Urinary Amino-PAHs in relation to diesel engine emissions and urinary mutagenicity

Junfeng (Jim) Zhang, Yuxin Zheng, Roel Vermeulen, Xing (Lucy) Liu, Yufei Dai, Wei Hu, Linchen He, Yan Lin, Dianzhi Ren, Huawei Duan, Yong Niu, Jun Xu, Wei Fu, Kees Meliefste, Baosen Zhou, Jufang Yang, Meng Ye, Xiaowei Jia, Tao Meng, Ping BinBryan A. Bassig, H. Dean Hosgood, Debra Silverman, Qing Lan, Nathaniel Rothman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Diesel exhaust has long been of health concern due to established toxicity including carcinogenicity in humans. However, the precise components of diesel engine emissions that drive carcinogenesis are still unclear. Limited work has suggested that nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) such as 1-nitropyrene and 2-nitrofluorene may be more abundant in diesel exhaust. The present study aimed to examine whether urinary amino metabolites of these NPAHs were associated with high levels of diesel engine emissions and urinary mutagenicity in a group of highly exposed workers including both smokers and nonsmokers. Spot urine samples were collected immediately following a standard work shift from each of the 54 diesel engine testers and 55 non-tester controls for the analysis of five amino metabolites of NPAHs, and cotinine (a biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure) using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. An overnight urine sample was collected in a subgroup of non-smoking participants for mutagenicity analysis using strain YG1041 in the Salmonella (Ames) mutagenicity assay. Personal exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) and more-diesel-specific constituents (elemental carbon and soot) was assessed for the engine testers by measuring breathing-zone concentrations repeatedly over several full work shifts. Results showed that it was 12.8 times more likely to detect 1-aminopyrene and 2.9 times more likely to detect 2-aminofluorene in the engine testers than in unexposed controls. Urinary concentrations of 1-aminopyrene were significantly higher in engine testers (p < 0.001), and strongly correlated with soot and elemental carbon exposure as well as mutagenicity tested in strain YG1041 with metabolic activation (p < 0.001). Smoking did not affect 1-aminopyrene concentrations and 1-aminopyrene relationships with diesel exposure. In contrast, both engine emissions and smoking affected 2-aminofluorene concentrations. The results confirm that urinary 1-aminopyrene may serve as an exposure biomarker for diesel engine emissions and associated mutagenicity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number114223
JournalInternational Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
Volume253
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2023

Keywords

  • Amino-PAHs
  • Biomonitoring
  • Cigarette smoking
  • Diesel exhaust
  • Inhalation exposure
  • Nitro-PAHs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Urinary Amino-PAHs in relation to diesel engine emissions and urinary mutagenicity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this