Relationship of Exposure to Coke-Oven Emissions and Urinary Metabolites of Benzo(a)pyrene and Pyrene in Coke-Oven Workers

• Published in: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 311 - 314
• Main Authors: WU, Ming-Tsang, SIMPSON, Christopher D, CHRISTIANI, David C, HECHT, Stephen S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.03.2002
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollutants, Occupational - standards; Benzo(a)pyrene - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Carcinogens - metabolism; Chemical agents; Chromatography, Gas; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Pyrenes - metabolism; Tropical medicine; Tumors; Urine - chemistry; Asia; China; Human; Urine; Correlation; Benzopyrene; Coke; Biological marker; Malignant tumor; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Occupational exposure; Metabolism; Epidemiology; Pyrene; Air pollution; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 1055-9965; 1538-7755

Coke-oven workers are occupationally exposed to a high concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). r -7, t -8,9, c -10-Tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo( a )pyrene ( trans - anti -BaP-tetraol) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) are urinary metabolites of benzo( a )pyrene and pyrene, respectively. In this study, we investigated the relationship among individual air exposure to benzene soluble fraction (BSF) of total particulates, as a surrogate marker of ambient PAH exposures, and urinary trans - anti -BaP-tetraol and 1-OHP concentrations in coke-oven workers at a steel plant in Taiwan. Fifty-seven subjects, including 41 male workers who work in one coke-oven plant and 16 men (referents) from an administrative area, were studied. The mean trans - anti -BaP-tetraol and 1-OHP concentrations (mean ± SD) were 0.4 ± 0.3 nmol/mol creatinine and 9.7 ± 21.6 μmol/mol creatinine, respectively, in coke-oven workers. These levels were significantly higher than those in referents (0.03 ± 0.03 nmol/mole creatinine, P < 0.001 and 0.4 ± 0.2 μmol/mol creatinine, P < 0.01, respectively). Urinary trans - anti -BaP-tetraol concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with individual average BSF and urinary 1-OHP concentrations. That is, the higher the urinary trans - anti -BaP-tetraol concentrations, the more ambient BSF exposure and urinary 1-OHP concentrations (Spearman correlation coefficients r = 0.68 and 0.70, respectively; P < 0.0001; n = 57). These findings suggest that urinary 1-OHP and trans - anti -BaP-tetraol might be considered as potential biomarkers for the assessment of uptake of known PAH carcinogens in the air.