Objective: Quantifying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in urine samples taken from a population of traffic police working in the metropolitan area of Bogotá who were occupationally exposed to 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene (3-BaP) metabolites from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) having toxicological interest, related to their detection, and a degree of exposure to particulate material having a size less than 10 micrometres (PM10) and/or other factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was made of 524 traffic police, 413 of whom were engaged in operational and 111 in administrative functions. Urine samples were taken from all the individuals included in the study for determining PAH metabolites by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The presence of factors associated with the detection of metabolites was analysed, such as smoking, consuming roasted/grilled food, place of residence and exposure to PM10. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated as a measure of association.
Results: Higher 1-OHP and 3-BaP levels were found in exposed individuals, having a significant OR for detecting 6.3 ((3.6-11.1) 95 % CI) and 15.6 ((6.2-39) 95 % CI) metabolites, respectively. Significant OR were found for detecting PAH metabolites and exposure to PM10, smoking and consuming roasted/grilled food.
Discussion: There was an important and significant association between work-related exposure to environmental contamination and detecting toxicologically important PAH metabolites in urine samples. Factors such as smoking, consuming freshly grilled/roasted food and exposure to PM10 were also found to be positively associated with detecting such metabolites, but to a lesser extent.