Measurement of toluene in blood and breath in cases of solvent abuse.

A method was developed for measurement of toluene in blood and breath samples, using Tenax GC columns and a Bendix Flasher (Bendix Corp.) coupled to a flame ionization gas chromatograph. Blood samples were collected from six habitual toluene abusers during a 2-h abstinence period. Blood concentrations were found to range from 9.8 to 31.2 mg/L in samples taken shortly after inhaling. Blood half-lives of toluene were found to be much shorter in the first hour after inhalation (53.5 and 49.3 min) than in the second hour (79.3 and 111.2 min). In one of the subjects, blood:breath ratios were determined and averaged 18.2.