External Quality Assurance Schemes (EQUASs) and Inter-laboratory Comparison Investigations (ICIs) for human biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biomarkers in urine as part of the quality assurance programme under HBM4EU

Nübler S, Esteban López M, Castaño A, Mol HG, Müller J, Schäfer M, Haji-Abbas-Zarrabi K, Hajslova J, Pulkrabova J, Dvorakova D, Urbancova K, Koch HM, Antignac JP, Sakhi AK, Vorkamp K, Burkhardt T, Scherer M, Göen T (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Book Volume: 250

Article Number: 114169

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114169

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were included as priority substances for human biomonitoring (HBM) in the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU), which intended to harmonise and advance HBM across Europe. For this project, a specific Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) programme applying Inter-laboratory Comparison Investigations (ICIs) and External Quality Assurance Schemes (EQUASs) was developed to ensure the comparability and accuracy of participating analytical laboratories. This paper presents the results of four ICI/EQUAS rounds for the determination of 13 PAH metabolites in urine, i.e. 1-naphthol, 2-naphthol, 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene, 2-, 3- and 9-hydroxyfluorene, 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 9-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxypyrene and 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene. However, 4 PAH metabolites could not be evaluated as the analytical capacity of participating laboratories was too low. Across all rounds and biomarkers, 86% of the participants achieved satisfactory results, although low limits of quantification were required to quantify the urinary metabolites at exposure levels of the general population. Using high-performance liquid or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS; GC-MS) and isotope dilution for calibration as well as performing an enzymatic deconjugation step proved to be favourable for the accurate determination of PAHs in urine. Finally, the HBM4EU QA/QC programme identified an international network of laboratories providing comparable results in the analysis of urinary PAH biomarkers, although covering all parameters initially selected was still too challenging.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT) / Vysoká škola chemicko-technologická (VŠCHT) Czech Republic (CZ) Laboratoire d'Etude des Résidus et Contaminants Dans les Aliments (LABERCA) France (FR) 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) Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) / Folkehelseinstituttet Norway (NO) Institut für Prävention und Arbeitsmedizin der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (IPA) Germany (DE) Aarhus University Denmark (DK)

How to cite

APA:

Nübler, S., Esteban López, M., Castaño, A., Mol, H.G., Müller, J., Schäfer, M.,... Göen, T. (2023). External Quality Assurance Schemes (EQUASs) and Inter-laboratory Comparison Investigations (ICIs) for human biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biomarkers in urine as part of the quality assurance programme under HBM4EU. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 250. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114169

MLA:

Nübler, Stefanie, et al. "External Quality Assurance Schemes (EQUASs) and Inter-laboratory Comparison Investigations (ICIs) for human biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biomarkers in urine as part of the quality assurance programme under HBM4EU." International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 250 (2023).

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