Forensic toxicological analysis of tetrahydrofuran in body materials.
Routine analysis of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in biologic materials has become feasible using GC and GC/MS and the headspace method. Problems of the headspace method and this substance which has a high water- and lipid-solubility were overcome by using the salting-out technique. Identification was made by mass spectral examination, in case of concentrations over 5 micrograms per sample. For quantitative determinations, tetrahydropyran (pentamethylene oxide) was used as an internal standard in GC, and a stable isotopic substance, octadeuterated THF (TDF) in GC/SIM. THF was detected in 1 microgram per sample by GC, and 0.1 microgram per sample by GC/SIM. THF blood levels in laboratory animals reached their highest values about 1 h after the oral administration, and the half-life was about 5 h. Ratios of tissue levels to blood were ca. 1.5-2 in the adipose tissue and kidney, and fairly equal in the brain, liver, spleen, and muscle.
D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005663:Furans / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D005663:Furans; C018674:tetrahydrofuran