Determination of Naphthalene in Urine by Purge-and-Trap Gas Chromatography

Abstract Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds has been studied by the determination of 1-hydroxypyrene, a metabolite of pyrene, in urine. The analysis for this metabolite in urine is tedious. A direct analysis of compound of exposure is in general easier and more sensitive. Concentration of naphthalene is more than that of pyrene in most environmental samples. Naphthalene in urine was determined directly using the purge-and-trap gas chromatographic method for environmentally and occupationally exposed groups. Naphthalene was selected for study to demonstrate the potential use of this approach. The analysis of data by a student t-test showed no significant difference between urinary naphthalene of smokers and non-smokers in the environmentally exposed situation. There was, however, a significant difference between urinary naphthalene of environmentally and occupationally exposed groups. Thus, occupational exposure to naphthalene in workplace air is a significant contribution to naphthalene...