Evaluating the Relationship Between Occupational Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Urinary Metabolite Levels in Built-Up Roofing Asphalt Workers in Ilam City

Introduction: Exposure to various chemicals can occur in the workplace. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among these compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to PAHs and urinary metabolites among built-up roofing installers Material and Methods: The current case-control study, conducted in 2021 in Ilam City, involved 35 builtup roofing workers as the case group and 15 non-exposed workers as the control group. In this study, in addition to the workers’ respiratory area, samples were taken from the urine to determine the amount of PAHs metabolites. HPLC was used to analyze the samples. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. Results: The mean concentrations of PAHs including naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluorne, pyrene, benzo(a) pyrene, benzo (ghi)perylene and indeno 1,2,3 cd pyrene were 440.26±80.07, 70.49±24.36, 15.18±5.98, 31.21±10.36, 2.15±1.41, 2.25±0.07 and 1.18±0.06 ng/m3, respectively, in respiratory area of the workers. Also, the average level of compounds 1- naphthol, 2- naphthol, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 3-hydroxyfluorne, 1-hydroxyfenanterol, 2+3-hydroxyfenanterol and 1- hydroxypyrene, present in the urine of the population, was obtained equal to 2±1.02, 6.03±2.5, 0.18±0.15, 0.14±0.1, 0.19±0.08, 0.04±0.02 and 0.34±0.26 μg/g creatinine, respectively. Statistical test showed that the values of these compounds were significantly different in the two groups (p <0.05). Conclusion: Estimating the concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons in the respiratory area of built-up roofing workers showed the noticeable exposure to these compounds, although lower than the allowable limits. However, due to the high carcinogenic nature of these compounds, it is recommended to use appropriate personal protective equipment such as respirators and appropriate work outfits in addition to the technical strategies to combat the exposure.