A novel device for capturing breath samples for solvent analysis

Abstract

We have developed a novel breath sampling device suitable for capturing a portion of end-tidal air. This breath sample is then transferred onto a Perkin Elmer automated thermal desorption (ATD) sampling tube which is subsequently analysed by ATD-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). The breath sampler has been evaluated in the laboratory, in brief field trials and in human volunteer studies. The method is sensitive with a typical detection limit of 1 nmol/l and reproducible with an overall coefficient of variation between 5% and 15% for collection and analysis of breath samples from volunteers. The field trials used the sampler to assess exposure to solvents in several industries including the shoe manufacturing industry, the inks and coatings industry and at dry cleaning establishments. The sampler was found easy to use and reliable. Solvents detected include ethyl acetate (6.4–25.5 nmol/l), propan-2-ol (3.4–39.3 nmol/l), 2-butanone (0–6.6 nmol/l) and tetrachloroethene (0–557 nmol/l). The breath sampler was also used to monitor the elimination of solvents in breath from human volunteers after exposure chamber studies. More than 500 breath samples have been analysed from 24 volunteers in exposures to 10 different solvents (toluene, trimethyl benzene, tetrachloroethene, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, propan-2-ol, xylene, 2-butanone, 1-methoxy-2-propanol and n-hexane). The breath sampler allowed the rapid and non-invasive collection of data on elimination of solvents.