Experimental exposure to toluene: further consideration of cresol formation in man.

In two separate experiments 10 healthy men each were exposed at rest in an exposure chamber to about 200 ppm toluene in the air. Hippuric acid, o-, m-, p-cresol, and phenol in urine were detected by capillary gas chromatography at the beginning and at the end of exposure, and at variable times after the cessation of exposure. In addition toluene in blood was determined at the same intervals. The results indicate that in addition to hippuric acid, o-, m-, p-cresol are metabolites of toluene; the detoxication lasting 24 hours at least.