title: Determination of specific mercapturic acids in human urine after experimental exposure to toluene or o-xylene.
abstract: Volunteers were exposed to toluene and o-xylene for 4 h at 300 mg/m3 and 350 mg/m3, respectively, in an exposure chamber. Urine voided during and after the exposure was analysed for S-benzyl-N-acetylcysteine (toluene mercapturic acid) and S-(o-methylbenzyl)-N-acetylcysteine (o-xylene mercapturic acid). The amount of S-(o-methylbenzyl)-N-acetylcysteine found in urine after exposure corresponded to a metabolic yield of less than about 0.01% of the total uptake. No S-benzyl-N-acetylcysteine was found. Thus, determination of specific mercapturic acids after exposure to toluene or o-xylene can hardly be used for genotoxic monitoring.
authors.affiliation: National Board of Occupational Safety and Health, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norström
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aringer
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Löf
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Näslund
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallèn
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000652:urine*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014050:Toluene / Q000378:metabolism*; D014992:Xylenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014992:Xylenes; D014050:Toluene; D000111:Acetylcysteine; C026114:2-xylene