Biological monitoring for occupational acrylamide exposure from acrylamide production workers.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted a repeated-measurement study to (1) investigate the correlation between occupational exposure to airborne acrylamide (AA) and the time-dependent behavior of urinary AAMA, GAMA2, and GAMA3 and (2) calculate the estimated biological exposure index at the permissible exposure limit (PEL) level of 30 μg/m(3).


METHODS
Forty-four workers were recruited--8 were AA-exposed and 36 were controls. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from the exposed group in parallel with personal sampling for 8 consecutive days and only 1 day for the control group and analyzed using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS).


RESULTS
Post-shift urinary AAMA level was significantly associated with personal AA exposure (p < 0.001), indicating that urinary AAMA was a better AA exposure biomarker. The estimated urinary excretion of AAMA was 3.0 mg/g creatinine for nonsmoking workers exposed to the PEL of 30 μg/m(3). The median GAMA (the sum of GAMA2 and GAMA3)/AAMA ratio for exposed workers was 0.03 (range, 0.005-0.14), relatively lower than that of the nonoccupational group.


CONCLUSIONS
Although sample size in this study was small, the repeated-measurement data provide useful reference for future studies related to biological monitoring of occupational exposure to AA.
Huang
Yu-Fang
YF
Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang Ming University, No. 155, Sec.2, Li-Nong St., Beitou, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wu
Kuen-Yuh
KY
Liou
Saou-Hsing
SH
Uang
Shi-Nian
SN
Chen
Chu-Chih
CC
Shih
Wei-Chung
WC
Lee
Shih-Chuan
SC
Huang
Chih-Chun Jean
CC
Chen
Mei-Lien
ML
D020106:Acrylamide / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000178:Acrylamides / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D012869:Skin Absorption; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013624:Taiwan; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D000178:Acrylamides; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D020106:Acrylamide