Cover: The MAK Collection for Occupational Health and Safety

The MAK Collection for Occupational Health and Safety

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – Ständige Senatskommission zur Prüfung gesundheitsschädlicher Arbeitsstoffe (MAK-Kommission)

ISSN 2509-2383



Tobacco‐specific nitrosamines – Determination of N‐nitrosoanabasine, N‐nitrosoanatabine, N‐nitrosonornicotine and 4‐(methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanol in urine by LC‐MS/MS

Biomonitoring Method – Translation of the German version from 2019

Gerhard Scherer1
Gerhard Gilch1
Dominique Köhler1
Wolfgang Völkel2
  Thomas Göen3
  Andrea Hartwig4
  MAK Commission5

1 ABF Analytisch-Biologisches Forschungslabor GmbH, Goethestraße 20, 80336 München, Germany
2 Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Pfarrstraße 3, 80538 München, Germany
3 Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9–11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
4 Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Building 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
5 Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany

Abstract

The working group “Analyses in Biological Materials” of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area developed and validated the presented biomonitoring method.

This analytical method permits the determination of tobacco‐specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in urine using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). The parameters in question are N‐nitrosoanabasine (NAB), N‐nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N‐nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4‐(methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanol (NNAL). NNAL is a metabolite of 4‐(methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanone (NNK). Due to its sensitivity, this method is suitable for the detection of the aforementioned analytes in the urine of smokers. NNAL can also be quantified in the urine of passive smokers.

The analytes NAB, NAT, NNN and NNAL are present in urine in both free and glucuronidated forms. For the determination of the total TSNA level in urine, the glucuronides are cleaved by enzymatic hydrolysis and then the analytes are isolated and concentrated using solid phase extraction (SPE). Two sorbent materials are used for sample preparation via SPE, first a material based on molecularly imprinted polymers and then a mixed‐mode cation exchange polymer. Analysis is performed by LC‐MS/MS. Deuterated internal standards are used for calibration. Calibration standards are prepared in pooled urine obtained from non‐smokers and are processed in the same way as the samples to be analysed.


Keywords

tabakspezifische Nitrosamine, N‐Nitrosoanabasin, N‐Nitrosoanatabin, N‐Nitrosonornikotin, 4‐(Methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanon, 4‐(Methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanol, Biomonitoring, Urin, LC‐MS/MS, HPLC‐MS/MS