Quantitation of phenanthrene dihydrodiols in the urine of smokers and non-smokers by gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

•A straightforward method for the quantitation of urinary Phe dihydrodiols (PheD).•PheD levels represent proximate carcinogens in the bioactivation of carcinogenic PAH.•Significantly different levels of PheD were observed between smokers and non-smokers.•Smokers and non-smokers have significantly different distribution pattern of PheD.•First example of facile quantitation of an intact human PAH (≥3 rings) dihydrodiol.