A multi-day environmental study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in a high-risk region for esophageal cancer in China

• Published in: Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 52 - 59
• Main Authors: Deziel, Nicole C, Wei, Wen-Qiang, Abnet, Christian C, Qiao, You-Lin, Sunderland, Deirdre, Ren, Jian-Song, Schantz, Michele M, Zhang, Yu, Strickland, Paul T, Abubaker, Salahaddin, Dawsey, Sanford M, Friesen, Melissa C, Roth, Mark J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.01.2013; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 1-Hydroxypyrene; 692/699/67/1504/1477; 692/699/67/2324; 704/172/169/895; Adult; Aged; Air Pollutants - toxicity; Air sampling; Benzo(a)pyrene; Bioindicators; Biological markers; Biomarkers; Cancer; Carcinogenicity; Carcinogens; China - epidemiology; Diets; Environmental Exposure; Environmental studies; Epidemiology; Esophageal cancer; Esophageal Neoplasms - chemically induced; Esophageal Neoplasms - epidemiology; Esophagus; Evaluation; Exposure; Food; Food intake; Health aspects; Humans; Kitchens; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; original-article; Physiological aspects; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Compounds - toxicity; Pyrene; Risk factors; Risk groups; Sampling; Smoking; Squamous cell carcinoma; Urine; China; China, People's Rep; cancer; biomonitoring; dietary exposure; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; China; inhalation exposure
• ISSN: 1559-0631; 1559-064X
• DOI: 10.1038/jes.2012.73

Linzhou, China has one of the highest rates of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the world. Exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[ a ]pyrene (BaP), may have a role in this increased risk. To better understand PAH sources, we measured PAHs in the air and food of 20 non-smokers over multiple days and compared the concentrations with a urinary PAH biomarker, 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG). Sampling occurred over 4 consecutive days. Kitchen air samples (days 2–3) and duplicate diet samples (days 1–4) were analyzed for 14 or more unique PAHs, including BaP. Daily urine samples (days 1–3) were analyzed for 1-OHPG. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the associations between air or food PAH concentrations and urine 1-OHPG concentrations. The median kitchen air BaP concentration was 10.2 ng/m 3 (interquartile range (IQR): 5.1–20.2 ng/m 3 ). The median daily food BaP concentration and intake were 0.08 ng/g (IQR=0.04–0.16 ng/g) and 86 ng/day (IQR=41–142 ng/day), respectively. The median 1-OHPG concentration was 3.36 pmol/ml (IQR=2.09–6.98 pmol/ml). In mixed-effects models, 1-OHPG concentration increased with same-day concentration of food BaP ( P =0.07). Although PAH concentrations in air were not associated with 1-OHPG concentrations, the high concentrations of PAHs in both air and food suggest that they are both important routes of exposure to PAHs in this population. Further evaluation of the role of PAH exposure from air and food in the elevated rates of esophageal cancer in this region is warranted.