Used as a biomarker for toluene exposure in occupational health monitoring. When individuals are exposed to toluene, the body metabolizes it into hippuric acid, which is then conjugated with ethanol to form ethyl hippurate. This compound is excreted in urine, making it useful for biological monitoring in workers exposed to solvents, paints, or adhesives. Measuring ethyl hippurate levels in urine helps assess the extent of toluene absorption and ensures compliance with safety exposure limits. It is preferred in some testing protocols because ethyl ester derivatives like ethyl hippurate offer better stability and detection in analytical methods such as gas chromatography or mass spectrometry.