Blood n-hexane concentration following acute inhalation exposure in rats.

Blood n-hexane concentrations in rats is reported. Groups of four rats were exposed to a n-hexane vapor/air mixture, in a glass chamber. At the end of the exposure, the animals were sacrificed by decapitation, blood was collected, and the concentration of n-hexane in blood was determined by headspace gas chromatography. Results indicate that blood becomes saturated with n-hexane in 10 minutes or less and persisted in the other exposure periods, up to and including 30 minutes.