Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 16(6), 589 (2000).

Rapid Determination of Benzene Metabolites Phenol and p-Cresol in the Urine of Petrol Station Workers by Gas Chromatography
GholamAli KHOSCHSORUR and Walter PETEK
University Surgical Clinic, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Graz, Austria
The determination of phenol and p-cresol in urine has been suggested as a suitable biomarker for the monitoring ofbenzene exposure of pump workers employed in petrol stations. A method for efficiently extracting a wide variety ofdrugs from urine for toxicological analysis by gas chromatography is presented. The sensitivity of the method issufficient to monitor normal levels of phenol and p-cresol after exposure to benzene vapors. The detection limit of themethod is low enough to measure urinary phenol and p-cresol at a concentration of 0.1 mg/l. The overall recoveries ofurinary phenol and p-cresol relative to the internal standard, DPA, ranged between 95 and 96.5%. Our gaschromatographic method is a rapid, precise and economical one suitable to measure the metabolite benzene also inroutine monitoring of phenol and p-cresol.