title: Urinary platinum in hospital personnel occupationally exposed to platinum-containing antineoplastic drugs.
abstract: Urinary platinum levels of 21 nurses and hospital pharmacy personnel occupationally exposed to platinum containing antineoplastic drugs were determined in 24-h urine by voltammetric analysis after UV photolysis. All study participants applied standard safety measures, including a vertical laminar air-flow cabinet and latex gloves. The amount of platinum-containing drugs prepared for intravenous application ranged from 40-3260 mg/day. Urinary platinum was detected in 9 of 52 urine samples collected on days when platinum-containing drugs were mixed (limit of determination 4 ng/l). In comparison with a non-exposed control group, elevated urinary platinum levels were found in one pharmacist (35 ng/g creatinine) and one pharmacy technician (28 ng/g creatinine). The pharmacist's urinary platinum remained elevated after 2 days without occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs. The urinary platinum level of the pharmacy technician dropped considerably after several weeks without handling cytostatic drugs. Voltammetric detection of urinary platinum is a highly sensitive method suitable for biological and environmental monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeitsmedizin, Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ensslin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pethran
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schierl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fruhmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010984:Platinum / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D010984:Platinum