Abstract |
A method for the simultaneous determination of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and aliphatic nitriles using manual headspace (HS) gas chromatography (GC) with a capillary porous polymer column GS-Q and a nitrogen- phosphorus detector is described. With a HS incubation at 50 degrees C for 30 min and a GC temperature at 180 degrees C, HCN and volatile nitriles [ acetonitrile, acrylonitrile (VCN), propionitrile, isobutyronitrile] were well separated and could be detected within 7 min with a detection limit of 0.7-2.4 ng/ml in blood samples. The HS-GC method was used in an in vivo study of VCN metabolism. VCN was administered orally (at nearly one-half its LD(50)) to rats, and heart blood and urine were sampled. Blood concentrations of HCN and VCN were measured by HS-GC, and plasma and urinary thiocyanate concentrations were measured by the König colorimetric method. Blood levels of HCN and VCN peaked 1.5 h after VCN administration, at which time the cyanide level (about 0.7 microg/ml) is close to the fatal level. HCN levels were observed to be at almost background levels at 10 h, although 50 ng/ml VCN was still detectable. The plasma thiocyanate level increased, reaching a peak (about 30 microg/ml) at 5 h. The cumulative urinary thiocyanate amount gradually increased, and at 10 h more than 1 mg thiocyanate was excreted into the urine. It is therefore possible to clarify the cause of cyanide poisoning using HS-GC analysis, when someone has taken volatile nitriles.
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Authors | Miyako Shibata, Kouichi Inoue, Yoshihiro Yoshimura, Hiroyuki Nakazawa, Yasuo Seto |
Journal | Archives of toxicology
(Arch Toxicol)
Vol. 78
Issue 6
Pg. 301-5
(Jun 2004)
ISSN: 0340-5761 [Print] Germany |
PMID | 14985942
(Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Acetonitriles
- Nitriles
- Thiocyanates
- Hydrogen Cyanide
- isobutyronitrile
- propionitrile
- Acrylonitrile
- thiocyanate
- acetonitrile
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Topics |
- Acetonitriles
(analysis, metabolism)
- Acrylonitrile
(analysis, metabolism)
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- Chromatography, Gas
- Colorimetry
- Hydrogen Cyanide
(metabolism)
- Male
- Nitriles
(analysis, metabolism)
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Thiocyanates
(blood, urine)
- Time Factors
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