2-Naphthol levels and genotoxicity in rubber workers

Tobacco Smoke Is a Major Source of Aromatic Amine Exposure in U.S. Adults: 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

BACKGROUND

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and premature death. Aromatic amines (AA) are found in cigarette smoke and are well-established human bladder carcinogens.

METHODS

We measured and compared total urinary levels of 1-aminonaphthalene (1AMN), 2-aminonaphthalene (2AMN), and 4-aminobiphenyl (4ABP) in adults who smoked cigarettes exclusively and in adult nonusers of tobacco products from a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized U.S. population in the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

RESULTS

Sample-weighted geometric mean concentrations of AAs in adults who smoked cigarettes exclusively compared with adult nonusers were 30 times higher for 1AMN and 4 to 6 times higher for 2AMN and 4ABP. We evaluated the association of tobacco-smoke exposure with urinary AAs using sample-weighted multiple linear regression models to control for age, sex, race/ethnicity, diet, and urinary creatinine. Secondhand smoke exposure status was categorized using serum cotinine (SCOT) among adult nonusers (SCOT ≤ 10 ng/mL). The exposure for adults who smoked cigarettes exclusively (SCOT > 10 ng/mL) was categorized on the basis of the average number of self-reported cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) in the five days prior to urine collection. The regression models show AAs concentration increased with increasing CPD (P < 0.001). Dietary-intake variables derived from the 24-hours recall questionnaire were not consistently significant predictors of urinary AAs.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first characterized total urinary AA concentrations of the U.S. adult non-institutionalized population. Our analyses show that smoking status is a major contributor to AA exposures.

IMPACT

These data provide a crucial baseline for exposure to three AAs in U.S. non-institutionalized adults.

Hybrid System of Flocculation-Photocatalysis for the Decolorization of Crystal Violet, Reactive Red X-3B, and Acid Orange II Dye

A hybrid system of flocculation-photocatalysis (HSFP) was applied to evaluate the color removal from simulative dye wastewater. The decolorization performance of HSFP was investigated considering four key factors: flocculant dosage, pH, turbidity, and ionic strength. Compared with flocculation alone, HSFP showed better decolorization effectiveness for simulative Crystal Violet-Reactive Red X-3B dye wastewater (CV-RR) and simulative Crystal Violet-Acid Orange II dye wastewater (CV-AO). The dosage of flocculant was determined by the molecular structure of target dyes. A higher dosage was required for the color removal of dyes with a lower molecular weight and less sulfonic acid groups. The dominant decolorization mechanism was different with different initial pH values of simulative dye wastewater, which influenced the decolorization efficiency of flocculation and photocatalysis. For dyes with a lower molecular weight and less sulfonic acid groups, better decolorization performance was achieved under neutral conditions, mainly depending on strong charge neutralization and adsorption bridging capacity. For dyes with a higher molecular weight and more sulfonic acid groups, decolorization efficiency was improved with an increase in pH, due to stronger deprotonation. An increase of turbidity reduced the dye removal efficiency of flocculation alone and HSFP. The presence of NaCl, CuCl₂, and CrCl₃ led to a different decrease in the flocculation efficiency and photodegradation efficiency.

Assessment of DNA damage and telomerase activity in exfoliated urinary cells as sensitive and noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of bladder cancer in ex-workers of a rubber tyres industry

The aim of the present study was to identify sensitive and noninvasive biomarkers of early carcinogenic effect at target organ to use in biomonitoring studies of workers at risk for previous occupational exposure to potential carcinogens. Standard urine cytology (Papanicolaou staining test), comet assay, and quantitative telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay were performed in 159 ex-rubber workers employed in tyres production and 97 unexposed subjects. In TRAP positive cases, a second level analysis using FISH (Urovysion) was done. Cystoscopy results were available for 11 individuals whose 6 FISH/TRAP/comet positive showed in 3 cases a dysplastic condition confirmed by biopsy, 1 comet positive resulted in infiltrating UBC to the biopsy and with hyperplasia and slight dysplasia to the urinary cytology, 1 comet positive resulted in papillary superficial UBC to the biopsy, 1 FISH/TRAP positive showed a normal condition, and 2 TRAP positive showed in one case a phlogosis condition. The results evidenced good concordance of TRAP, comet, and FISH assays as early biomarkers of procarcinogenic effect confirmed by the dysplastic condition and UBC found by cystoscopy-biopsy analysis. The analysis of these markers in urine cells could be potentially more accurate than conventional cytology in monitoring workers exposed to mixture of bladder potential carcinogens.

Genotoxic risk in rubber manufacturing industry: a systematic review

A large body of evidence from epidemiological studies among workers employed in the rubber manufacturing industry has indicated a significant excess cancer risk in a variety of sites. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has recently classified the "Occupational exposures in the rubber-manufacturing industry" as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). A genotoxic mechanism for the increased cancer risk was suggested on the basis of the evidence from the scientific literature. Exposure assessment studies have shown that workers in the rubber manufacturing industry may be exposed to different airborne carcinogenic and/or genotoxic chemicals, such as certain aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, N-nitrosamines, although the available information does not allow to establish a causal association of cancer or genotoxic risk with particular substances/classes of chemicals or specific jobs. The aim of this paper is to critically evaluate, by conducting a systematic review, the available biomonitoring studies using genotoxicity biomarkers in rubber manufacturing industry. This systematic review suggests that a genotoxic hazard may still be present in certain rubber manufacturing industries. A quantitative risk assessment needs further studies addressing the different, processes and chemicals in the rubber manufacturing industries.

Comparison of photocatalytic degradation of dyes in relation to their structure

The photocatalytic degradation of a series of six acid dyes (Direct Red 80, Direct Red 81, Direct Red 23, Direct Violet 51, Direct Yellow 27, and Direct Yellow 50) has been tested compared in terms of color removal, mineralization, and toxicity (Lactuca sativa L. test) after photocatalysis on immobilized titanium dioxide. The dyes were examined at their natural pH and after hydrolysis at pH 12. Results show that hydrolysis decreases strongly the efficiency of color removal, that full mineralization takes much longer reaction time than color removal, and that toxicity is only very partially reduced. Some structural parameters, related to the structure and the topology of the dye molecules, could be correlated with the apparent color removal rates at natural pH.

Urinary naphthol metabolites and chromosomal aberrations in 5-year-old children

BACKGROUND

Exposure to naphthalene, an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)-classified possible carcinogen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), is widespread, though resulting health effects are poorly understood. Metabolites of naphthalene, 1- and 2-naphthol, are measurable in urine and are biomarkers of personal exposure. Chromosomal aberrations, including translocations, are established markers of cancer risk and a biodosimeter of clastogenic exposures. Although prenatal (maternal) PAH exposure predicts chromosomal aberrations in cord blood, few studies have examined chromosomal aberrations in school-age children and none has examined their association with metabolites of specific PAHs.

METHODS

Using Whole Chromosome Paint Fluorescent in situ Hybridization, we documented chromosomal aberrations including translocations, in 113 five-year-old urban minority children and examined their association with concurrent concentrations of PAH metabolites measured in urine.

RESULTS

We report that in lymphocytes, the occurrence and frequency of chromosomal aberrations including translocations are associated with levels of urinary 1- and 2-naphthol. When doubling the levels of urinary naphthols, gender-adjusted OR for chromosomal aberrations are 1.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-2.19] and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.02-2.04) for 1- and 2-naphthol, respectively; and for translocations OR = 1.55 (95% CI, 1.11-2.17) and 1.92 (95% CI, 1.20-3.08) for 1- and 2-naphthol, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that markers of exposure to naphthalene in children are associated with translocations in a dose-related manner, and that naphthalene may be a clastogen.

IMPACT

Indoor exposure to elevated levels of naphthalene is prevalent in large regions of the world. This study is the first to present an association between a marker of naphthalene exposure and a precarcinogenic effect in humans.