Application of liquid separation techniques to the determination of the main urinary nicotine metabolites

A rapid procedure for the analysis of the main nicotine metabolites (cotini ne, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine) in urine has been worked out. The procedure i ncludes isolation of nicotine and its metabolites from urine by means solid -liquid extraction technique using resin Amberlite XAD-2 and then quantitat ion by the use of thin-layer chromatography with densitometry (in reflectio n mode). GC-MS was applied to confirm the results obtained by TLC. The proc edure was applied to the analysis of cotinine concentrations in urine sampl es taken from children living in Upper Silesia region (Poland). Among 444 i nvestigated children we did not find cotinine almost in 60% but in 15% of t his population, there were children who could have been exposed to cigarett e smoke. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.