Summary
A cross-sectional epidemiological study was performed on 286 workers from two coke oven and one graphite electrode plants. The aim was to evaluate the usefulness of monitoring 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HOP) in urine for assessing exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and that of the urinary excretion of thioethers and D-glucaric acid, and the mutagenic activity of urine as indicators or biological effects of PAHs. The results confirm that 1-HOP determination in urine probably reflects exposure to PAHs by all routes and is not significantly influenced by the smoking habit. In comparison with the total PAHs in the air and 1-hydroxypyrene in urine, taken as reference exposure parameters, the results indicate that urinary D-glucaric acid excretion is not positively influenced by PAHs exposure; thioethers determination in urine is of poor value, since the smoking habit is a strong confounding factor. The determination of urinary mutagenicity might contribute to the detection of groups of workers exposed to potentially genotoxic PAHs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ames BN, McCann J, Yamazaki E (1975) Methods for detecting carcinogens and mutagens with the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome mutagenicity test. Mutat Res 31:347–364
Bernard A, Lauwerys R (1983) Continuous flow system for automation of latex immunoassay by particle counting. Clin Chem 29:1007–1011
Bos RP, Leenars AO, Theuws JLG, Henderson PT (1982) Mutagenicity of urine from nurses handling cytostatic drugs. Influence of smoking. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 50:359–369
Bos RP, Kromhout H, Ikink H, Haan W de, Koppejan J, Thews JLG (1989) Mutagens in urine of non-smoking and smoking workers in an aircraft tyre retreading plant. Skin exposure as a causal factor? Mutat Res 223:41–48
Buchet JP, Gennart JP, Mercado-Calderon F, Delavignette JP, Cupers L, Lauwerys R (1992) Evaluation of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a coke production and a graphite electrode manufacturing plant: assessment of urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene as a biological indicator of exposure. Br J Ind Med 761–768
Burgaz S, Bayhan A, Karakaya AE (1988) Thioethers excretion of workers exposed to bitumen fumes. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 60:347–349
Burgaz S, Borm PJA, Jongeneelen FJ (1992) Evaluation of urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene and thioethers in workers exposed to bitumen fumes. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 63:397–401
Colombi A, Maroni M, Antonini C, Cassina T, Gambini A, Foa V (1983) Low-pH method for enzymatic assay of D-glu-caric acid in urine. Clin Chim Acta 128:337–347
Commission of the European Communities (1988) Indicators for assessing exposure and biological effects of genotoxic chemicals. In: Aitio A, Becking G, Berlin A, Bernard A, Foa V, Kello D, Krug E, Leonard A, Nordberg G (eds) Consensus and technical reports. CEC Luxembourg
Heinegard D, Tidestrom G (1973) Determination of serum creatinine by a direct colorimetric method. Clin Chim Acta 43:305–310
Heinonen T, Kytoniemi V, Sorsa M, Vainio H (1983) Urinary excretion of thioethers among low-tar and medium-tar cigarette smokers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 52:11–16
Hunter J, Maxwell JD, Currella M, Stewart DA, Williams R (1971) Urinary D-glucaric acid excretion as a test for hepatic enzymatic induction in man. Lancet 1:572–575
International Agency for Research on Cancer (1983) Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Part 1. Chemical environmental and experimental data, vol 32. IARC Monographs, Lyon
14. International Agency for Research on Cancer (1987) IARC Overall evaluation of carcinogenicity: an updating of IARC Monographs, vols 1–42, Suppl 6 and 7. IARC Monographs, Lyon
International Agency for Research on Cancer (1993) IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Lists of IARC evaluations. JARC Monographs, Lyon
Jaffé M (1886) Über den Niederschlag, welchen Picrinsäure in normalen Ham erzeugt und über eine neue Reaktion des Kreatinins. Hoppe-Seylers Z Physiol Chem 10:391–396
Jongeneelen FJ, Bos RP, Anzion RBM, Theuws JLG, Henderson PT (1986) Biological monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: metabolites in urine. Scand J Work Environ Health 12:137–143
Jongeneelen FJ, Anzion RBM, Henderson PT (1987) Determination of hydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urine. J Chromatogr 413:227–232
Jongeneelen FJ, Scheepers PTJ, Groenendijk A, Van Aerts LAGJM, Anzion RBM, Bos RP, Veenstra SJ (1988) Airborne concentrations, skin contamination, and urinary metabolite excretion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among paving workers exposed to coal tar derived road tars. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 12:600–607
Jongeneelen FJ, Van Leeuwen FE, Oosterink S, Anzion RBM, Van der Loop F, Bos RP, Van Veen HG (1990) Ambient and biological monitoring of coke oven workers: determinants of internal dose of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Br J Ind Med 47:454–461
Kilpikari I (1982) Increased urinary excretion of thioethers in new rubber workers. Br J Ind Med 39:401–403
Kleinenbaum D, Kupper L, Muller K (1988) Applied regression analysis and other multivariable methods. PWS-KENT, Boston
Kriebel D, Commoner B, Bollinger D, Bronsdon A, Gold J, Henry J (1983) Detection of occupational exposure to genotoxic agents with a urinary mutagen assay. Mutat Res 108:67–79
Maron MD, Ames BN (1982) Revised methods for the Salmonella mutagenicity test. Mutat Res 113:173–215
Maroni M, Colombi A, Antonini C, Cassina T, Foa V (1981) D-glucaric acid urinary excretion as a tool for biological monitoring in occupational medicine. In: Brown SS, Davies DS (eds) Organ directed toxicity. Chemical indices and mechanismes. Pergaman Press, Oxford, pp 161–167
Moller M, Dybing E (1980) Mutagenicity studies with urine concentrates from coke plant workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 6:216–220
Notten WRF, Henderson PT (1977) The interaction of chemical compounds with the functional state of liver. II. Estimation of changes in D-glucaric acid synthesis as a method for diagnosing exposure to xenobiotics. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 38:209–220
Nylander G, Berg K (1991) Mutagenicity study of urine from smoking and non-smoking road tanker drivers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 63:229–232
Pasquini R, Monarca S, Scassellati Sforzolini G, Savino A, Angeli G (1985) Mutagenicity studies and D-glucaric acid determination in urine of workers exposed to mineral oils. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 56:275–284
Pasquini R, Monarca S, Scassellati Sforzolini G, Savino A, Bauleo FA, Angeli G (1989) Urinary excretion of mutagens, thioethers and D-glucaric acid in workers exposed to bitumen fumes. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 61:335–340
Pettigrew AR, Fell GS (1972) Simplified colorimetric determination of thiocyanate in biological fluids, and its application to investigation of the toxic amblyopias. Clin Chem 18:996–1000
Pré J, Vassy R (1991) Urine thiocyanate:creatinine ratio as a reliable indicator of cigarette smoking. Clin Chim Acta 204:87–94
Recio L, Enoch HG, Hannan MA, Hill RH (1984) Application of urine mutagenicity to monitor coal liquefaction workers. Mutat Res 136:201–207
SAS/STAT (1987) Guide for personal computers, version 6. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina
Sorsa M, Hemminki K, Vainio H (1982) Biologic monitoring of exposure to chemical mutagens in the occupational environment. Teratogenesis Carcinog Mutagen 2:137–150
Tolos WP, Shaw PB, Lowry LK, Mackenzie BA, Deng JF, Markel HL (1990) 1-Pyrenol: a biomarker for occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 5:303–309
Tucker SM, Boyd PJR, Thompson AD, Price RG (1975) Automatic assay of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase in normal and pathological urine. Clin Chim Acta 62:333–339
Vainio H, Savolainen H, Kilpikari I (1978) Urinary thioethers of employees of a chemical plant. Br J Ind Med 35:232–234
Van Doom R, Bos RP, Leijdekkers CM, Wagenaas-Zegers MAP, Theuws JLG, Henderson PT (1979) Thioether concentration and mutagenicity of urine from cigarette smokers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 43:159–166
Van Doom R, Leijdekkers CM, Bos RP, Brouns RME, Henderson PT (1981) Detection of human exposure to electrophilic compounds by assay of thioether detoxication products in urine. Ann Occup Hyg 24:77–92
Venier P, Clonfero E, Cottica D, Gava C, Zordan, Pozzoli L, Levis AG (1985) Mutagenic activity and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in urine of workers exposed to coal tar pitch volatiles in an anode plant. Carcinogenesis 6:749–752
Yamasaki E, Ames BN (1977) Concentration of mutagens from urine by adsorption with the non-polar resin XAD-2: cigarette smokers have mutagenic urine. Proc Natl Acad Sci 74: 3555–3559
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ferreira, M., Buchet, J.P., Burrion, J.B. et al. Determinants of urinary thioethers, D-glucaric acid and mutagenicity after exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons assessed by air monitoring and measurement of 1-hydroxypyrene in urine: a cross-sectional study in workers of coke and graphite-electrode-producing plants. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 65, 329–338 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405698
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405698