title: Benzyl alcohol as a marker of occupational exposure to toluene.
abstract: Benzyl alcohol (BeOH) is a urinary metabolite of toluene, which has been seldom evaluated for biological monitoring of exposure to this popular solvent. The present study was initiated to develop a practical method for determination of BeOH in urine and to examine if this metabolite can be applied as a marker of occupational exposure to toluene. A practical gas-liquid chromatographic method was successfully developed in the present study with sensitivity low enough for the application (the limit of detection; 5 microg BeOH /l urine with CV=2.7%). Linearity was confirmed up to 10 mg BeOH/l, the highest concentration tested, and the reproducibility was also satisfactory with a coefficient of variation of 2.7% (n=10). A tentative application of the method in a small scale study with 45 male workers [exposed to toluene up to 130 ppm as an 8-h time-weighted average (8-h TWA)] showed that BeOH in the end-of-shift urine samples was proportional to the intensity of exposure to toluene. The calculated regression equation was Y=50+1.7X (r=0.80, p<0.01), where X was toluene in air (in ppm as 8-h TWA) and Y was BeOH in urine (in microg/l of end-of-shift urine). The levels of BeOH in the urine of the non-exposed was about 50 microg/l, and ingestion of benzoate as a preservative in soft drinks did not affect the BeOH level in urine. The findings as a whole suggest that BeOH is a promising candidate for biological monitoring of occupational exposure to toluene.
authors.affiliation: Osaka Occupational Health Service Center, Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0001, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Tsuneyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyama
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ukai
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D019905:Benzyl Alcohol / Q000652:urine; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007564:Japan; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D014050:Toluene / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014050:Toluene; D019905:Benzyl Alcohol