[The evaluation of 1-hydroxypyrene as a bioindicator of industrial exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons].

One hundred and twenty-two workers (16 from a coke production plant, 106 from a graphite electrode manufacturing plant) agreed to participate in this study designed to evaluate the relationship between the exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) and the urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HOP), the main metabolite of pyrene. The results show that the concentration of pyrene in air is highly correlated with total PAHS amount (r = 0.083, p < 0.001), with a the correlation coefficient between 1-HOP and total PAHS of r = 0.72 (p < 0.001). The biological half life of the 1-HOP was determined (18 hrs) and the non interference of smoking habits in relation to 1-HOP urinary was established, concluding that 1-HOP is a suitable bioindicator of the occupational exposure to PAHS.