title: Urinary pentachlorophenol in painters and bricklayers in a four-years time interval after the PCP prohibition ordinance in Germany.
abstract: Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was widely used as a wood preservative in Germany until 1989, when it was prohibited by law. Within a cross-sectional study we investigated the internal PCP exposure of painters and bricklayers between one year and four years after the ban. PCP was analysed in post-shift urine samples of 189 painters and 148 bricklayers by gas chromatography and electron capture detection (GC-ECD). The median PCP concentration in the urine of painters was 2.4 microg/g creatinine (range: 0.2-52 microg/g creatinine). For the bricklayers a range of 0.1-25 microg/g creatinine (median: 1.8 microg/g creatinine) was determined. The difference between both groups was statistically significant, pointing to a small additional uptake of PCP by the painters probably from an exposure to contaminated wood surfaces or residual PCP containing preservatives. The biomonitoring results for both groups coincided with background values of the general population at that time.
authors.affiliation: Hannover Medical School, Department of Occupational Medicine, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triebig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000633:toxicity*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010150:Paint / Q000633:toxicity*; D010416:Pentachlorophenol / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D010416:Pentachlorophenol