Determination of acrolein in human urine by headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive headspace gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method was developed for the determination of acrolein in human uri ne. A 0.5-ml urine sample in a glass vial containing propionaldehyde as an internal standard was heated at 80 degrees C for 5 min. A 0.1-ml volume of headspace vapor was injected into a GC-MS instrument. Acrolein and propiona ldehyde were coeluted at 3.1 min using a DB-1 capillary column, and well se parated by selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode using ions m/z 56.05 and m/z 58.05. The interassay and intraassay coefficient of variation were 0.99% a nd 3.3%. The calibration curve demonstrated a good linearity throughout con centrations ranging from 1 to 1000 nM. However, due to a wide variation of acrolein evaporation rates from human urine, a calibration curve must be es tablished for each urine specimen using a standard addition method and dete ction limit varied from 1 to 5 nM. The total analysis time for two samples from one urine specimen required about 15 min. Therefore, this method is co nvenient for the urgent monitoring of urinary acrolein in patients to whom alkylating agents are administered. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.