ABSTRACT
This study has documented the gonadotoxic effect of exposure to hydrocarbons in workers of diesel and petrol engine repair workshops as measured by urinary 1-hydroxypyrene [1-OHP], semen analysis study and annexine-V bioassay. Twenty workers exposed to hydrocarbons in diesel and petrol engine repair workshops were included in this study. They showed nearly six-fold increase in 1-OHP excretion [the most reliable indicator for PAHs exposure] as compared with the control group [20 males of the workers' relatives of matched age and socioeconomic standard]. The study revealed a significant correlation between the relative number of sperm cells that expressed PS [annexine-V positive cells] and duration of exposure to hydrocarbons, low sperm count, diminished motility and the urinary 1-OHP levels of the exposed workers. This study recommended biomonitoring of urinary excretion of 1-OHP in workers exposed to hydrocarbons as a screening test and to use the annexine-V binding assay as an early measure of gonadotoxicity induced by toxic exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons