Protocol for Collection and HPLC Analysis of Volatile Carbonyl Compounds in Breath

This noninvasive method for collection and analysis of a wide range of aldehydes and ketones in human breath may enable assessment of lipid peroxidation and meta-bolic status in vivo. Breath samples are drawn through silica cartridges impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydra-zine, which traps carbonyls as their hydrazone deriva-tives. The hydrazone derivatives are eluted from the cartridges with acetonitrile, separated by reversed-phase HPLC, and quantified spectrophotometrically. Using this method, we have measured formaldehyde, acetalde-hyde, acetone, propanal, 2-butanone, butanal, pentartal, and hexanal. Recoveries of carbonyls added to Douglas bags were>90%, except for 2-butanone, which was 86.2%. The overall CVs for sampling plus analyzing duplicate aliquots of breath were <11%. The result