title: Acrylonitrile exposure assessment in the emergency responders of a major train accident in Belgium: a human biomonitoring study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  On May 4, 2013, a train transporting chemicals derailed in Wetteren, Belgium. Several tanks loaded with acrylonitrile (ACN) exploded, resulting in a fire and a leakage of ACN.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine exposure to ACN and to assess discriminating factors for ACN exposure in the emergency responders involved in the on-site management of the train accident.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 841 emergency responders. Between May 21 and June 28, they gave blood for the determination of N-2-cyanoethylvaline (CEV) hemoglobin adducts and urine for the measurement of cotinine. They also filled in a short questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  163 (26%) non-smokers and 55 (27%) smokers showed CEV concentrations above the reference values of 10 and 200 pmol/g globin, respectively. The 95th percentile in the non-smokers was 73 pmol/g globin and the maximum was 452 pmol/g globin. ACN exposure among the non-smokers was predicted by (1) the distance to the accident, (2) the duration of exposure, and (3) the occupational function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emergency responders involved in the on-site management of the train accident were clearly exposed to ACN from the accident. However, the extent of exposure remained relatively moderate with CEV concentrations staying within the ranges described in literature as background for a smoking population. Moreover, the exposure was less pronounced in the emergency responders as compared to that in the local population.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Public Health and Surveillance, J. WytsmanStraat 14, Brussels 1050, Belgium. Electronic address: an.vannieuwenhuyse@wiv-isp.be.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Nieuwenhuyse
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Public Health and Surveillance, J. WytsmanStraat 14, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fierens
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Public Health and Surveillance, J. WytsmanStraat 14, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Smedt
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Food, Medicines and Consumer Products, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Cremer
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Public Health and Surveillance, J. WytsmanStraat 14, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vleminckx
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Public Health and Surveillance, J. WytsmanStraat 14, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Food, Medicines and Consumer Products, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van Overmeire
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Occupational Medicine & Health Protection, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.affiliation: Ghent University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Paepe
authors.affiliation: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Göen
authors.affiliation: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment and Health, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nemery
authors.affiliation: RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schettgen
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Bioanalysis, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stove
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Public Health and Surveillance, J. WytsmanStraat 14, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Oyen
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Department Food, Medicines and Consumer Products, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Loco
mesh_terms: D000181:Acrylonitrile / Q000097:blood* / Q000506:poisoning / Q000652:urine*; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D055884:Chemical Hazard Release; D060731:Emergency Responders; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D011890:Railroads; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: C091192:N-(2-cyanoethyl)valine; D014633:Valine; D000181:Acrylonitrile
keywords: Acrylonitrile; Emergency responders; Exposure assessment; Human biomonitoring; N-2-cyanoethylvaline; Train accident