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Use of stable isotopically labeled benzene to evaluate environmental exposures

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 13, pages 393–402 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The use of stable, isotopically labeled compounds in controlled exposure experiments at environmentally relevant levels allows for the distinguishing of urinary metabolites associated with known exposure from background levels generally present in the urine. Exposures of volunteers to 13C-benzene for 2 h at 40±10 p.p.b. were conducted after obtaining informed consent, and urinary phenol, catechol, hydroquinone and trans,trans- muconic acid were measured. Each isotopically labeled urinary metabolite was determined in the presence of significantly higher concentrations of the unlabeled metabolite. Following exposure, free and acid hydrolyzed phenol, acid hydrolyzed catechol and hydroquinone, and free trans,trans-muconic acid were determined by GC/MS. The percentage of trans,trans-muconic acid excreted was higher than reported following exposure at occupational levels. The use of isotopically labeled compounds has the potential to investigate the metabolism of common environmental contaminants for validation of toxicokinetic models and improve risk extrapolation from high concentration occupational exposures and animal studies to environmentally relevant pollutant levels.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Mr. Peter Crosby and Dr. Tina Fan for assistance in the controlled exposures and the participants in the study. This work was supported by Grants ES09676 and ES02558 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Drs. Weisel and Witz are supported in part by the NIEHS Center Grant ES05022.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute and Department of Environmental & Community Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, 08854, New Jersey, USA

    Clifford P Weisel, Krishnan Mohan & Gisela Witz

  2. Division of Pesticide Residues, Korea Food & Drug Administration, 5 Nokbun-Dong, Eunpyung-Gu, Seoul, 122-704, Korea

    Seongsoo Park

  3. Bioanalysis & Biotransformation Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Cheongryang, Seoul, Korea

    Heesoo Pyo

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  1. Clifford P Weisel
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Correspondence to Clifford P Weisel.

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Weisel, C., Park, S., Pyo, H. et al. Use of stable isotopically labeled benzene to evaluate environmental exposures. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 13, 393–402 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500285

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