Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Oxidative DNA Damage in Firefighters

• Main Authors: Cheng, Jen-Hao, 鄭人豪
• Other Authors: Lai, Ching-Huang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/67795138305443151707

碩士 === 國防醫學院 === 公共衛生學研究所 === 100 === Firefighters are potentially exposed to a large number of hazardous gases and particulates (e.g. CO, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 1,3-butadiene) which may cause oxidative damage to DNA during fire suppression. We assessed the relations between exposure to PAHs and subsequent oxidative DNA damage among fire fighters and office-based workers. We measured concentrations of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and urinary 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage.This study enrolled 212 professional firefighters who were engaged in firefighting as the exposed group, and 94 administrators in fire departments as control group from Northern region of Taiwan with a cross-sectional design. We collected the baseline information, including personal information, disease history, working history, respiratory symptoms, and time-activity. Spot urine samples were collected as first morning-void urine.We found firefighting activities (regression coefficient [β], β=0.14 ng/ml, 95%C.I.= 0.01 – 0.27), smoking habits (β=0.17 ng/ml, 95%C.I. = 0.06 – 0.27) and urinary creatinine (β=0.004 ng/ml, 95%C.I.= 0.003 – 0.004) were significantly related to the increase in urinary log(1-OHP) level adjusting for working units, age, gender, smoking habit urinary creatinine and daily exposure(e.g. charcoal or grilled food and firefighting activities). Consumption of charcoal or grilled food was also associated with marginally significant increasing urinary log(1-OHP) level (β=0.07 ng/ml, 95%C.I.= -0.01 – 0.15).Another multiple regression model showed that firefighting time (hours) (β=0.09 ng/ml, 95%C.I. = 0.02 – 0.16) also positively related to urinary log(1-OHP). And firefighters who usually wear SCBA have lower urinary log(1-OHP) level than wearing SCBA rarely (β=-0.08 ng/ml, 95%C.I. = -0.18 – 0.01) as being marginally significant. A change in log(8-OHdG) was statistically significantly related to a unit change in log (1-OHP)(β=0.09 ng/ml, 95%C.I.=0.01 – 0.18) after adjusting for confoundings. Exposure to PAHs, or other compounds in fire fighting, may cause oxidative DNA damage.