title: Urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid as a key biomarker for measuring occupational exposure to low concentrations of benzene in Chinese workers: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study analyzed the level of urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (U-SPMA) for low benzene exposure in a group of Chinese shoe-making workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urinary samples from 55 workers exposed to benzene at levels lower than 10 parts per million (ppm) were collected at postshift. U-SPMA level was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrography (HPLC/MS) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Good linearity of U-SPMA was observed within the range from 10 to 320 μg/L (r = 0.9994). Concentration of airborne benzene ranged from 0.71 to 32.17 mg/m³, and three segments were divided with different levels of exposure (≤6.0, 6.0 to 10.0, 10 to 32.5 mg/m³), the median U-SPMA concentrations were 49.55, 102.15, and 335.69 μg/g Cr, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A good linear correlation was found between U-SPMA levels and airborne benzene concentrations. The selected method could be applied for detecting other working conditions in China.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pharmacy (Mr Lv), Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; School of Public Health (Drs Song, Zhang, and Mei, and Mr Ye), Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; and Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Dr Zhang), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
authors.forename: Bi-Hua
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Shi-Zhen
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zhibing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: Fang-Li
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001554:Benzene / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012775:Shoes; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; C053003:S-phenyl-N-acetylcysteine; D001554:Benzene; D000111:Acetylcysteine