Applicability of urinary benzene to biological monitoring of occupational and environmental exposure to very low benzene concentrations.
G Ital Med Lav Ergon
; 33(1): 41-6, 2011.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21417138
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To verify whether urinary benzene is an applicable biomarker of occupational exposure to very low concentrations of benzene, considering the influence of cigarette smoke and benzene-toluene co-exposure. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
23 filling station attendants with occupational exposure to benzene and 31 controls were analyzed. Occupational and environmental exposure was monitored and t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), urinary benzene and creatinine in the urine samples were tested.RESULTS:
Occupational exposure to benzene and toluene was significantly higher in the filling station attendants than in the controls, whereas t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene were not different in the two groups. Instead, the smoker group showed significantly higher values for the above biomarkers than the non-smoker group, each of which included both exposed workers and controls. SPMA was dependent on airborne benzene and cigarette smoking, and urinary benzene only on cigarette smoking, while t,t-MA was not dependent on either of these variables.CONCLUSIONS:
At very low concentrations of occupational exposure to benzene, urinary benzene is less valid than SPMA as a biomarker, even if both are strongly influenced by smoking habit. Abstention from smoking should therefore be recommended for at least two hours before urine collection.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Benzene
/
Environmental Monitoring
/
Occupational Exposure
/
Air Pollutants, Occupational
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
G Ital Med Lav Ergon
Journal subject:
MEDICINA OCUPACIONAL
Year:
2011
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Italy