Study of Internal Exposure Biomarkers of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract

Due to the high exposure toxicity and individual variability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), it is difficult to accurately characterize the actual exposure of exposed individuals through external exposure detection. In this study, the monohydroxyl metabolites of naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene and 9-fluorenone were identified in the urine of low-dose PAH-exposed individuals based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS), and their concentrations were monitored for 15 consecutive days after exposure. The results showed that the metabolite concentrations of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene were basically the same, and all of them reached the maximum value at day 8. In contrast, the metabolite of 9-fluorenone reached its maximum value on day 2. This study showed that the four metabolites were strongly correlated with their parent PAH exposure, with a wide detection window, and their assays were specific, sensitive, and reliable, while the sampling difficulty was low, so the four hydroxylated PAHs may be potential low-dose biomarkers of PAH internal exposure. This study will provide methodological and data support for further health risk studies involving internal exposure to organic pollutants such as PAHs.