A simple analysis of 5 thinner components in human body fluids by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME)

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Forensic Toxicology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in biological samples pose challenges for analysis.
• Accurate detection of thinner components in human samples is crucial for forensic investigations.
• Existing methods may lack simplicity or sensitivity for routine toxicological screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method for the simultaneous analysis of five common thinner components.
• To assess the method's efficiency, reproducibility, and sensitivity in human whole blood and urine matrices.
• To evaluate the potential applicability of this method for broader forensic toxicological analyses of volatile compounds.

Main Methods:

• Headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) using a polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber.
• Gas chromatography (GC) for separation and detection of extracted volatile compounds.
• Analysis of toluene, benzene, n-butyl acetate, n-butanol, and n-isoamyl acetate in human whole blood and urine samples.

Main Results:

• The headspace SPME-GC method successfully extracted and detected five thinner components from both whole blood and urine.
• Recovery rates for the target compounds ranged from 50-70%.
• Excellent reproducibility was observed for both biological matrices, with linearity in the range of 2-100 ng/0.5 ml and low detection limits (1.1-2.4 ng/0.5 ml).

Conclusions:

• The developed headspace SPME-GC method is a simple, reproducible, and sensitive technique for analyzing thinner components in human whole blood and urine.
• The method demonstrates significant potential for application in routine forensic toxicology screening of various volatile compounds.
• This approach offers a valuable tool for identifying and quantifying exposure to volatile substances in biological samples.