Excretion of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and DMF metabolites N-hydroxymethyl-N-methylformamide ("MF"), N-hydroxymethyl-formamide ("F") and N-acetyl-S-(N-methylcarbamoyl)cysteine (AMCC) has been monitored in the urine of volunteers during and after their 8-h exposure to DMF vapour at a concentration of 10, 30 and 60 mg.m-3. The pulmonary ventilation in these experiments was typically about 10 l.min-1 and the retention in the respiratory tract was 90%. After exposure to 30mg DMF.m-3, the yield of compound determined in the urine represented 0.3% (DMF), 22.3% ("MF"), 13.2% ("F") and 13.4% (AMCC) of the dose absorbed via the respiratory tract. The excretion curves of the particular compounds attained their maximum 6-8h (DMF), 6-8h ("MF"), 8-14h ("F") and 24-34h (AMCC) after the start of the exposure. The half-times of excretion were approximately 2, 4, 7 and 23 h respectively. In contrast to slow elimination of AMCC after exposure to DMF, AMCC was eliminated rapidly after AMCC intake. This discrepancy could be explained by rate-limiting reversible protein binding of a reactive metabolic intermediate of DMF, possibly methylisocyanate.

Skin penetration fo N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) liquid or vapour was studied in volunteers. Exposure to liquid DMF was performed in two ways: in a "dipping experiment", one hand was dipped up to the wrist in DMF for 2-20 min, while in a "patch experiment", 2 mmol DMF was applied to the skin and allowed to be absorbed completely. The period of exposure to DMF vapour (50 mg.m-3) was 4 h. The DMF metabolites N-hydroxymethyl-N-methylformamide ("MF"), N-hydroxymethylformamide ("F"), and N-acetyl-S-(N-methylcarbamoyl)cysteine (AMCC) were monitored in the urine. Liquid DMF was absorbed through the skin at a rate of 9.4 mg.cm-2.h-1. Percutaneous absorption of DMF vapour depended strongly on ambient temperature and humidity and accounted for 13%-36% of totally excreted "MF". The results suggest that skin absorption of liquid DMF is likely to contribute to occupational exposure substantially more than penetration of DMF vapour. The yield of metabolites after transdermal DMF absorption was only half of that seen after pulmonary absorption. Elimination of "MF" and "F" but not that of AMCC was delayed, which supports the contention that AMCC should be used instead of "MF" as the most suitable biomarker of DMF in cases where percutaneous intake can occur.

The metabolism and toxicokinetics of cyclohexane (CH) and cyclohexanol (CH-ol), important solvents and chemical intermediates, were studied in volunteers after 8-h periods of inhalation exposure at concentrations of 1010 and 236 mg m(-3), respectively (occupational exposure limits: CH, 1050 mg m(-3); CH-ol, 200 mg m(-3)). Of the dose of absorbed parent compounds, the yields of urinary CH-ol and 1,2- and 1,4-cyclohexanediol (CH-diol) were 0.5%, 23.4%, and 11.3%, respectively, after exposure to CH and 1.1%, 19.1%, and 8.4%, respectively, after exposure to CH-ol as determined by a gas chromatography method involving hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates. The metabolic patterns of CH and CH-ol were very similar to that of cyclohexanone (CH-one) studied in the laboratory previously. For all three compounds, peak excretion of CH-ol occurred at the end of the exposure period, after which it decayed rapidly. Excretion curves of 1,2- and 1,4-CH-diol reached maximal values within 0-6 h postexposure, with subsequent elimination half-lives being 14-18 h. The rate-limiting step in the elimination of CH compounds from the organism is renal clearance of CH-diols. Determination of CH-diols in end-of-shift urine samples is recommended as a useful new method of biomonitoring of CH, CH-ol, and CH-one at the workplace. However, due to accumulation of CH-diols in the body during repeated exposure, quantitative relationships between the exposure and the level of CH-diols have to be adjusted according to the day of sampling during the working week.

The metabolism and toxicokinetics of cyclohexanone (CH-one), an important solvent and chemical intermediate, have been studied in volunteers during and after 8-h exposures to CH-one vapour at a concentration of 101, 207 and 406 mg.m-3. The pulmonary ventilation in these experiments was typically 11 l.min-1 and retention in the respiratory tract was 58%. After exposure to CH-one, 207 mg.m-3, the metabolic yields of cyclohexanol (CH-ol), 1,2- and 1,4-cyclohexanediol (CH-diol) as determined in urine by a gas chromatographic method involving hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugate were 1.0% +/- 0.3%, 39% +/- 5% and 18% +/- 2% (n = 8), respectively. Peak excretion of CH-ol was achieved at the end of the exposure period, after which it decayed rapidly. Elimination of 1,2- and 1,4-CH-diol reached maximum values a few hours following exposure, with subsequent elimination half-times of 16 +/- 2 and 18 +/- 4 h, respectively. Repeated exposure to CH-one vapour (around 200 mg.m-3) for five consecutive days (8 h/day) resulted in cumulative excretion of CH-diols. The permeation rate of CH-one liquid through the skin was 0.037-0.069 mg.cm-2.h-1 (n = 3), indicating that the contribution of percutaneous absorption to total CH-one occupational intake is of minor importance. CH-diols are recommended as biomarkers of exposure to CH-one.

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