Effects of Benzo[a]pyrene on Autonomic Nervous System of Coke Oven Workers

• Published in: Journal of Occupational Health Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 308 - 316
• Main Authors: Zhang, Hong‐Mei, Nie, Ji‐Sheng, Wang, Fang, Shi, Ying‐Tao, Zhang, Ling, Antonucci, Andrea, Liu, Hui‐Jun, Wang, Jing, Zhao, Jie, Zhang, Qin‐Li, Wang, Lin‐Ping, Song, Jing, Xue, Cui‐E, Di Gioacchino, Mario, Niu, Qiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia JAPAN SOCIETY FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 01.07.2008
• Subjects: 1‐hydroxypyrene; Adult; Autonomic nervous system; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - chemically induced; Benzo(a)pyrene - adverse effects; Benzo(a)pyrene - analysis; Benzo[a]pyrene; China; Coke; Humans; Industry; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urinalysis; China
• ISSN: 1341-9145; 1348-9585; 1348-9585
• DOI: 10.1539/joh.l7155

Objectives are to investigate the effects of benzo[a]pyrene(B[a]P)on the autonomic nervous system of coke oven workers. One hundred eightyfour coke oven workers were divided into 3 groups according to their working sites(coke oven bottom group, coke oven side group and coke oven top group), and 93 referents were recruited. B[a]P monitored by air sampling pumps as well as urinary 1-hydroxypyrene(1-OH-Py)was determined by high performance liquid chromatograph with a fluorescence detector(HPLCFD). The autonomic nervous system(ANS)function was determined by 4 tests：Valsalva Manoeuvre heart rate variation(HR-V), variation of heart rate when breathing deeply(HR-DB), variation of heart rate when instantly standing up(HR-IS, including RR30：15 and RRmax：min)and variation of blood pressure when instantly standing up(BP-IS). The B[a]P mean concentrations in coke oven bottom, coke oven side and coke oven top were 19,185 and 1,623 ng/m3, respectively. The levels of urinary 1-OH-Py were markedly higher in the 3 exposed groups than that in the referent group(p＜0.01). No significant difference was found in each group between smokers and nonsmokers(p＞0.05). Compared with referents, HR-V decreased significantly in coke oven workers(p＜0.01), representing modulation of parasympathetic nervous function. However, no statistical differences were found in HR-DB, RR30：15, RRmax：min and BP-IS between the exposed groups and the control group(p＞0.05). HR-V decreased with the increment of 1-OH-Py(p＜0.05), and results of multiple linear stepwise regression demonstrated that external exposure level and duration of education entered the HR-V model;age was a significant factor of HR-DB and RRmax：min, but no variable was involved in RR30：15 and BP-IS regression. Benzo[a]pyrene affects the autonomic nervous function of coke oven workers mainly by downregulating the parasympathetic nervous function.