Body Burden of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Tobacco Smoke Exposure among U.S. Workers

Introduction: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogens produced by the combustion of organic materials. PAHs are found in air pollution and tobacco smoke and are believed to contribute to the negative health effects of both environmental exposures. Additionally, particular worker subgroups have been shown to have significantly elevated occupational exposures to certain PAHs as compared to other worker subgroups. Methods: Out sample is comprised of employed individuals 20 years of age and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002. Urinary levels of three PAHs (1-hydroxypyrene, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene) were evaluated. Creatinine-adjusted PAH measurements were stratified by gender, smoking status (serum cotinine levels of 0.2ng/ml or higher), and self-report of workplace secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. We classified occupation into Blue collar, White collar, Service workers, or Farming, Fishing, and Forestry, as well as 13 more finely subcategorized occupational categories. Results: Results show significant differences in the levels of all three PAHs between smokers and nonsmokers. Smoking and non-smoking workers in Farming, Fishing and Forestry were seen to have the highest creatinine-adjusted geometric mean values for all three PAHs. Additionally, we saw differences in the levels of 1-hydroxypyrene and 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene among non-smoking workers in different occupations reporting both occupational SHS and reporting no occupational SHS. Conclusion: Variation exists between levels of PAHs based on both occupation and exposure to workplace secondhand tobacco smoke. Further research is required to determine recommendations regarding workplace exposure to PAHs and secondhand tobacco smoke.