Gas chromatographic determination of urinary phenol conjugates after acid hydrolysis/extractive acetylation

Abstract

Phenolic metabolites of inhaled aromatic solvent vapours were liberated by acid hydrolysis of their urinary conjugates. Steam distillation enhanced by salting-out with MgSO 4 gave good recoveries. After extractive acetylation, the derivatives of all cresols and xylenols were completely separated on a Se-54 capillary column. The overall recoveries of urinary phenols relative to the internal standard, 3-chlorophenol, were in the range 92–99%.