GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF 2,5-HEXANEDIONE IN URINE AS AN INDICATOR OF EXPOSURE TO NORMAL-HEXANE

A sensitive and specific method for determination of 2, 5-hexanedione in urine is described. Treatment of the urine specimen directly with n-butylamine yields n-butyl 2, 5-dimethyl pyrrole. The latter is extracted into dlisopropylether and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection (FiD), thermionic specific detection (TSD) (N mode), or mass spectrometric detection (MS). The minimum detectable quantities are 1 mg/L urine when employing FID with a coefficient of variation of <6%. Recovery of 2, 5-hexanedione added to the urine at the level of 10 mg/L was 78.9%. © 1992, Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.