Simultaneous determination of the urinary metabolites of benzene, toluene, xylene and styrene using high-performance liquid chromatography/hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
A simple and rapid method using reversed-phase liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of the urinary metabolites of benzene, toluene, xylene and styrene in human urine specimens and standard solutions is described. A hybrid quadrupole/time-of-flight (QqTOF) mass spectrometer was compared for the determination of metabolite of aromatic solvents in urine samples. The metabolites selected were: trans,trans-muconic acid, hippuric acid, o-, m- and p-methylhippuric acid and phenylglyoxylic acid. The compounds were well separated from each other on narrow-bore 1-mm i.d. reversed-phase LC C-18 columns. Average recoveries for loading 100 microL of urine samples varied from 88-110% and the quantification limits were less than 30 ng/mL for each analyte (3 ng/mL for trans,trans-muconic acid). The qualitative information obtained (mass accuracy, resolution and full-scan spectra) with the QqTOF mass spectrometer allows a secure identification of analytes in biological matrices.
Marchese
Stefano
S
Dipartimento di Chimica, Università 'La Sapienza' di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro n degrees 5, PO Box 34, Posta 62, 00185 Rome, Italy. stefano.marchese@uniroma1.it
Curini
Roberta
R
Gentili
Alessandra
A
Perret
Daniela
D
Rocca
Lucia Mainero
LM
D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000652:urine*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D020058:Styrene / Q000652:urine; D014050:Toluene / Q000652:urine; D014992:Xylenes / Q000652:urine
D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D014992:Xylenes; D014050:Toluene; D020058:Styrene; D001554:Benzene