SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF BENZENE, TOLUENE, ETHYLBENZENE, AND XYLENES IN URINE BY THERMAL-DESORPTION GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY

The determination of metabolites of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, an d xylenes in urine has been used to assess human exposure to these com pounds. The analyses of urine samples for these metabolites are tediou s and time consuming. The determination of unmetabolized individual co mpounds in urine has been studied previously with some success. A simu ltaneous determination of several unmetabolized VOC compounds in urine by thermal desorption-gas chromatography was conducted to assess the exposure of smokers and nonsmokers to these compounds. The method of t hermal desorption-GC was sensitive enough to detect a significant diff erence in exposure levels due to the contribution of light smoking in the environmentally-exposed group. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.