Skip Navigation



NDT Advance Access published online on February 20, 2006
Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, doi:10.1093/ndt/gfl036
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
21/6/1618    most recent
gfl036v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Poli, D.
Right arrow Articles by Franchini, I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Poli, D.
Right arrow Articles by Franchini, I.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author [2006]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received April 22, 2005
Accepted January 23, 2006

Original Article

Organic contamination in dialysis water: trichloroethylene as a model compound

Diana Poli 1 *, Laura Pavone 2, Pius Tansinda 2, Matteo Goldoni 1, Dante Tagliavini 2, Salvatore David 2, Antonio Mutti 2, and Innocente Franchini 2

1 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention Research Center at the University of Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy; Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology and Health Sciences, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy
2 Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology and Health Sciences, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diana Poli, E-mail: diana.poli{at}unipr.it



  Abstract

Background. Routine water monitoring in a haemodialysis centre revealed high trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations. The aim of this study is to describe the measures adopted after organic contamination of dialysis water in order to avoid the possibility of patient exposure. We also carried out in vitro experiments to evaluate the accumulation of TCE in various devices normally used in a dialysis water treatment system (DWTS).

Methods. In vivo and in vitro blood and water TCE levels were determined by means of solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometer.

Results. High TCE concentrations were found throughout the DWTS; acceptably low levels were obtained only by replacing the activated charcoal, ionic-exchange resins, microfilters and PVC pipes. The adsorption and realising capacities of these devices were tested in vitro, and the elimination curves made it possible to calculate the total percentage of the previously absorbed TCE mass released into the water. Evidence of exposure was confirmed by the relatively high TCE levels in the patient blood samples taken 30 days after the last exposure even if the subjects were asymptomatic. In vivo experiments showed that the blood gain of TCE through the low flux membrane during the course of dialysis was about 77±10.4% of the amount carried by dialysis fluid as calculated on the basis of its partition coefficient value (Kb/w 3.75).

Conclusions. This study shows that, when present in dialysis water, the lipophilic TCE contaminant can accumulate in various devices, thus transforming them into possible sources of exposure. This highlights the importance of periodically monitoring dialysis water for organic substances that have a great affinity to the blood compartment, in order to prevent occasional or chronic patient exposure.

Keywords: dialysis; organo-halogenated compounds; trichloroethylene; water contamination.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.