URINARY BIOCHEMISTRY IN OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO GLYCOL ETHERS

Glycol ethers and glycol ether acetates are dehydrogenated to alkoxyac etic acid congeners which may serve as biological indicators of exposu re. The ethereal bond may also be cut in an oxidation reaction catalyz ed by the mixed function oxidase. In case of ethylene glycol, the even tual endproduct is oxalic acid. Urinary oxalic acid and alkoxyacetic a cid excretion together was found to relate to the decrease of the succ inate dehydrogenase activity (SDH) as an indicator of renal mitochondr ial effects. The excretion of ammonia by exposed workers was doubled a s compared to controls. The excretion of chloride was found to be smal ler in the exposed than in controls. The excretion of calcium and glyc osaminoglycans (GAG) among exposed workers were similar compared to co ntrols.