Seasonal effect on airborne pyrene, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide-hemoglobin adducts in the general population

Exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 65 employee s (40 sampled both in summer and winter, 15 sampled in summer only, and 10 sampled in winter only) with no occupational exposure to PAHs was assessed by measuring: personal exposure to pyrene, urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypy rene (1-OHP), and benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide adducts to hemoglobin (BPDE-H b). Overall, office employees were exposed to significantly higher levels o f pyrene in winter (4.54 +/- 2.35 ng/m(3), mean +/- SD) than in summer (1.6 7 +/- 1.92 ng/m(3), mean +/- SD; P < 0.001), but no such seasonal variabili ty was observed in 1-OHP excretion. Tobacco smoking was the major determina nt of 1-OHP excretion. BPDE-Hb adducts were measured by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry as benzo(a)pyrene tetrols (BPT) released from adducted he moglobin. In the 65 employees analyzed, mean BPT levels +/- SD were higher in winter (0.14 +/- 0.38 fmol/mg Db) than summer (0.031 +/- 0.022 fmol/mg D b), This difference was not statistically significant, probably because of the small proportion of subjects with detectable adducts (11% in summer and 16% in winter). BPDE-Hb adducts were not significantly associated with sex , age, diet, smoking habits, or with pyrene levels and 1-OHP excretion. Thi s is the first report providing reference BPDE-Hb adduct values for the gen eral population not occupationally exposed to environmental PAHs and shows a tendency to seasonal variability, with higher BPT levels in winter when e nvironmental PAHs are also high.