DETERMINATION OF HEMOGLOBIN ADDUCTS IN WORKERS EXPOSED TO 2,4,6-TRINITROTOLUENE

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an important occupational and environme ntal pollutant. TNT can be taken up through the skin and by inhalation . It is therefore essential to have fast and reliable methods to monit or human exposure. In rat experiments, it has been shown that TNT bind s covalently to blood proteins and to tissue proteins. Hemoglobin (Hb) adducts of TNT are markers for the internal dose and possibly for the toxic effects of TNT, e.g. cataracts. In the present paper we introdu ce a new efficient method to quantify Hb adducts of TNT. Precipitated Hb was hydrolyzed with base in the presence of the surrogate internal standard 3,5-dinitroaniline (35DNA). The released 2-amino-4,6-dinitrot oluene (2ADNT) and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4ADNT) were quantified against 35DNA by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with negative-io n chemical ionization. Hb of 50 workers and controls from a Chinese mu nition factory were investigated. The Hb adduct levels ranged from 3.7 to 522 ng for 4ADNT and from 0 to 14.7 ng for 2ADNT per gram of Hb. H owever, in control samples from Germany no Hb adducts of 4ADNT or 2ADN T could be found.