title: Urine mutagenicity of steel workers exposed to coke oven emissions.
abstract: Urine mutagenicity of 19 individuals was investigated at a steel mill. All the subjects worked on the coal processing unit. Urine samples were collected at the end of a working day. Urine samples of two exposed workers were collected at the end of two periods of rest and two periods of working. Mutagens were extracted on XAD-2 resin and tested by the Salmonella microsomal assay and the SOS spot test. Mutagenic potencies of exposed smokers and exposed non-smokers were 8.62 +/- 6.56 and 1.1 +/- 0.48 revertants/mg creatinine respectively with Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 + S9. Both values were significantly higher than those of unexposed smokers and non-smokers (5.07 +/- 3.33 and 0.47 +/- 0.72 revertants/mg creatinine respectively). The urinary mutagenic potency of the two exposed individuals increased at the end of periods of working (15.97 +/- 2.57 revertants/mg creatinine) and decreased at the end of periods of rest (12.31 +/- 2.45 revertants/mg creatinine). Urinary mutagens were detected with S. typhimurium strain TA100 + S9 to a lesser extent. No direct-acting mutagens were detected by the SOS spot test. Atmospheric benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) were also measured by h.p.l.c. on the coke battery. BaP concentrations ranged between 0.01 and 0.6 microgram/m3 air at the different working sites. Biological monitoring with short-term tests is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000497:Alloys; D001711:Biotransformation; D003031:Coal; D003077:Coke; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009154:Mutation; D013014:SOS Response, Genetics; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D012907:Smoking; D013232:Steel; D014556:Urine / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000497:Alloys; D003031:Coal; D003077:Coke; D009153:Mutagens; D013232:Steel