Superfund Research Program
Biological Dosimetry of Hexavalent Chromium
Project Leader: Anatoly Zhitkovich
Grant Number: P42ES013660
Funding Period: 2005-2014
Project-Specific Links
Final Progress Reports
Year: 2008
Human exposure to carcinogenic hexavalent Cr(VI) is commonly accompanied by co-exposure to nontoxic trivalent chromium Cr(III) compounds. Because of rapid reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in tissues and biological fluids, chemical assays are unable to detect the presence of Cr(VI) in environmentally or occupationally exposed individuals. To overcome these difficulties, Dr. Anatoly Zhitkovich’s team focused on the development of analytical approaches for the detection of Cr(VI)-specific forms of DNA damage, which can serve as biodosimeters of Cr(VI) exposure. One of the important mutagenic DNA lesions induced by Cr(VI) in human cells are glutathione-Cr-DNA crosslinks. The team has developed a novel procedure for the detection of these crosslinks with sensitivity greater than 10-fold relative to the standard GF-AAS or ICP-MS analysis of total Cr-DNA adducts.