Static headspace analysis by CC-MS (in sim mode) to determine the benzene in human tissues

An analytical method to determine benzene in human tissues by headspace gas chromatography coupled with a mass selective detector was developed. The p roposed method results very sensitive and reproducible. It allows to determ ine very low benzene concentrations in the human tissues using a limited sa mple amount (50-70 mg). The minimum detection limit was of about 10 ng g(-1 ) with a relative standard deviation less than or equal to 14.0%. The benze ne concentration in the analyzed tissue samples. with different pathologies , ranges between 0.020 and 11.70 mug g(-1) with relative standard deviation less than or equal to 6.0%. The results show that the benzene could be acc umulated into human tissues, particularly the human organs from patients af fected by cancer which present a higher benzene concentration than one in t he same tissues withdrawn from patients with no-tumoral pathologies.