Air concentrations and urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among paving and remixing workers.
The exposure of paving workers to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during stone mastic asphalt (SMA) paving and remixing was evaluated. The effects on the workers' PAH exposure were also evaluated during the use of an industrial by-product, coal fly ash (CFA), instead of limestone as the filler in the SMA. The PAH exposure was measured by personal air sampling and by analysing the levels of urinary naphthols, phenanthrols and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in the workers' pre- and post-shift urine samples. The respiratory PAH exposure of the paving workers (geometric mean (GM) 5.7 microg m(-3)) was about ten-fold that of the traffic controllers (GM 0.43 microg m(-3)). The levels of PAH metabolites were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the post-shift urine samples than in the pre-shift urine samples, and the levels of metabolites in the post-shift urine of paving workers were significantly higher than in that of the controls (p < 0.01). Urinary 1-naphthol correlated well with the airborne concentrations of the two- to three-ring PAHs (r = 0.544, p = 0.003) and naphthalene (r = 0.655, p < 0.001), when non-smoking paving workers were tested. A good correlation was observed between urinary 1-OHP and the airborne concentrations of the four- to six-ring PAHs (r = 0.524, p = 0.003) as well as total PAHs (r = 0.575, p = 0.001). The concentrations of 1-OHP and phenanthrols in the urine of the pavers were significantly higher (p < 0.01) during remixing than during SMA paving. The CFA in the asphalt had no effect on the airborne PAH exposure or on the concentrations of the PAH metabolites in the paving workers' urine.
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Department of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, FIN-00250 Helsinki, Finland. virpi.vaananen@ttl.fi
Virpi
V
Väänänen
Mervi
M
Hämeilä
Helena
H
Kontsas
Kimmo
K
Peltonen
Pirjo
P
Heikkilä
D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D003031:Coal; D003252:Construction Materials; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D017745:Incineration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; C006647:asphalt; D002119:Calcium Carbonate