Markers of Exposure to Diesel Exhaust in Railroad Workers

摘要

The study measured the exposure of railroad workers to diesel exhaust and environmental tobacco smoke by using personal air samples taken over two consecutive work shifts. Urine samples were collected from 87 subjects at the end of the study work shifts and were analyzed for markers of cigarette smoking (nicotine, cotinine) and for mutagenicity, using a sensitive microsuspension assay (Salmonella strain TA98 with or without S9 enzyme). Among smokers, a dose-response relationship was observed between urinary mutagenicity and the number of cigarettes smoked on the study day. After cigarette smoking was controlled for, no association was present between diesel exhaust exposure and urinary mutagenicity. Among nonsmokers, detectable concentrations of mutagens were present in the urine, but no association could be found between markers of diesel exhaust or environmental tobacco smoke and urinary mutagenicity. It was concluded that the mutagens associated with the levels of exposure to diesel exhaust or environmental tobacco smoke in the study were undetectable in the urine.