Ambient and biological monitoring of coke plant workers -- determination of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to determine external and internal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure in a coke plant and to contribute to the evaluation of biological limit values.


METHODS
Personal air sampling was carried out on a study population of 24 coke plant workers. In detail, 16 PAHs were determined, among them phenanthrene, pyrene and benzo[ a]pyrene. For the determination of internal exposure, post-shift urine samples from the workers were examined for hydroxylated metabolites of pyrene (1-hydroxypyrene, 1-OHP) and phenanthrene (1-, 2+9-, 3-, 4-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-, 2+9-, 3-, 4-OHPhe). In both cases, approved HPLC methods were used.


RESULTS
The workers were classified into three groups. The group most exposed was that on the top side of the coke oven, with a mean value of 491.2 microg/m(3) for the sum of all sixteen PAHs. The mean value at the bench side was 26.61 microg/m(3), while it was 76.18 microg/m(3) in the group of workers with no dedicated location (=complete area). Both the excretion of 1-OHP and the sum of hydroxyphenanthrenes had the highest mean levels in the top side group of workers (mean: 19.70 microg/g creatinine (crea.) and 39.18 microg/g crea.), followed by the bench-side workers (mean: 7.01 microg/g crea. and 12.95 microg/g crea.) and the whole-area workers (mean: 3.57 microg/g crea. and 8.70 micorg/g crea.). The concentrations of all urinary metabolites correlated significantly with benzo[ a]pyrene (BaP) in the air.


CONCLUSIONS
According to these correlations, urinary concentrations of 8 and 11 microg 1-OHP/g crea., respectively 16 and 23 microg/g crea. for the sum of hydroxyphenanthrenes, correspond to BaP concentrations in air of 2 and 5 micorg/m(3), the German technical guiding concentration (TRK value). Our results are in line with others reported in the literature. That means that it should be possible today to define a standard of occupational hygiene and medicine in coke plants using the elimination of hydroxyphenanthrenes and hydroxypyrene in urine as markers for internal PAH exposure.
Strunk
P
P
Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin der Friedrich-Alexander, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schillerstrasse 25/29, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Ortlepp
K
K
Heinz
H
H
Rossbach
B
B
Angerer
J
J
D000328:Adult; D003077:Coke; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000652:urine*; D020711:Threshold Limit Values
D003077:Coke; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons