ASSOCIATION OF EXPOSURE TO POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS (ESTIMATED FROM JOB CATEGORY) WITH CONCENTRATION OF 1-HYDROXYPYRENE GLUCURONIDEIN URINE FROM WORKERS AT A STEEL PLANT

Objectives-increased risk of lung cancer has been associated with empl oyment in the steel industry. This association is thought to be due in part to increased concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air found in this work environment. Measurement of PAH metab olites in human urine provides a means of assessing individual interna l dose of PAHs. This study examined the relative contribution of occup ation and smoking to urinary concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene glucuron ide (1-OHPG) among a group of workers at a steel plant. Methods-Concen trations of 1-OHPG in urine from 44 workers with jobs associated with increased air concentrations of PAHs and 40 workers with jobs with low or no exposure to PAHs were measured. 20 workers in each group were n ot current smokers. Urinary 1-OHPG was measured by synchronous fluores cence spectroscopy after immunoaffinity chromatography specific for PA H metabolites. Results-Mean (SEM) urinary 1-OHPG concentration was 2.1 6 (0.42) pmol/ml urine among the 44 occupationally exposed workers com pared with 0.38 (0.05) among the 40 workers with no or low exposure (P < 0.0001). Mean urinary 1-OHPG concentration was 1.82 (0.41) pmol/ml urine among the 44 current smokers compared with 0.75 (0.20) among the 40 non-smokers (P < 0.005). Mean 1-OHPG concentrations in nonsmokers were 0.26 (n = 20), 0.70 (n = 15), and 2.84 pmol/ml urine (n = 5) for strata of exposure to PANs (no or low, mid, and high) based on job cat egory; the corresponding values in smokers were 0.55 (n = 20), 0.94 (n = 12), and 4.91 pmol/ml (n = 12), respectively. Multiple linear regre ssion showed significant differences between subjects in different PAH exposure strata and between smokers and non-smokers. Both smoking and occupational exposure to PAHs were associated with increased concentr ations of 1-OHPG in urine. Amounts of foods containing PAHs ingested b y this group of workers were relatively low and did not contribute sig nificantly to urinary 1-OHPG concentrations. Conclusions-These results indicate that 1-OHPG is a common urinary metabolite hr people with re cent occupational exposure to PANs and is associated with both job cat egory and estimated stratum of PAN exposure.