MUCONIC ACID IN URINE - A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURETO BENZENE

In male subjects not occupationally exposed to benzene, the concentrat ion of muconic acid (MA) in urine is usually below 0.5 mg/g creatinine . At ambient levels of benzene exposure (below 0.01 ppm), the mean MA level was greater in 21 smokers than in 14 nonsmokers. In 38 male subj ects employed in garages and coke ovens, a statistically significant c orrelation was found between the airborne concentration of benzene mea sured with passive monitors and MA in postshift urine. The mean postsh ift MA concentrations corresponding to a benzene 8-hour time-weighted average exposure (TWA) of 0.5 and 1 ppm were 0.8 and 1.4 mg/g creatini ne, respectively. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.