The relationship between polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air and 1‐hydroxypyrene in human urine

Abstract
The relationship between urinary 1‐hydroxypyrene and ambient polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated with several groups of volunteers carrying personal air samplers. All the results demonstrate that there is a statistically significant correlation between 1‐hydroxypyrene in human urine and pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene in ambient air. Smoking was found not to interfere this correlation when the smokers consume less than 20 cigarettes daily. Different sources of PAH pollution, such as certain industries and coal‐burning, present their influence on 1‐hydroxypyrene in their specific ways. It is suggested that 1‐hydroxypyrene in human urine is an effective biological monitoring index for the assessment of human exposure to PAHs.