The determination of biurea in the presence of azodicarbonamide by HPLC.

Azodicarbonamide (ADA), a solid blowing agent used in the manufacture of plastics, has been selected for inhalation toxicity testing by the National Toxicology Program. To test for decomposition of ADA during aerosolization, an HPLC method was developed to quantitate the relative amounts of one possible degradation product, biurea, in bulk samples and filter samples collected after aerosolization. The method uses a C18 column with 10-micron particles, UV monitoring at 190 nm for biurea and 425 nm for ADA, and a mobile phase of 100% water. Quantitation is with 14C-labeled biurea and ADA as external standards. The assay was validated by spiking bulk ADA with projected levels of 1, 2, and 3% biurea. Levels of biurea bound in both bulk and filter-collected aerosol samples of ADA were both 0.50%, with relative standard deviations of 13 and 26%, respectively.