Biomonitoring method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in hair by online in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed from the incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic matter during industrial processing and various human activities, but human exposure to PAHs has not yet been elucidated in detail. To assess long-term exposure to PAHs, we developed a simple and sensitive method for measuring PAHs in hair by online in-tube solid-phase microextraction using a CP-Sil 19CB capillary column as an extraction device, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography using a Zorbax Eclipse PAH column and fluorescence detection. Seventeen PAHs could be analyzed simultaneously, with good linearity from 20 to 1000 pg/mL each as determined using stable isotope-labeled PAH internal standards. The detection limits of PAHs were 0.5-20.4 pg/mL. PAHs in human hair samples were extracted by ultrasonication in 50 mM NaOH in methanol, and successfully analyzed without any interference peaks, with good recovery rates above 70% in spiked hair samples. Using this method, we evaluated the suitability of using hair PAHs as biomarkers for long-term exposure.