Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure, Urinary Mutagenicity, and DNA Adducts in Rubber Manufacturing Workers

• Published in: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention Vol. 17; no. 6; pp. 1452 - 1459
• Main Authors: PETERS, Susan, TALASKA, Glenn, JÖNSSON, Bo A. G, KROMHOUT, Hans, VERMEULEN, Roel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01-06-2008
• Subjects: 1-hydroxypyrene; Adult; Air Pollutants, Occupational - toxicity; Air Pollutants, Occupational - urine; Biological and medical sciences; biological monitoring; Cancer and Oncology; Cancer och onkologi; Clinical Medicine; Cotinine - toxicity; Cotinine - urine; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA Adducts; Humans; Klinisk medicin; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens - toxicity; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; PAH exposure; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - toxicity; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - urine; Pyrenes - toxicity; Rubber; rubber industry; Tumors; urothelial cells; Human; Urine; Exposure; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Mutagen; Carcinogen; Cancerology; DNA; Worker; Manufacturing; Rubber; Molecular adduct; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 1055-9965; 1538-7755; 1538-7755
• DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-2777

Objectives: Several studies have suggested that genotoxic risks might still be present in the contemporary rubber manufacturing
industry. Previously, we observed elevated levels of urinary mutagenicity and bladder DNA adducts in rubber workers. Presently,
we investigated whether DNA adducts in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and/or urothelial cells may be caused by
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or other genotoxic compounds.
Methods: Spot urine samples from 116 rubber manufacturing workers were collected on Sunday and during the workweek (post-shift)
to determine 1-hydroxypyrene and mutagenicity levels. For 52 nonsmokers, urothelial cell DNA adducts and PBMC DNA adducts
were measured additionally.
Results: Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels were significantly higher in workweek samples compared with Sunday ( P = 0.0001). This increase was not uniform across tasks and only reached statistical significance for the curing department
(+99%; P = 0.003). Weekday urinary mutagenicity was significantly increased for mixing (+56%) and curing (+21%) workers when compared
with that for Sunday. Total urothelial cell DNA adducts were related to urinary 1-hydroxypyrene ( P = 0.021) and mutagenicity ( P = 0.027). No significant relationship was found between the adduct levels in PBMC and urothelial cells or between the former
and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene or mutagenicity.
Conclusions: Workers in the compounding, mixing, and curing departments were at highest genotoxic risk among rubber manufacturing
workers. Increased levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene, mutagenicity, and urothelial cell DNA adducts were found in these workers.
Urothelial cell and PBMC DNA adducts were not related, hinting possibly to the presence of specific bladder carcinogens in
the rubber manufacturing industry. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(6):1452–9)