Dry Blood Spot sample collection for post-exposure monitoring of chemical warfare agents - In vivo determination of phosphonic acids using LC-MS/MS

Phosphonic acids are the direct and immediate metabolites of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents (OP-CWAs). Accordingly, their detection serves for evaluating exposure to OP-CWAs in a terror or war scenario. After exposure, phosphonic acids are present in the blood; however, blood drawing must be carried out by medical personnel, hence the number of samples that can be drawn in a mass-casualty event is limited. Herein, we describe a new approach developed for the determination of phosphonic acids in blood using Dry Blood Spots (DBSs) on a filter paper. The method is based on a simple sample preparation protocol, followed by LC-MS-MS targeted (MRM) analysis. The detection limits of Soman (GD), Cyclosarin (GF) and VX metabolites in whole blood were as low as 1 ng/ml, while the detection limits were 0.3 ng/ml for the GF metabolite and 0.5 ng/ml for the Sarin (GB) metabolite. Good recoveries were obtained in the range of 1-100 ng/ml for GB and GD metabolites, and 3-100 ng/ml for GF, VX and RVX metabolites, with a linear response (R2 = 0.99). The method has proven to be reliable even with DBS samples stored up to 35 days at room temperature before analysis. This method was implemented in a 24 h time-course determination of the Sarin metabolite in an in - vivo experiment, after rat exposure to 1 LD50 of Sarin. This technique is simple, rapid, sensitive, robust, long lasting and compatible with field collection and storage; hence, it can serve for large-scale sampling and reliable monitoring of potential OP-CWAs casualties. Since DBS sampling is amenable to nonprofessionals, including self-sampling, this technique is highly suitable for mass-casualty incidents.