Abstract

Objectives: Coke oven emissions COE containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs can induce both benzoapyrene-r-7, t-8, t-9,c-10-tetrahydotetrol-albumin BPDE-Alb adducts and DNA damage. However, the relation between these biomarkers for early biological effects is not well documented in coke oven workers.

Methods: In this study, the authors recruited 207 male workers exposed to COE and 102 controls not exposed to COE in the same steel plant in northern China. They measured BPDE-Alb adduct concentrations in plasma with reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes with alkaline comet assay.

Results: The results showed that the median concentration of BPDE-Alb adducts in the exposed group 34.36 fmol/mg albumin was significantly higher than that in the control group 21.90 fmol/mg albumin, p0.012. The mean Olive tail moment Olive TM of DNA damage in the exposed and control groups were 1.20 and 0.63, respectively p0.000. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio OR for BPDE-Alb adduct and Olive TM associated with the exposure were 1.72 95 CI 1.06 to 2.81 and 1.96 95 CI 1.20 to 3.19, respectively. These results show significant correlations between the concentrations of BPDE-Alb adduct and Olive TM levels in exposed group r0.235, p0.001 but not in control group r0.093, p0.353.

Conclusion: The results suggest that occupational exposure to COE may induce both BPDEAlb adducts and DNA damage in the lymphocytes of coke oven workers and that these two markers are useful for monitoring exposure to COE in the workplace.