Exposure to petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the food-chain is the major human health hazard associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Risk assessment is based on the assumption that petrogenic and pyrogenic PAHs have similar toxicological profiles yet petrogenic PAHs are either alkylated or oxygenated and information on their metabolism is lacking. We report the metabolic fate of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone as a representative oxygenated petrogenic PAH in human HepG2 cells. The structures of the metabolites were identified by HPLC-UV-fluorescence detection and LC-MS/MS as O-glucuronidated catechol, O-methylated catechol, O-sulfated catechol, O-methylated-O-sulfated catechol and O-sulfated bis-phenols. The identities of four metabolites were validated by comparison to authentic enzymatically synthesized standards. The identification of catechol conjugates supports metabolic detoxification of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone through termination of redox cycling by UGT, COMT and SULT isozymes, and indicates their possible use as biomarkers of human exposure. (Supported by U19ES020676-02 to TMP)

Metabolism of a representative oxygenated petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells

246th National Meeting (2013)

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