Benzene, toluene, o‐xylene, m‐xylene, p‐xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene, isopropylbenzene (cumene) – Determination of aromatic compounds in urine by dynamic headspace GC‐MS

Biomonitoring Method – Translation of the German version from 2018

Jan Van Pul¹ (Method development)
Bernd Roßbach² (External verification)
  Thomas Göen³ (Head of the working group “Analyses in Biological Materials” of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  Andrea Hartwig⁴ (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  MAK Commission<sup>5

1</sup> BASF Antwerpen NV, Analytical Services ‐ Central Laboratory, Scheldelaan 600, B‐2040 Antwerpen, Belgium
² Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany
³ Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9–11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
⁴ Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Building 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
⁵ Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany

Abstract

The working group „Analyses in Biological Materials“ of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area verified the presented biomonitoring method.

The analytical method described hereinafter permits the simultaneous determination of the following unmetabolised aromatic compounds in urine: benzene, toluene, o‐xylene, m‐xylene, p‐xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene and isopropylbenzene (cumene). Prior to the determination of the analytes by GC‐MS, the analytes are extracted and enriched using ITEX (In Tube Extraction) or SPDE (Solid Phase Dynamic Extraction). To this end, the urine samples are incubated at 50 °C, the analytes extracted from the gas phase and then the enriched analytes are transferred to the gas chromatograph and analysed using mass spectrometry. Calibration standards are prepared in water and processed in the same way as the samples to be analysed. Deuterated benzene is used as internal standard.

The method was extensively validated and the reliability data were confirmed by an independent laboratory, which has established and cross‐checked the whole procedure.

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