TY - JOUR
T1 - Human breath analysis
T2 - Methods for sample collection and reduction of localized background effects
AU - Martin, Audrey N.
AU - Farquar, George R.
AU - Jones, A. Daniel
AU - Frank, Matthias
PY - 2010/1/1
Y1 - 2010/1/1
N2 - Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was applied, in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, to the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human breath samples without requiring exhaled breath condensate collection. A new procedure, exhaled breath vapor (EBV) collection, involving the active sampling and preconcentration of a breath sample with a SPME fiber fitted inside a modified commercial breath-collection device, the RTube™, is described. Immediately after sample collection, compounds are desorbed from the SPME fiber at 250 °C in the GC-MS injector. Experiments were performed using EBV collected at -80 °C and at room temperature, and the results compared to the traditional method of collecting exhaled breath condensate at -80 °C followed by passive SPME sampling of the collected condensate. Methods are compared in terms of portability, ease-of-use, speed of analysis, and detection limits. The need for a clean air supply for the study subjects is demonstrated using several localized sources of VOC contaminants including nail polish, lemonade, and gasoline. Various simple methods to supply clean inhaled air to a subject are presented. Chemical exposures are used to demonstrate the importance of providing cleaned air (organic vapor respirator) or an external air source (tubing stretched to a separate room). These techniques allow for facile data interpretation by minimizing background contaminants. It is demonstrated herein that this active SPME breath-sampling device provides advantages in the forms of faster sample collection and data analysis, apparatus portability and avoidance of power or cooling requirements, and performance for sample collection in a contaminated environment.
AB - Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was applied, in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, to the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human breath samples without requiring exhaled breath condensate collection. A new procedure, exhaled breath vapor (EBV) collection, involving the active sampling and preconcentration of a breath sample with a SPME fiber fitted inside a modified commercial breath-collection device, the RTube™, is described. Immediately after sample collection, compounds are desorbed from the SPME fiber at 250 °C in the GC-MS injector. Experiments were performed using EBV collected at -80 °C and at room temperature, and the results compared to the traditional method of collecting exhaled breath condensate at -80 °C followed by passive SPME sampling of the collected condensate. Methods are compared in terms of portability, ease-of-use, speed of analysis, and detection limits. The need for a clean air supply for the study subjects is demonstrated using several localized sources of VOC contaminants including nail polish, lemonade, and gasoline. Various simple methods to supply clean inhaled air to a subject are presented. Chemical exposures are used to demonstrate the importance of providing cleaned air (organic vapor respirator) or an external air source (tubing stretched to a separate room). These techniques allow for facile data interpretation by minimizing background contaminants. It is demonstrated herein that this active SPME breath-sampling device provides advantages in the forms of faster sample collection and data analysis, apparatus portability and avoidance of power or cooling requirements, and performance for sample collection in a contaminated environment.
KW - Bioanalytical methods
KW - Breath analysis
KW - Breath condensate
KW - GC-MS
KW - VOC
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U2 - 10.1007/s00216-009-3217-7
DO - 10.1007/s00216-009-3217-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 19844696
AN - SCOPUS:76849099847
VL - 396
SP - 739
EP - 750
JO - Fresenius Zeitschrift fur Analytische Chemie
JF - Fresenius Zeitschrift fur Analytische Chemie
SN - 0016-1152
IS - 2
ER -