Sensitive Instrumental Method for Quantitative Determination of High-Brominated Flame Retardants in Human Serum Samples

Abstract Background High-brominated flame retardants (BFRs) can be released into the environment from consumer products, such as electric and electronic equipment, and enter the human body by different pathways. Because of their toxicity and the regulations, it is very relevant to know their levels and trends in human samples. However, chromatographic serum analysis of some of these compounds represents nowadays a challenge in the general population. Objective To optimize and validate an instrumental method based on gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, which, together with a simple sample preparation procedure, allows the analysis of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and tetrabromobisphenol A-bis(2,3-dibromopropyl ether) (TBBPA-DBPE) in human serum samples from the general population. Method To minimize the high degradation during instrumental analysis, GC parameters such as injection volumes, carrier flow rates, and column lengths were assessed and optimized. This instrumental approach in combination with solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by multilayer silica gel column purification allowed satisfactory analysis using only 1 mL of serum. Results The performance of the complete method was evaluated at three spiking levels, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.2 ng/mL. Recoveries in the range 87–108% were obtained whereas the relative standard deviation in interday measurements, were, in general, lower than 19%. Limits of detection were in the range of 0.0045–0.0070 ng/mL. The optimized procedure was successfully applied to the determination of the investigated pollutants in real human samples of general population. Conclusions The proposed method could contribute to the inclusion of these environmental pollutants in human biomonitoring (HBM) studies, increasing the knowledge of levels and trends in the general population. Highlights GC-MS parameters optimization to minimize instrumental analytes degradation. Successful application to human serum samples from the general population. Tetrabromobisphenol A bis(2,3-dibromopropyl ether) human serum levels are reported for the first time.