title: 1-Hydroxypyrene and 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene as biomarkers of exposure to PAH in various environmental exposure situations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the utility of urinary 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OH-B[a]P) as a biomarker of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in various environmental exposure scenarios alongside the more usually studied 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Pyr).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of 15 and 10 non smoking, healthy men and women, were exposed for approximately 6h to ambient air at two outdoor locations close to metallurgical industries, and at one indoor location in an urban setting. Atmospheric measurements of 16 "priority" PAHs were carried out during each exposure. Urinary 1-OH-Pyr and 3-OH-B[a]P were also analysed, samples being taken the morning before exposure, at the end of exposure, then 4 and 15 h after the end of exposure. Urinary 1-OH-Pyr and 3-OH-B[a]P were analysed using high performance liquid chromatograph with fluorescence detection. Limits of detection (LOD) were 0.092 nmol/L and 0.28 pmol/L for 1-OH-Pyr and 3-OH-B[a]P respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average ambient air concentrations varied from 0.27 to 2.87 ng/m(3) for pyrene, 0.04 to 1.20 ng/m(3) for B[a]P, and from 70.0 to 910.6 ng/m(3) for the sum of the 16 PAH (SigmaPAHs). Concentrations of 1-OH-Pyr were not correlated with atmospheric concentrations of PAHs to which subjects were exposed, nor with the concentrations of 3-OH-B[a]P. Nearly 80% of measurements of 3-OH-B[a]P were lower than the LOD and no relationship between atmospheric concentrations and urinary metabolites was observable. However, the percentage of post-exposure values of 3-OH-B[a]P greater than the LOD increased significantly with the median of atmospheric concentrations of Pyr, B[a]P and SigmaPAH at the different sites (test of linear trend, p<0.02 in all cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we used very sensitive techniques for the measurements of urinary metabolites, especially for 3-OH-B[a]P, neither 1-OH-Pyr nor 3-OH-B[a]P were an unequivocal biomarker of exposure to atmospheric PAHs in environmental exposure scenarios relevant to the general population. It would be interesting to investigate other urinary monohydroxy PAH metabolites in this context.
authors.affiliation: Univ Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille, France. ariane.leroyer@univ-lille2.fr
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leroyer
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jeandel
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maitre
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Howsam
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deplanque
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzuca
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nisse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001580:Benzopyrenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001580:Benzopyrenes; D015415:Biomarkers; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011721:Pyrenes; C021338:3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene; C033146:1-hydroxypyrene