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Quantification of atrazine and its metabolites in urine by on-line solid-phase extraction–high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

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Abstract

We have developed a method using on-line solid-phase extraction–high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-HPLC-MS/MS) and isotope dilution quantification to measure atrazine and seven atrazine metabolites in urine. The metabolites measured were hydroxyatrazine, diaminochloroatrazine, desisopropylatrazine, desethylatrazine, desethylatrazine mercapturate, atrazine mercaturate and atrazine itself. Our method has good precision (relative standard deviations ranging from 4 to 20% at 5, 10 and 50 ng/mL), extraction efficiencies of 67 to 102% at 5 and 25 ng/mL, relative recoveries of 87 to 112% at 5, 25, 50 and 100 ng/mL limits of detection (LOD) ranging from 0.03 to 2.80 ng/mL. The linear range of our method spans from the analyte LOD to 100 ng/mL (40 ng/mL for atrazine and atrazine mercapturate) with R 2 values of greater than 0.999 and errors about the slope of less than 3%. Our method is rapid, cost-effective and suitable for large-scale sample analyses and is easily adaptable to other biological matrices. More importantly, this method will allow us to better assess human exposure to atrazine-related chemicals.

A schematic representation showing the elution of the analytes from the solid-phase extraction cartridge onto the analytical column for chromatographic separation prior to MS/MS analysis

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, N.E., MS F-17, Atlanta, GA, 30360, USA

    Parinya Panuwet, Johnny V. Nguyen, Peter Kuklenyik, Simeon O. Udunka, Larry L. Needham & Dana B. Barr

  2. CDC, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Mailstop F17, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Dana B. Barr

Authors
  1. Parinya Panuwet
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  2. Johnny V. Nguyen
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  3. Peter Kuklenyik
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  4. Simeon O. Udunka
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  5. Larry L. Needham
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  6. Dana B. Barr
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Correspondence to Dana B. Barr.

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Panuwet, P., Nguyen, J.V., Kuklenyik, P. et al. Quantification of atrazine and its metabolites in urine by on-line solid-phase extraction–high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 391, 1931–1939 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-008-2102-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-008-2102-0

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