoring

Abstract

Introduction. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) refer to the group of priority environmental pollutants that enter the human body by inhalation, orally, through the skin, causing a long-term impact on metabolic processes, chronic and oncological diseases. To assess the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the health of the population, it is actual to evaluate their content in human biological media. 
 The purpose of the study is to develop and apply a methodology for determining the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, anthracene, the 9-methylanthracene, pyrene and benz (a) pyrene) in the blood by a method of highly efficient liquid chromatography with fluoremetric detection (HPLC-FDD) for social and hygienic monitoring problems. 
 Materials and methods. The object of research was biological media (blood samples). Studies on the development of the technique were carried out on the Shimadzu liquid chromatograph with a fluoremetric detector RF-20A. The approximation of the technique was carried out within the framework of deeper studies of children health in residents in territories with various exposure levels.
 Results. The conditions for sample production and parameters of the chromatographic analysis of blood PAH by the HPLC / FDD method were established. The degree of extraction of PAH from the blood by the method of liquid extraction was 77-100%. The analysis of blood PAH showed average group concentrations to be reliably higher (p <0.05) in the biological media in children living in the zone of influence of emissions of industrial enterprises. Priority compounds detected in the blood of the students are pyrene, naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, 
 Limitations are due to the period of selection of biological media of the different age groups in the territories of the Russian Federation with various levels of exposure. The expansion of the list of the populations can become a direction of further research on assessing the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on human health. 
 Conclusion. The developed methodology can be used in hygienic studies for assessing the risk of conditions of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for health of residents in the territories with different anthropogenic loads.