Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene as a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure of workers on a contaminated site: Influence of exposure conditions

The aim of the study was to determine the exposure levels of workers to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on gasworks sites by the measurement of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene. Start-shift and end-shift urine samples were taken every day during an entire week (Monday to Friday), once in November and a second time in June. Four groups of workers were selected according to their activity. Increased exposure was only found among volunteers involved in the remediation of a site, 0.16 to 2.31 mu mol/mol creatinine in non-smokers. The median of the non-smoker referent group was 0.02 mu mol/mol creatinine (95 % confidence interval, 0.01 to 0.04), Smelters had greater exposure levels than non-smokers in every group, Within and between variability was around 200 %, Assessment of the exposure of persons on contaminated soil is possible, with the condition that the exposed subjects come in direct contact with the soil.