Determination of Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Flame Retardants Using UPLC-MS/MS

摘要

Use of flame retardants and flame-resisting materials has been very important in reducing losses of life and property caused by fire. Traditional bromine-based flame retardants, especially polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), absolutely dominated the industrial applications and markets in the past. However, due to concerns related to the toxicity and bioaccumulation, PBDES have been phased out. Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) have been used commercially since the 1970s in a variety of products including: plasticizer formulations, hydraulic fluids, as additives in lubricants, adhesives and polyurethane foam, rubber, and textile coatings. There are two major organophosphate formulations in use: the halogenated compounds used mainly as flame retardants and the non-halogenated forms used mainly as plasticizers, although the latter are also used in certain flame retardant applications. Current industrial market reports indicate that OPFRs are being used at an increased rate in consumer products due to the fact that they are perceived by the industry to be more environmentally friendly and safer than the halogen-based flame retardants. Quantification of OPFRs in indoor environments suggests that human exposure to these compounds is likely. Although OPFRs have been present in industrial formulations for several decades, information on their fate in the environment as well as toxicological effects in humans and biota are scarce. According to the few reported animal studies, OPFRs tend to be readily absorbed and rapidly metabolized by biological systems into compounds, which in a majority of cases are dialkyl and diaryl phosphate analogues. Recent studies on in vitro metabolism by human liver microsomes have suggested that human metabolism of OPFRs may result in additional and perhaps in some cases more unique biomarkers of human exposure to parent organophosphate flame retardant compounds, such as the hydroxylated metabolites.