BIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE TO PAHS IN THE VICINITY OF A SODERBERG ALUMINUM REDUCTION PLANT

Objectives-To assess environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hyd rocarbons (PAHs) in the vicinity of a Soderberg aluminium reduction pl ant in Shawinigan, Canada with urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as a bi omarker. Methods-Urine samples were collected from 20 non-occupational ly exposed subjects living less than 500 m from the plant and from 20 controls living in Trois-Rivieres, another industrial town 40 km from Shawinigan. Concentrations of 1-OHP were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results-Among controls, geometric mean ( range) 1-OHP concentrations were 0.046 (0.012-0.116) mu mol/mol creati nine in non-smokers and 0.125 (0.051-0.282) mu mol/mol creatinine in s mokers. Among exposed subjects, values were 0.103 (0.056-0.196) mu mol /mol creatinine in nonsmokers and 0.250 (0.112-0.448) mu mol/mol creat inine in smokers. Excretion of 1-OHP was significantly higher in expos ed subjects than in controls among nonsmokers and smokers (P<0.05). Co nclusion-Based on urinary 1-OHP as a biomarker, it seems that living n ear an industrial point source of PAHs is associated with higher expos ure. The health significance of this finding will require further inve stigation.