Validity of new biomarkers of internal dose for use in the biological monitoring of occupational and environmental exposure to low concentrations of benzene and toluene

Objectives This study analyzes the validity of new, more sensitive and speciWc urinary biomarkers of internal dose, namely, urinary benzene for benzene and urinary toluene and S-benzylmercapturic acid (SBMA) for toluene, to assess their eYcacy when compared to traditional biomarkers for biological monitoring of occupational exposure to low concentrations of these two toxic substances. Methods Assessment was made of 41 workers occupationally exposed to benzene and toluene, 18 fuel tanker drivers and 23 Wlling-station attendants, as well as 31 subjects with no occupational exposure to these toxic substances (controls). Exposure to airborne benzene and toluene was measured using passive Radiello® personal samplers worn throughout the work shift. In urine samples collected from all subjects at the end of the workday, both the traditional and the new internal dose biomarkers of benzene and toluene were assessed, as well as creatinine so as to apply suitable adjustments. Results Occupational exposure to benzene and toluene resulted signiWcantly higher in the fuel tanker drivers than the Wlling-station attendants, and higher in the latter than in controls. SigniWcantly higher concentrations of t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), urinary benzene, SBMA and urinary toluene were found in the drivers than the Wlling-station attendants or the controls. Instead, urinary phenol and hippuric acid were not diVerent in the three groups. In the entire sample, airborne benzene and toluene values were signiWcantly correlated, as were the respective urinary biomarkers, showing coeYcients ranging from 0.36 to 0.98. Subdividing the subjects by smoking habit, higher coeYcients were evident in nonsmokers than in smokers; at multiple regression analysis t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene and toluene were dependent on the number of cigarettes smoked daily and on airborne benzene and toluene, respectively. Instead, SBMA was dependent only on airborne toluene. Conclusions Our research conWrmed the validity of t,t-MA and SPMA for use in the biological monitoring of exposure to low concentrations of benzene. Urinary benzene showed comparable validity to SPMA; both parameters are aVected by smoking cigarettes in the hours before urine collection, so it is best to ask subjects to refrain from smoking for 2 h before urine collection. Urinary toluene was found to be a more speciWc biomarker than SBMA.