A chemiluminescence assay specific for the microsomal metabolite, benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol.

It is possible to assay for trans-7,8-dihydroxy 7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]-pyrene (BP-7,8-dihydrodiol) in complex metabolite mixtures produced during microsomal metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) because only the BP-7,8-dihydrodiol metabolite will produce significant chemiluminescence (CL) in the NaOCl-H2O2 singlet oxygen-generating system. The limiting CL sensitivity is 30 pmol in a 1-ml CL reaction mixture. CL assays for BP-7,8-dihydrodiol in microsomal reaction solutions gave concentrations identical with those determined by calibrated high-performance liquid chromatography.