A simple liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of penta- and tetrachlorophenols in urine of exposed workers

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of chlorophenols in the urine of sawmill workers with past use of chlorophenol-containing anti-stain agents

The aim of this work was to establish whether workers at sawmills where chlorophenol-containing anti-stain agents had been previously used were still exposed to chlorophenols. A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) procedure for the determination of chlorophenols in urine was developed. Chlorophenols were determined from hydrolysed urine as acetylated derivatives and determined by GC-MS using selected ion monitoring (SIM). Isolation of the chlorophenols with toluene gave the best extraction efficiencies (65-119%). Stability tests at -20 degrees C showed no degradation of the chlorophenols studied during 6 months. The limit of quantification was 3.6 ng mg-1 creatinine for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 5.5 ng mg-1 for 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol and 3.6 ng mg-1 for pentachlorophenol. Traces of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol and pentachlorophenol were found both in previously exposed workers and in non-exposed controls, the urinary concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 15.9 ng mg-1 creatinine. The concentrations of urinary chlorophenols in previously exposed workers were of the same magnitude as those found in non-exposed controls and in the general population. The results show that it is unlikely that sawmill workers would be currently occupationally exposed to chlorophenols or polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans via a contaminated work environment.

Urinary excretion of chlorinated phenols in saw-mill workers

The excretion and conjugation of chlorophenols were studied in workers exposed to 2,4,6-tri-, 2,3,4,6-tetra-, and pentachlorophenolates, the main components of the chlorophenolate product manufactured by direct chlorination of phenol. The workers were exposed in two different saw mills in which sodium chlorophenolate was used for treatment of lumber during the warm season. Urine specimens were collected at the end of the treatment season as well as at the start of a new treatment period in the spring. Serum specimens were collected towards the end of the treatment period. Total and unconjugated chlorophenols were analyzed with a gas chromatographic method. The maximal concentrations of urinary 2,4,6-tri-, 2,3,4,6-tetra- and pentachlorophenol at the end of the lumber-treatment period were 1-11.8, 3.4-17.3, and 0.2-0.9 mumol/l, respectively, and the average apparent half-times calculated using a one-compartment model were 18 h, 4.3 days and 16 days, respectively. For 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, the data of some subjects showed a better fit with a two-compartment model; the corresponding half-times were 5.3 and 26 days. During the continuous-exposure period the average serum levels of tetra- and pentachlorophenol were rather similar before and after the working day: 2.79 +/- 1.78 mumol/l for tetrachlorophenol and 0.85 +/- 0.4 mumol/l for pentachlorophenol. Renal clearance values for tetra- and pentachlorophenol were related to urine flow and indicated tubular reabsorption. At low concentrations, sulfate conjugation was dominant. With increasing chlorophenol concentrations the proportion of glucuronide conjugation was increased, especially for pentachlorophenol.

Effects of commercial chlorophenolate, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, and pure phenoxyacetic acids on hepatic peroxisome proliferation, xenobiotic metabolism and sister chromatid exchange in the rat

The induction of hepatic peroxisome proliferation and drug metabolizing enzymes and of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in lymphocytes was studied in male Han/Wistar rats after exposing them for 2 weeks to a commercial chlorophenolate formulation (Ky-5) (100 mg/kg/day), to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD; 0.05-5 micrograms/kg/wk) and to the pure phenoxyacetic acids, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 100 mg/kg/day) and 2-chloro-4-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA; 100 mg/kg/day). The chlorophenolate formulation and pure 2,4-D and MCPA caused significant increases in the number of peroxisomes in liver cells, although the average size of peroxisomes was not affected, whereas the effect of even the highest dose of 2,3,7,8-TCDD remained small. This finding indicates that dioxin impurities do not account for the peroxisome proliferation induced by chlorophenolate. The relative weight of the liver increased significantly in rats treated with the chlorophenolate formulation and with 2,3,7,8-TCDD (5.0 and 0.5 micrograms/kg). The pattern of induction of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes showed some differences between chlorophenolate treatment and 2,3,7,8-TCDD treatment. Furthermore, the effects of pure phenoxyacetic acids were different from that seen with chlorophenolate and 2,3,7,8-TCDD. The highest dose of 2,3,7,8-TCDD increased the frequency of SCE in circulating lymphocytes slightly, but significantly.

Kinetics of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in different organs of the rat

The concentration of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol was measured in the blood and various other tissues of the rat after IP administration of the compound at 25 mg per kg body weight. The highest concentration, 329 +/- 117 nmol X g-1, was found in the kidney. Half-times were between 1.4 and 1.8 h in the blood, brain, fat, kidney, liver and muscle. The extent of conjugation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol was also investigated by measuring total and free chlorophenol in the blood.

The transformation of chlorophenols by lactoperoxidase

The lactoperoxidase-catalyzed transformations of penta-,2,3,4,6-tetra-, 2,4,6-tri-, 2,4-di- and 4-monochlorophenol were followed spectrophotometrically. Apparent stoichiometries of chlorophenol:H2O2 ranged from 1:1 for the tri- and tetrachlorophenol at pH7 to 5:2 for pentachlorophenol at pH 4. The initial velocity (v0) was only slightly influenced by changes in [H2O2] greater then 5 microns. v0 responded to [chlorophenol] according to the empirical expression v0=[lactoperoxidase] . (k1[chlorophenol] + k2[chlorophenol]2). The constant k1 was trichlorophenol, respectively, at pH 7. With the di- and monochlorophenol the solution soon became opaque, and the reaction ceased. The results show that more than one reaction occurs. Some comparisons were also made with horseradish peroxidase A and C. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide prevented opaqueness, but was shown to be a substrate for lactoperoxidase. Assuming an average concentration of 0.1 microns for H2O2 and pentachlorophenol in man, the metabolic rate becomes 30 ng/h per g of peroxidase-containing tissue, possibly with deposition of the products.

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of chlorophenols in cardboard food containers and related materials

A technique has been developed for the extraction of a clean concentrate of chlorophenols from cardboard food containers and adhesives of the type used in their manufacture. A simple, reversed-phase, isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system employing an optimised mobile phase permitted the separation of nineteen different phenols. The use of a carefully selected internal standard permitted the estimation of (sub) parts per million levels of pentachlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in several samples of adhesives and various sections of cardboard food containers. Pentachlorophenol (50 ng) and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (20 ng) gave significant HPLC peaks, readily permitting their detection in parts per billion from 100-g samples.