[Use of gas chromatography with flame ionization (GC-FID) in the measurement of solvents in the urine].

The urinary concentration of some solvents (acetone, cyclohexane, 1,2 dichloropropane, n-hexane, methyl ethyl ketone, perchloroethylene, styrene, toluene, 1,1,1, trichloroethane) was measured by means of a gas chromatography Hewlett-Packard 5890 supplied with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID, DANI HS 3950). The coefficient of variation of the method was lower than 5%. The sensitivity of the GC-FID was very similar to what of mass spectrometer detector (GC-MSD, HP 5970 A).

[Relationship of environmental levels, respiratory absorption and urinary concentrations of various solvents: effects of work load].

The physical demand in the workplaces can be different depending on each specific job. This involves that workers exposed to the same environmental level of an airborne can absorb different amounts of it depending on their pulmonary ventilation. Starting from the relationship between the uptake (U) and the urinary concentration (Cu) of 6 solvents (Acetone, Styrene, Xylenes, Toluene, Methylchloroform, Tetrachloroethylene) and from the equation expressing their lung uptake the expected values of a biological index after a given time of exposure can be derived.