Determination of 5-hydroxy-N-methylpyrrolidone and 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide in human urine

Summary, in English

A method for simultaneous determination of 5-hydroxy-N-methylpyrrolidone and 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide in urine is described. These compounds are metabolites of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, a powerful and widely used organic solvent. 5-Hydroxy-N-methylpyrrolidone and 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide were purified from urine by adsorption to a C8 solid-phase extraction column and then elution by ethyl acetate-methanol (80:20). After evaporation, the samples were derivatised at 100 degrees C for 1 h by bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide. Ethyl acetate was then added and the samples were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the electron impact mode. The extraction recovery for 5-hydroxy-N-methylpyrrolidone was about 80% while that for 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide was about 30%. The intra-day precision for 5-hydroxy-N-methylpyrrolidone was 2-4% and the between-day precision 4-21% (4 and 60 microg/ml). The intra-day precision for 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide was 4-8% and the between-day precision 6-7% (2 and 20 microg/ml). The detection limit was 0.2 microg/ml urine for both compounds. The method is applicable for analysis of urine samples from workers exposed to N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

• Author: Bo A Jönsson; Bengt Åkesson
• Department/s: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University
• Publishing year: 1997
• Language: English
• Pages: 351-357
• Publication/Series: Journal of Chromatography. B
• Volume: 694
• Issue: 2
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4347(97)00125-4
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Topic: Environmental Health and Occupational Health
• Keywords: 5-Hydroxy-N-methylpyrrolidone; 2-Hydroxy-N-methylsuccininide; N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1387-2273