Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane. V. Gas chromatographic determination of monohydroxychlorobenzenes (chlorophenols) in urine.

A sensitive and specific gas chromatographic method is described for the simultaneous determination of ten chlorinated phenols that appear in the urine of persons exposed to hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). The phenolic compounds in the urinary samples are hydrolysed in an acidic medium and derivatised with acetic anhydride. This sample treatment permits routine application. The stationary phase (8% DC 200 on Chromosorb G AW-DMCS) possesses a high separating capability for the acetic esters of the chlorophenols. The detection limits lie between 4.9 and 18.6 micrograms/l and allow determinations even in the environmentally interesting concentration range. The recoveries determined using aqueous standards range between 87 and 119% and the relative standard deviations are between 4.4 and 10.1%.