External quality assurance schemes (EQUASs) and interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICIs) for the human biomonitoring of aromatic amines in urine as part of the quality assurance programme under HBM4EU.

Nübler S, Burkhardt T, Schäfer M, Müller J, Haji-Abbas-Zarrabi K, Pluym N, Scherer M, Scherer G, Esteban-López M, Castaño A, Mol HG, Koch HM, Antignac JP, Hajslova J, Vorkamp K, Göen T (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Book Volume: 17

Pages Range: 193-201

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1039/d4ay01309c

Abstract

Exposure to aromatic amines may occur via tobacco smoke, hair dyes or tattoo inks, but also in the workplace during certain manufacturing processes. As some aromatic amines are known or suspected carcinogens, human biomonitoring (HBM) is essential to assess their exposure. Aromatic amines were among the selected chemicals in HBM4EU, a European-wide project to harmonise and advance HBM within 30 European countries. For this purpose, the analytical comparability and accuracy of participating laboratories were assessed by a QA/QC programme comprising interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICIs) and external quality assurance schemes (EQUASs). This paper presents the evaluation process and discusses the results of three ICI/EQUAS rounds for the determination of aromatic amines in urine conducted in 2019 and 2020. The final evaluation included ten participants which analysed the following six targeted aromatic amines over three rounds: aniline, ortho-toluidine (TOL), 4,4'-methylenedianiline (MDA), 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA), 2,4-diaminotoluene (2,4-TDA), and 2,6-diaminotoluene (2,6-TDA). Most participants achieved satisfactory and highly comparable results, although low quantification limits were required to quantify the parameters at the level of exposure in the general population. Hydrolysis of the sample followed by liquid-liquid extraction and subsequent analysis of the derivatised analytes by means of GC-MS/MS were preferred for the sensitive and precise determination of aromatic amines in urine. This QA/QC programme succeeded in establishing a network of laboratories with high analytical comparability and accuracy for the analysis of aromatic amines in Europe.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT) / Vysoká škola chemicko-technologická (VŠCHT) Czech Republic (CZ) Analytisch-biologisches Forschungslabor (ABF GmbH) Germany (DE) Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Institute of Health Carlos III, ISCIII) Spain (ES) Wageningen University & Research Netherlands (NL) Institut für Prävention und Arbeitsmedizin der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (IPA) Germany (DE) Laboratoire d'Etude des Résidus et Contaminants Dans les Aliments (LABERCA) France (FR) Aarhus University Denmark (DK)

How to cite

APA:

Nübler, S., Burkhardt, T., Schäfer, M., Müller, J., Haji-Abbas-Zarrabi, K., Pluym, N.,... Göen, T. (2024). External quality assurance schemes (EQUASs) and interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICIs) for the human biomonitoring of aromatic amines in urine as part of the quality assurance programme under HBM4EU. Analytical Methods, 17(1), 193-201. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ay01309c

MLA:

Nübler, Stefanie, et al. "External quality assurance schemes (EQUASs) and interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICIs) for the human biomonitoring of aromatic amines in urine as part of the quality assurance programme under HBM4EU." Analytical Methods 17.1 (2024): 193-201.

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