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Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as a biomarker of exposure to PAHs in air: A pilot study among pregnant women
Citation
Nethery, E and Wheeler, AJ and Fisher, M and Sjodin, A and Li, Z and Romanoff, LC and Foster, W and Arbuckle, TE, Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as a biomarker of exposure to PAHs in air: A pilot study among pregnant women, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 22 pp. 70-81. ISSN 1559-0631 (2012) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2012 Nature America, Inc.
Abstract
Recent studies have linked increased polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air and adverse fetal health outcomes. Urinary PAH metabolites are of
interest for exposure assessment if they can predict PAHs in air. We investigated exposure to PAHs by collecting air and urine samples among pregnant
women pre-selected as living in ‘‘high’’ (downtown and close to steel mills, n ¼ 9) and ‘‘low’’ (suburban, n ¼ 10) exposure areas. We analyzed firstmorning
urine voids from all 3 trimesters of pregnancy for urinary PAH metabolites and compared these to personal air PAH/PM2.5/NO2/NOX
samples collected in the 3rd trimester. We also evaluated activities and home characteristics, geographic indicators and outdoor central site PM2.5/NO2/
NOX (all trimesters). Personal air exposures to the lighter molecular weight (MW) PAHs were linked to indoor sources (candles and incense), whereas the
heavier PAHs were related to outdoor sources. Geometric means of all personal air measurements were higher in the ‘‘high’’ exposure group. We suggest
that centrally monitored heavier MW PAHs could be used to predict personal exposures for heavier PAHs only. Urine metabolites were only directly
correlated with their parent air PAHs for phenanthrene (Pearson’s r ¼ 0.31–0.45) and fluorene (r ¼ 0.37–0.58). Predictive models suggest that specific
metabolites (3-hydroyxyfluorene and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene) may be related to their parent air PAH exposures. The metabolite 2-hydroxynaphthalene
was linked to smoking and the metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene was linked to dietary exposures. For researchers interested in predicting exposure to airborne
lighter MW PAHs using urinary PAH metabolites, we propose that hydroxyfluorene and hydroxyphenanthrene metabolites be considered
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | biomarkers, air pollution, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pregnancy, urinary metabolites |
Research Division: | Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services |
Research Group: | Human resources and industrial relations |
Research Field: | Occupational and workplace health and safety |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
Objective Field: | Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Wheeler, AJ (Dr Amanda Wheeler) |
ID Code: | 101121 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 53 |
Deposited By: | Menzies Institute for Medical Research |
Deposited On: | 2015-06-10 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-03 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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