1
|
Zhang Z, Shi W, Ru L, Lv W. Biomarkers of occupational benzene exposure: A Systematic Review to estimate the exposure levels and individual susceptibility at low doses. Toxicol Ind Health 2024; 40:539-555. [PMID: 38864232 DOI: 10.1177/07482337241259053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Benzene is associated with diverse occupational and public health hazards. It exhibits an ability to rapidly permeate the skin and contaminate water and food sources, leading to dermal and ingestion exposures. Despite numerous studies examining the associations between benzene and various indicators of harm, the findings have yielded inconsistent results. Furthermore, relying solely on air concentration as a measure of benzene exposure is limited, as it fails to account for internal exposure dose and individual susceptibility. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive review in order to present current knowledge on benzene biomarkers and their significance in evaluating exposure levels and associated health hazards. The search methodology adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and involved the application of specific inclusion and exclusion criteria across multiple databases including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Two researchers independently extracted and evaluated the relevant data based on predetermined criteria. Following the screening process, a total of 80 articles were considered eligible out of the initially retrieved 1053 articles after undergoing screening and assessment for inclusion. As the level of exposure decreased, specific biomarkers demonstrated a gradual increase in limitations, including heightened background concentrations and vulnerability to confounding factors. The advancement of sampling and analysis techniques will yield new biomarkers. Additionally, when conducting practical work, it is crucial to employ a comprehensive utilization of diverse biomarkers while excluding individual metabolic variations and combined exposure factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhijuan Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Mass Spectrometer and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenmin Shi
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lihua Ru
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wei Lv
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lee JH, Gatera VA, Smith T, Panimbang F, Gonzalez A, Abdulah R, Bonham C, Bryant AK, Liu S. Biomonitoring of Exposures to Solvents and Metals in Electronics Manufacturing Facilities in Batam, Indonesia. New Solut 2024; 33:220-235. [PMID: 38112404 DOI: 10.1177/10482911231218478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Concerns about chemical exposure in the electronics manufacturing industry have long been recognized, but data are lacking in Southeast Asia. We conducted a study in Batam, Indonesia, to evaluate chemical exposures in electronics facilities, using participatory research and biological monitoring approaches. A convenience sample of 36 workers (28 exposed, 8 controls) was recruited, and urine samples were collected before and after shifts. Five solvents (acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, benzene, and xylenes) were found in 46%-97% of samples, and seven metals (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, tin, antimony, lead, and vanadium) were detected in 60%-100% of samples. Biological monitoring and participatory research appeared to be useful in assessing workers' exposure when workplace air monitoring is not feasible due to a lack of cooperation from the employer. Several logistical challenges need to be addressed in future biomonitoring studies of electronics workers in Asia in factories where employers are reluctant to track workers' exposure and health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jung Hyun Lee
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Vesara Ardhe Gatera
- Department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University Kuala Lumpur - Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Care Innovation, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Ted Smith
- International Campaign for Responsible Technology, San Jose, California, USA
| | | | | | - Rizky Abdulah
- Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Care Innovation, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Indonesia
| | - Connie Bonham
- Analytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Sa Liu
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rahimpoor R, Jalilian H, Mohammadi H, Rahmani A. Biological exposure indices of occupational exposure to benzene: A systematic review. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21576. [PMID: 38027568 PMCID: PMC10660043 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The current study aimed to systematically review the studies concerning the biological monitoring of benzene exposure in occupational settings. A systematic literature review was conducted in Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Medline from 1985 through July 2021. We included peer-reviewed original articles that investigated the association between occupational exposure to benzene and biological monitoring. We identified 4786 unique citations, of which 64 cross-sectional, one case-control, and one cohort study met our inclusion criteria. The most studied biomarkers were urinary trans-trans muconic acid, S- phenyl mercapturic acid, and urinary benzene, respectively. We found the airborne concentration of benzene as a key indicator for choosing a suitable biomarker. We suggest considering urinary benzene at low (0.5-5.0 TLV), urinary SPMA and TTMA at medium (5.0-25 and 25-50 TLV, respectively), and urinary phenol and hydroquinone and catechol at very high concentrations (500 and 1000 TLV ≤, respectively). Genetic polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase and oral intake of sorbic acid have confounding effects on the level of U-SPMA and U-TTMA, respectively. The airborne concentration, smoking habit, oral consumption of sorbic acid, and genetic polymorphism of workers should be considered in order to choose the appropriate indicator for biological monitoring of benzene exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Razzagh Rahimpoor
- Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Research Center for Health Sciences, School of Health, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran
| | - Hamed Jalilian
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Heidar Mohammadi
- Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Research Center for Health Sciences, School of Health, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran
| | - Abdulrasoul Rahmani
- Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Research Center for Health Sciences, School of Health, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mohammadi AA, Davarani SSH, Jafari M, Mehdinia A. Curcumin-Melamine For Solid-Phase Microextraction of Volatile Organic Compounds from Aqueous Samples. J Chromatogr Sci 2023; 61:692-698. [PMID: 36461787 DOI: 10.1093/chromsci/bmac093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The hybrid coating of curcumin and melamine was prepared by a simple electrochemical method. Some physical and chemical properties of the fiber were studied by several methods such as FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The fiber was stable at the inlet of a gas chromatograph at temperatures up to 280°C. The fiber has been used for the extraction of ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes (ETX). Some parameters of headspace solid-phase microextraction, including extraction time, temperature and salt amount, were optimized. Under the optimized situation, the detection limits were 0.15-0.21 μg L -1 and the linear ranges were within the range of 0.5-1,000 μg L-1 (r2 ≥ 0.99). The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations were 10.2-13.7 and 13.0-15.6%, respectively, at a concentration level of 10 μg L-1 from each compound by applying a single fiber. The method was used to successfully analyze wastewater and pool water samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mostafa Jafari
- Department of Chemistry, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Mehdinia
- Department of Marine Science, Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, No. 3, Etemadzadeh St., Fatemi Ave., Tehran 1411813389, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Historically, benzene has been widely used in a large variety of applications. Occupational exposure limits (OELs) were set for benzene as it was found to be acutely toxic, causing central nervous system depression at high exposures. OELs were lowered when it was discovered that chronic exposure to benzene could cause haematotoxicity. After confirmation that benzene is a human carcinogen causing acute myeloid leukaemia and possibly other blood malignancies, OEL were further lowered. The industrial application of benzene as solvent is almost completely discontinued but it is still used as feedstock for the production of other materials, such as styrene. Occupational exposure to benzene may also occur since it is present in crude oil, natural gas condensate and a variety of petroleum products and because benzene can be formed in combustion of organic material. In the past few years, lower OELs for benzene in the range of 0.05-0.25 ppm have been proposed or were already established to protect workers from benzene-induced cancer. The skin is an important potential route of exposure and relatively more important at lower OELs. Consequently, human biomonitoring - which integrates all exposure routes - is routinely applied to control overall exposure to benzene. Several potential biomarkers have been proposed and investigated. For compliance check of the current low OELs, urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA), urinary benzene and blood benzene are feasible biomarkers. S-PMA appears to be the most promising biomarker but proper validation of biomarker levels corresponding to airborne benzene concentrations below 0.25 ppm are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Boogaard
- AFSG - Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cui S, Pang B, Yan H, Wu B, Li M, Xing C, Li J. Using Urinary Biomarkers to Estimate the Benzene Exposure Levels in Individuals Exposed to Benzene. TOXICS 2022; 10:636. [PMID: 36355928 PMCID: PMC9698901 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10110636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Urinary benzene metabolites trans, trans-muconic acid (t, t-MA), and S-phenyl mercapturic acid (S-PMA) are often used as biomarkers of internal exposure to benzene. However, there are few reports on using urinary benzene metabolites to estimate airborne benzene concentrations in individuals exposed to benzene. In this study, t, t-MA, and S-PMA were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, and a simple pharmacokinetic model was used to calculate the daily intake (DI) of benzene based on the levels of urinary t, t-MA, and S-PMA in occupational individuals. The back-calculated airborne benzene levels (BCABL) were obtained from the DI of benzene. Among the exposed subjects (n = 84), the median BCABL (3.67 mg/m3) based on t, t-MA was very close to the median level of measured airborne benzene (3.27 mg/m3, p = 0.171), and there was no effect of smoking or dietary habits on t, t-MA-based BCABL. In the control subjects (n = 49), the levels of measured airborne benzene were all below the quantitation limit (0.024 mg/m3), and the BCABL (0.002-0.25 mg/m3) calculated by S-PMA was close to this background level. Our study suggests that the t, t-MA-based BCABL can reflect the actual airborne benzene level in a range of 1.10-86.91 mg/m3 and that the S-PMA-based BCABL is more reliable for non-professional benzene exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Cui
- Department of Hygienic Inspection, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
- National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Bo Pang
- Department of Hygienic Inspection, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Huifang Yan
- National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Bo Wu
- Science and Technology Research Center of China Customs, Beijing 100026, China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Occupational Health, Jinan Railway Disease Control and Prevention Center, Jinan 250001, China
| | - Caihong Xing
- National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Hygienic Inspection, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rafiee A, Delgado-Saborit JM, Sly PD, Amiri H, Hoseini M. Exploring urinary biomarkers to assess oxidative DNA damage resulting from BTEX exposure in street children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 203:111725. [PMID: 34302825 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Children are highly susceptible to environmental contaminants as their physiology and some metabolic pathways differ from adults. The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess whether exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o,p-xylene, and m-xylene (BTEX) affects oxidative DNA damage in street children using a biomonitoring approach. Thirty-five boys (7-13 years of age), exposed by working at a busy intersection, and 25 unexposed boys of similar age and living in the neighborhood near the busy intersection were recruited. Urinary un-metabolized BTEX levels were quantified by a headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Urinary malonaldehyde (MDA) was measured with spectrophotometry. Sociodemographic and lifestyle conditions information was collected by interviews using administered questionnaires. Exposed subjects provided urine before (BE) and after work exposure (AE), while unexposed boys gave a single morning sample. Urinary BTEX concentrations in BE samples were similar to unexposed. Concentrations in AE samples were 2.36-fold higher than observed in BE samples (p < 0.05) and higher than those in the unexposed group (p < 0.05). In addition, urinary MDA levels in AE samples were 3.2 and 3.07-times higher than in BE samples and in the unexposed group (p < 0.05). Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) increased urinary BTEX and MDA levels in both groups. Our findings confirm that street children working at busy intersections are significantly exposed to BTEX, which is associated with oxidative stress. Implementing protective measures is crucial to reduce exposure and to improve health outcomes in this group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ata Rafiee
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit
- Universitat Jaume I, Perinatal Epidemiology, Environmental Health and Clinical Research, School of Medicine, Castellon, Spain; ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona, Spain; Environmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Peter D Sly
- Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Center, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Australia
| | - Hoda Amiri
- Environmental Health Engineering Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hoseini
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Environmental Health, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rothman N, Vermeulen R, Zhang L, Hu W, Yin S, Rappaport SM, Smith MT, Jones DP, Rahman M, Lan Q, Walker DI. Metabolome-wide association study of occupational exposure to benzene. Carcinogenesis 2021; 42:1326-1336. [PMID: 34606590 PMCID: PMC8598381 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgab089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzene is a recognized hematotoxin and leukemogen; however, its mechanism of action in humans remain unclear. To provide insight into the processes underlying benzene hematotoxicity, we performed high-resolution metabolomic profiling of plasma collected from a cross-sectional study of 33 healthy workers exposed to benzene (median 8-h time-weighted average exposure; 20 ppma), and 25 unexposed controls in Shanghai, China. Metabolic features associated with benzene were identified using a metabolome-wide association study (MWAS) that tested for the relationship between feature intensity and benzene exposure. MWAS identified 478 mass spectral features associated with benzene exposure at false discovery rate < 20%. Comparison to a list of 13 known benzene metabolites and metabolites predicted using a multi-component biotransformation algorithm showed five metabolites were detected, which included the known metabolites phenol and benzene diolepoxide. Metabolic pathway enrichment identified 41 pathways associated with benzene exposure, with altered pathways including carnitine shuttle, fatty acid metabolism, sulfur amino acid metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and branched chain amino acid metabolism. These results suggest disruption to fatty acid uptake, energy metabolism and increased oxidative stress, and point towards pathways related to mitochondrial dysfunction, which has previously been linked to benzene exposure in animal models and human studies. Taken together, these results suggest benzene exposure is associated with disruption of mitochondrial pathways, and provide promising, systems biology biomarkers for risk assessment of benzene-induced hematotoxicity in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Rothman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Luoping Zhang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Wei Hu
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Songnian Yin
- Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Stephen M Rappaport
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Martyn T Smith
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Dean P Jones
- Clinical Biomarkers Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mohammad Rahman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Qing Lan
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Douglas I Walker
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Domínguez M, Blandez JF, Lozano‐Torres B, Torre C, Licchelli M, Mangano C, Amendola V, Sancenón F, Martínez‐Máñez R. A Nanoprobe Based on Gated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for The Selective and Sensitive Detection of Benzene Metabolite t,t‐Muconic Acid in Urine. Chemistry 2020; 27:1306-1310. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.202004272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Domínguez
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de, Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM) Universitat Politècnica de València Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia Spain
| | - Juan F. Blandez
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de, Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM) Universitat Politècnica de València Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en NanomedicinaySensores Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe Universitat Politècnica de València Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, Torre 106 A 7planta 46026 Valencia Spain
| | - Beatriz Lozano‐Torres
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de, Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM) Universitat Politècnica de València Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia Spain
- Unidad Mixta UPV-CIPF de Investigación en Mecanismos de, Enfermedades y Nanomedicina Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe Universitat Politècnica de València Carrer d'Eduardo Primo Yúfera, 3 46012 Valencia Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en NanomedicinaySensores Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe Universitat Politècnica de València Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, Torre 106 A 7planta 46026 Valencia Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN) Madrid 28019 Spain
| | - Cristina Torre
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de, Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM) Universitat Politècnica de València Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN) Madrid 28019 Spain
- Dipartimento di Chimica Università di Pavia Via Taramelli 12 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Maurizio Licchelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica Università di Pavia Via Taramelli 12 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Carlo Mangano
- Dipartimento di Chimica Università di Pavia Via Taramelli 12 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Valeria Amendola
- Dipartimento di Chimica Università di Pavia Via Taramelli 12 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Félix Sancenón
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de, Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM) Universitat Politècnica de València Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia Spain
- Unidad Mixta UPV-CIPF de Investigación en Mecanismos de, Enfermedades y Nanomedicina Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe Universitat Politècnica de València Carrer d'Eduardo Primo Yúfera, 3 46012 Valencia Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en NanomedicinaySensores Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe Universitat Politècnica de València Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, Torre 106 A 7planta 46026 Valencia Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN) Madrid 28019 Spain
| | - Ramón Martínez‐Máñez
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de, Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM) Universitat Politècnica de València Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia Spain
- Unidad Mixta UPV-CIPF de Investigación en Mecanismos de, Enfermedades y Nanomedicina Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe Universitat Politècnica de València Carrer d'Eduardo Primo Yúfera, 3 46012 Valencia Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en NanomedicinaySensores Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe Universitat Politècnica de València Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, Torre 106 A 7planta 46026 Valencia Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN) Madrid 28019 Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Erb A, Marsan P, Burgart M, Remy A, Lambert-Xolin AM, Jeandel F, Hanser O, Robert A. Simultaneous determination of aromatic and chlorinated compounds in urine of exposed workers by dynamic headspace and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (dHS-GC-MS). J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2019; 1125:121724. [PMID: 31352201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2019.121724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Mixed exposure to chemical products is a topical issue for occupational health and often includes exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). As very few methods are available for evaluating these mixed exposures, the aim of this work was to develop a simple biomonitoring method to assess simultaneous occupational exposures to chlorinated and aromatic VOCs by analyzing the unmetabolized fraction of the VOCs in the urine of workers. Volatile organic compounds were analyzed using dynamic headspace gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (dHS-GC-MS), and 11 unmetabolized urinary VOCs were measured into headspace phase, without any time-consuming pretreatment. Simultaneously, a standardized collection protocol was designed to avoid VOC losses or the contamination of urinary samples. The calibration samples were real urines, spiked with known amounts of the VOC mixtures studied. Test investigations were performed on potentially exposed workers in three factories in order to assess the effectiveness of both the collection protocol and analytical method. A satisfactory level of sensitivity was achieved, with limits of quantification (LOQ) between 10 and 15 ng/L obtained for all VOCs (except for styrene at 50 ng/L). Calibration curves were linear in the 0-20 μg/L range tested, with R2 correlation coefficients of 0.991 to 0.998. At the lowest concentration tested (0.08 μg/L), within-day precision varied from 2.1 to 5.5% and between-day precision ranged from 2.7 to 8.5%. Sample stability at -20 °C required that urinary samples be analyzed within 3 months. Even though the urinary concentrations of VOCs used in the plants were mostly quite low, significant differences between post-shift and pre-shift were observed. In conclusion, a fast, sensitive, specific and easy-to-use method has been developed for extracting VOCs from human urine using dHS-GC-MS. The method described has proven to be reliable for assessing current occupational exposure to chlorinated and aromatic VOCs in France.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Erb
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France.
| | - Philippe Marsan
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France
| | - Manuella Burgart
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France
| | - Aurélie Remy
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France
| | - Anne-Marie Lambert-Xolin
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France
| | - Fanny Jeandel
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France
| | - Ogier Hanser
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France
| | - Alain Robert
- INRS, Department Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Laboratory of Biomonitoring, 1 rue du Morvan CS 60027, 54519 Vandœuvre Cedex, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ndong Ba A, Verdin A, Cazier F, Garcon G, Thomas J, Cabral M, Dewaele D, Genevray P, Garat A, Allorge D, Diouf A, Loguidice JM, Courcot D, Fall M, Gualtieri M. Individual exposure level following indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure in Dakar (Senegal). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 248:397-407. [PMID: 30825765 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.02.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The consequences of indoor and outdoor air pollution on human health are of great concern nowadays. In this study, we firstly evaluated indoor and outdoor air pollution levels (CO, CO2, NO, NO2, PM10) at an urban site in Dakar city center and at a rural site. Then, the individual exposure levels to selected pollutants and the variations in the levels of biomarkers of exposure were investigated in different groups of persons (bus drivers, traders working along the main roads and housemaids). Benzene exposure levels were higher for housemaids than for bus drivers and traders. High indoor exposure to benzene is probably due to cooking habits (cooking with charcoal), local practices (burning of incense), the use of cleaning products or solvent products which are important emitters of this compound. These results are confirmed by the values of S-PMA, which were higher in housemaids group compared to the others. Urinary 1-HOP levels were significantly higher for urban site housemaids compared to semirural district ones. Moreover, urinary levels of DNA oxidative stress damage (8-OHdG) and inflammatory (interleukin-6 and -8) biomarkers were higher in urban subjects in comparison to rural ones. The air quality measurement campaign showed that the bus interior was more polluted with PM10, CO, CO2 and NO than the market and urban or rural households. However, the interior of households showed higher concentration of VOCs than outdoor sites confirming previous observations of higher indoor individual exposure level to specific classes of pollutants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Ndong Ba
- Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant (UCEIV) EA 4492, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France; Laboratoire de Toxicologie et d'Hydrologie, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie et d'Odontologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - A Verdin
- Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant (UCEIV) EA 4492, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France.
| | - F Cazier
- Centre Commun de Mesures, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France
| | - G Garcon
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Centre de Biologie-Pathologie-Génétique, CHRU de Lille, France; IMPact de l'Environnement Chimique sur la Santé humaine (IMPECS), EA 4483, Univ. Lille, France
| | - J Thomas
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Centre de Biologie-Pathologie-Génétique, CHRU de Lille, France
| | - M Cabral
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie et d'Hydrologie, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie et d'Odontologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - D Dewaele
- Centre Commun de Mesures, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France
| | - P Genevray
- Centre Commun de Mesures, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France
| | - A Garat
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Centre de Biologie-Pathologie-Génétique, CHRU de Lille, France; IMPact de l'Environnement Chimique sur la Santé humaine (IMPECS), EA 4483, Univ. Lille, France
| | - D Allorge
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Centre de Biologie-Pathologie-Génétique, CHRU de Lille, France; IMPact de l'Environnement Chimique sur la Santé humaine (IMPECS), EA 4483, Univ. Lille, France
| | - A Diouf
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie et d'Hydrologie, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie et d'Odontologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - J M Loguidice
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Centre de Biologie-Pathologie-Génétique, CHRU de Lille, France; IMPact de l'Environnement Chimique sur la Santé humaine (IMPECS), EA 4483, Univ. Lille, France
| | - D Courcot
- Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant (UCEIV) EA 4492, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France
| | - M Fall
- Laboratoire de Toxicologie et d'Hydrologie, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie et d'Odontologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - M Gualtieri
- Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant (UCEIV) EA 4492, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Rafiee A, Delgado-Saborit JM, Sly PD, Amiri H, Hoseini M. Lifestyle and occupational factors affecting exposure to BTEX in municipal solid waste composting facility workers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 656:540-546. [PMID: 30529957 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Composting facilities workers are potentially exposed to different volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study aims to investigate the potential exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) compounds among workers of composting facilities by measuring un-metabolized BTEX in urine and to investigate the effect that several lifestyle factors (i.e. smoking and residential traffic), using personal protective equipment, and religious practices such as Ramadan fasting can have on the urinary BTEX concentrations. We assessed concentrations of BTEX in the urine of a composting facility workers. Samples were collected in May 2018. Overall, 25 workers chosen as the exposed group and 20 inhabitants living close to the composting facility as a control group. The urine samples were collected from studied subjects. Identification and quantification of un-metabolized BTEX was performed using a headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Detailed information of participants was gathered by a comprehensive questionnaire. The geometric mean levels of urinary benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m‑p xylene, and o‑xylene in the exposed subjects were 1.27, 2.12, 0.54, 1.22 and 1.51 μg/L, respectively; 1.4 to 3.7-time higher than values in control group (p < 0.05). Post-shift levels were significantly higher than pre-shift for all chemicals (p < 0.05). Smoking habits, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, and Ramadan fasting predicted urinary BTEX levels. Personal protective equipment which included a simple N95 mask did not protected workers from BTEX emissions. Composting facilities represent a significant source BTEX emissions and exposure for staff. More effective protective strategies are required to minimize exposure and related occupational hazards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ata Rafiee
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit
- ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona, Spain; Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Peter D Sly
- Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Australia
| | - Hoda Amiri
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hoseini
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Environmental Health, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Torres S, Merino C, Paton B, Correig X, Ramírez N. Biomarkers of Exposure to Secondhand and Thirdhand Tobacco Smoke: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E2693. [PMID: 30501044 PMCID: PMC6313747 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15122693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Smoking is the leading preventable disease worldwide and passive smoking is estimated to be the cause of about 1.0% of worldwide mortality. The determination of tobacco smoke biomarkers in human biological matrices is key to assess the health effects related to the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. The biomonitoring of cotinine, the main nicotine metabolite, in human biofluids-including urine, serum or saliva-has been extensively used to assess this exposure. However, the simultaneous determination of cotinine together with other tobacco biomarkers and the selection of alternative biological matrices, such as hair, skin or exhaled breath, would enable a better characterization of the kind and extent of tobacco exposure. This review aims to perform a critical analysis of the up-to-date literature focused on the simultaneous determination of multiple tobacco smoke biomarkers studied in different biological matrices, due to the exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and thirdhand smoke (THS). Target biomarkers included both tobacco-specific biomarkers-nicotine and tobacco specific nitrosamine biomarkers-and tobacco-related biomarkers, such as those from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, metals and carbon monoxide. To conclude, we discuss the suitability of determining multiple biomarkers through several relevant examples of SHS and THS exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sònia Torres
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Carla Merino
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Beatrix Paton
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Xavier Correig
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Escorxador s/n, 43003 Tarragona, Spain.
- CIBERDEM, Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders, Carlos III Health Institute, Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Noelia Ramírez
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Escorxador s/n, 43003 Tarragona, Spain.
- CIBERDEM, Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders, Carlos III Health Institute, Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Schiffman C, McHale CM, Hubbard AE, Zhang L, Thomas R, Vermeulen R, Li G, Shen M, Rappaport SM, Yin S, Lan Q, Smith MT, Rothman N. Identification of gene expression predictors of occupational benzene exposure. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205427. [PMID: 30300410 PMCID: PMC6177191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previously, using microarrays and mRNA-Sequencing (mRNA-Seq) we found that occupational exposure to a range of benzene levels perturbed gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. OBJECTIVES In the current study, we sought to identify gene expression biomarkers predictive of benzene exposure below 1 part per million (ppm), the occupational standard in the U.S. METHODS First, we used the nCounter platform to validate altered expression of 30 genes in 33 unexposed controls and 57 subjects exposed to benzene (<1 to ≥5 ppm). Second, we used SuperLearner (SL) to identify a minimal number of genes for which altered expression could predict <1 ppm benzene exposure, in 44 subjects with a mean air benzene level of 0.55±0.248 ppm (minimum 0.203ppm). RESULTS nCounter and microarray expression levels were highly correlated (coefficients >0.7, p<0.05) for 26 microarray-selected genes. nCounter and mRNA-Seq levels were poorly correlated for 4 mRNA-Seq-selected genes. Using negative binomial regression with adjustment for covariates and multiple testing, we confirmed differential expression of 23 microarray-selected genes in the entire benzene-exposed group, and 27 genes in the <1 ppm-exposed subgroup, compared with the control group. Using SL, we identified 3 pairs of genes that could predict <1 ppm benzene exposure with cross-validated AUC estimates >0.9 (p<0.0001) and were not predictive of other exposures (nickel, arsenic, smoking, stress). The predictive gene pairs are PRG2/CLEC5A, NFKBI/CLEC5A, and ACSL1/CLEC5A. They play roles in innate immunity and inflammatory responses. CONCLUSIONS Using nCounter and SL, we validated the altered expression of multiple mRNAs by benzene and identified gene pairs predictive of exposure to benzene at levels below the US occupational standard of 1ppm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Schiffman
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Cliona M. McHale
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Alan E. Hubbard
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Luoping Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Reuben Thomas
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute of Risk assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Guilan Li
- Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Min Shen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Rappaport
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Songnian Yin
- Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Lan
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Martyn T. Smith
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel Rothman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rafiee A, Delgado-Saborit JM, Gordi E, Quémerais B, Kazemi Moghadam V, Lu W, Hashemi F, Hoseini M. Use of urinary biomarkers to characterize occupational exposure to BTEX in healthcare waste autoclave operators. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 631-632:857-865. [PMID: 29727996 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Urinary benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) can be used as a reliable biomarker of exposure to these pollutants. This study was aimed to investigate the urinary BTEX concentration in operators of healthcare waste (HCW) autoclaves. This cross-sectional study was conducted in selected hospitals in Tehran, Iran between April and June 2017. Twenty operators (as the case group) and twenty control subjects were enrolled in the study. Personal urine samples were collected at the beginning and end of the work shift. Urinary BTEX were measured by a headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A detailed questionnaire was used to gather information from subjects. Results showed that the median of urinary benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-p xylene, and o-xylene levels in the exposed group were 3.26, 3.36, 0.84, 3.94 and 4.48 μg/L, respectively. With the exception of ethylbenzene, subjects in the exposed group had significantly higher urinary BTEX levels than control group (p < 0.05). Urinary BTEX concentrations in the exposed case group were 2.5-fold higher than in the control group. There was a significant relationship between the amount of generated waste per day and the urinary BTEX in the exposed group. Smoking status and type of autoclave used were also identified as predictors of urinary BTEX concentrations. The healthcare waste treatment autoclaves can be considered as a significant BTEX exposure source for operators working with these treatment facilities. The appropriate personal protection equipment and control measures capable in reducing BTEX exposure should be provided to HCW workers to reduce their exposures to BTEX.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ata Rafiee
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit
- ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona, Spain; Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Elham Gordi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran
| | | | | | - Wenjing Lu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Fallah Hashemi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hoseini
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Environmental Health, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Caron-Beaudoin É, Valter N, Chevrier J, Ayotte P, Frohlich K, Verner MA. Gestational exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada: A pilot study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 110:131-138. [PMID: 29122312 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Northeastern British Columbia (Canada) is an area of intense hydraulic fracturing for unconventional natural gas exploitation. There have been multiple reports of air and water contamination by volatile organic compounds in the vicinity of gas wells. Although these chemicals are known developmental toxicants, no biomonitoring effort has been carried out in the region. OBJECTIVE To evaluate gestational exposure to benzene and toluene in the Peace River Valley, Northeastern British Columbia (Canada). METHODS Urine samples were collected over five consecutive days from 29 pregnant women. Metabolites of benzene (s-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) and trans, trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA)) and toluene (s-benzylmercapturic acid (S-BMA)) were measured in pooled urine samples from each participant. Levels of benzene metabolites were compared to those from the general Canadian population and from a biomonitoring study of residents from an area of active gas exploitation in Pavillion, Wyoming (USA). Levels measured in participants from the two recruitment sites, and self-identifying as Indigenous or non-Indigenous, were also compared. RESULTS Whereas the median S-PMA level (0.18μg/g creatinine) in our study was similar to that in the general Canadian population, the median t,t-MA level (180μg/g creatinine) was approximately 3.5 times higher. Five women had t,t-MA levels above the biological exposure index® proposed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The median urinary S-BMA level in our pilot study was 7.00μg/g creatinine. Urinary metabolite levels were slightly higher in self-identifying Indigenous women, but this difference was only statistically significant for S-PMA. DISCUSSION Urinary t,t-MA levels, but not S-PMA levels, measured in our study are suggestive of a higher benzene exposure in participating pregnant women from the Peace River Valley than in the general Canadian population. Given the small sample size and limitations of t,t-MA measurements (e.g., non-specificity), more extensive monitoring is warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Élyse Caron-Beaudoin
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375 chemin de la Cote-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada; Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute (IRSPUM), Université de Montréal, 7101, Parc Ave., Montreal, QC H3N 1X7, Canada; INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Well-Being, Health, Society and Environment (CINBIOSE), Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada.
| | - Naomi Valter
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375 chemin de la Cote-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada; Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute (IRSPUM), Université de Montréal, 7101, Parc Ave., Montreal, QC H3N 1X7, Canada
| | - Jonathan Chevrier
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University Faculty of Medecine, 1020 Pine Avenue West, room 42, Montreal, QC H3A 1A2, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de toxicologie du Québec, Institut National de la Santé Publique du Québec, 945 avenue Wolfe, Québec, QC G1V 5B3, Canada; Axe Santé des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Santé, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Ste-Foy, Québec, QC G1S 4L8, Canada
| | - Katherine Frohlich
- Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute (IRSPUM), Université de Montréal, 7101, Parc Ave., Montreal, QC H3N 1X7, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 7101 Av du Parc, Montréal, QC H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - Marc-André Verner
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375 chemin de la Cote-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada; Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute (IRSPUM), Université de Montréal, 7101, Parc Ave., Montreal, QC H3N 1X7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Tsangari X, Andrianou XD, Agapiou A, Mochalski P, Makris KC. Spatial characteristics of urinary BTEX concentrations in the general population. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 173:261-266. [PMID: 28110016 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 12/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m-, and p-xylenes (BTEX) are ubiquitous outdoor and indoor air pollutants associated with both environmental and health effects. The objective of this exploratory study was to determine the magnitude and variability of urinary BTEX levels among residents of two areas located in the same city (Nicosia, Cyprus). The two areas differed with respect to their proximity to an industrial cluster and an intercity-highway. First morning urine voids were collected during a random campaign from selected households in the two urban areas (n = 48). Urinary BTEX measurements were obtained using headspace solid phase micro extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The majority of participants were females (65%) and non-smokers (85%) with a mean age of 49 years. Median urinary BTEX levels were: 118 ng L-1, 124 ng L-1, 9 ng L-1, 29 ng L-1 and 28 ng L-1 for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, (p + m)-xylene and o-xylene, respectively. With the exception of benzene, participants from area 2 (closer to the industrial cluster and an intercity road than area 1) had significantly (p < 0.05) higher urinary BTEX levels than those from area 1 (regression analysis). The residence location (in area 2) was the sole significant (p < 0.05) predictor of urinary BTEX levels after adjusting for sex, smoking, age, body mass index, and educational level. This observational study showed differences in BTEX exposures between two urban areas of the same city. This baseline BTEX dataset may prove useful for future activities of natural gas extraction and handling nearby urban settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xanthi Tsangari
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, Irenes 95, 3041, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Xanthi D Andrianou
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, Irenes 95, 3041, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Agapios Agapiou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Pawel Mochalski
- Breath Research Institute, University of Innsbruck, Rathausplatz 4, A-6850, Dornbirn, Austria
| | - Konstantinos C Makris
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, Irenes 95, 3041, Limassol, Cyprus.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
De Craemer S, Croes K, van Larebeke N, Sioen I, Schoeters G, Loots I, Nawrot T, Nelen V, Campo L, Fustinoni S, Baeyens W. Investigating unmetabolized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in adolescents' urine as biomarkers of environmental exposure. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 155:48-56. [PMID: 27105152 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of interest to human biomonitoring studies due to their carcinogenic potential. Traditionally metabolites of these compounds, like 1-hydroxypyrene, are monitored in urine, but recent methods allow the determination of the parent compounds in urine, which give additional information regarding sources and toxicity of PAHs. In order to assess the feasibility of incorporating these methods in a human biomonitoring study, the 16 USEPA parent PAHs were determined in 20 urine samples. These samples were obtained from 10 boys and 10 girls aged 14-16 years, participating in the third Flemish Environment and Health Study (Flanders, Belgium). Of these 16 parent PAHs, nine could be determined in more than 95% of the samples and three (including benzo(a)pyrene) in more than 50%. Several correlations were found between different PAHs, but not between pyrene and its metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene. Diagnostic PAH ratios in urine and air samples pointed towards combustion sources and are in line with the ratios in environmental samples. Benzo(a)pyrene, naphthalene and fluorene have the highest carcinogenic potential in our cohort, when using toxic equivalency factors. Some associations between PAH congeners and determinants of exposure were found, while fluorene and acenaphthylene were positively associated with thyroid hormone levels and benzo(a)pyrene showed a positive correlation with DNA damage by comet assay. These results confirm that parent PAHs in urine are useful as biomarkers of exposure in biomonitoring studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam De Craemer
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium.
| | - Kim Croes
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium
| | - Nicolas van Larebeke
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium; Study Centre for Carcinogenesis and Primary Prevention of Cancer, Department of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Sioen
- Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Greet Schoeters
- Environmental Risk and Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Ilse Loots
- Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tim Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Leuven University (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vera Nelen
- Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Laura Campo
- Department of Prevention, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Fustinoni
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Department of Prevention, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Willy Baeyens
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Method for the Determination of Benzene Metabolite t,t-Muconic Acid in Urine by HPLC-UV with an Ion Exclusion Column. SEPARATIONS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/separations3020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
|
20
|
Mukherjee AK, Chattopadhyay BP, Roy SK, Das S, Mazumdar D, Roy M, Chakraborty R, Yadav A. Work-exposure to PM 10 and aromatic volatile organic compounds, excretion of urinary biomarkers and effect on the pulmonary function and heme-metabolism: A study of petrol pump workers and traffic police personnel in Kolkata City, India. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2016; 51:135-149. [PMID: 26587917 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2015.1087740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study focused work-exposure to particulate matter ≤ 10 µm (PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and biological monitoring of major VOCs (BTEX) to observe the significant effects of traffic related pollutants on respiratory and hematological systems of workers engaged in two occupational settings, petrol pumps and traffic areas of Kolkata metropolitan city, India. PM10 was assessed by personal sampling and particle size distribution by 8-stage Cascade Impactor. VOCs were analysed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and five urinary metabolites, trans trans- mercapturic acid (tt-MA), S-phenyl mercapturic acid (SPMA), hippuric acid (HA), mandelic acid (MA) and methyl hippuric acid (MHA) of VOCs, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes (BTEX) by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Pulmonary functions test (PFT) was measured Spirometrically. ∂-aminoleavulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) in lymphocytes were measured spectrophometrically following column chromatographic separation. High exposure to PM10, having 50% of particles, ≤ 5.0 µm in both the occupational settings. Exposure to toluene was highest in petrol pumps whereas benzene was highest (104.6 ± 99.0 μg m-3) for traffic police personnel. Workplace Benzene is found many fold higher than the National ambient standard. Air-benzene is correlated significantly with pre- and post-shift tt-MA (p < 0.001) and SPMA (p < 0.001) of exposed workers. Blood cell counts indicated benzene induced hematotoxicity. ALA and PBG accumulation in lymphocytes indicated alteration in heme-metabolism, especially among traffic police. Significant reduction of force exploratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) of fuel fillers are observed with increased tt-MA and SPMA. Study revealed PFT impairments 11.11% (6.66% restrictive and 2.22% obstructive and combined restrictive and obstructive type, each) among petrol pumps and 8.3% obstructive type among traffic police.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashit K Mukherjee
- a Regional Occupational Health Centre (Eastern) , Salt Lake, Kolkata , India
| | | | - Sanjit K Roy
- a Regional Occupational Health Centre (Eastern) , Salt Lake, Kolkata , India
| | - Surojit Das
- a Regional Occupational Health Centre (Eastern) , Salt Lake, Kolkata , India
| | - Dipanjali Mazumdar
- a Regional Occupational Health Centre (Eastern) , Salt Lake, Kolkata , India
| | - Moumita Roy
- a Regional Occupational Health Centre (Eastern) , Salt Lake, Kolkata , India
| | | | - Anupa Yadav
- a Regional Occupational Health Centre (Eastern) , Salt Lake, Kolkata , India
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Nozoe T, Goda S, Selyanchyn R, Wang T, Nakazawa K, Hirano T, Matsui H, Lee SW. In vitro detection of small molecule metabolites excreted from cancer cells using a Tenax TA thin-film microextraction device. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2015; 991:99-107. [PMID: 25932789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2015.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Revised: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We developed a new device for the in vitro extraction of small molecule metabolites excreted from cancer cells. The extraction device, which was biocompatible and incubated with cancer cells, consists of a thin Tenax TA film deposited on the surface of a cylindrical aluminum rod. The Tenax TA solid phase was utilized for the direct extraction and preconcentration of the small molecule metabolites from a cell culture sample. The device fabrication and the metabolite extraction were optimized, tested, and validated using HeLa cell cultures. Comparison of metabolic profiles with the control measurement from the culture medium enabled detection of metabolites that were consumed or produced by the cell culture. Tentative identification and semi-quantitative investigation of the excreted metabolites were performed by GC-MS analysis. The proposed approach can be a valuable tool for the characterization of low-volatile cancer cell metabolites that are not covered by use of conventional methods based on headspace solid phase microextraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Nozoe
- Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan
| | - Shigemi Goda
- Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan
| | - Roman Selyanchyn
- Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan; WPI International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I(2) CNER), Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Tao Wang
- Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan
| | - Kohji Nakazawa
- Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hirano
- Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan
| | | | - Seung-Woo Lee
- Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bogen KT, Sheehan PJ. Dermal versus total uptake of benzene from mineral spirits solvent during parts washing. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2014; 34:1336-1358. [PMID: 24495022 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative approaches to assessing exposure to, and associated risk from, benzene in mineral spirits solvent (MSS), used widely in parts washing and degreasing operations, have focused primarily on the respiratory pathway. The dermal contribution to total benzene uptake from such operations remains uncertain because measuring in vivo experimental dermal uptake of this volatile human carcinogen is difficult. Unprotected dermal uptake involves simultaneous sustained immersion events and transient splash/wipe events, each yielding residues subject to evaporation as well as dermal uptake. A two-process dermal exposure framework to assess dermal uptake to normal and damaged skin was applied to estimate potential daily dermal benzene dose (Dskin ) to workers who used historical or current formulations of recycled MSS in manual parts washers. Measures of evaporation and absorption of MSS dermally applied to human subjects were modeled to estimate in vivo dermal uptake of benzene in MSS. Uncertainty and interindividual variability in Dskin was characterized by Monte Carlo simulation, conditioned on uncertainty and/or variability estimated for each model input. Dermal exposures are estimated to average 33% of total (inhalation + dermal) benzene parts washing dose, with approximately equal predicted portions of dermal dose due to splash/wipe and to continuous contact with MSS. The estimated median (95th percentile) dermal and total daily benzene doses from parts washing are: 0.0069 (0.024) and 0.025 (0.18) mg/day using current, and 0.027 (0.085) and 0.098 (0.69) mg/day using historical, MSS solvents, respectively.
Collapse
|
23
|
Chemical composition of surgical smoke formed in the abdominal cavity during laparoscopic cholecystectomy--assessment of the risk to the patient. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2014; 27:314-25. [PMID: 24715421 DOI: 10.2478/s13382-014-0250-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of patients to organic substances produced and identified in surgical smoke formed in the abdominal cavity during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Identification of these substances in surgical smoke was performed by the use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with selective ion monitoring (SIM). The selected biomarkers of exposure to surgical smoke included benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. Their concentrations in the urine samples collected from each patient before and after the surgery were determined by SPME-GC/MS. RESULTS Qualitative analysis of the smoke produced during laparoscopic procedures revealed the presence of a wide variety of potentially toxic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylene, dioxins and other substances. The average concentrations of benzene and toluene in the urine of the patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, in contrast to the other determined compounds, were significantly higher after the surgery than before it, which indicates that they were absorbed. CONCLUSIONS The source of the compounds produced in the abdominal cavity during the surgery is tissue pyrolysis in the presence of carbon dioxide atmosphere. All patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures are at risk of absorbing and excreting smoke by-products. Exposure of the patient to emerging chemical compounds is usually a one-time and short-term incident, yet concentrations of benzene and toluene found in the urine were significantly higher after the surgery than before it.
Collapse
|
24
|
Price PS, Rey TD, Fontaine DD, Arnold SM. Letter to the editor in response to ‘Low-dose metabolism of benzene in humans: science and obfuscation’ Rappaport et al. (2013). Carcinogenesis 2013; 34:1692-6. [DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgt101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
25
|
Arnold SM, Angerer J, Boogaard PJ, Hughes MF, O'Lone RB, Robison SH, Schnatter AR. The use of biomonitoring data in exposure and human health risk assessment: benzene case study. Crit Rev Toxicol 2013; 43:119-53. [PMID: 23346981 PMCID: PMC3585443 DOI: 10.3109/10408444.2012.756455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Revised: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Abstract A framework of "Common Criteria" (i.e. a series of questions) has been developed to inform the use and evaluation of biomonitoring data in the context of human exposure and risk assessment. The data-rich chemical benzene was selected for use in a case study to assess whether refinement of the Common Criteria framework was necessary, and to gain additional perspective on approaches for integrating biomonitoring data into a risk-based context. The available data for benzene satisfied most of the Common Criteria and allowed for a risk-based evaluation of the benzene biomonitoring data. In general, biomarker (blood benzene, urinary benzene and urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid) central tendency (i.e. mean, median and geometric mean) concentrations for non-smokers are at or below the predicted blood or urine concentrations that would correspond to exposure at the US Environmental Protection Agency reference concentration (30 µg/m(3)), but greater than blood or urine concentrations relating to the air concentration at the 1 × 10(-5) excess cancer risk (2.9 µg/m(3)). Smokers clearly have higher levels of benzene exposure, and biomarker levels of benzene for non-smokers are generally consistent with ambient air monitoring results. While some biomarkers of benzene are specific indicators of exposure, the interpretation of benzene biomonitoring levels in a health-risk context are complicated by issues associated with short half-lives and gaps in knowledge regarding the relationship between the biomarkers and subsequent toxic effects.
Collapse
|
26
|
Rappaport SM, Kim S, Thomas R, Johnson BA, Bois FY, Kupper LL. Low-dose metabolism of benzene in humans: science and obfuscation. Carcinogenesis 2012; 34:2-9. [PMID: 23222815 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgs382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzene is a ubiquitous air pollutant that causes human leukemia and hematotoxic effects. Although the mechanism by which benzene causes toxicity is unclear, metabolism is required. A series of articles by Kim et al. used air and biomonitoring data from workers in Tianjin, China, to investigate the dose-specific metabolism (DSM) of benzene over a wide range of air concentrations (0.03-88.9 p.p.m.). Kim et al. concluded that DSM of benzene is greatest at air concentrations <1 p.p.m. This provocative finding motivated the American Petroleum Institute to fund a study by Price et al. to reanalyze the original data. Although their formal 'reanalysis' reproduced Kim's finding of enhanced DSM at sub-p.p.m. benzene concentrations, Price et al. argued that Kim's methods were inappropriate for assigning benzene exposures to low exposed subjects (based on measurements of urinary benzene) and for adjusting background levels of metabolites (based on median values from the 60 lowest exposed subjects). Price et al. then performed uncertainty analyses under alternative approaches, which led them to conclude that '… the Tianjin data appear to be too uncertain to support any conclusions …' regarding the DSM of benzene. They also argued that the apparent low-dose metabolism of benzene could be explained by 'lung clearance.' In addressing these criticisms, we show that the methods and arguments presented by Price et al. are scientifically unsound and that their results are unreliable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Rappaport
- Superfund Research Program and Center for Exposure Biology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Protano C, Andreoli R, Manini P, Vitali M. Urinary trans, trans-muconic acid and S-phenylmercapturic acid are indicative of exposure to urban benzene pollution during childhood. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2012; 435-436:115-123. [PMID: 22846771 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2012] [Revised: 07/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The aims of the study were to evaluate the feasibility of urinary trans, trans-muconic acid (u-t,t-MA) and urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (u-SPMA) as markers of exposure to urban benzene pollution for biomonitoring studies performed on children and to investigate the impact that creatinine correction may have on the classification of children exposure status. U-t,t-MA, u-SPMA, u-cotinine, and u-creatinine levels were measured in urine samples of 396 Italian children (5-11 years) living in three areas with different degrees of urbanisation (very, fairly and non-urban). The median u-SPMA levels significantly increased with increased urbanisation: non-urban (0.19 μg/L; 0.22 μg/g creatinine)<fairly urban (0.28 μg/L; 0.28 μg/g creatinine)<very urban group (0.92 μg/L; 0.90 μg/g creatinine). Differences in the levels of u-t,t-MA excretion related to the degree of urbanisation were revealed only by multivariate analyses. Neither u-SPMA nor u-t,t-MA levels were influenced by environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. Athletic activity during the sampling day was negatively associated with u-SPMA in the model built with u-SPMA adjusted for creatinine, but not in the model where unadjusted u-SPMA was used. This finding demonstrates that u-creatinine correction may alter the results when an independent variable is unrelated to the chemical concentration itself but is related to the u-creatinine levels. These results suggest that both u-SPMA and u-t,t-MA are indicative for assessing environmental benzene exposure in children (exposed and unexposed to ETS) when urine sample is collected at the end of the day. However, u-SPMA is more reliable because u-t,t-MA, also a metabolite of sorbic acid, is less specific for exposure to low levels of benzene. To avoid the possible confounding effect of creatinine correction, it is better to use u-creatinine as additional independent variable in multiple linear regression analyses for evaluating the independent role of the covariates on the variability of u-t,t-MA and u-SPMA levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Protano
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Price PS, Rey TD, Fontaine DD, Arnold SM. A reanalysis of the evidence for increased efficiency in benzene metabolism at airborne exposure levels below 3 p.p.m. Carcinogenesis 2012; 33:2094-9. [DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgs257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
29
|
Zhang L, Lan Q, Ji Z, Li G, Shen M, Vermeulen R, Guo W, Hubbard AE, McHale CM, Rappaport SM, Hayes RB, Linet MS, Yin S, Smith MT, Rothman N. Leukemia-related chromosomal loss detected in hematopoietic progenitor cells of benzene-exposed workers. Leukemia 2012; 26:2494-8. [PMID: 22643707 PMCID: PMC3472034 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2012.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Benzene exposure causes acute myeloid leukemia and hematotoxicity, shown as suppression of mature blood and myeloid progenitor cell numbers. As the leukemia-related aneuploidies monosomy 7 and trisomy 8 previously had been detected in the mature peripheral blood cells of exposed workers, we hypothesized that benzene could cause leukemia through the induction of these aneuploidies in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We measured loss and gain of chromosomes 7 and 8 by fluorescence in situ hybridization in interphase colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) cells cultured from otherwise healthy benzene-exposed (n=28) and unexposed (n=14) workers. CFU-GM monosomy 7 and 8 levels (but not trisomy) were significantly increased in subjects exposed to benzene overall, compared with levels in the control subjects (P=0.0055 and P=0.0034, respectively). Levels of monosomy 7 and 8 were significantly increased in subjects exposed to <10 p.p.m. (20%, P=0.0419 and 28%, P=0.0056, respectively) and ≥ 10 p.p.m. (48%, P=0.0045 and 32%, 0.0354) benzene, compared with controls, and significant exposure-response trends were detected (P(trend)=0.0033 and 0.0057). These data show that monosomies 7 and 8 are produced in a dose-dependent manner in the blood progenitor cells of workers exposed to benzene, and may be mechanistically relevant biomarkers of early effect for benzene and other leukemogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Zhang
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Hays SM, Pyatt DW, Kirman CR, Aylward LL. Biomonitoring Equivalents for benzene. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2012; 62:62-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2011.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2011] [Revised: 12/02/2011] [Accepted: 12/02/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
|
31
|
Pleil JD. Categorizing biomarkers of the human exposome and developing metrics for assessing environmental sustainability. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2012; 15:264-80. [PMID: 22571221 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2012.672148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The concept of maintaining environmental sustainability broadly encompasses all human activities that impact the global environment, including the production of energy, use and management of finite resources such as petrochemicals, metals, food production (farmland, fresh and ocean waters), and potable water sources (rivers, lakes, aquifers), as well as preserving the diversity of the surrounding ecosystems. The ultimate concern is how one can manage Spaceship Earth in the long term to sustain the life, health, and welfare of the human species and the planet's flora and fauna. On a more intimate scale, one needs to consider the human interaction with the environment as expressed in the form of the exposome, which is defined as all exogenous and endogenous exposures from conception onward, including exposures from diet, lifestyle, and internal biology, as a quantity of critical interest to disease etiology. Current status and subsequent changes in the measurable components of the exposome, the human biomarkers, could thus conceivably be used to assess the sustainability of the environmental conditions with respect to human health. The basic theory is that a shift away from sustainability will be reflected in outlier measurements of human biomarkers. In this review, the philosophy of long-term environmental sustainability is explored in the context of human biomarker measurements and how empirical data can be collected and interpreted to assess if solutions to existing environmental problems might have unintended consequences. The first part discusses four conventions in the literature for categorizing environmental biomarkers and how different types of biomarker measurements might fit into the various grouping schemes. The second part lays out a sequence of data management strategies to establish statistics and patterns within the exposome that reflect human homeostasis and how changes or perturbations might be interpreted in light of external environmental stressors. The underlying concept is to identify probative outliers from the "unremarkable exposome" in individuals or subpopulations that could be used for discerning deviations from the healthy environment, much like current diagnostic medicine uses batteries of blood and urine tests to screen for preclinical disease conditions. Such empirically derived human in vivo data could subsequently be integrated into high-throughput in vitro and in silico testing of environmental and manufactured chemicals to support real-world toxicity evaluations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joachim D Pleil
- HEASD/NERL/ORD, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Evaluation of exposure biomarkers in offshore workers exposed to low benzene and toluene concentrations. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2011; 85:261-71. [DOI: 10.1007/s00420-011-0664-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
33
|
Rekhadevi PV, Mahboob M, Rahman MF, Grover P. Determination of genetic damage and urinary metabolites in fuel filling station attendants. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2011; 52:310-318. [PMID: 20872828 DOI: 10.1002/em.20622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2009] [Accepted: 07/03/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Fuel (diesel and petrol) constitutes a complex mixture of volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbons among them benzene (BZ), toluene (TOL), and xylene (XYL) are considered to be the most hazardous, predominantly BZ because of its carcinogenic potency. Exposure to these compounds may have an impact on the health of the exposed subjects. Hence, genotoxicity and quantitative analysis of these compounds was performed in blood and urine samples of 200 workers exposed to fuel in filling stations and compared to controls. The level of genetic damage was determined by micronucleus test (MNT) in buccal epithelial cells (BEC) and chromosomal aberrations (CA) assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of fuel filling station attendants (FFSA) and compared to a matched control group. Urine analysis for BZ and its metabolites, phenol (Ph), trans, trans-Muconic Acid (t, t-MA), and S-Phenyl Mercapturic Acid (S-PMA) was done in all the study subjects. The results of our study revealed that exposure to BTX in petrol vapors induced a statistically significant increase in the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and CA in the exposed subjects than in controls (P < 0.05). There was a significant rise in the levels of urinary BZ, Ph, t, t-MA, and S-PMA in the exposed subjects. Our study highlights the significance of MNT, CA, and urinary metabolites as potential biological exposure indices of genetic damage in FFSA. This study suggests the need for regular monitoring of FFSA for possible exposure to BTX as a precautionary and preventive step to minimize exposure and reduce the associated health risks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P V Rekhadevi
- Toxicology Unit, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 607, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Fustinoni S, Campo L, Mercadante R, Consonni D, Mielzynska D, Bertazzi PA. A quantitative approach to evaluate urinary benzene and S-phenylmercapturic acid as biomarkers of low benzene exposure. Biomarkers 2011; 16:334-45. [DOI: 10.3109/1354750x.2011.561499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Fustinoni
- University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Campo
- University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Milano, Italy
| | - Rosa Mercadante
- University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Milano, Italy
| | - Dario Consonni
- University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Pier Alberto Bertazzi
- University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Milano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Lovreglio P, D'Errico MN, Fustinoni S, Drago I, Barbieri A, Sabatini L, Carrieri M, Apostoli P, Soleo L. Biomarkers of internal dose for the assessment of environmental exposure to benzene. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 13:2921-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c1em10512d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
36
|
Hu B, Zhang X, Li M, Peng X, Han J, Yang S, Ouyang Y, Chen H. Coupling corona discharge for ambient extractive ionization mass spectrometry. Analyst 2011; 136:4977-85. [DOI: 10.1039/c1an15483d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
37
|
Genotoxicity in Filling Station Attendants Exposed to Petroleum Hydrocarbons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 54:944-54. [DOI: 10.1093/annhyg/meq065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
|
38
|
Protano C, Guidotti M, Manini P, Petyx M, La Torre G, Vitali M. Benzene exposure in childhood: Role of living environments and assessment of available tools. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2010; 36:779-787. [PMID: 20591482 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2010.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2010] [Revised: 06/03/2010] [Accepted: 06/06/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Benzene is a widespread air pollutant and a well-known human carcinogen. Evidence is needed regarding benzene intake in the pediatric age group. We investigated the use of urinary (u) trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), and unmodified benzene (UB) for assessing exposure to low concentrations of environmental benzene and the role of living environment on benzene exposure in childhood. u-t,t-MA, u-SPMA, u-UB and u-cotinine were measured in urine samples of 243 Italian children (5-11 years) recruited in a cross-sectional study. Analytical results were compared with data obtained from questionnaires about participants' main potential exposure factors. u-UB, u-t,t-MA and u-SPMA concentrations were about 1.5-fold higher in children living in urban areas than in those in the rural group. Univariate analyses showed that u-UB was the only biomarker able to discriminate secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in urban and rural children (medians=411.50 and 210.50 ng/L, respectively); these results were confirmed by the strong correlation between u-UB and u-cotinine in the SHS-exposed group and by multivariate analyses. A regression model on u-SPMA showed that the metabolite is related to residence area (p<0.001), SHS exposure (p=0.048) and gender (p=0.027). u-UB is the best marker of benzene exposure in children in the present study, and it can be used as a good carcinogen-derived biomarker of exposure to passive smoking, especially related to benzene, when urine sample is collected at the end of the day. In addition, it is important to highlight that SHS resulted the most important contributor to benzene exposure, underlining the need for an information campaign against passive smoking exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Protano
- Department of Public Health Sciences G. Sanarelli, P. le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Xing C, Marchetti F, Li G, Weldon RH, Kurtovich E, Young S, Schmid TE, Zhang L, Rappaport S, Waidyanatha S, Wyrobek AJ, Eskenazi B. Benzene exposure near the U.S. permissible limit is associated with sperm aneuploidy. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2010; 118:833-9. [PMID: 20418200 PMCID: PMC2898861 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0901531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2009] [Accepted: 01/06/2010] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Benzene is a common industrial chemical known to induce leukemia and other blood disorders, as well as aneuploidy, in both human blood cells and sperm at exposures > 10 ppm. Recent reports have identified health effects at exposure levels < 1 ppm, the permissible exposure limit (PEL; 8 hr) set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether occupational exposures to benzene near 1 ppm induce aneuploidy in sperm. METHODS We used multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization to measure the incidence of sperm with numerical abnormalities of chromosomes X, Y, and 21 among 33 benzene-exposed men and 33 unexposed men from Chinese factories. Individual exposures were assessed using personal air monitoring and urinary concentrations of benzene and trans,trans-muconic acid (E,E-MA). Air benzene concentrations were not detectable in unexposed men; in exposed men, concentrations ranged from below the detection limit to 24 ppm (median, 2.9 ppm), with 27% of exposed men (n = 9) having concentrations of <or= 1 ppm. Exposed men were categorized into low and high groups based on urinary E,E-MA (median concentrations of 1.9 and 14.4 mg/L, respectively; median air benzene of 1 and 7.7 ppm, respectively), and aneuploidy frequencies were compared with those of unexposed men. RESULTS Sperm aneuploidy increased across low- and high-exposed groups for disomy X [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-3.4; and IRR = 2.8; 95% CI, 1.5-4.9, respectively], and for overall hyperhaploidy for the three chromosomes investigated (IRR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.4; and IRR = 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5-3.6, respectively). We also found elevated disomy X and hyperhaploidy in the nine men exposed to <or= 1 ppm benzene compared with unexposed men (IRR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0; and IRR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Benzene appeared to increase the frequencies of aneuploid sperm for chromosomes associated with chromosomal abnormality syndromes in human offspring, even in men whose air benzene exposure was at or below the U.S. permissible exposure limit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Xing
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Francesco Marchetti
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Guilan Li
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Rosana H. Weldon
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Elaine Kurtovich
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Suzanne Young
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Thomas E. Schmid
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Luoping Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Stephen Rappaport
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Andrew J. Wyrobek
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Address correspondence to B. Eskenazi, Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, 1995 University Ave., Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA. Telephone: (510) 642-3496. Fax: (510) 642-9083. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Rappaport SM, Kim S, Lan Q, Li G, Vermeulen R, Waidyanatha S, Zhang L, Yin S, Smith MT, Rothman N. Human benzene metabolism following occupational and environmental exposures. Chem Biol Interact 2010; 184:189-95. [PMID: 20026321 PMCID: PMC3072712 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2009.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2009] [Revised: 12/04/2009] [Accepted: 12/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported evidence that humans metabolize benzene via two enzymes, including a hitherto unrecognized high-affinity enzyme that was responsible for an estimated 73% of total urinary metabolites [sum of phenol (PH), hydroquinone (HQ), catechol (CA), E,E-muconic acid (MA), and S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA)] in nonsmoking females exposed to benzene at sub-saturating (ppb) air concentrations. Here, we used the same Michaelis-Menten-like kinetic models to individually analyze urinary levels of PH, HQ, CA and MA from 263 nonsmoking Chinese women (179 benzene-exposed workers and 84 control workers) with estimated benzene air concentrations ranging from less than 0.001-299 ppm. One model depicted benzene metabolism as a single enzymatic process (1-enzyme model) and the other as two enzymatic processes which competed for access to benzene (2-enzyme model). We evaluated model fits based upon the difference in values of Akaike's Information Criterion (DeltaAIC), and we gauged the weights of evidence favoring the two models based upon the associated Akaike weights and Evidence Ratios. For each metabolite, the 2-enzyme model provided a better fit than the 1-enzyme model with DeltaAIC values decreasing in the order 9.511 for MA, 7.379 for PH, 1.417 for CA, and 0.193 for HQ. The corresponding weights of evidence favoring the 2-enzyme model (Evidence Ratios) were: 116.2:1 for MA, 40.0:1 for PH, 2.0:1 for CA and 1.1:1 for HQ. These results indicate that our earlier findings from models of total metabolites were driven largely by MA, representing the ring-opening pathway, and by PH, representing the ring-hydroxylation pathway. The predicted percentage of benzene metabolized by the putative high-affinity enzyme at an air concentration of 0.001 ppm was 88% based upon urinary MA and was 80% based upon urinary PH. As benzene concentrations increased, the respective percentages of benzene metabolized to MA and PH by the high-affinity enzyme decreased successively to 66 and 77% at 0.1 ppm, 20 and 58% at 1 ppm, and 2.7 and 17% at 10 ppm. This indicates that the putative high-affinity enzyme was active primarily below 1 ppm and favored the ring-opening pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Rappaport
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7356, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Validity of new biomarkers of internal dose for use in the biological monitoring of occupational and environmental exposure to low concentrations of benzene and toluene. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2009; 83:341-56. [PMID: 19830448 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-009-0469-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2009] [Accepted: 09/24/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study analyzes the validity of new, more sensitive and specific urinary biomarkers of internal dose, namely, urinary benzene for benzene and urinary toluene and S-benzylmercapturic acid (SBMA) for toluene, to assess their efficacy when compared to traditional biomarkers for biological monitoring of occupational exposure to low concentrations of these two toxic substances. METHODS Assessment was made of 41 workers occupationally exposed to benzene and toluene, 18 fuel tanker drivers and 23 filling-station attendants, as well as 31 subjects with no occupational exposure to these toxic substances (controls). Exposure to airborne benzene and toluene was measured using passive Radiello personal samplers worn throughout the work shift. In urine samples collected from all subjects at the end of the workday, both the traditional and the new internal dose biomarkers of benzene and toluene were assessed, as well as creatinine so as to apply suitable adjustments. RESULTS Occupational exposure to benzene and toluene resulted significantly higher in the fuel tanker drivers than the filling-station attendants, and higher in the latter than in controls. Significantly higher concentrations of t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), urinary benzene, SBMA and urinary toluene were found in the drivers than the filling-station attendants or the controls. Instead, urinary phenol and hippuric acid were not different in the three groups. In the entire sample, airborne benzene and toluene values were significantly correlated, as were the respective urinary biomarkers, showing coefficients ranging from 0.36 to 0.98. Subdividing the subjects by smoking habit, higher coefficients were evident in non-smokers than in smokers; at multiple regression analysis t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene and toluene were dependent on the number of cigarettes smoked daily and on airborne benzene and toluene, respectively. Instead, SBMA was dependent only on airborne toluene. CONCLUSIONS Our research confirmed the validity of t,t-MA and SPMA for use in the biological monitoring of exposure to low concentrations of benzene. Urinary benzene showed comparable validity to SPMA; both parameters are affected by smoking cigarettes in the hours before urine collection, so it is best to ask subjects to refrain from smoking for 2 h before urine collection. Urinary toluene was found to be a more specific biomarker than SBMA.
Collapse
|
42
|
Rappaport SM, Kim S, Lan Q, Vermeulen R, Waidyanatha S, Zhang L, Li G, Yin S, Hayes RB, Rothman N, Smith MT. Evidence that humans metabolize benzene via two pathways. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2009; 117:946-52. [PMID: 19590688 PMCID: PMC2702411 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0800510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2008] [Accepted: 02/18/2009] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence has shown that humans metabolize benzene more efficiently at environmental air concentrations than at concentrations > 1 ppm. This led us to speculate that an unidentified metabolic pathway was mainly responsible for benzene metabolism at ambient levels. OBJECTIVE We statistically tested whether human metabolism of benzene is better fitted by a kinetic model having two pathways rather than one. METHODS We fit Michaelis-Menten-like models to levels of urinary benzene metabolites and the corresponding air concentrations for 263 nonsmoking Chinese females. Estimated benzene concentrations ranged from less than 0.001 ppm to 299 ppm, with 10th and 90th percentile values of 0.002 ppm and 8.97 ppm, respectively. RESULTS Using values of Akaike's information criterion obtained under the two models, we found strong statistical evidence favoring two metabolic pathways, with respective affinities (benzene air concentrations analogous to K(m) values) of 301 ppm for the low-affinity pathway (probably dominated by cytochrome P450 enzyme 2E1) and 0.594 ppm for the high-affinity pathway (unknown). The exposure-specific metabolite level predicted by our two-pathway model at nonsaturating concentrations was 184 muM/ppm of benzene, a value close to an independent estimate of 194 muM/ppm for a typical nonsmoking Chinese female. Our results indicate that a nonsmoking woman would metabolize about three times more benzene from the ambient environment under the two-pathway model (184 muM/ppm) than under the one-pathway model (68.6 muM/ppm). In fact, 73% of the ambient benzene dose would be metabolized via the unidentified high-affinity pathway. CONCLUSION Because regulatory risk assessments have assumed nonsaturating metabolism of benzene in persons exposed to air concentrations well above 10 ppm, our findings suggest that the true leukemia risks could be substantially greater than currently thought at ambient levels of exposure-about 3-fold higher among nonsmoking females in the general population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Rappaport
- School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-7356, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Wilbur S, Wohlers D, Paikoff S, Keith LS, Faroon O. ATSDR evaluation of health effects of benzene and relevance to public health. Toxicol Ind Health 2009; 24:263-398. [PMID: 19022880 DOI: 10.1177/0748233708090910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
As part of its mandate, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) prepares toxicological profiles on hazardous chemicals found at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priorities List (NPL) sites that have the greatest public health impact. These profiles comprehensively summarize toxicological and environmental information. This article constitutes the release of portions of the Toxicological Profile for Benzene. The primary purpose of this article is to provide public health officials, physicians, toxicologists, and other interested individuals and groups with an overall perspective on the toxicology of benzene. It contains descriptions and evaluations of toxicological studies and epidemiological investigations and provides conclusions, where possible, on the relevance of toxicity and toxicokinetic data to public health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Wilbur
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Suna S, Hirao T, Asakawa F, Suzue T, Mannami T, Jitsunari F. Possible sources of urinary benzene among nonoccupationally exposed Japanese subjects. Toxicol Ind Health 2009; 24:155-60. [PMID: 18842693 DOI: 10.1177/0748233708092226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Unmetabolized benzene in urine (U-benzene) is known to be the best marker among the indices for the biological monitoring of occupational and environmental exposure to benzene. In this study, we determined the levels of U-benzene among Japanese university students exposed to benzene nonoccupationally and analyzed the relation between U-benzene levels and the possible factors responsible for environmental benzene exposure. In urinalysis, U-benzene concentration among 124 students was detected in the range from 18 (minimum detection limit) to 249 ng/l. The frequency distribution of U-benzene concentration peaked at 0-19 ng/l. Mean and median values of 40 and 20 ng/l for U-benzene concentration in nonoccupationally exposed subjects were lower than those in a previous study. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the potential sources of exposure to environmental benzene by analyzing the relation between U-benzene and personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. The results showed that only smoking habit (P < 0.01) and residential house age (P < 0.05) were independent determinants of U-benzene levels. In addition, U-benzene levels in relation to smoking and house age suggested that these factors could be associated with the synergistic elevation of U-benzene. The present study showed U-benzene levels among non-occupationally exposed Japanese subjects and revealed that the major exposure sources to benzene in the general environment were tobacco smoking and indoor air contamination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Suna
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kagawa University, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Barbieri A, Violante FS, Sabatini L, Graziosi F, Mattioli S. Urinary biomarkers and low-level environmental benzene concentration: assessing occupational and general exposure. CHEMOSPHERE 2008; 74:64-69. [PMID: 18922558 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2008] [Revised: 08/04/2008] [Accepted: 09/04/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The categories of urban workers undergoing prolonged exposure to gasoline due to vehicle emissions, evaporation and traffic fumes are considered occupationally exposed to benzene, even if at low concentrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the specificity of unmetabolized benzene excreted in urine (UBz) and S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) as biomarkers of exposure to very low levels of benzene, and to study the impact of putative individual confounders like smoking and alcohol habits, co-exposure to other toxicants and body mass index on the exposure assessment. Environmental and biological monitoring of exposure to benzene were performed in 114 Urban Policemen. The mean value of UBz in non-smokers was significantly lower than in either groups of light to moderate smokers and heavy smokers (0.24, 1.82 and 2.82 microg L(-1), respectively). On the contrary, SPMA values did not discriminate exposure resulting from smoking habits. Moreover, the concentration of UBz in non-smokers appears to be correlated with environmental benzene concentration (BenzA) (R(2)=0.13, beta=0.37, p=0.002). On the other hand, no significant correlation was found between SPMA concentration (corrected for creatinine excretion and log transformed, LogSPMA) and LogBenzA (R(2)=0.003, beta=0.05, p=0.6). Our findings reinforce previous research on the use of unmetabolized urinary benzene as a specific and sensitive biomarker of low-level exposure to benzene and confirm that smoking habits strongly influence the excretion of UBz.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Barbieri
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Evaluation of urinary biomarkers of exposure to benzene: correlation with blood benzene and influence of confounding factors. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2008; 82:985-95. [DOI: 10.1007/s00420-008-0381-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2008] [Accepted: 10/21/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
47
|
Emara AM, El-Bahrawy H. Green Tea Attenuates Benzene-Induced Oxidative Stress in Pump Workers. J Immunotoxicol 2008; 5:69-80. [DOI: 10.1080/15476910802019029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
|
48
|
Kim S, Lan Q, Waidyanatha S, Chanock S, Johnson BA, Vermeulen R, Smith MT, Zhang L, Li G, Shen M, Yin S, Rothman N, Rappaport SM. Genetic polymorphisms and benzene metabolism in humans exposed to a wide range of air concentrations. Pharmacogenet Genomics 2007; 17:789-801. [PMID: 17885617 DOI: 10.1097/fpc.0b013e3280128f77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Using generalized linear models with natural-spline smoothing functions, we detected effects of specific xenobiotic metabolizing genes and gene-environment interactions on levels of benzene metabolites in 250 benzene-exposed and 136 control workers in Tianjin, China (for all individuals, the median exposure was 0.512 p.p.m. and the 10th and 90th percentiles were 0.002 and 6.40 p.p.m., respectively). We investigated five urinary metabolites (E,E-muconic acid, S-phenylmercapturic acid, phenol, catechol, and hydroquinone) and nine polymorphisms in seven genes coding for key enzymes in benzene metabolism in humans {cytochrome P450 2E1 [CYP2E1, rs2031920], NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase [NQO1, rs1800566 and rs4986998], microsomal epoxide hydrolase [EPHX1, rs1051740 and rs2234922], glutathione-S-transferases [GSTT1, GSTM1 and GSTP1(rs947894)] and myeloperoxidase [MPO, rs2333227]}. After adjusting for covariates, including sex, age, and smoking status, NQO1*2 (rs1800566) affected all five metabolites, CYP2E1 (rs2031920) affected most metabolites but not catechol, EPHX1 (rs1051740 or rs2234922) affected catechol and S-phenylmercapturic acid, and GSTT1 and GSTM1 affected S-phenylmercapturic acid. Significant interactions were also detected between benzene exposure and all four genes and between smoking status and NQO1*2 and EPHX1 (rs1051740). No significant effects were detected for GSTP1 or MPO. Results generally support prior associations between benzene hematotoxicity and specific gene mutations, confirm earlier evidence that GSTT1 affects production of S-phenylmercapturic acid, and provide additional evidence that genetic polymorphisms in NQO1*2, CYP2E1, and EPHX1 (rs1051740 or rs2234922) affect metabolism of benzene in the human liver.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sungkyoon Kim
- School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Johnson ES, Langård S, Lin YS. A critique of benzene exposure in the general population. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2007; 374:183-98. [PMID: 17261327 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.11.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2006] [Revised: 11/21/2006] [Accepted: 11/28/2006] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Benzene risk assessment indicates that exposure to a time-weighted average (TWA) of 1-5 parts per million (ppm) benzene in ambient air for 40 years is associated with an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia. Decreased white blood cell count, platelet count and other hematological indices have also been observed in persons exposed to as low as 1 ppm airborne benzene. Evidence from studies worldwide consistently shows elevated levels of benzene biomarkers that are equivalent to 0.1-2 ppm benzene in ambient air, or even higher in the general population without occupational exposure to benzene (including children). The public health significance of these observations depends on to what extent these levels reflect actual benzene exposure, and whether such exposures are life-long or at least occur frequently enough to pose a possible health threat. We reviewed the evidence and discussed possible explanations for these observations. It was concluded that while there is reason to suspect that benzene contributes significantly to elevated levels of biomarkers in the general population, there is growing concern that this cannot be definitively ascertained without concomitant consideration of the role of other factors such as metabolic polymorphisms and sources of biomarkers other than benzene, which have been insufficiently studied to date. Such studies are urgently needed for valid assessment of this potential public health problem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Johnson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Cheng WH, Chou YJ, Lin HP. Air-water partitioning equilibrium of tetrahydrofuran in an activated sludge system. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2007; 42:129-34. [PMID: 17182382 DOI: 10.1080/10934520601011205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluate the effect of liquid tetrahydrofuran (THF) concentration and biomass content on the THF air-water partitioning equilibrium for a simulated activated sludge system. The equilibrium of the partition at the air-water interface is given by a partitioning coefficient (pc) = Cg*/CL, where Cg* denotes the gaseous concentration in equilibrium with the aqueous THF concentration (CL). Variations of pc with CL in static pure water are evaluated, and high solubility of THF in water caused pc values to drop as the CL increased from 29.81 +/- 0.16 to 297.75 +/- 2.28 mg/L at a constant temperature of 27 degrees C. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity of THF in water induced a biomass effect, causing pc to increase in the activated sludge liquor. Due to the co-effect of liquid THF concentration and biomass content, the pc values of THF for the liquor of mixed liquid suspended solid (MLSS) concentration = 1220 +/- 86 mg/L and THF CL = 242.91 +/- 69.09 mg/L increased 22.5% compared to those in the pure agitated water. The biomass effect on pc of hydrophilic VOC increases the gaseous VOC emission rate from the activated sludge facilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hsi Cheng
- Department of Occupational Safety and Hygiene, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|