A procedure for determining plasmatic trichloroacetic acid in human subjects exposed to chlorinated solvents at environmental levels

An improved gas-chromatographic procedure was developed and tested for evaluating plasmatic trichloroacetic acid (TCA), a terminal metabolite of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, pollutants widely diffused in the environment. It determines the chloroform produced by TCA thermal decarboxylation. The specificity, sample preservation, decarboxylation phase, qualitative and quantitative analysis of chloroform in the static head space have been discussed and documented. The sensitivity of the procedure (2 μg/L plasma) is adequate to the environmental exposure. Good accuracy and precision is possible.