Hara K, Hanaoka T, Yamano Y, Itani T
Institute for Science of Labour, Kawasaki-shi, Japan.
Sci Total Environ. 1997 Jun 20;199(1-2):159-64. doi: 10.1016/s0048-9697(97)05491-0.
Because garbage collectors work in the street, they are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in motor vehicle exhaust gas as they work. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-pyrene) began to be used as a biological monitoring index for human exposure to high concentrations of PAHs. The objective of this study was to examine the applicability of urinary 1-OH-pyrene as a biological monitoring index for human low-level PAH exposure, such as the PAH exposure experienced while working in the street. The subjects were fifteen male garbage collectors. We measured individual exposure to PAHs, urinary 1-OH-pyrene concentrations and urinary cotinine concentrations. Individual air samplers were attached to the collar of the clothing of five workers to capture PAHs. Urine samples were collected before work, around noon and after finishing the day's work. In all, five PAH samples and 45 urine samples were collected. As control data, we analyzed the urinary 1-OH-pyrene and urinary cotinine levels of six smoking and four non-smoking control subjects who were not occupationally exposed to PAHs. The benzo[a]pyrene level in the air sampled for 5-6 h was 2.5-10.5 ng/m3, and the pyrene level as 10.3-70.3 ng/m3. These levels were similar to those in the vicinity of streets in Japan. A positive correlation between total PAH levels and the pyrene levels was observed. The average urinary 1-OH-pyrene level of the smokers was 0.21 +/- 0.13 mumol/mol creatinine, vs. 0.15 +/- 0.11 mumol/mol creatinine in the non-smokers. The urinary 1-OH-pyrene level obtained in this study was slightly higher than in the control group. No correlation was found between pyrene exposure and the urinary 1-OH-pyrene level of the five workers who wore the personal samplers. A significant positive correlation was observed between the urinary 1-OH-pyrene level and urinary cotinine level of the smokers. A significant positive correlation was also observed between the urinary 1-OH-pyrene and urinary cotinine levels of the control group smokers. In conclusion, urinary 1-OH-pyrene is not applicable for biological monitoring of extremely low levels of exposure to PAHs, as in the case of working in the street. Caution is required to exclude the effects of smoking when evaluating PAH exposure.
由于垃圾收集工在街道上工作，他们在工作时会接触到机动车尾气中的多环芳烃（PAHs）。尿中1-羟基芘（1-OH-芘）开始被用作人体接触高浓度PAHs的生物监测指标。本研究的目的是检验尿中1-OH-芘作为人体低水平PAH暴露（如在街道工作时所经历的PAH暴露）生物监测指标的适用性。研究对象为15名男性垃圾收集工。我们测量了个体对PAHs的暴露、尿中1-OH-芘浓度和尿中可替宁浓度。将个体空气采样器附在5名工人衣服的衣领上以采集PAHs。在工作前、中午左右和完成一天的工作后采集尿样。总共采集了5个PAH样本和45个尿样。作为对照数据，我们分析了6名吸烟和4名不吸烟的对照对象的尿中1-OH-芘和尿中可替宁水平，这些对照对象没有职业性接触PAHs。采集5 - 6小时的空气中苯并[a]芘水平为2.5 - 10.5 ng/m³，芘水平为10.3 - 70.3 ng/m³。这些水平与日本街道附近的水平相似。观察到总PAH水平与芘水平之间存在正相关。吸烟者的尿中1-OH-芘平均水平为0.21±0.13 μmol/mol肌酐，而非吸烟者为0.15±0.11 μmol/mol肌酐。本研究中获得的尿中1-OH-芘水平略高于对照组。在佩戴个人采样器的5名工人中，未发现芘暴露与尿中1-OH-芘水平之间存在相关性。吸烟者的尿中1-OH-芘水平与尿中可替宁水平之间存在显著正相关。对照组吸烟者的尿中1-OH-芘和尿中可替宁水平之间也存在显著正相关。总之，尿中1-OH-芘不适用于像在街道工作这种极低水平PAH暴露的生物监测。在评估PAH暴露时，需要谨慎排除吸烟的影响。
