Validated method for measuring airborne concentrations of tert-butylphenols for occupational exposure assessment

This study aimed to develop a method for measuring airborne concentrations of tert-butylphenols (tert-BPs) to assess workers' occupational exposure.

Air samples were collected using an XAD-7 sorbent tube. tert-BPs were desorbed from the sorbent with methanol, and their concentrations in the desorbed solutions were determined via high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Method validation included evaluation of retention efficiency, storage stability, method quantitation limit, and reproducibility.

The retention efficiencies for 2-tert-BP, 3-tert-BP, and 4-tert-BP in the XAD-7 sorbent tube were 89%-97%, 93%-96%, and 95%-96%, respectively. Relative standard deviations, reflecting the overall reproducibility of the proposed method, ranged from 0.5% to 5.9% for all tert-BPs. tert-BPs remained stable on the XAD-7 sorbent tube for at least 7 days at 4°C. The method quantitation limit was 0.118 μg/sample for each tert-BP.

The developed method provides a robust and reproducible approach for assessing occupational exposure to airborne tert-BPs, enabling accurate determination within a concentration range of 0.8-160 ppb. This method can facilitate more precise risk assessments in occupational environments.