Toxicologic studies on hydrocarbons. VI. A colorimetric method for the determination of kerosine in blood.

EU1uNG THE COURSE of a study on the toxicity of kerosine, there arose need for a method for the quantitative analysis of kerosine in blood. The ultraviolet spectrophotometric method developed for the analysis of alkylbenzenes in blood (1) was found to have limited application to the determination of kerosine blood levels, primarily because of its lack of sensitivity as well as the erratic readings that resulted from unusual background absorptions. The purpose of this paper is to describe a simpler, more reliable, and more sensitive method for the determination of kerosine in blood. This procedure can be used in clinical hospital laboratories which do not have recording ultraviolet spectrophotometers. The method is based on the production of a color by the reaction of the aromatic hydrocarbons in kerosine with formaldehyde-sulfuric acid reagent (2). The kerosine is extracted from a hemolyzed blood sample with the use of carbon tetrachloride. A photoelectric colorimeter is used to measure the color produced in the reaction of the aromatic hydrocarbons in kerosine with the formaldehyde-sulfuric acid reagent. The intensity of this characteristic color is recorded, and the concentration of kerosine is determined by reference to a previously prepared calibration curve. The method described has been used for the determination of kerosine in a 5-mi. blood sample.