A rapid gas-liquid chromatographic estimation of nicotine in biological fluids

A rapid gas-liquid chromatographic method for the estimation of nicotine in plasma is described. Nicotine is extracted from alkalinized plasma into diethyl ether. This is then concentrated by evaporation and, after an acid back extraction is re-extracted into n-heptane (nitrogen detector) or dichloromethane (flame ionization detector) before injection onto the gas chromatography. Thirty samples a day can be analysed by this method which enables concentrations of 0.1 ng ml- minus 1 nicotine to be measured. It is thus possible to measure nicotine in plasma and urine samples from non-smokers.