Integrated exposure assessment of sewage workers to genotoxicants: an urinary biomarker approach and oxidative stress evaluation

• Published in: Environmental health Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 23
• Main Authors: Al Zabadi, Hamzeh, Ferrari, Luc, Sari-Minodier, Irène, Kerautret, Marie-Aude, Tiberguent, Aziz, Paris, Christophe, Zmirou-Navier, Denis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 24.03.2011; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollution, Indoor; Analysis; Benzene; Benzene - analysis; Benzo(a)pyrene - analysis; Biological markers; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cancer; Comet Assay; Demographic aspects; Deoxyguanosine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxyguanosine - urine; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diagnosis; DNA; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Genotoxicity; Health aspects; Health care; Health risks; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Identification and classification; Inhalation; Inhalation Exposure; Integrated approach; Life Sciences; Male; Medicine; Metabolism; Metabolites; Micronucleus Tests; Middle Aged; Mutagens - toxicity; Occupational Exposure; Occupational health and safety; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Organic compounds; Oxidative Stress; Paris; PCB; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Preventive medicine; Public Health; Pyrene; Sanitary Engineering; Sanitation workers; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Sewage; Standard deviation; Statistical analysis; Studies; Urine; VOCs; Volatile hydrocarbons; Volatile organic compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Workers; Young Adult; France; Lifetime Cancer Risk; Micronucleus Assay; Office Worker; Comet Assay; HepG2 Cell
• ISSN: 1476-069X; 1476-069X
• DOI: 10.1186/1476-069X-10-23

Background Sewage workers are exposed to multiple chemicals among which many are suspected genotoxicants. Therefore, they might incur DNA damage and oxidative stress. We aimed to explore integrated urinary biomarkers, assessing the overall urine genotoxicity by in vitro comet and micronucleus assays and measuring urinary 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine. Methods During three consecutive working days, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds were sampled in workplace air of 34 sewage and 30 office workers, as indicators of airborne exposure. The last day, subjects collected their 24 hours urine. Genotoxicity of urinary extracts was assessed by comet and micronucleus assays on a HepG2 cell line. Using competitive enzymatic immunoassay we evaluated the 24 hours urinary 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine excretion. Benzo(a)pyrene toxicity equivalent factors and inhalation unit risk for Benzo(a)pyrene and benzene were used to give an estimate of cancer risk levels. Results Workplace air concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. 23.7 [range 2.4-104.6] ng.m -3 for fluoranthene) and volatile organic compounds (e.g. 19.1 ± 2.9 [standard error] μ.m -3 for benzene) were elevated in sewage compared to office workplaces ( P < 0.01) and corresponded to an increased lifetime cancer risk. The urinary extracts of sewage workers showed higher genotoxicity ( P < 0.001) than office workers. Conclusions The integrated and non-specific urinary biomarkers of exposure showed that sewage workers experience exposure to mixtures of genotoxicants in the workplace.