title: Evaluation of Urinary Btex, Nicotine, and Cotinine as Biomarkers of Airborne Pollutants in Nonsmokers and Smokers.
abstract: Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomeric xylenes (BTEX) are by-products of tobacco smoke and traffic emissions. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of cigarette smoking to urinary levels of BTEX present in humans. Nicotine and cotinine, biomarkers of exposure to tobacco smoke, as well as BTEX, were measured in urine of smokers (n = 70) and nonsmokers (n = 65) using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In smokers, a significant correlation was found between urinary BTEX levels and nicotine and cotinine. In addition, significant regression models with nicotine and cotinine as predictors showed that BTEX in smokers' urine was predominantly derived from exposure to tobacco smoke. In nonsmokers a weak correlation between BTEX and nicotine and cotinine was found in urine. Further, there was a lack of significant contribution of BTEX to urinary nicotine and cotinine concentrations in nonsmokers. Thus, it was presumed that vehicle exhaust was the main source of exposure to BTEX in nonsmokers.
authors.affiliation: a Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit , Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health , Zagreb , Croatia.
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brajenović
authors.affiliation: a Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit , Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health , Zagreb , Croatia.
authors.forename: Irena Brčić
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Karačonji
authors.affiliation: b Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Medicine , University of Rijeka , Rijeka , Croatia.
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bulog
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000652:urine*; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000652:urine*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D014050:Toluene / Q000652:urine; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D014992:Xylenes / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D015415:Biomarkers; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D014992:Xylenes; D014050:Toluene; D009538:Nicotine; D003367:Cotinine; C004912:ethylbenzene