Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants which originate from barbecue, tobacco, smoked food, and pyrolysis and incomplete combustion of organic compounds such as coking coal and petroleum, and can induce malignant lesions in the body. At present, discussions on PAHs mainly focus on occupational groups, and there are few studies on whether there are exposure risks for residents around polluting enterprises.
Objective The study aims to investigate the association between PAHs internal exposure levels and blood routine indices in a non-occupational group.
Methods In July 2018, an epidemiological survey was conducted among 255 villagers living downwind of a coking enterprise in Shanxi Province, and their blood samples (n=255) and urine samples (n=255) were collected. The blood routine indicators were detected using an automatic blood cell analyzer. The PAHs hydroxy metabolites (1-hydroxynaphthalene, 2-hydroxynaphthalene, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 9-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxyperene, and 3-hydroxybenzoapyrene) were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was conducted with blood routine indices as dependent variables and eight PAHs hydroxy metabolites as independent variables after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, smoking, and drinking.
Results A total of 255 residents were surveyed, including 62 males and 193 females. The abnormal rates of mean hemoglobin concentration (24.31%), lymphocyte ratio (19.22%), monocyte ratio (16.86%), hemoglobin contentration (13.33%), mean hemoglobin content (12.55%), and neutrophil ratio (12.16%) were relatively high. The detection rates of PAHs hydroxy metabolites 1-hydroxynaphthalene, 2-hydroxynaphthalene, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 9-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxyperene, and 3-hydroxybenzoapyrene were all above 85%, and the median concentrations were 0.98, 0.57, 0.33, 8.13, 0.11, 0.13, 0.14, and 0.18 μmol/mol (in creatinine), repectively. After adjusting for selected confounding factors, multiple linear regression model showed that the levels of 1-hydroxynaphthalene and 1-hydroxyperene in urine of the surveyed population were negatively correlated with the hemoglobin content (P < 0.05); the levels of 2-hydroxynaphthalene and 1-hydroxyperene were negatively correlated with the ratio of lymphocytes (P < 0.05).
Conclusion A low-dose exposure to PAHs in non-occupational populations may lead to early hemogram changes.
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