OCCUPATIONAL CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ORGANIC-SOLVENTS .5. CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHODS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PHENOLS IN URINE

Gas chromatographic and high pressure liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of phenol and cresols in urine are described. In both cases phenol is determined specifically; o-, m- und p-cresols are not separated by high pressure liquid chromatography. However, o-cresole is separated by gas chromatography. On account of the special preparation of urine samples both methods are very sensitive. The detection limits lie between 0.2 and 1.3 mg/l. 24-h samples of normal urines (n = 30) are analysed (xphenol = 4.6 mg/l; xp-cresol = 45.7 mg/l, respectively 52.6 mg/l). These results are compared with those of a photometric method. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.