Determination of fluorocarbon in blood

Abstract

Because fluorocarbons can dissolve relatively large quantities of oxygen and carbon dioxide, there is considerable interest in utilizing them to develop new methods of extracorporael circulation, artificial red blood cells, and liquid breathing techniques. A method for the assay of fluorocarbon in blood is presented. The fluorocarbon is extracted from the blood with toluene, and fluoride is released from the fluorocarbon in the toluene extract by reaction with sodium biphenyl. The inorganic fluoride is then extracted with aqueous sodium acetate, the pH of the extract is adjusted, and the activity of the fluoride ion is read with a fluoride-specific ion electrode. The assay was effective for fluorocarbon concentrations in the range of 1 to 30 ppm.

Sodium biphenyl method for determination of covalently bound fluorine in organic compounds and biological materials

“…For measurement of fluorine in the very same range, the sodium biphenyl method described herein (procedure C) requires a sample size as small as 10 mL. Further, since the recoveries of covalent fluorine are quantitative in all cases (Tables I, III, and IV), a single inorganic fluoride standard curve is adequate for all organic fluorine compounds, instead of different standard curves for different compounds as required in the procedure described by Stein et al (16).…”

“…Compared to the previously published sodium biphenyl methods for the determination of fluorine in organic compounds (12,13), in petroleum products (14), and in experimental biological samples having significantly high levels of organic fluorine compounds (15,16), the procedures described herein permit a smaller sample size, are simpler and more rapid to carry out, and are more economical. Further, the problem of low recoveries encountered by some in the analysis of certain fluorochemicals by the sodium biphenyl method (15) has been identified and resolved in this study.…”