Determination of heterocyclic aromatic amines in human urine by using hollow-fibre supported liquid membrane extraction and liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection system

A hollow-fibre supported liquid membrane (HF-SLM) extraction method has been developed for determination of 11 heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) in human urine samples by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with an ultraviolet (UV) absorbance detector. These compounds were extracted from an alkaline urine sample (donor phase) into the organic solvent residing in the pores of a polypropylene hollow fibre and then back extracted into an acidic solution (acceptor phase) inside the lumen of the hollow fibre. After extraction, HCAs were analyzed by injecting the analyte enriched acceptor phase into the HPLC. The analyte enrichment factors ranged between 241 and 339 obtained in a 90 min extraction time, and method detection limits (MDL) ranged between 0.1 and 0.5 μg L−1 with relative standard deviation (RSD) values between 3.4% and 11%. The extraction technique employed in this work is easy to use and rapid as it involves only a few minutes manipulation of each sample. It is the most economical sample preparation/preconcentration technique to our knowledge as compared to other microextraction techniques.