title: Airborne concentrations, skin contamination, and urinary metabolite excretion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among paving workers exposed to coal tar derived road tars.
abstract: The exposure of surface dressing workers to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was studied. Four different paving sites, at which coal tar-containing binders were applied, were selected as work sites with high exposure levels of PAH. Breathing zone airborne particulates, contamination of the skin with PAH, and 1-hydroxypyrene in urine of the workers involved in chip sealing were determined. Substantial concentrations of cyclohexane-soluble airborne particulate matter were found (GM = 0.2 mg/m3, n = 28). Skin contamination was determined using two different methods: with exposure pads and by hand washing. Pads were mounted on several parts of the body: wrist, elbow, neck, shoulder, and ankle. The pads located on the wrist appeared to be the most contaminated (pyrene: GM = 22 ng/1.77 cm2, n = 40). The end-of-shift hand washing showed that the hands of the workers were contaminated with PAH (pyrene: GM = 70 micrograms, n = 35). Preshift hand washing showed far lower, but detectable, quantities of PAH on workers' hands (pyrene: GM = 5 micrograms, n = 35). Enhanced levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene among the workers were found. The highest levels were found in the end-of-shift urine samples. Correlations between the pyrene exposure variables were studied. Significant positive correlations were found between pyrene on the wrist pad versus end-of-shift urinary 1-hydroxypyrene; between pyrene on the hands versus end-of-shift urinary 1-hydroxypyrene; and between the two different skin contamination variables.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, University of Nijmegen, Holland.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Jongeneelen
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Scheepers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Groenendijk
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Van Aerts
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Anzion
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Veenstra
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution; D003033:Coal Tar; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D012867:Skin
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D011721:Pyrenes; D003033:Coal Tar; C006647:asphalt; C030984:pyrene; C033146:1-hydroxypyrene