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. 2020 Jul 21;25(14):3301.
doi: 10.3390/molecules25143301.

Properties of Polyhexamethylene Guanidine (PHMG) Associated with Fatal Lung Injury in Korea

Dong-Uk Park  1 , Jihoon Park  2   3 , Kee Won Yang  4 , Ju-Hyun Park  5 , Jung-Hwan Kwon  6 , Han Bin Oh  4
Affiliations

Properties of Polyhexamethylene Guanidine (PHMG) Associated with Fatal Lung Injury in Korea

Dong-Uk Park et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

The use of humidifier disinfectant (HD) has been determined to be associated with lung injuries (HDLI) in Korea. Although HD brands containing polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) oligomers have been found to cause more HDLI compared to brands containing other disinfectants, the physicochemical properties of PHMG have been poorly defined. We aimed to quantify the PHMG dissolved in HD brands, characterize the number-average (Mn) and weight-average (Mw) molecular masses, and identify the polymerization degree of PHMG. Analysis of the PHMG oligomers was performed using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) operated in positive-ion reflectron mode. Eight brands of HD containing PHMG were identified. The PHMG concentrations in these brands ranged from 160 to 37,200 ppm (mean = 3100.9 ppm). Concentration was a significant variable among and within HD brands. The degree of PHMG oligomerization fell within the range of two to four. The averages of Mn and Mw were 517.2 g/mol (range: 422-613 g/mol) and 537.3 g/mol (range: 441.0-678.0 g/mol), respectively. Based on the average molecular weight and the degree of polymerization, the PHMG examined here could be regarded as oligomers, which may be associated with the highest proportion of HDLI being caused by PHMG.

Keywords: PHMG; humidifier disinfectant-associated lung injury; molecular mass; oligomer; polymerization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structures of polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) isomers. Depending on the polymer (oligomer) end groups and the connectivity between the two end groups, PHMG can take on different isomeric forms [11,12].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Boxplots of (a) PHMG concentration (ppm) on the log scale and (b) molecular mass (g/mol) contained in the humidifier disinfectant (HD) products by year manufactured. Note: NI indicates “no information”.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A representative matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) spectrum in the m/z range of 400 to 1000. PHMG oligomer peaks are labeled following the notation nomenclature shown in Figure 1. Inset: an enlarged mass spectrum showing a 4 Da spacing between the unlabeled C3 and labeled internal standard C3 * oligomer peaks.
Figure 4
Figure 4
A calibration curve for PHMG in the range of 50–10,000 ppm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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