title: Biological monitoring of phenmedipham: determination of m-toluidine in urine.
abstract: Phenmedipham [methyl-3-(3-methylphenylcarbamoyloxy)carbamate] is used as a herbicide, especially in the growing of sugar beet and strawberries. During metabolism of the substance in rats, the two carbamate moieties of phenmedipham are cleaved and the metabolites methyl-N-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-carbamate, m-aminophenol and hydroxyacetanilide are formed. These compounds and their conjugates are excreted in urine. Additionally, it has been suggested that m-toluidine is formed during metabolism. For the first time it has been possible to detect this metabolite in the urine of workers after agricultural use of phenmedipham. The concentrations of m-toluidine in urine were significantly higher in persons occupationally exposed than in controls. The median values for each group were 0.36 microg/l and 0.16 microg/l, respectively. This means that persons not exposed to phenmedipham also excrete m-toluidine, possibly as a result of the uptake of pesticides like phenmedipham from the diet.
authors.affiliation: Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schettgen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angerer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002219:Carbamates / Q000652:urine*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006540:Herbicides / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D014052:Toluidines / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D002219:Carbamates; D006540:Herbicides; D014052:Toluidines; C029369:3-toluidine; C023622:2-toluidine; C100128:phenmedipham