[Detecting nicotine and its metabolite cotinine in human hair with capillary gas chromatography].
OBJECTIVE
To develop a rapid method for determination of nicotine and its metabolite cotinine in human hair with capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization detector.


METHODS
The hair sample was digested by 1.5 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution. The nicotine and cotinine in the hair sample were extracted with a mixed solvent of dichloromethane-methanol (3:1). Aliquot of the extraction solution was vaporized with nitrogen flow and then methanol was added to dissolve the analysts. The analysts were tested with capillary gas chromatography.


RESULTS
The detection limits (signal to noise ratio of 3:1) were 4.3 ng/mL for nicotine and 10 ng/mL for cotinine, respectively. The spiked recoveries were 90.33%-113.1% for nicotine with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.1%-7.0% and 92.92%-117.4% for cotinine with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.4%-8.9%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed method is sensitive, simple, easy and rapid. It can be easily extended to large scale applications in tobacco epidemiology studies.
Gu
Su-ying
SY
Sanitary Technology, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Li
Yuan-qian
YQ
Liu
Chi-qing
CQ
Yang
Xiao-qi
XQ
Li
Lei
L
Ma
Shao-jun
SJ
Yang
Gong-huan
GH
D003367:Cotinine / Q000032:analysis*; D005410:Flame Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D009538:Nicotine; D003367:Cotinine