Quantitative Identification of Atrazine and its Chlorinated Metabolites in Plasma

• Published in: Journal of analytical toxicology Vol. 27; no. 8; pp. 569 - 573
• Main Authors: Brzezicki, Jill M., Andersen, Melvin E., Cranmer, Brian K., Tessari, John D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Niles, IL Oxford University Press 01.11.2003; Preston
• Subjects: Animals; Atrazine - analysis; Atrazine - blood; Atrazine - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Herbicides - blood; Herbicides - metabolism; Medical sciences; Models, Biological; Pesticides, fertilizers and other agrochemicals toxicology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Toxicology; Biological fluid; Chemical analysis; Rat; Metabolite; Derivatization; Blood; Blood plasma; Sample preparation; Quantitative analysis; Validation; Liquid liquid extraction; Coupled method; Pesticides; Rodentia; Oral administration; Herbicide; Toxicokinetics; Gas chromatography; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Triazine derivatives; Kinetics; Methylation; Mass spectrometry; Atrazine
• ISSN: 0146-4760; 1945-2403
• DOI: 10.1093/jat/27.8.569

The objective of this study was to develop an analytical method to detect and quantitate the chlorotriazine herbicide atrazine (ATRA), and its chlorinated metabolites [desethylatrazine (DE-ATRA), desisopropylatrazine (DI-ATRA), and diaminochlorotriazine (DACT)] in plasma. Control plasma separated from whole rat blood was fortified with known concentrations of ATRA, DE-ATRA, DI-ATRA, and DACT. These compounds were extracted from the plasma using a liquid-liquid extraction technique, and the resulting extracts were derivatized with tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide and methyl iodide to produce methylated derivatives of ATRA and its chlorinated metabolites. Derivatized samples and standards were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. Recoveries of fortified plasma samples ranged from 84% to 97% and were validated to 100 ng/mL. This analytical method was subsequently verified in a small-scale animal study to determine time course concentrations of chlorotriazines in plasma following a single oral gavage dose of ATRA to female Sprague Dawley rats.