Monitoring Low Benzene Exposure: Comparative Evaluation of Urinary Biomarkers, Influence of Cigarette Smoking, and Genetic Polymorphisms

Abstract

Benzene is a human carcinogen and an ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Identification of specific and sensitive biological markers is critical for the definition of exposure to low benzene level and the evaluation of the health risk posed by this exposure. This investigation compared urinary trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA), Sphenylmercapturic acid, and benzene (U-benzene) as biomarkers to assess benzene exposure and evaluated the influence of smoking and the genetic polymorphisms CYP2E1 (RsaI and DraI) and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase-1 on these indices. Gas station attendants, urban policemen, bus drivers, and two groups of controls were studied (415 subjects). Median benzene exposure was 61, 22, 21, 9 and 6 Mg/m 3 , respectively, with higher levels in workers than in controls. U-benzene, but not t,t-MA and S-phenylmercapturic acid, showed an exposure-related increase. All the biomarkers were strongly influenced by cigarette smoking, with values up to 8-fold higher in smokers compared with nonsmokers. Significant correlations of the biomarkers with each other and with urinary cotinine were found. A possible influence of genetic polymorphism of CYP2E1 (RsaI and/or DraI) on t,t-MA

Assessment of Environmental Exposure to Benzene: Traditional and New Biomarkers of Internal Dose

“…Therefore, the finding of values in excess of the 5 µg/m 3 threshold during sampling lasting 8 hours does not necessarily indicate a raised health risk. As regards the influence of a smoking habit, previous studies have demonstrated that the benzene concentrations measured with personal samplers do not reflect the true level of exposure to benzene induced by cigarette smoke (Fustinoni et al, 2005;. The results of the present study partly confirm reports in literature, since a smoking habit did not affect the percentage of benzene determinations exceeding the LOD, and no correlation was observed between airborne benzene and the number of cigarettes smoked during the sampling period.…”

“…Moreover, these experiences have been gained largely in workers such as traffic wardens or public transport drivers who have occupational exposure to road traffic and so to generally higher concentrations of benzene than those affecting the general population Campo et al, 2011;Fustinoni et al, 2005;Manini et al, 2008). In this work the three main biological markers of internal dose currently in use, or under study for validation in biological monitoring of exposure to benzene, namely t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene, were studied.…”

“…The biological markers currently recommended by the ACGIH are t,t-MA and SPMA, that reveal an increased urinary excretion already at l e v e l s o f e x p o s u r e t o a i r b o r n e b e n z e n e concentrations of 65 μg/m 3 , while the relation becomes unambiguous at concentrations of more than 650 μg/m 3 (Kim et al, 2006). A new marker of internal dose is now under study, namely the determination of benzene as is in the urine (urinary benzene) that may prove particularly useful to monitor exposure to very low concentrations of airborne benzene, since a correlation has been shown with benzene concentrations ranging from 6 to 478 μg/m 3 (Fustinoni et al, 2005).…”

Hematologic Evaluation of Painting Hall Workers in an Automobile Manufacturing Company

“…It is also present in cigarette smoke. Therefore, this compound, found in cigarette smoke and other products, may cause concerns for public health (7)(8)(9).…”

Relationships between levels of volatile organic compounds in air and blood from the general population

“…In occupational studies, levels of VOCs and their metabolites in breath, blood and urine tend to be highly correlated with the corresponding air levels (Rappaport et al, 2002;Egeghy et al, 2003;Fustinoni et al, 2005). However, relationships between concentrations of VOCs in the general environment and the corresponding biomarker levels have been ambiguous (Lin et al, 2005).…”