POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON EXPOSURE IN COAL-LIQUEFACTION WORKERS- THE VALUE OF URINARY 1-HYDROXYPYRENE EXCRETION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE CONTROL STRATEGIES
R. Quinlan et al., POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON EXPOSURE IN COAL-LIQUEFACTION WORKERS- THE VALUE OF URINARY 1-HYDROXYPYRENE EXCRETION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE CONTROL STRATEGIES, The Annals of occupational hygiene, 39(3), 1995, pp. 329-346
Studies in coal liquefaction workers were conducted to examine relatio
nships between work activities, exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydroc
arbons (PAHs) and excretion of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP). In a s
ingle-week study in operators, the end of work period 1-OHP excretion
was an order of magnitude higher than in a shadow control subject, who
experienced exposure by inhalation only (shadowed operator = 15.8 mu
mol mol(-1) creatinine; shadow control = 1.07 mu mol mol(-1) creatinin
e). Dermal exposure was estimated to account for over 70% of excreted
1-OHP in exposed workers. A second study over 4 consecutive weeks (mul
ti-week study) showed consistency in 1-OHP excretion from week to week
both in operators and laboratory technicians, indicating little varia
tion in weekly exposures for these workers. Excretion levels in mainte
nance workers however, showed some week to week variation, consistent
with the variable nature of exposures associated with this type of wor
k. A further study involving an end of work period spot assessment for
all personnel showed a clear distinction between exposed workers (ope
rators and maintenance staff) and other workers not thought to be expo
sed (laboratory technicians and office staff). Findings in the course
of these studies indicated that there is no loss of 1-OHP at 4 degrees
C, compared with -20 degrees C. On the basis of work to date at the c
oal liquefaction facility, hygiene control strategies have been propos
ed involving periodic urinary 1-OHP monitoring.