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Chlorine isotopic composition of perchlorate in human urine as a means of distinguishing among exposure sources

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 26, pages 324–328 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Perchlorate (ClO4−) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant with high human exposure potential. Natural perchlorate forms in the atmosphere from where it deposits onto the surface of Earth, whereas synthetic perchlorate is manufactured as an oxidant for industrial, aerospace, and military applications. Perchlorate exposure can potentially cause adverse health effects in humans by interfering with the production of thyroid hormones through competitively blocking iodide uptake. To control and reduce perchlorate exposure, the contributions of different sources of perchlorate exposure need to be quantified. Thus, we demonstrate a novel approach for determining the contribution of different perchlorate exposure sources by quantifying stable and radioactive chlorine isotopes of perchlorate extracted from composite urine samples from two distinct populations: one in Atlanta, USA and one in Taltal, Chile (Atacama region). Urinary perchlorate from the Atlanta region resembles indigenous natural perchlorate from the western USA (δ37Cl=+4.1±1.0‰; 36Cl/Cl=1 811 (±136) × 10−15), and urinary perchlorate from the Taltal, Chile region is similar to natural perchlorate in nitrate salt deposits from the Atacama Desert of northern Chile (δ37Cl=−11.0±1.0‰; 36Cl/Cl=254 (±40) × 10−15). Neither urinary perchlorate resembled the isotopic pattern found in synthetic perchlorate. These results indicate that natural perchlorate of regional provenance is the dominant exposure source for the two sample populations, and that chlorine isotope ratios provide a robust tool for elucidating perchlorate exposure pathways.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the assistance of Dr. Yunbin Guan and Dr. John Eiler with SIMS analyses at Caltech.

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Author notes

  1. Neil C Sturchio

    Present address: 5Present address: Department of Geological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Armen Poghosyan & Neil C Sturchio

  2. Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Maria Morel-Espinosa, Liza Valentin-Blasini & Benjamin C Blount

  3. CENTRO FONDAP/ACCDIS, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Catterina Ferreccio

  4. Arsenic Health Effects Research Program, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

    Craig M Steinmaus

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  1. Armen Poghosyan
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Poghosyan, A., Morel-Espinosa, M., Valentin-Blasini, L. et al. Chlorine isotopic composition of perchlorate in human urine as a means of distinguishing among exposure sources. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 26, 324–328 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2015.18

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