Assessment of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Traffic Police and Suburban Inhabitants in Beijing / 环境与健康杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in traffic police and suburban inhabitants in Beijing and to explore the factors that can influence urinary 1-hydroxypyrene(1-OHP) which will be taken as PAHs exposure biomarker.Methods From Jun.to Aug.2007,Sixty-two traffic policemen and 35 male suburban inhabitants were selected.The ambient PM2.5 samples were collected within two consecutive days in the work place of traffic policeman and in the residential area of suburban inhabitants respectively.The levels of urinary 1-OHP and 10 PAHs species in the collected PM2.5 were determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC),while the information on smoking,drinking alcohol,exercising habit and so on was investigated by questionnaire.Results The average levels of benzo[a]pyrene,pyrene and total PAHs in the traffic policeman group were 3.20,6.48 and 38.32 ng/m3 respectively,while the corresponding values in the suburban inhabitant group were 1.54,4.05 and 25.43 ng/m3 respectively.The concentration of urinary 1-OHP in the policeman group was higher than that of the suburban inhabitant group.In addition,the effect of smoking on the 1-OHP concentrations were also detected in the smoking suburban inhabitants and serious smoking traffic policemen(≥20 cigarettes per day).There was no effect of other factors(such as drinking alcohol,exercising and cooking habit) on 1-OHP.Conclusion Both traffic policemen and suburban inhabitants in Beijing were exposed to high level of PAHs.The ambient air exposure and smoking are the most important factors influencing the concentration of urinary 1-OHP.