title: Environmental and biological monitoring of benzene in traffic policemen, police drivers and rural outdoor male workers.
abstract: To evaluate exposure to benzene in urban and rural areas, an investigation into personal exposure to benzene in traffic policemen, police drivers and rural (roadmen) male outdoor workers was carried out. Personal samples and data acquired using fixed monitoring stations located in different areas of the city were used to measure personal exposure to benzene in 62 non-smoker traffic policemen, 22 police drivers and 57 roadmen. Blood benzene, urinary trans-trans muconic acid (t,t-MA) and S-phenyl-mercapturic acid (S-PMA) were measured at the end of work shift in 62 non-smoker traffic policemen, 22 police drivers and 57 roadmen and 34 smoker traffic policemen, 21 police drivers and 53 roadmen. Exposure to benzene was similar among non-smoker traffic policemen and police drivers and higher among non-smoker urban workers compared to rural workers. Blood benzene, t,t-MA and S-PMA were similar among non-smoker traffic policemen and police drivers; blood benzene and t,t-MA were significantly higher in non-smoker urban workers compared to rural workers. Significant increases in t,t-MA were found in smokers vs. non-smokers. In non-smoker urban workers airborne benzene and blood benzene, and t,t-MA and S-PMA were significantly correlated. This study gives an evaluation of the exposure to benzene in an urban area, comparing people working in the street or in cars, to people working in a rural area. Benzene is a certain carcinogen for humans. The results we showed should lead to more in-depth studies about the effects on health of these categories of workers.
authors.affiliation: University of Rome Sapienza, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Medical-Legal and the Orthopedics, Unit of Occupational Medicine, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ciarrocca
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manuela
authors.forename: Tomei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Francesco
authors.forename: Caciari
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tiziana
authors.forename: Capozzella
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Assunta
authors.forename: Scimitto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.forename: Nardone
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nadia
authors.forename: Andreozzi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giorgia
authors.forename: Scala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barbara
authors.forename: Fiaschetti
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.forename: Cetica
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlotta
authors.forename: Di Giorgio
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Valeria
authors.forename: Schifano Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pia
authors.forename: Tomei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gianfranco
authors.forename: Sancini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angela
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016495:Police; D012424:Rural Population; D013011:Sorbic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D002273:Carcinogens; C005939:muconic acid; D001554:Benzene; D000111:Acetylcysteine; D013011:Sorbic Acid