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Comparison and evaluation of analysis procedures for the quantification of (2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid in urine

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Abstract

Several extraction and derivatization procedures were evaluated for the quantification of (2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid (MEAA) in urine. MEAA is a metabolite and a biomarker for exposure to 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanol, a glycol ether with widespread use in various industrial applications and the specific use as an anti-icing additive in the military jet fuel formulation JP-8. Quantification of glycol ether biomarkers is an active area of analytical research. Various sample preparation procedures were evaluated: liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) using ethyl acetate yielded the highest recovery, and solid-phase extraction (SPE) gave low recovery of MEAA. Two derivatization procedures were thoroughly investigated and validated, namely, silylation of MEAA with N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA), and esterification of MEAA using ethanol. Quantification was performed by gas chromatography (GC) with a mass spectrometer as detector and using a polydimethylsiloxane (HP-1) capillary column. Deuterated 2-butoxyacetic acid (d-BAA) was used as an internal standard. Recovery studies of spiked human urine demonstrated the accuracy and precision of both procedures. The limit of detection (LOD) and other figures of merit for both derivatization procedures will be discussed in detail. Applications of these analysis procedures are also discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Deborah E. Keil for help and providing JP-8-exposed mice urine for the applications section of this manuscript. The authors also acknowledge John Clark, Christine Toennis, and Kate Marlow for their work in human field sample collection. We are grateful for the editorial comments and help provided by Anne Vonderheide, Paul Zamba, John Lipscomb, David Mattie, and Dennis Lynch during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Applied Research and Technology, Taft Laboratory, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45226, USA

    Clayton B’Hymer, Mary Ann Butler & Kenneth L. Cheever

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  1. Clayton B’Hymer
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  2. Mary Ann Butler
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  3. Kenneth L. Cheever
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Correspondence to Clayton B’Hymer.

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Mention of company names and/or products does not constitute endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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B’Hymer, C., Butler, M.A. & Cheever, K.L. Comparison and evaluation of analysis procedures for the quantification of (2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid in urine. Anal Bioanal Chem 383, 201–209 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-005-0048-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-005-0048-z

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