title: [Urinary benzene in biological monitoring of environmental exposure to low benzene concentrations].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conflicting opinions exist about urinary benzene (UB) as a reliable biomarker of exposure. Objective of our study is to evaluate the effect of low-level environmental exposure on UB levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  We monitored UB excretion in 74 non-smoking non- occupationally exposed subjects; a questionnaire interview gathered information on relevant exposures during the day of monitoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UB excretion was related (p < 0.05) to gender, sampling time, residence, and reported vehicular traffic, but not to passive smoking and body mass index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the use of unmetabolized UB as a specific and sensitive biomarker of low-level exposure to benzene.
authors: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Sezione di Medicina del Lavoro, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. makamp@libero.it
authors: Marcello
authors: M
authors: Campagna
authors: Giannina
authors: G
authors: Satta
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Flore
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Ibba
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Meloni
authors: Maria Giuseppina
authors: MG
authors: Tocco
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Atzeri
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Avataneo
authors: Costantino
authors: C
authors: Flore
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Campo
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Fustinoni
authors: Pieralberto
authors: P
authors: Bertazzi
authors: Pierluigi
authors: P
authors: Cocco
mesh_terms: D001554:Benzene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001554:Benzene