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Comparison of 1-hydroxypyrene exposure in the US population with that in occupational exposure studies

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Abstract

Urine samples collected in 1999 and 2000 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed for 14 monohydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and, for the first time, reference range values were calculated for these metabolites in the US population. Pyrene is a major component of most PAH mixtures and often is used as a surrogate for total PAH exposure. We detected 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHpyrene), a metabolite of pyrene, in more than 99% of the samples. The overall geometric mean concentration for 1-OHpyrene in the USA was 79.8 ng/l, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 69.0–92.2 ng/l. The overall geometric mean creatinine-adjusted urinary 1-OHpyrene levels in the USA was 74.2 ng/g creatinine (0.039 μmol/mol), with a 95% CI of 64.1–85.9 ng/g creatinine (0.034–0.046 μmol/mol). There were no statistically significant differences among age, gender, or race/ethnicity groups. Adult smokers in the USA have urinary 1-OHpyrene levels three times higher than those of non-smokers. This difference was statistically significant. In this paper, we compare the reference range of urinary 1-OHpyrene levels with levels reported from various occupations by other researchers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Cheryl McClure for database management; Pam Olive for creatinine measurement; and Zheng Li, Selvin Edwards, Charisse Walcott, and Melvin Bullock for instrumental analysis and sample preparation. The use of trade names is for identification only and does not constitute endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services or by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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  1. National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE , Mailstop F-47, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA

    Wenlin Huang, James Grainger, Donald G. Patterson Jr, Wayman E. Turner, Samuel P. Caudill, Larry L. Needham, James L. Pirkle & Eric J. Sampson

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  1. Wenlin Huang
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  2. James Grainger
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  3. Donald G. Patterson Jr
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Correspondence to Wenlin Huang.

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Huang, W., Grainger, J., Patterson, D.G. et al. Comparison of 1-hydroxypyrene exposure in the US population with that in occupational exposure studies. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 77, 491–498 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-004-0529-y

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