EXPOSURE TO POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS IN PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES BY MEASUREMENT OF URINARY 1-HYDROXYPYRENE

Biological monitoring of exposure of workers to polycyclic aromatic hy drocarbons (PAHs) in petrochemical industries was performed by the mea surement of urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene. In 121 of the 462 wo rkers studied (both smokers and non-smokers) who had had no recent occ upational exposure to PAHs a median 1-hydroxypyrene concentration of 0 .2l mu g/g creatinine was found. The upper limit of the 95% confidence interval in these workers of 0.99 mu g/g creatinine was used as the u pper normal value for industrial workers. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene conc entrations were measured in workers involved in manufacture and mainte nance operations in oil refineries (13 studies in eight different sett ings), its workers manufacturing or handling products containing PAHs in chemical plants (five studies in three settings) and laboratories ( four studies), and in workers digging soil contaminated with PAHs (thr ee studies). In most studies in oil refineries 1-hydroxypyrene concent rations were only marginally greater than the values measured in the 1 21 workers with no recent occupational exposure to PAHs. This was also the case in maintenance operations with higher potential exposure to PAHs, indicating that personal protection equipment was generally adeq uate to prevent excessive exposure. The studies in chemical plants als o showed that exposure to PAHs is low. An exception was the workers en gaged in the production of needle coke from ethylene cracker residue, where increased urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations were measured. The excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene by the operators and maintenance work ers of this plant was investigated in relation to potential methods of exposure to PAHs. Dermal and inhalatory exposure were both significan t determinants of exposure to PAHs. Dermal absorption contributed more to the overall exposure to PAHs in maintenance workers than in operat ors.