Archives of Toxicology

, Volume 83, Issue 10, pp 947–957 | Cite as

Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and DNA damage by industry: a nationwide study in Germany

  • Boleslaw Marczynski
  • Beate Pesch
  • Michael Wilhelm
  • Bernd Rossbach
  • Ralf Preuss
  • Jens-Uwe Hahn
  • Sylvia Rabstein
  • Monika Raulf-Heimsoth
  • Albrecht Seidel
  • Hans-Peter Rihs
  • Ansgar Adams
  • Michael Scherenberg
  • Anja Erkes
  • Beate Engelhardt
  • Kurt Straif
  • Heiko Udo Käfferlein
  • Jürgen Angerer
  • Thomas Brüning
Genotoxicity and Carcinogenicity
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and DNA damage were analyzed in coke oven (n = 37), refractory (n = 96), graphite electrode (n = 26), and converter workers (n = 12), whereas construction workers (n = 48) served as referents. PAH exposure was assessed by personal air sampling during shift and biological monitoring in urine post shift (1-hydroxypyrene, 1-OHP and 1-, 2 + 9-, 3-, 4-hydroxyphenanthrenes, ΣOHPHE). DNA damage was measured by 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) and DNA strand breaks in blood post shift. Median 1-OHP and ΣOHPHE were highest in converter workers (13.5 and 37.2 μg/g crea). The industrial setting contributed to the metabolite concentrations rather than the air-borne concentration alone. Other routes of uptake, probably dermal, influenced associations between air-borne concentrations and levels of PAH metabolites in urine making biomonitoring results preferred parameters to assess exposure to PAH. DNA damage in terms of 8-oxo-dGuo and DNA strand breaks was higher in exposed workers compared to referents ranking highest for graphite-electrode production. The type of industry contributed to genotoxic DNA damage and DNA damage was not unequivocally associated to PAH on the individual level most likely due to potential contributions of co-exposures.

Keywords

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Occupational exposure DNA damage Biological monitoring PAH industries 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all workers and companies for their help and support. Additional thanks are due to Dr. Holger M. Koch, Dr. Sabine Plöttner, and Dr. Rosemarie Marchan for internal review and editorial comments prior submission. This work was core-supported by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Boleslaw Marczynski
    • 1
  • Beate Pesch
    • 1
  • Michael Wilhelm
    • 2
  • Bernd Rossbach
    • 3
  • Ralf Preuss
    • 4
  • Jens-Uwe Hahn
    • 5
  • Sylvia Rabstein
    • 1
  • Monika Raulf-Heimsoth
    • 1
  • Albrecht Seidel
    • 6
  • Hans-Peter Rihs
    • 1
  • Ansgar Adams
    • 7
  • Michael Scherenberg
    • 8
  • Anja Erkes
    • 1
  • Beate Engelhardt
    • 1
  • Kurt Straif
    • 9
  • Heiko Udo Käfferlein
    • 1
  • Jürgen Angerer
    • 1
  • Thomas Brüning
    • 1
  1. 1.BGFA—Research Institute of Occupational Medicine, German Social Accident Insurance, Ruhr-University BochumBochumGermany
  2. 2.Institute of Hygiene, Social and Environmental MedicineRuhr-University BochumBochumGermany
  3. 3.Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental MedicineJohannes Gutenberg-University MainzMainzGermany
  4. 4.Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social- and Environmental MedicineFriedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen/NürnbergErlangenGermany
  5. 5.BGIA—Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, German Social Accident InsuranceSankt AugustinGermany
  6. 6.Biochemical Institute for Environmental Carcinogens, Prof. Dr. Gernot Grimmer-FoundationGrosshansdorfGermany
  7. 7.BAD Health Prevention and Technical Safety GmbHKoblenzGermany
  8. 8.German Social Accident Insurance of the Construction IndustryOccupational Medical Center OberhausenOberhausenGermany
  9. 9.International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health OrganisationLyon Cedex 08France

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