ABSTRACT
Levoglucosan is a sugar anhydride produced by combustion of carbohydrates. In ambient monitoring it serves as an indicator for wood smoke. Its use in human biomonitoring, however, is not yet widespread. This study investigated whether levoglucosan in urine is a suitable biomarker for regional differences in wood smoke exposure in the winter season. Within the first Austrian biomonitoring survey, pooled urine samples from mothers as well as children of five communities of different size (two-stage random stratified sampling) were analysed by HPLC. As an indicator of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that are also prevalent in wood smoke, 1-hydroxypyrene was determined. In each town levoglucosan was found in higher levels in the pooled children's samples than in the pooled mothers' samples. It correlated well with the agrarian quota. 1-Hydroxypyrene concentrations were higher in areas with higher population density. Correlation of urinary levoglucosan concentrations with the agrarian quota may be explained by higher wood smoke exposure in communities with higher agrarian quota. To our knowledge this study is the first investigation on this issue in Europe. It indicates that human biomonitoring of levoglucosan may be suitable to detect differences in regional exposure to wood smoke.
Subject(s)
Glucose/analogs & derivatives , Smoke , Wood , Adult , Agriculture , Austria , Child , Cotinine/urine , Environmental Monitoring , Female , Glucose/analysis , Humans , Middle Aged , Population Density , Pyrenes/urineABSTRACT
In order to address the Austrian situation concerning endocrine disrupting substances (EDS), a consortium called Austrian Research Cooperation on Endocrine Modulators (ARCEM) was established in 1999. Among several other issues that were investigated, ARCEM monitored more than 400 ground- and surface water samples for selected estrogenic hormones and industrial chemicals. Appropriate analytical methods were established using GC-HRMS for the detection of hormones and LC/MSMS for the detection of industrial chemicals. Since analytical results were forwarded for toxicological assessments within the programme, quantification limits below 0.1 ng/l (ethinyl estradiol) and 10 ng/l (industrial chemicals) were required depending on the NOEL of the individual compound. Results indicate that both hormones and industrial chemicals occur in the selected ground- and surface water sites in detectable concentrations. Three river sites were identified as being charged with noticeable concentrations of EDS. These results were verified by biological indications within the part of the ARCEM programme dealing with bio-indications.
