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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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Open Access 01-11-2018 | Original Article

Metabolites of the alkyl pyrrolidone solvents NMP and NEP in 24-h urine samples of the German Environmental Specimen Bank from 1991 to 2014

Authors: Nadin Ulrich, Daniel Bury, Holger M. Koch, Maria Rüther, Till Weber, Heiko-Udo Käfferlein, Tobias Weiss, Thomas Brüning, Marike Kolossa-Gehring

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 8/2018

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to get a first overview of the exposure to the solvents and reproductive toxicants N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) in Germany. NMP and NEP metabolite concentrations were determined in 540 24-h urine samples of the German Environmental Specimen Bank collected from 1991 to 2014. With these data we were able to investigate NMP/NEP exposures over time and to evaluate associated risks.

Methods

NMP metabolites 5-hydroxy-N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (5-HNMP) and 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide (2-HMSI) and NEP metabolites 5-hydroxy-N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (5-HNEP) and 2-hydroxy-N-ethylsuccinimide (2-HESI) were determined by stable isotope dilution analysis using solid phase extraction followed by derivatization (silylation) and GC–EI–MS/MS.

Results

We were able to quantify 5-HNMP and 2-HMSI in 98.0 and 99.6% and 5-HNEP and 2-HESI in 34.8 and 75.7% of the samples. Metabolite concentrations were rather steady over the timeframe investigated, even for NEP which has been introduced as an NMP substitute only in the last decade. Calculated median daily intakes in 2014 were 2.7 µg/kg bw/day for NMP and 1.1 µg/kg bw/day for NEP. For the combined risk assessment of NMP and NEP exposure, the hazard index based on the human biomonitoring assessment I values (HBM I values) was less than 0.1.

Conclusions

Based on the investigated subpopulation of the German population, individual and combined NMP and NEP exposures were within acceptable ranges in the investigated timeframe. Sources of NEP exposure in the 90s and 00s remain elusive.

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Title: Metabolites of the alkyl pyrrolidone solvents NMP and NEP in 24-h urine samples of the German Environmental Specimen Bank from 1991 to 2014
Authors: Nadin Ulrich
Daniel Bury
Holger M. Koch
Maria Rüther
Till Weber
Heiko-Udo Käfferlein
Tobias Weiss
Thomas Brüning
Marike Kolossa-Gehring
Publication date: 01-11-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 8/2018
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1347-y

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Metabolites of the alkyl pyrrolidone solvents NMP and NEP in 24-h urine samples of the German Environmental Specimen Bank from 1991 to 2014

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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