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Validity of different biomonitoring parameters in human urine for the assessment of occupational exposure to naphthalene

  • Toxicokinetics and Metabolism
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Abstract

Up to date, information on the validity of human biomonitoring (HBM) parameters of naphthalene exposure is poor. This study was performed to reveal the relation between occupational exposure to naphthalene and biological exposure markers. Therefore, ten lowly and highly exposed workers from the abrasives industry were selected to characterise a broad exposure range. Naphthalene in air was determined by personal air monitoring during one shift. For biological monitoring, pre- and post-shift urine samples collected on 2 days of a working week were analysed for 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene (1,2-DHN), 1- and 2-naphthol, 1- and 2-naphthylmercapturic acid (NMA). The naphthalene concentration in air was in the range of 0.5 to 11.6 mg/m3. The biomarkers in urine showed post-shift concentration in the range of 114–51,809 µg/L for 1,2-DHN, 0.8–666 µg/L for 1–NMA, 2–2698 µg/L for 1-naphthol and 4–1135 µg/L for 2-naphthol, respectively. 2-NMA was not detected. The urinary levels increased significantly from pre- to post-shift for all analysed parameters and an accumulation over the working week was observed. Significant positive correlations were observed between 1,2-DHN, 1-NMA, 1- and 2-naphthol in post-shift urine samples and personal exposure to naphthalene in the air. 1-NMA and 1,2-DHN, 1- and 2-naphthol have been demonstrated as suitable biomarkers for naphthalene exposure monitoring. Of the determined biomarkers, 1,2-DHN is by far the metabolite with the highest concentration in the urine samples.

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Acknowledgement

The Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg contributed to the study without any financial funding. Funding for sampling and air monitoring of this study was provided by the Federation of European Producers of Abrasives (FEPA) and the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions for the administrative sector (VBG) and the energy, textile, electrical and media products sectors (BG ETEM). The scientific opinions and conclusions expressed in the paper are exclusively those of the authors and are independent of the sources of financial support. The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Ruhr Universität Bochum (Re.-No. 5013-14, 16.05.2014). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all sample donors and they provided their urine voluntarily. No identifying information is included in this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Henkestr. 9-11, 91054, Erlangen, Germany

    Katrin Klotz, Melanie Zobel, Thomas Göen & Hans Drexler

  2. Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany

    Tobias Weiß, Daniel Bury, Kirsten Sucker, Wolfgang Zschiesche & Thomas Brüning

  3. Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Alte Heerstr. 111, 53757, Sankt Augustin, Germany

    Dietmar Breuer & Silke Werner

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  1. Katrin Klotz
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  2. Tobias Weiß
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  3. Melanie Zobel
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  4. Daniel Bury
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  11. Hans Drexler
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Correspondence to Katrin Klotz.

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Klotz, K., Weiß, T., Zobel, M. et al. Validity of different biomonitoring parameters in human urine for the assessment of occupational exposure to naphthalene. Arch Toxicol 93, 2185–2195 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-019-02468-9

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