• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.145-155
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• 1997

Interview survey and dermatological examination have been performed to investigate the health problems of workers continuously exposed to coal-tar pitch. The phototoxicity of coal-tar pitch was confirmed by the photopatch tests for six healthy adults. The main results are followings; 1. There was no special history of allergic diseases in both the exposed and non-exposed group. 2. The frequency of the phototoxic dermatosis and the coal-tar acne in the exposed group was significantly greate.(p<0.05) than that of the control group. In the exposed group, the phototoxic dermatosis and the coal-tar acne were observed in nine workers(90%) and seven workers(70%), respectively. However, those, disease were not observed in the control group. 3. Five results(83%) were positive to the photopatch test for coal-ta. pitch 48 hours after UVA irradiation. But the lesion was subsiding 72 hours after UVA irradiation. 4. Malignant cancers were not reported among workers ever exposed to coal-tar pitch. In conclusion, it appears that workers exposed to coal-tar pitch have high risks of phototoxic dermatosis and coal-tar acne. A health policy should be provided to prevent phototoxic dermatosis among coal-tar pitch workers. More studies are required to determine malignancy.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2000

Although shipbuilding workers were exposed to a variety of genotoxic compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), limited number of studies were conducted to evaluate the biomarkers related to PAH exposure in painting workers in shipbuilding industry. One hundred and thirty three workers including 73 employees using coal tar paints were recruited from a shipbuilding company located in South Korea. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG), as internal dose of PAH exposure, were measured by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy after immunoaffinity purification using monoclonal antibody 8E11. Glutathione S-transferase (GST)M1 and GSTT1 genotypes were assessed by multiplex PCR. Information on demographic characteristics, smoking gabit, diet, job title, use of personal protective equipments were collected by self-administered questionnaire. Urinary 1-OHPG were higher in workers using coal tar paints than in workers using general paints, however, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.20, Mann-Whitney U test). Urinary 1-OHPG levels in smokers were higher than in non-smokers (p<0.05 by Mann-Whitney U test) and there was a significant increase in urinary 1-OHPG levels with the numbers of cigarettes consumed per day (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.28, p=0.02). Genetic polymorphisms of GSTM1 and GSTT1 did not influence the level of 1-OHPG in study subjects. Multiple regression analysis show that smoking is the only significant predictor for lon-transformed 1-OHPG (overall model R2=0.1). These results suggest that workers using coal tar paints were exposed to significant amount of PAHs and individual difference in xenobiotic metabolism might affect the levels of internal dose of PAHs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3409-3416
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• 2012

Aim: It is well known that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo (a) pyrene have carcinogenic properties and may cause many types of cancers in human populations. Genetic susceptibility might be due to variation in genes encoding for carcinogen metabolizing enzymes, such as cytochrome P-450 (CYP450). Our study aimed to investigate the effect of genetic polymorphisms of CYP1A1 (m1 and m2) on genetic damage in 115 coal-tar workers exposed to PAHs at their work place. Methods: Genetic polymorphisms of CYP1A1 were determined by the PCR-RFLP method. Comet and buccal micronucleus assays were used to evaluate genetic damage among 115 coal tar workers and 105 control subjects. Results: Both CYP1A1 m1 and CYP1A1 m2 heterozygous and homozygous (wt/mt+mt/mt) variants individually as well as synergistically showed significant association (P<0.05) with genetic damage as measured by tail moment (TM) and buccal micronuclei (BMN) frequencies in control and exposed subjects. Conclusion: In our study we found significant association of CYP1A1 m1 and m2 heterozygous (wt/mt)+homozygous (mt/mt) variants with genetic damage suggesting that these polymorphisms may modulate the effects of PAH exposure in occupational settings.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.285-286
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• 1996

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.124-134
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• 2005

To investigate the exposure effect of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), we measured airborne total PAHs as an external dose, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as an internal dose of PAHs exposure, and analyzed the relationship between urinary 1-OHP concentration and PAHs exposure. The study population contained 44 workers in steel-pipe coating and paint manufacture industries. The airborne PAHs was obtained during survey day, and urine were sampled at the end of shift. Personal information on age, body weight, height, eniployment duration, smoking habit, and alcohol consumption was obtained by a structured questionnaire. Airborne PAHs were analyzed by the gas chromatograph with mass selective detector. Urinary 1-OHP levels were analyzed by the high performance liquid chromatograph with ultraviolet wavelength detector. For statistical estimation, t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, arid regression analysis were executed by SPSS/PC (Windows version 10). The mean of environmental total PAHs was $87.8{\pm}7.81{\mu}g/m^3$. The mean concentration ($526.5{\pm}2.85{\mu}g/m^3$) of workers in steel-pipe coating industries using coal tar enamel was the higher than that ($17.5{\pm}3.36{\mu}g/m^3$) of workers in paint manufacture industries using coal tar paint. The mean of urinary 1-OHP concentration ($51.63{\pm}3.144{\mu}\;mol/mol$ creatinine) of workers in steel-pipe coating industries was the higher than that ($2.33{\pm}4.709{\mu}\;mol/mol$ creatinine) of workers in paint manufacture industries. The mean of urinary 1-OHP concentration of smokers was the higher than that of non-smokers. There was significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP and the environmental concentration of PAHs (r=O.S48, p<0.001), pyrene(r=0.859, p<0.001), and urinary cotinine (r=0.324, p<0.05). The regression equation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP in ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine($C_{1-OHP}$) and airborne concentration of PAHs (or pyrene) in ${\mu}g/m^3$ ($C_{PAHs}$ or Cpyrene) is: Log ($C_{1-OHP}$)=-0.650+0.889×Log($C_{PAHs}$), where $R^2=0.694$ and n=38 for p<0.001.Log ($C_{1-OHP}$)=1.087+0.707${\times}$Log(Cpyrene), where $R^2=0.713$ and n=38 for p<0.001. From the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis about 1-OHP, significant independents were total PAHs and urinary cotinine (adjusted $R^2=0.743$, p<0.001). In this study, there were significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP and the airborne concentration of PAHs. The urinary 1-OHP was effective index as a biomarker of airborne PAHs in workplace. But it was influenced by non-occupational PAHs source, smoking.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.53-67
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• 2000

Coke-oven workers are regularly exposed to coke oven emissions (COE), which consist primarily of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and volatile organic components. This study assessed the exposure of coke-oven workers to COE and PAH. The results of this study are as follows. 1. Among the 136 samples on coke-oven workers 33.1% exceeded the occupational exposure limit to the Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles ($0.2mg/m^3$) established by the Korean Ministry of Labor and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH). 2. The coke-oven workers were classified into twelve job categories and there was statistically significant difference among the airborne concentrations of COE and PAH in twelve job categories(p<0.001). 3. There was no significant difference of the airborne concentrations of COE between NIOSH method and OSHA method applied. 4. There was a significant correlation between the airborne concentrations of total PAH and COE(r=0.733, p<0.01). 5. The percentage of naphthalene in total PAH was 55.9% and the highest among those of 16 PAHs. There was a significant correlation between the airborne concentrations of naphthalene and total PAH(r=0.90, p<0.01) and this study recommends naphthalene as the index component of PAH.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2005

To investigate the exposure effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), we analyzed the relationship between urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentration and PAHs exposure. The study population contained 44 workers in steel-pipe coating and paint manufacture industries. We measured airborne total PAHs as an external dose, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as an internal dose of PAHs exposure, and urinary 8-OHdG as an effective dose of oxidative DNA damage. There was significant correlation between the urinary concentration of l-OHP and the environmental concentration of PAHs, pyrene, urinary cotinine, AST, and GGT. The mean of urinary 8-OHdG was $17.07\pm1.706{\mu}g/g$ creatinine in workers exposed to airborne PAHs. There was significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 8-0HdG and the airborne concentration of PAHs. From the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis about 8-OHdG, significant independents was total PAHs. In this study, there were significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 8-OHdG and the airborne concentration of PAHs. The urinary 1-OHP was effective index as a biomarker of airborne PAHs in workplace. But it was influenced by non-occupational PAHs source, smoking and biomarkers of liver function test.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.156-172
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• 1999

Potential chemical hazards encountered in painting operation of four shipyards and a ship-repair shop were investigated through the material safety data sheets (MSDS). Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for 307 paints, 50 thinners and 34 binders were collected and reviewed. It was shown that various organic solvents such as aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols, glycols, glycol ether acetates and esters were contained in painting materials. Of these solvents, xylene was found in the largest number of painting materials. sixty percent of the thinners contained xylene in the contents of 20-100%. Other most frequently found solvents were 1-methoxypropanol, 1-methoxypropyl acetate, n-butanol, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, isopropanol, and n-butyl acetate, etc. Glycol ethers such as 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME), 2-methoxyethyl acetate (2-MEA), 2-ethoxyethanol (2-EE), 2-ethoxyethyl acetate (2-EEA) and 2-butoxyethanol (2-BA) were regarded as having the potential to cause adverse reproductive effects, embryotoxic effect and hematotoxic effects, and were found in some epoxy panting materials. Coal tar pitch was included in some paints(13%) where polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) could be contaminated. Inorganic pigments such as lead chromate and zinc potassium chromate were found in some paints (8%). The epoxy resin based paints, which may contain isocyanates such as toluene diisocyanates and hexamethylene diisocyanates causing potential sensitization and asthma to upper respiratory organ, were mostly used in the shipyards. The constituents in the MSDS were significantly different from the results analyzed using gas chromatography/mass detector: minor constituents or impurities were omitted in many MSDS. In conclusion, xylene was the most frequent organic solvent in painting materials, and glycol ethers, including 2-ME, 2-MEA, 2-EE, 2-EEA and 2-BA, were found some products. Also, painting workers may be exposed to PAHs, lead, chromate, isocyanates, organic tin and other various chemicals. The compositions of chemicals in painting materials were variable significantly, and the hazards were changed. These facts should be considered in environmental monitoring and control of the hazards.