[Method for determining brodifacoum in workplace air by high-performance liquid chromatography]

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Occupational Health

Context:

• Brodifacoum is a potent anticoagulant rodenticide used in various settings.
• Exposure to brodifacoum in the workplace can pose health risks.
• Accurate monitoring of airborne brodifacoum is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose:

• To develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for quantifying brodifacoum in workplace air samples.
• To establish a reliable and sensitive analytical technique for occupational exposure monitoring.

Summary:

• Workplace air samples were collected using polytetrafluoroethylene filters and desorbed with a methanol-dichloromethane mixture.
• Brodifacoum was separated using an ODS column and detected via UV absorbance, with identification by retention time and quantification by peak area.
• The method demonstrated linearity (0.2–10.0 µg/ml), high elution efficiency (91.6%–95.1%), a detection limit of 0.08 µg/ml, and a minimum detectable concentration of 0.00067 mg/m³ for a 240 L air sample.

Impact:

• Provides a convenient, simple, and methodologically sound approach for determining brodifacoum in occupational environments.
• Enables accurate assessment of workplace exposure to brodifacoum, contributing to improved worker safety.
• Supports regulatory compliance and risk management strategies related to brodifacoum handling and use.