DETERMINANTS OF URINARY THIOETHERS, D-GLUCARIC ACID AND MUTAGENICITY AFTER EXPOSURE TO POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS ASSESSED BY AIR MONITORING AND MEASUREMENT OF 1-HYDROXYPYRENE IN URINE - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN WORKERS OF COKE AND GRAPHITE-ELECTRODE-PRODUCING PLANTS

A cross-sectional epidemiological study was performed on 286 workers f rom two coke oven and one graphite electrode plants. The aim was to ev aluate the usefulness of monitoring 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HOP) in urine f or assessing exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and that of the urinary excretion of thioethers and D-glucaric acid, and t he mutagenic activity of urine as indicators or biological effects of PAHs. The results confirm that 1-HOP determination in urine probably r eflects exposure to PAHs by all routes and is not significantly influe nced by the smoking habit. In comparison with the total PAHs in the ai r and 1-hydroxypyrene in urine, taken as reference exposure parameters , the results indicate that urinary D-glucaric acid excretion is not p ositively influenced by PAHs exposure; thioethers determination in uri ne is of poor value, since the smoking habit is a strong confounding f actor. The determination of urinary mutagenicity might contribute to t he detection of groups of workers exposed to potentially genotoxic PAH s.