Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2021 Mar;31(2):386-397. doi: 10.1038/s41370-020-0208-4. Epub 2020 Feb 17.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of compounds formed during the incomplete combustion of organic matter. Several are mutagenic carcinogens; the magnitude of exposure can be assessed by examining urinary levels of PAH metabolites. Data from biomonitoring studies that record urinary PAH metabolite levels, as well as demographic and lifestyle information, can be used to investigate relationships between PAH exposure and variables, such as smoking status, workplace smoking restrictions, age, sex, household income, home age, and occupation. This study analysed creatinine-adjusted urinary PAH metabolite concentrations and questionnaire data from ~1200 individuals aged 16 years and older surveyed in Cycle 2 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). Statistical analyses revealed that smoking status, age, and sex are associated with urinary concentrations of a pyrene metabolite (1-OHP), phenanthrene metabolites (ΣOH-Phen), fluorene metabolites (ΣOH-Flu) and naphthalene metabolites (ΣOH-Nap). More specifically, smoking status, age and sex can collectively account for 30, 24, 52, and 34% of the observed variations in 1-OHP, ΣOH-Phen, ΣOH-Flu and ΣOH-Nap metabolites, respectively (p < 0.001). Analyses of non-smokers revealed weak but significant effects of age, sex, home age, and occupation on urinary levels of selected PAH metabolites (i.e., <7% of observed variation, p < 0.05). The unexplained variation in PAH metabolite levels is most likely related to diet, which was not examined. Although the results revealed significant relationships between urinary PAH metabolite levels and several lifestyle and/or demographic variables, robust examinations of selected effects (e.g., sex, home age, occupation) will require datasets that are balanced with respect to the other highlighted variables. The results can be used to identify remedial measures to reduce exposure and concomitant risk, and/or design follow-up studies to test hypotheses regarding the causes of exposure differences empirically related to sex, age, home age, and occupation.
多环芳烃（PAHs）是在有机物不完全燃烧过程中形成的一组化合物。其中有几种是致突变致癌物；可以通过检测尿液中 PAH 代谢物的水平来评估暴露程度。记录尿液中 PAH 代谢物水平以及人口统计学和生活方式信息的生物监测研究的数据，可用于调查 PAH 暴露与变量之间的关系，例如吸烟状况、工作场所禁烟规定、年龄、性别、家庭收入、住房年龄和职业。本研究分析了在加拿大健康测量调查（CHMS）第 2 周期调查的 1200 多名 16 岁及以上个体的尿肌酐校正的 PAH 代谢物浓度和问卷调查数据。统计分析显示，吸烟状况、年龄和性别与芘代谢物（1-OHP）、菲代谢物（ΣOH-Phen）、芴代谢物（ΣOH-Flu）和萘代谢物（ΣOH-Nap）的尿液浓度有关。更具体地说，吸烟状况、年龄和性别可以分别解释 1-OHP、ΣOH-Phen、ΣOH-Flu 和 ΣOH-Nap 代谢物观察到的变异的 30%、24%、52%和 34%（p<0.001）。对不吸烟者的分析表明，年龄、性别、住房年龄和职业对选定的 PAH 代谢物尿液水平有微弱但显著的影响（即，观察到的变异的<7%，p<0.05）。PAH 代谢物水平的未解释变异很可能与饮食有关，而饮食未被检测到。尽管研究结果显示尿液 PAH 代谢物水平与几种生活方式和/或人口统计学变量之间存在显著关系，但对选定影响（例如，性别、住房年龄、职业）进行稳健的检验需要数据集在其他突出变量方面保持平衡。研究结果可用于确定减少暴露和伴随风险的补救措施，和/或设计后续研究，根据与性别、年龄、住房年龄和职业相关的暴露差异的经验假设，从实证角度检验这些假设。
