THE ANALYSIS OF NICOTINE IN INFANTS HAIR FOR MEASURING EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE

Hair samples were collected from 24 infants (3-36 months) exposed and non-exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. Hair was washed in dichlor omethane, digested in NaOH, extracted by solid-phase extraction and an alyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography to determine the cont ent of nicotine and cotinine. Nicotine concentration in non-exposed in fants (1.3 +/- 1.7 ng/mg hair) was significantly different from that i n occasionally exposed infants (6.8 +/- 2.1 ng/mg hair) and that in in fants passively exposed to smoke (15.4 +/- 6.7 ng/mg hair). Cotinine c ould be measured only in passive smokers infants. These findings sugge st the possibility of monitoring exposure to environmental tobacco smo ke in infants by using nicotine measurement in hair rather than in uri ne, blood or saliva. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.