Failure of urinary trans,trans-muconic acid as a biomarker for indoor environmental benzene exposure at PPB levels.
Benzene is a widespread pollutant whose main source in the environment is automotive emission. There is increasing interest in the exposure of the population to this pollutant as benzene is present also in the indoor environment due to cigarette smoke, drinking water, and food. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in an adult nonsmoking population not occupationally exposed to benzene, whether it is possible to detect differences in the urinary concentration of trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) between low and high environmental exposure to benzene. A study sample of 31 employees working in pharmacies in a large town in Italy with low environmental exposure to benzene (4.8 microg/m3) was compared to a high (8.1 microg/m3) benzene exposure group. Analysis of urinary t,t-MA was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC; photodiode array detector); analysis of environmental benzene samples was by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in urinary levels of t,t-MA of subjects with high (mean concentration: 157.9 microg/g creatinine) versus low exposure (mean concentration: 114.2 microg/g creatinine). Data show that it is difficult to correlate urinary t,t-MA with benzene exposure at parts per billion levels.
Sanguinetti
G
G
Occupational Health Unit, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy. g.sanguinetti@tiscalinet.it
Accorsi
A
A
Barbieri
A
A
Raffi
G B
GB
Violante
F S
FS
D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013011:Sorbic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis*; D016482:Urinalysis; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; C005939:muconic acid; D001554:Benzene; D013011:Sorbic Acid