Exposure of university students to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons measured from urinary monohydroxy metabolites

Abstract

Internal exposure of university students to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was assessed through urinary PAHs metabolites. Eight monohydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs) were detected with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The detectable frequencies were 59%-100% for different analytes. Major components in the subjects' urine were 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNap, 0.60 μg/mmol creatinine), followed by hydroxyphenanthrene (ΣOH-Phe, 0.38 μg/mmol creatinine) and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHFlu, 0.25 μg/mmol creatinine). Excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPyr, 0.08 μg/mmol creatinine) was almost one order of magnitude lower than the 2-OHNap level in the urine samples. Phenanthrene can be metabolized to five monohydroxy metabolites in human urine. In the present study, 1-or 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-or 9-OHPhe) was the dominant component (79%), followed by 2-+3-OHPhe (18%) and 4-OHPhe (3%). The study indicates that 1-OHPyr may not be a good marker for total PAHs exposure, and monitoring of 2-OHNap, 2-OHFlu, 1-or 9-OHPhe and 1-OHPyr as multiple biomarkers are more suitable than only using 1-OHPyr. The levels of OH-PAHs detected in urines of students living in Shanghai are higher those of people in other countries or regions. The concentrations of urine OH-PAHs are directly related to the exposure to PAHs in the environment, indicating that Shanghai residents are at high health risk.

Aquaculture Contributes a Higher Proportion to Children's Daily Intake of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Than to That of Adults in Eastern China

“…In Equation 3, C U-OH-PAHs,i is the concentration of OH-PAH i in urine (μg/L). The data regarding urinary OH-PAHs were sought from previous studies (Xia et al 2009;Zhou et al 2009aZhou et al , 2009b. The variable V is the daily volume of human urine (in liters).…”

“…The urinary concentrations of OH-PAHs in the general population of eastern China were collected from previous studies (Xia et al 2009;Zhou et al 2009aZhou et al , 2009bLiu et al 2016). Because of the limited data on urinary hydroxy high-molecular weight-PAHs, only hydroxylated naphthalenes, fluorenes, phenanthrenes, and pyrenes were taken into consideration in the present study.…”