Determination of triazine herbicides in human body fluids by solid-phase microextraction and capillary gas chromatography

Eight triazine herbicides, prometon, propazine, atrazine, simazine, prometr yn, ametryn, metribuzin, and cyanazine, have been extracted from human whol e blood and urine samples by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) w ith a polydimeihylsiloxane-coated fiber and quantified by capillary gas chr omatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Extraction efficiencies for all compounds were 0.21 - 0.99% for whole blood , except for cyanazine (0.06%). For urine, the extraction efficiencies for prometon, propazine, atrazine, prometryn and ametryn were 13.6 - 38.1%, and those of simazine, metribuzin and cyanazine were 1.35 - 8.73%. The regression equations for the compounds extracted from whole blood were linear within the concentration ranged 0.01 - 1 mu g (0.5 mL)(-1) for prome ton, propazine, atrazine, prometryn, and ametryn, and 0.02 - 1 mu g (0.5 mt )(-1) for simazine, metribuzin, and cyanazine. For urine, regression equati ons for all compounds were linear within the concentration range 0.005-0.25 mu g mL(-1). Compound detection limits were 2.8 - 9.0 ng (0.5 mL)(-1) and 0.4 - 2.0 ng mL(-1) for whole blood and urine, respectively The coefficient s of within-day and day-to-day variation were satisfactory for all the comp ounds, and not greater than 10.3 and 14.2% respectively Data obtained from determination of atrazine in rat whole blood after oral administration of the compound are also presented.