Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (한국산업보건학회지)

Korean Industrial Hygiene Association (한국산업보건학회)
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Identification of Biomarkers Associated with BTEX Exposure in Indoor Air Quality Survey Samples

실내공기질 조사 표본 중 BTEX 노출 수준과 관련한 생체지표 발굴

  • Ho Young Jang (Department of Health Technology Convergence, Shinhan General Graduate School) ;
  • Hyekyung Seo (Department of Health Technology Convergence, Shinhan General Graduate School)
  • 장호영 (신한대학교 보건기술융합학과) ;
  • 서혜경 (신한대학교 보건기술융합학과)
  • Received : 2025.08.29
  • Accepted : 2025.09.22
  • Published : 2025.09.30
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Abstract

Objectives: Recent environmental health research has expanded beyond traditional occupational hazards to examine the long-term health impacts of chemical exposures in everyday environments. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), are commonly emitted from indoor sources such as household products, construction materials, and vehicle exhaust. Despite increasing concerns, limited evidence has been gathered on the health effects of BTEX exposure in the general population. This study aimed to quantitatively assess BTEX exposure using urinary biomarkers and investigate the associations between BTEX metabolites and key health indicators among South Korean adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from 1,980 adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the "Indoor Air Quality and Biomonitoring of Environmental Chemicals" component of the KNHANES (2019-2021). Urinary concentrations of BTEX metabolites-including S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), benzylmercapturic acid (BMA), phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA), 2-methylhippuric acid (2-MHA), and combined 3- and 4-methylhippuric acids (3-MHA+4-MHA)-were measured and creatinine-corrected. Health outcomes included blood pressure, fasting glucose, lipid profile and liver enzymes. Complex sample design elements were accounted for in regression analysis, adjusting for sociodemographic and life style confounders. Results: Higher urinary levels of SPMA and PGA were significantly associated with increased fasting glucose, and HbA1c. SPMA also showed a strong association with age and systolic blood pressure. PGA was linked with BMI and liver enzymes. Conclusions: Indoor BTEX exposure showed potential associations with certain metabolic and inflammatory markers in this cross-sectional analysis of a subsample from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. However, given the study design and limited representativeness, these findings cannot be generalized to systemic health outcomes at the population level and should be interpreted with caution.

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