image: Innovative detection of LCMs across diverse environments.
Credit: Liu, Y., Li, W., Li, Z., Kannan, K.
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are synthetic organic chemicals used in manufacturing liquid crystal displays (LCDs) present in numerous digital electronic devices. As the use of digital electronics, such as computers and smartphones, becomes increasingly prevalent, concerns over LCMs exposure have risen to prominence as a public health issue. However, research into the occurrence of LCMs in human and environmental matrices remain limited.
In a recent study published in the KeAi journal Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, a team of researchers from the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, and the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at SUNY Albany, developed an innovative technique to identify 60 different liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in a variety of samples, including electronic waste, indoor dust, and even in dog feces and urine.
"Our approach, using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), provides insight into the biological and environmental exposure to LCMs, chemicals frequently used in the production of liquid crystal displays,” explains Yuan Liu, the first author of the study. “Notably, we found the widespread presence of LCMs not only in electronic waste but also in dog feces and urine.” This is the first study to report the occurrence of LCMs in dog urine and feces.
The method's performance was evaluated based on accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and feasibility. It demonstrated satisfactory levels of precision and accuracy, with limits of detection deemed suitable for the analysis of LCMs in both environmental and biological samples.
"The versatility of this method enables the comprehensive monitoring of these chemicals across a wide range of matrices, offering a more detailed depiction of potential exposure risks," adds Kurunthachalam Kannan, senior and corresponding author of the study. “It enhances our understanding of the distribution of LCMs and introduces a novel approach to assess their impact on health and the environment.”
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Contact the author: Dr. Kurunthachalam Kannan, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, kurunthachalam.kannan@health.ny.gov
The publisher KeAi was established by Elsevier and China Science Publishing & Media Ltd to unfold quality research globally. In 2013, our focus shifted to open access publishing. We now proudly publish more than 100 world-class, open access, English language journals, spanning all scientific disciplines. Many of these are titles we publish in partnership with prestigious societies and academic institutions, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
Journal
Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
A method for the determination of 60 liquid crystal monomers in biotic and abiotic samples
COI Statement
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The author Kurunthachalam Kannan is the Editor-in-Chief for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article.