NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM), Fifth Edition

NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) 5th Edition 

BACKUP DATA REPORT 

NIOSH Method No. 8319

Title: Acetone and Methyl Ethyl Ketone in urine

Analyte: Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone

Author/developer: Corey C. Downs, James B. Perkins

Date: 3/7/2014

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citations to websites external to NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring 

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date. 
ACETONE AND METHYL ETHYL

KETONE IN URINE

NMAM 8319, ISSUE 1 

BACK-UP DATA REPORT

COREY C. DOWNS

JAMES B. PERKINS

DRAFT

JULY 8,2002

EDITED VERSION FINALIZED

MARCH 7, 2014

CONTRACTS CDC-200-95-2955

CDC-200-2001-08000

Submitted To:

National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health

Robert A. Taft Laboratories

4676 Columbia Parkway

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

Submitted By:

DataChem Laboratories, Inc.

960 West LeVoy Drive

Salt Lake City, Utah 84123-2547
TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACETONE AND METHYLETHYLKETONE IN URINE BACKUP DATA REPORT

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................1 

REAGENTS AND MATERIALS .......................................................................................................2 

Preparation of Primary Stock and Internal Standard Solutions .....................................3 

SAMPLE PREPARATION AND INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS ..............................................................3 

Sample Preparation ........................................................................................................3 

Instrument Conditions ....................................................................................................4 

Calibration......................................................................................................................5 

Chromatogram Analysis ................................................................................................5 

LIMIT OF DETECTION AND QUANTITATION STUDY .....................................................................7 

LONG-TERM STABILITY STUDY ..................................................................................................8 

PRECISION, ACCURACY, AND BIAS STUDY ................................................................................10 

SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................12 

REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................12 

APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................14 

User Check Conditions ...................................................................................................14 

User Check Results .........................................................................................................15 
ACETONE and METHYL ETHYL KETONE in urine:

Back-up Data Report

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Both acetone and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) are utilized in a wide variety of industrial 

processes. They are present as solvents in many commercial products such as paints, inks, 

adhesives, thinners, and resins. The ubiquitous use of these chemicals in industry generates a 

large potential for excessive occupational exposure.

Symptoms of acetone and MEK exposure are similar. Lower concentrations primarily 

cause irritation of mucous membranes. Higher levels non-specifically depress the central nervous 

system and are associated with headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and even 

unconsciousness. The onset of the effects varies broadly from person to person and seems to be 

influenced by prior exposure. 

Individuals exposed to acetone or MEK will excrete a portion of the chemical in their 

urine. Several studies indicated a significant correlation between environmental exposure and 

urinary excretion levels for both acetone and MEK; therefore, monitoring occupational exposure 

to these solvents can be achieved through urinalysis [1-4]. Acetone and MEK pass into the urine 

via simple renal diffusion; their urinary concentrations should not be corrected using creatinine 

or specific gravity measurements and will be unaffected by renal disease. The US Environmental 

Protection Agency has published toxicological reviews of both compounds [5, 6]. 

This report evaluates a method for simultaneously quantifying acetone and MEK 

concentrations in urine samples utilizing a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization 

detector (FID). This method employs a headspace technique in which the air above a sample is 

injected into the system, rather than injecting the actual sample or an extract of the sample. A 

method based on a headspace technique seems ideal in this situation because the volatile nature 

of the analytes allows them to easily enter the headspace upon heating of the sample. It also 

eliminates the need for extra sample extraction steps and prevents injecting relatively dirty 

biological matrices into the instrument, where contamination and wear may occur.

Caution must be used in the interpretation of results from this analysis, as other urinary 

sources are documented for each analyte, which could lead to an overestimation of the exposure 
Page 2 of 19

levels. All humans endogenously produce acetone as a natural part of daily metabolism. This 

method is sensitive enough to detect endogenous concentrations of acetone. Diabetics will have 

significantly higher concentrations of acetone in their urine. Fasting may also elevate acetone 

urinary concentrations [7]. Acetone is a metabolite of 2-propanol, consequently 2-propanol 

exposure can lead to increased acetone concentrations in urine [8]. MEK is not usually 

endogenously produced by humans and is normally only found in persons occupationally 

exposed to the solvent. However, 2-butanol is metabolized to MEK and may interfere with 

monitoring MEK exposure [9]. Simultaneous exposure to ethanol was shown to reduce MEK 

metabolism and thus increase the MEK concentration in urine; consumption of alcoholic 

beverages may cause an increase in MEK urinary concentrations [10].

 The Biological Exposure Indices (BEI) Committee recommends a BEI in urine of 2 

mg/mL for MEK and 50 mg/mL for acetone [11].

NOTE: Proper safety precautions should always be taken when dealing with any 

chemical but especially when working with biological fluids such as urine. Manipulating 

biological samples poses a serious health risk because of the potential transmittance of infectious 

diseases including hepatitis and HIV. Lab coats, goggles, and gloves must be worn at all times 

and standard precautions should be followed [12]. Work should be performed in an isolated hood 

where possible. All waste is required by law to be disposed of in a properly labeled, autoclavable 

container.

REAGENTS AND MATERIALS

Presented in Table 1 is the list of reagents and solvents used for this method and its 

evaluation. 2-Pentanone was selected for use as an internal standard to normalize the values of 

acetone and MEK determined in the urine samples.

TABLE 1. LIST OF CHEMICALS

Chemical Vendor CAS # Purity Lot #

Acetone Aldrich 67-64-1 99% DO 033337 DO

Methyl Ethyl Ketone Aldrich 78-93-3 99.5% LI 03563 KI

2-Pentanone Aldrich 107-87-9 97% 02009HT

Water 7732-18-5 ASTM Type II --
Page 3 of 19

Water was used as the solvent while preparing the primary stock and internal standard solutions. 

Urine used in the study for standards and test samples was collected from volunteer employees at 

DataChem Laboratories in Salt Lake City. The urine was collected and pooled as needed. Once 

pooled, it was stored at 4 °C in 1-L polyethylene screw-top bottles. 

Preparation of Primary Stock and Internal Standard Solutions

To make the primary stock solution, a 10-mL volumetric flask was filled partially with 

water. With a microliter syringe, a specific, measured volume of each analyte was added to the 

flask. The 10-mL volumetric flask was brought to volume with water, mixed, and the solution 

was transferred to a 13 X 100 mm glass culture tube with a Teflon-lined cap. The solution was 

stored at 4 °C in the dark until needed. The concentration of each analyte in the stock solution 

was calculated using the volume of analyte added, its density, its purity factor, and the total 

dilution volume. Using acetone as an example:

( ) 6.60

10

1 999.0 788.0 770  =



 





⋅ ××





 





 ⋅ ×

L mL

mg L

m

m mg/mL.

 The internal standard solution was prepared in a similar manner by adding 2-pentanone to 

enough water to fill a 1-L volumetric flask. The target concentration was approximately 80 mg of 

2-pentanone/mL of water. For the experiments in this evaluation, the actual internal standard 

concentration was 78.5 mg/mL calculated as follows: 

( ) 5.78

1

1 97.0 8095.0 100  =



 





⋅ ××





 





 ⋅ ×

L L

mg L

m

m mg/L = 78.5 mg/mL.

This concentration of internal standard was employed because it provided good peak shape, peak 

area, and reproducibility for the internal standard. 

SAMPLE PREPARATION AND INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS

Sample Preparation

For each study, the samples and standards were always prepared in the same manner. 

Exactly 10.0 mL of urine was transferred into a 20-mL Perkin Elmer HS-40 headspace vial. Half 

a milliliter of the internal standard solution was added to the vial before sealing the vial with an 

aluminum crimp-cap and PTFE/Butyl septum. Each vial was then lightly mixed and analyzed. If 

spiked urine and samples were not going to be transferred to headspace vials and analyzed 

immediately, they should be stored at 4 °C in tightly-sealed vials with minimal headspace. 
Page 4 of 19

Samples shipped from the field should also be sent refrigerated in containers having as little 

headspace as possible. 

Instrument Conditions

All of the samples and standards were run on the same system with the same set of 

conditions. The system consisted of a Perkin Elmer Autosystem gas chromatograph equipped 

with an FID and a Perkin Elmer HS-40 headspace autosampler. The column was a fused silica 

capillary column (DB-624, 75 m X 0.53 mm I.D., 3.0 mm film). Figure 1 shows the temperature 

program that was utilized. The head pressure was maintained at 15 psi. 

FIGURE 1. TEMPERATURE PROGRAM

The carrier gas consisted of pre-purified helium and the FID was supplied with pre-purified 

hydrogen and filtered air. The injector and detector temperatures were 180 °C and 250 °C 

respectively. The injection conditions were splitless. The headspace autosampler was set to the 

following conditions: 

Transfer Temp: 129 °C Withdrawal: 0.2 min 

Thermostat Time: 30 min Needle: 120 °C 

GC Cycle Time: 28 min Sample: 80 °C 

Pressurize: 1.0 min Inject: 0.08 min 

Table 2 shows the typical retention times of the analytes given these conditions. 

TABLE 2. ANALYTE RETENTION TIMES

3°/min

40 °C 

4 min

220°C 

2 min

60°C 

20°/ min

Analyte Retention Time (min)

Acetone 5.46

MEK 9.43

2-Pentanone 13.20
Page 5 of 19

The final temperature (220 °C) was maintained until the column appeared to be clean in order to 

prevent any carryover into the next sample injection. Conditions used for a syringe-injection type 

of headspace system can be found in the Appendix. 

Calibration 

 To quantify the amount of acetone and MEK present in samples, a calibration curve was 

constructed daily with at least six working standards covering the anticipated concentration range 

of the samples. The working standards were prepared by diluting known amounts of the 

acetone/MEK stock solution into enough pooled urine to make a total of 10.0 mL for each 

standard. Along with the working standards, at least one pooled urine blank was prepared by 

transferring 10.0 mL of pooled urine (the same pooled urine used for creating the working 

standards) into a headspace vial. The 10 mL of each working standard and pooled urine blank 

were then processed using the same procedure as listed previously. 

After analyzing the samples, a calibration graph was generated for each analyte by 

plotting, for each working standard, the normalized analyte response (peak area of analyte 

divided by the peak area of the internal standard on the same chromatogram) on the y-axis vs. 

concentration of analyte on the x-axis. A linear or quadratic model was utilized in processing the 

working standard data, depending on which model provided a better fit to the data. Because 

humans endogenously produce acetone, detectable amounts of acetone were often found in the 

pooled urine blanks. Before plotting the calibration graph, it was often necessary to subtract the 

normalized analyte response of the pooled urine blank from the normalized analyte response of 

each working standard. The normalized analyte response was then calculated for each sample 

and the corresponding acetone and MEK concentrations were read from the x-axis of the 

calibration curves. 

Chromatogram Analysis 

Representative overlaid chromatograms of a high and low urine standard and of blank 

urine with and without internal standard when the previously described conditions are employed 

are shown in both full- and reduced-scales in Figure 2. 2-Pentanone was chosen as the internal 

standard because of its availability and because its retention time positioned it in a relatively 

interference-free portion of the chromatogram of the urine sample. 
Page 6 of 19

FIGURE 2. REPRESENTATIVE CHROMATOGRAMS

The upper set of chromatograms is shown in full-scale while the lower set of 

chromatograms is shown in reduced-scale to allow more details of the baseline to be evident.

It may appear that the initial temperature program ramp begins too slowly and that higher 

initial temperatures and ramps would decrease the analysis time. Although this may be the case, 

it is not recommended. Field samples tended to be quite variable. A more aggressive temperature 

program caused overlapping and interfering peaks in some samples. In particular, acetone would 
Page 7 of 19

often co-elute with other compounds when higher initial temperatures were employed. These 

chromatograms were acquired during the User Check experiments and thus show slightly 

different retention times than those shown in Table 2. 

LIMIT OF DETECTION AND QUANTITATION STUDY

This study was to determine the limit of detection (LOD) of the method based upon 

pooled control urine spiked with acetone and MEK. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for both 

analytes was then calculated as 10/3 times the LOD. The resulting LOQ was then used to 

determine the target concentrations for all subsequent steps in the method evaluation. 

A range of standards for analysis was prepared in duplicate by diluting the primary stock 

solution (described in Reagents and Materials section) and spiking the appropriate volume into 

10 mL of pooled control urine. Table 3 lists the range of concentrations used during the study. 

The samples were then prepared and analyzed as described in the Sample Preparation and 

Instrument Conditions section. The LOD and LOQ were estimated by fitting the data to a 

quadratic curve followed by applying Burkart’s Method to the data [13].

TABLE 3. LOD/LOQ STANDARDS

Standard Acetone (mg/mL) MEK (mg/mL)

$1 303 308

$2 212 216

$3 121 123

$4 30.3 30.8

$5 21.2 21.6

$6 12.1 12.3

$7 3.03 3.08

$8 1.21 1.23

$9 0.606 0.617

$10 0.303 0.308

$11 0.182 0.185

The correlation coefficient for both analytes was 0.999 for the quadratic curve. The data 

provided LOD estimates of 0.6 and 0.5 mg/mL for acetone and MEK, respectively. This equates 

to LOQs of 2.0 and 1.7 mg/mL for the two analytes. Standard 11 was difficult to distinguish from 

the base-line noise. 
Page 8 of 19

This experiment was repeated three different times on three different days using slightly 

different concentrations of standards to determine if the LOD was consistently achievable. The 

LODs ranged from 0.3 to 0.8 mg/mL for acetone and 0.1 to 0.7 mg/mL for MEK. Although lower 

LODs were occasionally obtained, 0.6 mg/mL was chosen for each analyte as the method’s LOD 

because it was consistently obtainable.

LONG-TERM STABILITY STUDY

This experiment was designed to assess the stability of acetone and MEK in urine under 

various conditions of storage. The study covered a period of 30 days with samples stored both at 

room temperature (24 °C) and refrigerated (4 °C). The study was performed using pooled urine 

for both samples and standards. For samples to be considered stable, they must have a loss of 

less than 10% over a period of seven days [14]. Once at the laboratory, the analysis might be 

further delayed for various reasons; therefore, the study was extended for 30 days. 

A 2-L volume of pooled control urine was prepared in a volumetric flask so that it 

contained 21.1 and 21.5 mg/mL of acetone and MEK, respectively (approximately 10 x LOQ). 

The spiked urine was immediately split into 30 samples by pouring it into 20-mL amber VOA 

vials. The urine was added until the vial was completely full. The vials were capped with Teflon 

PTFE septa and screw-cap tops. When inverted, no air bubbles were visible on the bottom of the 

containers. Eight blank samples were prepared in the same manner using pooled control urine 

that was not spiked with the analytes of interest. The samples were then either left at room 

temperature or stored in a refrigerator at 4 °C. On each day, the designated samples plus one 

blank were analyzed. With each sample set, a fresh series of standards was prepared and 

analyzed each day to produce a calibration curve. Table 4 shows the schedule for the analysis of 

the samples stored at room temperature (24 °C), the length of storage and the results for each set 

of samples.
Page 9 of 19

TABLE 4. LONG TERM STABILITY STUDY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (24 °C)

Storage 

Time

Sample 

# 

Storage 

Temperature

Target 

Value 

mg/mL 

(Acetone)

Amount 

Recovered 

mg/mL 

(Acetone)

Recovery

[%]

(Acetone)

Target 

Value 

mg/mL 

(MEK)

Amount 

Recovered 

mg/mL 

(MEK)

Recovery

[%]

(MEK)

1 Day 1 24 °C 21.1 21.1 100.0 21.5 21.4 99.5

2 24 °C 21.1 21.5 101.9 21.5 21.3 99.1

3 24 °C 21.1 21.6 102.4 21.5 22.2 103.3

4 24 °C 21.1 21.3 100.9 21.5 22.8 106.0

5 24 °C 21.1 20.4 96.7 21.5 21.3 99.1

6 24 °C 21.1 22.3 105.7 21.5 22.9 106.5

7 Days 1 24 °C 21.1 17.9 84.8 21.5 19.1 88.8

2 24 °C 21.1 15.1 71.6 21.5 17.6 81.9

3 24 °C 21.1 17.2 81.5 21.5 19.9 92.6

4 24 °C 21.1 18.7 88.6 21.5 20.9 97.2

5 24 °C 21.1 16.0 75.8 21.5 18.3 85.1

6 24 °C 21.1 15.1 71.6 21.5 18.3 85.1

Average 21.1 19.0 90.1 21.5 20.5 95.3

Std. Dev. 0 2.69 12.7 0 1.82 8.5

The samples are clearly stable for 24 hours at room temperature. However, after seven 

days at room temperature, analyte loss was significant. Samples should, therefore, always be 

shipped and stored at 4 °C or cooler. 

To determine the stability of the urine samples for longer terms of storage, up to 30 days, 

an experiment was performed as per the recommendations from the “NIOSH Guidelines for Air 

Sampling and Method Development and Evaluation” [14]. The 20-mL VOA vial urine samples 

were divided into one group of 6 and four groups of 3. Since the data from the one-day storage at 

room temperature were already obtained from the previous experiment, it was not deemed 

necessary to repeat the experiment a second time. The eighteen samples were refrigerated at 4 

°C. The group of 6 samples was analyzed after 7 days. The remaining four groups of 3 samples 

each were analyzed after 10, 14, 21, and 30 days. Results from the refrigerated study are 

presented in Table 5. 
Page 10 of 19

TABLE 5. LONG TERM STABILITY STUDY AT 4 °C 

Storage 

Time

Sample 

# 

Storage 

Temperature

Target 

Value 

mg/mL 

(Acetone)

Amount 

Recovered 

mg/mL 

(Acetone)

Recovery

[%]

(Acetone)

Target 

Value 

mg/mL 

(MEK)

Amount 

Recovered 

mg/mL 

(MEK)

Recovery

[%]

(MEK)

7 Days 1 4 °C 21.1 21.4 101.4 21.5 21.9 101.9 

2 4 °C 21.1 21.4 101.4 21.5 21.0 97.7 

3 4 °C 21.1 20.6 97.6 21.5 20.8 96.7 

4 4 °C 21.1 21.1 100.0 21.5 20.1 93.5 

5 4 °C 21.1 21.8 103.3 21.5 21.1 98.1 

6 4 °C 21.1 21.9 103.8 21.5 20.0 93.0 

 10 Days 1 4 °C 21.1 21.5 101.9 21.5 21.1 98.1 

2 4 °C 21.1 21.2 100.5 21.5 20.9 97.2 

3 4 °C 21.1 20.2 95.7 21.5 20.6 95.8 

 14 Days 1 4 °C 21.1 20.1 95.3 21.5 21.6 100.5 

2 4 °C 21.1 19.9 94.3 21.5 21.5 100.0 

3 4 °C 21.1 22.8 108.1 21.5 22.9 106.5 

 21 Days 1 4 °C 21.1 21.5 101.9 21.5 21.7 100.9 

2 4 °C 21.1 21.8 103.3 21.5 22.2 103.3 

3 4 °C 21.1 21.6 102.4 21.5 21.9 101.9 

 30 Days 1 4 °C 21.1 21.5 101.9 21.5 22.4 104.2 

2 4 °C 21.1 21.1 100.0 21.5 22.6 105.1 

3 4 °C 21.1 21.6 102.4 21.5 22.5 104.7 

 Average 

  21.1 21.3 100.8 21.5 21.5 99.9 

Std. Dev. 0 0.71 3.4 0 0.85 4.0 

The results from the long-term stability study show that acetone and MEK are stable in 

urine for at least 30 days as long as they are kept at 4 °C with no headspace in the sample 

container.

PRECISION, ACCURACY, AND BIAS STUDY

A study was performed to determine the precision, accuracy, and bias of the method 

using pooled control urine. The bias for a method should be less than or equal to 10%. The 

coefficient of variation (CV) should be less than or equal to 0.1. When these conditions are met, 

the method is deemed unbiased and accurate with 95% probability to within ±25% of the actual 

concentrations [14].
Page 11 of 19

During the study, six concentrations ranging from 1 x LOQ (2.0 mg/mL) to 300 x LOQ 

(600 mg/mL) were studied. For each sample, a volume of 10 mL of pooled urine was used. Seven 

samples at each level (a total of 42 samples) were spiked with an acetone and MEK solution 

(described in Reagents and Materials section) to produce the desired concentrations. A sample 

blank was also included at each level. The samples were then prepared and analyzed according to 

the method. Table 6 displays the average recoveries of the analytes over the ranges studied. 

TABLE 6. AVERAGE RECOVERIES OVER VARIOUS LEVELS

Level 

(xLOQ)

Rough 

Target 

(mg/mL)

Actual Spike 

(mg/mL)

Average Recovery

(%) CV

Both Both Acetone MEK Acetone MEK Acetone MEK

1 2 2.12 2.16 106 98.0 0.110 0.076

3 6 6.06 6.17 92.2 85.5 0.043 0.066

10 20 21.2 21.6 94.9 89.3 0.032 0.044

30 60 60.6 61.7 96.8 96.8 0.019 0.018

100 200 212 216 99.0 98.1 0.062 0.056

300 600 606 617 94.1 89.4 0.062 0.058

The data were processed to determine the coefficient of variation (CV) at each 

concentration level and whether these levels could be pooled using Barlett’s test of homogeneity 

[14]. The pooled coefficients of variation were then used for calculating the overall precision and 

accuracy of the method as presented in Table 7. The 1 x LOQ level was not included in the 

calculations presented in Table 7.

TABLE 7. PRECISION, BIAS, AND ACCURACY 

Analyte

Range 

(μg/mL)

Accuracy 

(%)

Bias Precision

Average Range Overall (ŜrT)

Acetone 6.1 to 606 11.5 -0.0444 -0.0780 to -0.0103 0.0468

MEK 6.2 to 617 15.0 -0.0782 -0.1453 to -0.0316 0.0507
Page 12 of 19

SUMMARY

All data obtained during the method development met all NIOSH criteria for precision, 

bias, and accuracy in all studies performed [14]. The method proved to be rugged and adaptable 

to human urine samples. 

REFERENCES

[1] Pezzagno G, Imbriani M, Ghittori S, Capodaglio E, Huang J [1986]. Urinary elimination of 

acetone in experimental and occupational exposure. Scand J Work Environ Health 12:603-

608. 

[2] Ghittori S, Imbriani M, Pezzagno G, Capodaglio E [1987]. The urinary concentration of 

solvents as a biological indicator of exposure: Proposal for the biological equivalent 

exposure limit for nine solvents. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 48:786-790. 

[3] Perbellini L, Brugnone F, Mozzo P, Cocheo V, Caretta D [1984]. Methyl ethyl ketone 

exposure in industrial workers. Uptake and kinetics. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 54:73-

81. 

[4] Yoshikawa M, Kawamoto T, Murata K, Arashidani K, Katoh T, Kodama Y [1995]. 

Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to methyl ethyl ketone in Japanese 

workers. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 29:135-9. 

[5] US EPA [2003]. Toxicologial review of acetone. EPA 635/R-03/004. 

www.epa.gov/iris/toxreviews/0128tr.pdf. 

[6] US EPA [2003]. Toxicologial review of methyl ethyl ketone. EPA 635/R-03/009. 

www.epa.gov/iris/toxreviews/0071tr.pdf. 

[7] Bales JR, Bell JD, Nicholson JK, Sadler PJ [1986]. 1

H NMR studies of urine during 

fasting: Excretion of ketone bodies and acetylcamitine. Magn Reson Med 3:849-856. 

[8] Kawai T, Yasugi T, Horiguchi S, Uchida Y, Iwami O, Iguchi H, Inoue O, Watanabe T, 

Nakatsuka H, Ikeda M [1990]. Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to isopropyl 

alcohol vapor by urinalysis for acetone. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 62:409-413. 

[9] Williams RT [1959]. Detoxication mechanisms: The metabolism and detoxication of drugs, 

toxic substances and other organic compounds. New York, New York: John Wiley and 

Sons, Inc., p. 96. 

[10] Liira J, Riihimaki V, Engstrom K [1990]. Effects of ethanol on the kinetics of inhaled 

methyl ethyl ketone in man. Br J Ind Med 47:325-330. 

[11] ACGIH [2013]. TLVs® and BEIs® based on the documentation of the threshold limit 

values for chemical substances and physical agents and biological exposure indices. 

Cincinnati, Ohio: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 108 

and 112. 
Page 13 of 19

[12] CDC [2007]. 2007 Guidelines for isolation precautions: Preventing transmission of 

infectious agents in healthcare settings. 

[http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/2007IP/2007isolationPrecautions.html]. Date accessed: April 

2013. 

[13] Burkart JA [1986]. General procedures for limit of detection calculations in the industrial 

hygiene chemistry laboratory. Appl Ind Hyg 1(3):153-155. 

[14] Kennedy ER, Fischbach TJ, Song R, Eller PM, Shulman, SA [1995]. Guidelines for Air 

and Analytical Method Development and Evaluation. Cincinnati, OH: National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 95-117. 

Written By: Corey C. Downs and James B. Perkins, DataChem Laboratories, Inc, Salt Lake City, 

Utah under NIOSH CDC Contract 200-95-2955 and CDC-200-2001-08000. Edited and User 

Check data added by Dale A. Shoemaker, Ph.D., NIOSH/DART/CEMB. 
Page 14 of 19

APPENDIX

User Check Conditions

There are three types of headspace autosamplers in common use: syringe injection, balanced 

pressure, and pressurized loop. The type used in the development of this method and the 

conditions found herein are for a balanced pressure system. The secondary laboratory validation, 

known as a User Check, was performed on a syringe injection type system. The chromatographic 

conditions remain the same, but different autosampler parameters are employed in the different 

systems. The autosampler conditions utilized in the User Check are as follows: 

Incubation Temp: 95 °C Injection volume: 500 μL 

Incubation Time: 15 min Fill speed: 120 μL/sec

Agitation speed: 250 rpm Delay: 5 sec

Run time: 26 min Injection speed: 300 μL/sec

Syringe Temp: 95 °C Delay: 500 msec 

User Check data for acetone and MEK from a first trial is shown in the following tables.
Page 15 of 19

User Check Results

Trial 1

Acetone (concentrations in mg/L) 

Target conc Analyzed 

conc

Recovery Ave 

recovery

Std. 

Dev.

RSD

0 ND

0 0.624

0 ND

0 1.02

0 ND

5.03 4.71 93.6

5.03 4.70 93.4

5.03 5.29 105.2

5.03 5.49 109.2

5.03 4.95 98.4 100.0 7.01 7.01

10.06 13.60 135.2

10.06 11.80 117.3

10.06 11.70 116.3

10.06 12.90 128.2

10.06 15.40 153.1 130.0 15.1 11.6

100.6 98.2 97.6

100.6 101.0 100.4

100.6 99.6 99.0

100.6 102.0 101.4

100.6 100.0 99.4 99.6 1.43 1.44

503 494.0 98.2

503 478.0 95.0

503 478.0 95.0

503 520.0 103.4

503 555.0 110.3 100.4 6.52 6.50

Overall 107.5

average

Std. Dev. 15.7

RSD 14.6

ND = not detected
Page 16 of 19

Methyl ethyl ketone (concentrations in mg/L) 

Target 

blank 

+ Analyzed 

conc 

Recovery Ave 

blank 

Ave 

recovery

Std. 

Dev.

RSD

conc conc

0 0.553

0 1.69

0 1.22

0 2.02

0 0.974 1.29

6.26 5.70 91.1

6.26 5.78 92.3

6.26 6.18 98.7

6.26 6.15 98.2

6.26 6.04 96.5 95.4 3.49 3.65

11.23 14.0 124.7

11.23 12.3 109.5

11.23 12.6 112.2

11.23 13.3 118.4

11.23 15.0 133.6 119.7 9.73 8.13

100.69 98.6 97.9

100.69 101.0 100.3

100.69 99.8 99.1

100.69 101.0 100.3

100.69 104.0 103.3 100.2 1.99 1.99

498.29 491.0 98.5

498.29 480.0 96.3

498.29 498.0 99.9

498.29 521.0 104.6

498.29 532.0 106.8 101.2 4.32 4.27

Overall average 104.1

Std. Dev. 10.8

RSD 10.4

Methyl ethyl ketone was found in the blank urine and only the blank-corrected values are shown. 

As can be seen from the data, three of the four levels for each compound showed high accuracy 

and precision while the ~10 mg/L level gave values that were significantly higher and more 

imprecise than expected. Since no instrumental difficulties were noticed and since levels both 

above and below this one in concentration gave acceptable data, an error in the preparation of the 

samples was suspected. A second set of samples was prepared and the results are shown below.
Page 17 of 19

Trial 2

Acetone (concentrations in mg/L) 

Target conc Analyzed 

conc

Recovery Ave 

recovery

Std. 

Dev.

RSD

0 0.08

0 0.246

0 0.272

0 0.214

0 0.209

4.97 4.76 95.8

4.97 5.01 100.8

4.97 5.20 104.6

4.97 5.66 113.9

4.97 5.64 113.5 105.7 7.92 7.50

9.94 9.92 99.8

9.94 10.60 106.6

9.94 10.50 105.6

9.94 10.50 105.6

9.94 11.30 113.7 106.3 4.94 4.65

99.4 97.8 98.4

99.4 102.0 102.6

99.4 103.0 103.6

99.4 104.0 104.6

99.4 99.5 100.1 101.9 2.57 2.53

497 472.0 95.0

497 499.0 100.4

497 507.0 102.0

497 537.0 108.1

497 528.0 106.2 102.3 5.15 5.03

Overall 104.1

average

Std. Dev. 5.42

RSD 5.21
Page 18 of 19

Methyl ethyl ketone (concentrations in mg/L)

Target conc Analyzed 

conc

Recovery Ave 

recovery

Std. 

Dev.

RSD

0 ND

0 ND

0 ND

0 ND

0 ND

5.07 5.12 101.0

5.07 5.24 103.4

5.07 5.26 103.8

5.07 5.39 106.3

5.07 5.30 104.5 103.8 1.93 1.86

10.1 10.3 102.0

10.1 10.5 104.0

10.1 10.6 105.0

10.1 10.5 104.0

10.1 10.5 104.0 103.8 1.08 1.05

101.4 100.0 98.6

101.4 104.0 102.6

101.4 103.0 101.6

101.4 105.0 103.6

101.4 103.0 101.6 101.6 1.84 1.82

507.1 492.0 97.0

507.1 507.0 100.0

507.1 510.0 100.6

507.1 527.0 103.9

507.1 522.0 102.9 100.9 2.71 2.68

Overall 102.5

average

Std. Dev. 2.25

RSD 2.19

ND = not detected

Methyl ethyl ketone was not found in the blank urine used in this trial. All concentration levels 

of both compounds fall well within acceptable limits of accuracy and precision. This lends 

further credence to the theory that the out of range level found in Trial 1 was a sample 

preparation problem. Below are summary tables combining data from both sets of samples with 

the suspect level dropped from the calculations. 
Page 19 of 19

Acetone

Concentration (mg/L) Average recovery (%) Std. Dev. RSD

5 102.8 7.68 7.46

10 106.3 4.94 4.65

100 100.7 2.31 2.29

500 101.4 5.63 5.56

All combined 102.3 5.63 5.50

Methyl ethyl ketone

Concentration (mg/L) Average recovery (%) Std. Dev. RSD

5 99.6 5.17 5.19

10 103.8 1.08 1.05

100 100.9 1.95 1.94

500 101.1 3.40 3.37

All combined 101.0 3.61 3.57