In the present article we assessed exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Italian asphalt workers (AW, n = 100), exposed to bitumen fumes and diesel exhausts, and in roadside construction workers (CW, n = 47), exposed to diesel exhausts, by means of environmental and biological monitoring. 1-hydroxypyrene (OH-Py) was determined in urine spot samples collected, respectively, after 2 days of vacation (baseline), before, and at the end of the monitored work shift, in the second part of the workweek. Median airborne levels during the work shift of 15 PAHs (both vapor and particulate phases), from naphthalene (NAP) to indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, ranged from below 0.03 to 426 ng/m(3). Median excretion values of OH-Py in baseline, before- and end-shift samples were 228, 402, and 690 ng/L for AW and 260, 304, and 378 ng/L for CW. Lower values were found in nonsmokers compared to smokers (e.g., in AW 565 and 781 versus 252 and 506 ng/L in before-shift and end-shift samples, respectively). In all subjects a weak correlation between personal exposure to the sum of airborne 15 PAHs and OH-Py was observed (r = 0.30). The results of this article show that AW experienced a moderate occupational exposure to airborne PAHs, resulting in a significant increase of urinary OH-Py during the workday and the workweek. The contribution of working activities to internal dose was in the same order of magnitude of the contribution of cigarette smoking.
The aim of the study was the assessment of low-level exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by biological monitoring focusing on measurement of unmetabolized PAHs in urine. Italian asphalt workers (AW, n = 100) and roadside construction workers (CW, n = 47) were investigated by measurement of unmetabolized PAHs and 1-hydroxypyrene (OH-Py) in urine spot samples collected respectively after two days of vacation (baseline), before and at the end of the monitored workshift, in the second part of the workweek. Personal exposure was also assessed by use of active samplers collecting both vapor-and particulate-phase PAHs. Median airborne levels during the workshift of 15 PAHs (both vapor and particulate phases), from naphthalene to indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, ranged from below 0.03 to 426 ng/m 3 . Median excretion values of OH-Py in end-shift samples was 690 ng/L for AW and 378 ng/L for CW (p < 0.01). Urinary low-boiling PAHs were detected in the majority of the samples. Median levels for urinary naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene in end-shift samples were 117,50,8, and 6 ng/L in AW and 104,19,5,and 4 ng/L in CW, respectively. Significantly higher levels of most of the unmetabolized compounds were found in AW than in CW. Moreover, in AW samples the urinary excretion of most analytes increased during the work shift (before-shift vs. end-shift) and the workweek (baseline vs. before-shift). Urinary high-boiling PAHs were found in less than 10% of the samples. Significant correlations between airborne and urinary PAHs were observed. The results of this study show that low-boiling unmetabolized PAHs in urine may be suggested as biomarkers of low-level exposure to PAHs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.