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High urine hippuric acid level among police working close to traffic in an urban area, Thailand: a preliminary study

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Abstract

Toluene is of particular concern because recent research indicating that toluene exposure can result in several toxicities. Hence, toluene exposure is of particular concern because of ongoing exposure to thousands of workers in the industrial plants. Determination of the urine hippuric acid level is accepted as a helpful for monitoring risk groups of workers. Apart from the industrial workers, there are other occupations with high risk for toluene exposure. In this study, we study another at-risk occupation, the police. In this study, 45 urine samples were obtained from 45 Thai police working close to traffic in an urban area for determination for urine hippuric acid level. The average urine hippuric acid level was 0.70 ± 0.70 mg/gCr, respectively. This average is significant higher than that of the control non-exposed Thais (P < 0.05). Working in the air pollution in the urban area can be health hazard for the police. Exposure to the toluene from automobile exhaust can be an important occupational problem for these police.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Rajchadapisakesompote Fund, Chulalongkorn University. The author would like to thank all subjects participating to this study and all health care workers who helped perform laboratory analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, 10330, Bangkok, Thailand

    Viroj Wiwanitkit

  2. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 10330, Bangkok, Thailand

    Jamsai Suwansaksri

  3. Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 10330, Bangkok, Thailand

    Suphan Soogarun

Authors
  1. Viroj Wiwanitkit
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  2. Jamsai Suwansaksri
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  3. Suphan Soogarun
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Correspondence to Viroj Wiwanitkit.

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Wiwanitkit, V., Suwansaksri, J. & Soogarun, S. High urine hippuric acid level among police working close to traffic in an urban area, Thailand: a preliminary study. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 22, 281–283 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-007-0111-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-007-0111-8

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