Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and DNA damage by industry: a nationwide study in Germany.
Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and DNA damage were analyzed in coke oven (n = 37), refractory (n = 96), graphite electrode (n = 26), and converter workers (n = 12), whereas construction workers (n = 48) served as referents. PAH exposure was assessed by personal air sampling during shift and biological monitoring in urine post shift (1-hydroxypyrene, 1-OHP and 1-, 2 + 9-, 3-, 4-hydroxyphenanthrenes, SigmaOHPHE). DNA damage was measured by 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) and DNA strand breaks in blood post shift. Median 1-OHP and SigmaOHPHE were highest in converter workers (13.5 and 37.2 microg/g crea). The industrial setting contributed to the metabolite concentrations rather than the air-borne concentration alone. Other routes of uptake, probably dermal, influenced associations between air-borne concentrations and levels of PAH metabolites in urine making biomonitoring results preferred parameters to assess exposure to PAH. DNA damage in terms of 8-oxo-dGuo and DNA strand breaks was higher in exposed workers compared to referents ranking highest for graphite-electrode production. The type of industry contributed to genotoxic DNA damage and DNA damage was not unequivocally associated to PAH on the individual level most likely due to potential contributions of co-exposures.
Marczynski
Boleslaw
B
BGFA-Research Institute of Occupational Medicine, German Social Accident Insurance, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
Pesch
Beate
B
Wilhelm
Michael
M
Rossbach
Bernd
B
Preuss
Ralf
R
Hahn
Jens-Uwe
JU
Rabstein
Sylvia
S
Raulf-Heimsoth
Monika
M
Seidel
Albrecht
A
Rihs
Hans-Peter
HP
Adams
Ansgar
A
Scherenberg
Michael
M
Erkes
Anja
A
Engelhardt
Beate
B
Straif
Kurt
K
Käfferlein
Heiko Udo
HU
Angerer
Jürgen
J
Brüning
Thomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003077:Coke / Q000032:analysis; D004249:DNA Damage; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D003077:Coke; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011721:Pyrenes; C031181:phenanthrene; C030984:pyrene