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Biomarkers of Low-Level Environmental Exposure to Benzene and Oxidative DNA Damage in Primary School Children in Sardinia, Italy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18094644. [PMID: 33925535 PMCID: PMC8123794 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Background: The main anthropic sources of exposure to airborne benzene include vehicular traffic, cigarette smoke, and industrial emissions. Methods: To detect early genotoxic effects of environmental exposure to benzene, we monitored environmental, personal, and indoor airborne benzene in children living in an urban area and an area near a petrochemical plant. We also used urinary benzene and S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) as biomarkers of benzene exposure and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a biomarker of early genotoxic effects. Results: Although always below the European Union limit of 5 μg/m3, airborne benzene levels were more elevated in the indoor, outdoor, and personal samples from the industrial surroundings compared to the urban area (p = 0.026, p = 0.005, and p = 0.001, respectively). Children living in the surroundings of the petrochemical plant had urinary benzene values significantly higher than those from the urban area in both the morning and evening samples (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Results of multiple regression modelling showed that age was a significant predictor of 8-OHdG excretion, independent of the sampling hour. Moreover, at the low exposure level experienced by the children participating in this study, neither personal or indoor airborne benzene level, nor personal monitoring data, affected 8-OHdG excretion. Conclusions: Our results suggest the importance of biological monitoring of low-level environmental exposure and its relation to risk of genotoxic effects among children.
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Montero-Montoya R, López-Vargas R, Arellano-Aguilar O. Volatile Organic Compounds in Air: Sources, Distribution, Exposure and Associated Illnesses in Children. Ann Glob Health 2018; 84:225-238. [PMID: 30873816 PMCID: PMC6748254 DOI: 10.29024/aogh.910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC), like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), are atmospheric pollutants representing a threat to human health. They are released into the environment from mobile sources in urban settings, but newly polluted areas are gaining importance in countries where accelerated industrialization is taking place in suburban or rural settings. METHODS The review includes studies done in Mexico and Latin-America and countries considered to have emerging economies and are compared with similar studies in developed countries. Data about environmental VOC levels and exposure of children have been included. Also, information about health effects was reviewed. Articles were searched in PubMed and Scopus, and information was also obtained from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the EPAs Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS-EPA) and state reports on air quality of Mexican cities. RESULTS VOC or BTEX levels reported in industrial and suburban areas were found to be higher due to the burning of fossil fuels and waste emission; whereas, in big cities, VOC emissions were mainly due to mobile sources. Even though TEX levels were under reference values, benzene was found at levels several times over this value in cities and even higher in industrial zones. Elevated VOC emissions were also reported in cities with industrial development in their peripheral rural areas.Public health relevance: Industrial activities have changed the way of life of small towns, which previously had no concern about environmental pollution and chemicals. No air monitoring is done in these places where toxic chemicals are released into rivers and the atmosphere. This work demonstrates the need for environmental monitors to protect human life in suburban and rural areas where industrial growth occurs without planning and ecological or health protection, compromising the health of new generations beginning in fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rocío López-Vargas
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, MX
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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: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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.
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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
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Gonçalves ES, Borges RM, Carvalho LVBD, Alves SR, André LC, Moreira JC. Estratégias analíticas com cromatografia e espectrometria de massas para biomonitorização da exposição ao benzeno pela determinação do ácido S-fenilmercaptúrico urinário. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE SAÚDE OCUPACIONAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1590/2317-6369000127615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Resumo Introdução: o benzeno é uma substância de reconhecida toxicidade e sua biomonitorização torna-se fundamental para a prevenção de danos à saúde humana, principalmente em situações de exposição ocupacional. Dentre os biomarcadores de exposição, o ácido S-fenilmercaptúrico é considerado o único específico, mas, devido a suas baixas concentrações na urina, é requerido o uso de técnicas analíticas sensíveis capazes de quantificar traços. Objetivo: revisar metodologias baseadas na cromatografia e na espectrometria de massas para a determinação do ácido S-fenilmercaptúrico. Método: revisão da literatura sobre a determinação do ácido S-fenilmercaptúrico urinário por técnicas de cromatografia e espectrometria de massas, nas principais bases de dados científicas, considerando o período entre 1951 e 2015. Resultados: 120 documentos serviram como base teórica para a construção desta revisão. A técnica analítica mais empregada foi o acoplamento da cromatografia a líquido com a espectrometria de massas. Contudo, os métodos diferem quanto ao preparo das amostras. Conclusão: o alto custo de aquisição e a manutenção de equipamentos são fatores limitantes para a difusão dos sistemas de cromatografia e espectrometria de massas. No entanto, sua elevada sensibilidade e seletividade faz com que essas técnicas, acopladas, possibilitem elucidar situações de exposição ocupacional e ambiental a poluentes, como o benzeno.
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Bahrami AR, Joneidi Jafari A, Ahmadi H, Mahjub H. Comparison of benzene exposure in drivers and petrol stations workers by urinary trans,trans-muconic acid in west of Iran. INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 2007; 45:396-401. [PMID: 17634688 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.45.396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Motor vehicle traffic is the main emission source of benzene. We undertook this study in order to compare benzene exposure and urinary levels of trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) in taxi drivers and petrol station workers. Air benzene levels were analyzed with gas chromatography using a Flame Ionization Detector. t,t-MA was extracted from urine and analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Significant differences in levels of urinary t,t-MA were found in drivers and petrol station workers when compared to a control group (p<0.05). Correlation coefficients between benzene in air and t,t-MA for petrol station workers and drivers were 0.65 and 0.30, respectively. The concentration of benzene in the breathing zone of petrol station workers was 2-3 times higher than drivers, and also 3 times greater than a threshold level (0.5 ppm) recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The lowest benzene concentration at which urinary t,t-MA increased to a measurable level was approximately 0.17 ppm. In conclusion our results suggested that high benzene levels are emitted in petrol stations in west Iran. t,t-MA analysis was able to separate those exposed from the non-exposed benzene group when benzene in the breathing zone of subjects was greater than 0.17 ppm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Rahman Bahrami
- Department of Occupational Health, Faculty of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Science, Iran
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Haufroid V, Lison D. Mercapturic acids revisited as biomarkers of exposure to reactive chemicals in occupational toxicology: a minireview. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2005; 78:343-54. [PMID: 15883816 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-005-0620-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2004] [Accepted: 01/28/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A minireview is presented concerning the use of mercapturic acids as biological exposure index for electrophilic chemicals. Besides pure analytical aspects, this minireview considers possible issues in relation to (a) the added value of mercapturic acids as compared to other well validated biomarkers of exposure and (b) the high inter-individual variability in mercapturic acids excretion. Recent field and/or experimental studies confirm the usefulness of mercapturic acids as biological exposure index for electrophilic chemicals and suggest the interest of a toxicogenetic approach for a better interpretation of the results of biological monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Haufroid
- Université catholique de Louvain, Unité de Toxicologie Industrielle et Environnementale, Clos Chapelle-aux-Champs 30 boite 54, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium.
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Pieri M, Miraglia N, Acampora A, Genovese G, Soleo L, Sannolo N. Determination of urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2004; 795:347-54. [PMID: 14522039 DOI: 10.1016/s1570-0232(03)00602-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) is considered a useful biomarker for the measurement of low levels of benzene exposure, related to occupational exposure, smoking habits or environmental pollution. S-PMA quantitative analysis requires highly sensitive and specific techniques and purification procedures, mainly based on liquid-liquid or solid-phase extraction, which result in time expensive analyses. A method was developed for the quantitative determination of S-PMA in urine by using a simple, reproducible and easily automatizable HPLC purification followed by LC/ESI-NI/MS2 analysis. In order to reduce the cost of the analysis, related to the use of expensive labeled standards, p-bromo-S-phenylmercapturic acid (p-Br-S-PMA) was synthesized, characterized and used as internal standard. The feasibility and efficacy of the proposed method were examined by constructing calibration curves in the range from 6.2 to 200 microg/l and data were analyzed in terms of linearity and statistical parameters. The detection limit, related to the purification of 1 ml urine sample is 5 microg/l. The method was applied to the analysis of 12 urine samples from smoker subjects non-occupationally exposed to benzene. S-PMA urinary levels ranged from 13.6 to >200 microg/l, suggesting a high influence of life style in the S-PMA excretion. The proposed analytical method is suitable for the biological monitoring of both smoker and non-smoker workers, occupationally exposed to benzene. By processing at least 2 ml of urine samples, the method appears to be also useful for the evaluation of benzene uptake due to the environmental pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pieri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Medicina Pubblica, Università di Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 1, I-70126 Bari, Italy.
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