Gas chromatographic determination of 2-ethylhexanoic acid in urine as its pentafluorobenzyl ester

Abstract

A gas chromatographic (GC) method was developed for the determination of 2-ethylhexanoic acid (2-EHA), initially in the urine of animals, but subsequently in samples of urine from sawmill workers in order to evaluate their exposure to 2-EHA which is used as a wood preservative. The 2-EHA was derivatised to the pentafluorobenzyl ester, which was then analysed by means of a cross-linked methyl silicone GC column with electron capture detection. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to confirm the identity of the GC peaks. The analytical range of the method was 0.03–2.70 mmol of 2-EHA per mol of creatinine in urine and the limit of detection was 0.01 mmol per mol of creatinine. The recovery of 2-EHA was 81–90% with a coefficient of variation of 9.8%. The amount of 2-EHA excreted in urine was corrected for the excretion of creatinine. The concentration of 2-EHA in the urine of the workers studied varied from 0.01 to 5.40 mmol per mol of creatinine; the median was 0.1 mmol per mol of creatinine.