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MEASUREMENT OF DIBROMOACETIC ACID IN RAT BLOOD BY GC/ECD
Citation:
Mole, M L. MEASUREMENT OF DIBROMOACETIC ACID IN RAT BLOOD BY GC/ECD. Presented at Pittcon 2001, New Orleans, LA, March 4-9, 2001.
Description:
Measurement of Dibromoacetic Acid in Rat Blood by GC/ECD
M. Leonard Mole, MD 67, Reproductive Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, USEPA, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; Phone: 919-541-2680, FAX: 919-541-4017, e-mail: mole.leonard@epa.gov.
Treatment of our cities' drinking water with halogen-based disinfectants has been extremely effective in reducing the risk to public health from microbial diseases. However, in recent years it has become recognized that the process can lead to the production of numerous disinfectant byproducts (DBPs) primarily through reaction of the chemicals used for treatment with naturally occurring organics in the water. Many of these DBPs have been linked to reproductive disorders and developmental anomalies in animals under experimental conditions. Specifically, dibromoacetic acid (DBA) has been shown to be a testicular toxicant affecting sperm morphology and motility and compromising male fertility. One of the charges of our group is to study effects at the reproductive target organ level in the male rat. An important component of this program is focused on characterizing the blood concentrations and target organ dosimetry of DBPs and that relationship to mechanism of action. Our attempts at measuring DBA blood concentrations by GC/ECD, after methylation and toluene extraction, were impeded by erratic retention times and inconsistent response factors. Several lines of evidence suggested that impurities in the sample extract being injected onto the GC were the cause. This paper describes modifications to sample preparation necessary to achieve the production of reliable data.