title: Trans, trans-muconic acid as a biomarker of occupational exposure to high-level benzene in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The work aimed to study the potential correlation between the high-level benzene exposure and its urinary metabolites S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) and trans, trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) in Chinese shoe-making workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual benzene-exposed levels were determined by gas chromatography analysis, urinary t,t-MA, and urinary SPMA were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-an ultraviolet detector and liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry method, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of benzene ranged from 2.57 to 146.11 mg/m³. And the correlation between benzene and t,t-MA was significantly higher than that of SPMA at the postshift, for example, the correlation coefficient was 0.905 and 0.537 for t,t-MA and SPMA, respectively. Moreover, The relative internal exposure index of t,t-MA (0.28 mg/g Cr: mg/m³) was more similar to the data supplied by American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists compared to the index of SPMA (0.025 mg/g Cr:mg/m³).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  t,t-MA appeared to be a more specific biomarker than SPMA at high-level benzene exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fang-li
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: Shi-zhen
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D013011:Sorbic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; C005939:muconic acid; C053003:S-phenyl-N-acetylcysteine; D001554:Benzene; D000111:Acetylcysteine; D013011:Sorbic Acid