Aromatic amines and nitroarenes are important antioxidants and intermediates in the synthesis of dyes, pesticides and plastics. In the present paper we introduce methods for the synthesis of deuterated standards: 3-[H-2(8)]aminofluoranthene, 3,3'-dimethyl-[H-2(4)]benzidine, [H-2(4)]benzidine, N'-acetyl-[H-2(4)]benzidine, 2,4-[H-2(6)]toluenediamine, 2,6-[H-2(6)]toluenediamine. These standards have been used for the quantification of haemoglobin adducts of diamines and polyaromatic amines. Haemoglobin was hydrolysed in 0.1 M sodium hydroxide and the hydrolysate extracted with dichloromethane. The extracts were derivatised with heptafluorobutyric anhydride and analysed by GC-MS with negative chemical ionisation. In one run up to 15 aromatic amines can be determined: 6-aminochrysene, 3-aminofluoranthene, 2-aminofluorene, 1-aminopyrene, benzidine, 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine, 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine, 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine, 3,3'-methylenedianiline, 4,4'-methylenedianiline, N'-acetyl-benzidine, N'-acetyl-4,4'-methylenedianiline, 4,4'-methylene bis(2-chloroaniline), 2,4-toluenediamine and 2,6-toluenediamine. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.