Urinary profiles to assess polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure in coke-oven workers.

Abstract Aim of the study was the assessment of exposure of coke-oven workers to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by determination of urinary profiles of hydroxylated and unmetabolized PAHs. Fifty-five Polish coke-oven workers were investigated by measurement of 12 hydroxylated metabolites of PAHs (OHPAHs) (1-, 2-hydroxynaphthalene; 2-, 9-hydroxyfluorene; 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 9-hydroxyphenanthrene; 1-hydroxyypyrene, 6-hydroxychrysene and 3-hydroxybenzo[ a ]pyrene) and 13 unmetabolized PAHs (U-PAHs) (from naphthalene to benzo[ a ]pyrene), in spot urine samples collected at the end of the workshift. U-PAHs with four or less rings were detected in all samples. In particular, median levels for urinary naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene and benz[ a ]anthracene were 0.806, 0.721, 0.020, 0.032 and 0.035 μg/L. OHPAHs up to 1-hydroxypyrene were found in all samples, while high molecular-weight OHPAHs were always below quantification limit. Median level of 1-hydroxyypyrene was 15.4 μg/L. In all subjects significant correlations between OHPAHs and U-PAHs were observed (0.27  r p