The main purpose of biological monitoring is to protect the workers's health, preventing the toxic effects that can occur from occupational exposure to chemicals. Trans, trans-muconic acid (ttMA), a benzene metabolite, has been recommended as a sensitive bioindicator in the biological monitoring of workers exposed to this solvent. This work was developed in order to validate a method for ttMA analysis in urine aiming its application on biomonitoring activities. The chosen technique was the high pressure liquid chromatography with reverse-phase column, Lichrosorb RP 18, and UV detection. A linear relationship (r²= 0.9943) was observed in the range from 0.2 to 5.0 mg/L. The detection and quantification limits were respectively 0.1 and 0.2 mg/L. The average recovery was 77.1% and the inaccuracy (bias) was 27.9%. Precision, evaluated by variation coefficient, were 7.7% (intra-assay) and 10.6% (inter-assay). The ttMA remained stable in the matrix during a period of six weeks for the 0.2 mg/L samples and fifteen weeks for the 2.0 mg/L samples, in both cases when stored at -20 ºC. In 0.2, 2.0 and 5.0 spiked samples no significant differences were found when conserved at 4 ºC for ten days. When using the method to analyse post shift samples from benzene handling workers, the mean and median results found were, respectively, 0.8 and 0.6 mg ttMA/g creatinine.
Trans,trans-muconic acid; Liquid chromatography; Benzene
