title: Urinary levoglucosan as a biomarker for woodsmoke exposure in wildland firefighters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Levoglucosan, a sugar anhydride and a combustion breakdown product of cellulose is a dominant organic constituent of particles in woodsmoke. After exposure, levoglucosan is excreted unmetabolized in urine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Urinary levoglucosan was assessed as a biomarker of occupational woodsmoke exposure among wildland firefighters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine samples were collected from wildland firefighters before and after their work-shifts on days when they worked at prescribed burns. A total of 97 pairs of pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from 19 firefighters over 10 prescribed burn shifts. The urine samples were analyzed to determine whether there was an increase in the concentration of levoglucosan from pre- to post-shift after the firefighters had worked at the prescribed burns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, there was an increase in both the urinary volume-based and creatinine corrected levoglucosan concentrations from pre- to post-shift (P < 0.05). However, the direction of change in the concentrations was not consistent. There were increases in urinary levoglucosan concentration from pre- to post-shift in 63% of the person-day samples, and in only 58% of the person-day samples for the creatinine corrected concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there was an overall increase in urinary concentrations of levoglucosan, results suggest that other sources apart from woodsmoke affected the urinary levels of this biomarker in wildland firefighters. Therefore, urinary levoglucosan may not be effective as a biomarker of woodsmoke exposure in this setting.
authors.affiliation: The University of Georgia, College of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Science, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Inaeher@uga.edu
authors.forename: Luke P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Naeher
authors.affiliation: Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Science, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Dana Boyd
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.affiliation: The University of Georgia, College of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Science, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Olorunfemi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adetona
authors.affiliation: The University of Washington, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters; D005947:Glucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D016272:Occupational Health; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012906:Smoke; C014989:1,6-anhydro-beta-glucopyranose; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D005947:Glucose