AIRBORNE EXPOSURE TO POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) AND URINARY EXCRETION OF 1-HYDROXYPYRENE OF CARBON ANODE PLANT WORKERS

Workers in plants producing carbon anodes for aluminium electrolysis are exposed to PAHs containing coal tar pitch volatiles, pitch and coke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene to characterize respiratory exposure to PAH, which is most relevant for assessing individual health risks. Six workers in a carbon anode plant volunteered to take part in a personal air sampling and a biological monitoring programme lasting five consecutive 8-h shifts to determine occupational exposure to airborne PAHs and urinary excretion of l-hydroxypyrene. Exposure to total PAH for all worksites varied from 3.99 to 120.6 μg PAH m−3 and for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) from 0.17 to 4.88 μg BaP m−3. The concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene in post- and pre-shift urine samples was in the range (0.5-61.8 μmol 1-OHP per mol creatinine) and depended on the worksite. The Spearman rank correlation test showed a low but significant (P