Biocompatible SPME coupled to GC/MS for analysis of xenobiotics in blood plasma

Abstract

This work proposes a new method for biomonitoring studies focused on the screening and quantification of xenobiotics in blood-derived samples. The performance of a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS/DVB/PDMS) biocompatible extraction phase was investigated for extraction of pesticides and pharmaceuticals from plasma samples via direct immersion solid-phase microextraction (SPME) prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Under the optimum extraction settings, which included an attentive optimization of the fiber rinsing conditions, the microextraction device was able to endure 100 consecutive extractions from undiluted and diluted plasma with an overall reproducibility up to 28% for all the analytes tested, except chlorpyrifos-methyl. Optimized conditions were used to validate a quantitative method using matrix-matched calibration with isotopically labeled internal standard correction. Accuracy and precision values obtained for analysis of bovine plasma were within 96-132% and 0.05-5.82% respectively. LLOQs for all the analytes were at 1 µg L^-1 and LDR ranged within 1-100 µg L^-1. The applicability of this method to plasma from different species (human, rat, rabbit) was also investigated. This work represents the first step toward broader use of the biocompatible PDMS/DVB/PDMS extraction phases for analysis of multiclass xenobiotics in plasma and other complex biofluids.

Keywords: Biocompatibility; Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; Solid phase microextraction; Xenobiotics.