Trends in Urinary Metabolites of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Non-Smoking U.S. Population, NHANES 2001-2014

Abstract Background Recent studies indicate airborne PAH levels have decreased in the U.S., but it is unclear if this has resulted in PAH exposure changes in the U.S. population. Objective Examine temporal trends in urinary metabolites of Naphthalene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene, and Pyrene in U.S. non-smokers, 6+ years old. Methods We used biomonitoring data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program, 2001-2014, (N=11,053) using survey weighted linear regression. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, creatinine, BMI, income, diet, and seasonality. Stratified models evaluated the effect of age, sex, and race/ethnicity on trends. Results Between 2001-2014, Naphthalene exposure increased 36% (p Significance This study shows exposure to Naphthalene and Pyrene increased, while exposure to Fluorene and Phenanthrene decreased among the non-smoking U.S. general population between 2001-2014, suggesting environmental sources of PAHs have changed over the time period.