Rotenone is a naturally occurring compound extracted from the roots of leguminous plants which is incorporated into various botanical pesticide formulations for use in gardens and on food crops. Recent animal studies have suggested a link between long-term exposure to rotenone and the development of symptoms consistent with Parkinson's Disease. The aim of the present study is the development of an analytical method to assess rotenone exposure through hair analysis. Hair provides a relatively non-invasive testing medium for evaluating chronic exposure to toxins, and has been increasingly used as a toxicological specimen to detect chronic illicit drug use due to its wide detection window and the ease and safety associated with sample collection, storage, and transport. A supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method was developed and optimized for isolation of rotenone. Analyte quantification was performed by reverse phase HPLC with external standard calibration. SFE recovery data is presented for (1) initial spike-recovery experiments designed to optimize SFE conditions of temperature, pressure, fluid composition, and extractant volume and maximize rotenone solubility from an inert matrix; (2) spike-recovery experiments from negative human hair designed to evaluate matrix effects and identify potentially interfering hair coextractables; (3) application of optimized extraction conditions to drug-fortified hair; and, finally (4) analysis of hair obtained from rats subjected to chronic rotenone exposure. Future work will focus on reducing detection limits through the use of LC-MS, with the ultimate goal of assessing exposure in humans who are at especially high risk of environmental contamination through occupational contact.
Back to Analytical Chemistry Poster Session
Back to The 33rd Northeast Regional Meeting (July 14-17, 2005)