title: Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels among office workers living in industrial areas.
abstract: We examined exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among non-smoking office workers in 2 countries living in the vicinity of a coke-oven factory by measuring their levels of urinary 1-OHP, a known metabolite of PAHs. Subjects included 10 non-smoking office workers in Kitakyushu city (Japan) and 20 workers in Thai Nguyen city (Vietnam). Measurement was optimized by using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method developed by Jongeneelen et al. This method required only a small amount of urine and had a short incubation time, and its detection limit was very low (0.00448 ng/ml), which was practical and highly sensitive.The median urinary 1-OHP concentration in the Vietnamese subjects (0.417 ng/mg creatinine) was six times as high as that in the Japanese subjects (0.069 ng/mg creatinine) (P < 0.001). However, both concentrations were significantly below the guideline level, below which there is no genotoxic effect, implying a low probability of any adverse health effects.Our measurements from both countries showed higher urinary 1-OHP concentrations than in previous studies from locations without factories, indicating that ambient air pollution from industrial emissions is an important source of PAH exposure. Finally, the urinary 1-OHP concentrations did not correlate with gender or lifestyle factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.forename: Thi-To-Uyen
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Jinro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Seichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003032:Coal Mining; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000652:urine*; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011721:Pyrenes; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; C033146:1-hydroxypyrene