Urinary trans, trans-muconic acid and S-phenylmercapturic acid are indicative of exposure to urban benzene pollution during childhood.

Carmela Protano, Roberta Andreoli, Paola Manini, Matteo Vitali

Index: Sci. Total Environ. 435-436 , 115-23, (2012)

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Abstract

The aims of the study were to evaluate the feasibility of urinary trans, trans-muconic acid (u-t,t-MA) and urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (u-SPMA) as markers of exposure to urban benzene pollution for biomonitoring studies performed on children and to investigate the impact that creatinine correction may have on the classification of children exposure status. U-t,t-MA, u-SPMA, u-cotinine, and u-creatinine levels were measured in urine samples of 396 Italian children (5-11 years) living in three areas with different degrees of urbanisation (very, fairly and non-urban). The median u-SPMA levels significantly increased with increased urbanisation: non-urban (0.19 μg/L; 0.22 μg/g creatinine)