Development and Validation of a Bioanalytical Method of Measuring Heterocyclic Organic Compounds (Furan and Methylfuran) in Human Blood Using GC-MS

Background: Furans are global ecotoxicants making up the xenobiotic profile. High carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of these chemicals for humans even at concentrations as low as 10–12–10–15 g/kg, can pose health risks for the present and future generations.
Our objective was to develop and validate the authors’ method of measuring potentially dangerous furan and methylfuran in human blood to ensure control over the levels of exogenous compounds in biological fluids for further assessment of related human health risks.
Materials and methods: Development of the technique of measuring in human blood levels of furan and methylfuran was based on the following principles: establishment of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analytical conditions; experimental search for effective methods of blood sample preparation for the GC-MS analysis, and validation of the developed procedure.
Results: The method includes liquid-liquid extraction with a polar organic solvent in an alkaline medium during 5 minutes until the inter-phase equilibrium is reached and further capillary gas chromatography. It ensures a high degree of recovery of furan and methylfuran from blood samples equaling 98 % and 98.5 %, respectively. Mass spectrometry detection with registering the mass spectrum of ions was used for identifying furans in the biological fluid.
Conclusions: We have developed and validated a highly sensitive and specific method for GC-MS measurement of furan and methylfuran in human blood within the range of 0.0019 to 0.09 mg/dm3. The limits of detection of the chemicals were established within method validation, which appeared to be up to 0.00011 μg/cm3 for furan and up to 0.000021 μg/cm3 for methylfuran.

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