Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The interaction of benzo(a)pyrene with serum albumin was measured in an attempt to identify the actual exposure and to evaluate albumin adduct measurements as biomarkers for exposure monitoring. METHODS: Benzo(a)pyrene-diol-epoxide (BPDE)-albumin adducts were measured by competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in plasma of coke oven plant workers from three plants and from people living in a highly industrialised area of Silesia in Poland. Due to the high air concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in this area, a control group was selected from a rural non-industrialised area in Poland. Breathing zone air measurements of PAHs were collected from some of the participants. RESULTS: Coke oven plant workers and non-occupationally exposed people had similar concentrations of albumin adducts whereas the rural controls were significantly lower (2.74 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.124)). The mean concentration of BPDE-albumin adduct in plasma of both the occupational and the environmental groups were significantly higher in the summer samples (4.34 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.335) and 4.55 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.296), respectively) than in the winter samples (3.06 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.187) and 3.04 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.184), respectively) even though the air measurements showed higher concentrations of PAHs in the winter. The statistical analysis did not show any effects of air exposures on concentrations of BPDE-albumin adduct. CONCLUSIONS: A multiple regression analysis of the measured concentrations of BPDE-albumin adducts for all the groups, during both seasons, indicates that occupational exposures do not contribute significantly to the formation of adducts. In general, the concentrations of albumin adducts found vary within relatively small limits for the two seasons and between the various groups of participants. No extreme differences were found.