• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.365-374
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate whether long-term, low-level exposure to monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) induced insulin resistance. Methods: The subjects were 110 male workers who were occupationally exposed to styrene, toluene, and xylene. One hundred and ten age-matched male workers who had never been occupationally exposed to organic solvents were selected as a control group. Cytokines, which have played a key role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, and oxidative stress indices were measured. Assessment of exposure to MAHs was performed by measuring their ambient levels and their urinary metabolites in exposed workers, and the resulting parameters between the exposed group and non-exposed control groups were compared. Results: There was no significant difference in general characteristics and anthropometric parameters between the two groups; however, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance levels were significantly higher in the exposed group. Phenylglyoxylic acid levels showed significant association with tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, total oxidative status, and oxidative stress index via multiple linear regression analysis. Further, there was a negative correlation between methylhippuric acid levels and total anti-oxidative capacity, and there was a significant relationship between MAHs exposure and fasting glucose levels, as found by multiple logistic regression analysis (odds ratio = 3.95, 95% confidence interval = 1.074-14.530). Conclusion: This study indicated that MAHs increase fasting glucose level and insulin resistance. Furthermore, these results suggested that absorbing the organic solvent itself and active metabolic intermediates can increase oxidative stress and cytokine levels, resulting in the changes in glucose metabolism and the induction of insulin resistance.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.25-35
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• 2024

Background: There are concerns about the health effects of various environmental pollution exposures among residents living near coal-fired power plants (CFPP). Objectives: This study attempted to compare the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine and those of urinary volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolites according to the residential separation distance. Methods: Participants in the study totaled 334 people who have lived for more than 10 years in areas within 10 km of a CFPP. The separation distance was analyzed in quartiles by dividing it into Q1 (88 people), Q2 (89 people), Q3 (89 people), and Q4 (68 people). We explained the purpose of this study to the participants and collected blood and urine after obtaining signatures on a participation agreement. Results: The study participants were 102 males (30.5%) and 232 females (69.5%), with an average age of 71. The average length of residence and distance were 43.8 years and 4,800 meters. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Hg in blood and As and Cd in urine were respective 1.35 ㎍/dL, 1.43 ㎍/L, 3.16 ㎍/L. They were 167.88 ㎍/g for creatinine and 1.58 ㎍/g creatinine. The metabolite concentrations of VOCs were 50.67 ㎍/g creatinine in t, t-muconic acid (t, t-MA), 10.73 ㎍/g creatinine in benzyl mercapturic acid, 317.05 ㎍/g creatinine in phenylglyoxylic acid, 123.55 ㎍/g creatinine in methylhippuric acid, and 190.82 ㎍/g creatinine in mandelic acid. The concentration of Pb in the blood and Cd and t, t-MA in the urine of residents within affected area of the CFPP showed statistically significant differences among distance groups. Conclusions: The concentration of urinary VOCs metabolites, especially t, t-MA, differed according to the distance groups of residents within the affected area of CFPP (p<0.05).

• 분석과학
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.433-440
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• 2006

본 연구에서는 톨루엔, 크실렌, 스티렌 등의 폭로에 대한 측정지표로써 체내에서 대사되어 뇨로 배설되는 마뇨산, 메틸마뇨산, 만델산과 페닐글리옥실산에 대한 신속한 동시분석법을 개발하였다. 일반 충전형 ODS 칼럼과 달리 빠른 유속에서도 고분리능을 구현할 수 있는 monolithic 칼럼을 사용하였고, 이동상으로는 ion-pairing reagent인 tetrabutylammonium bromide 5.5 g과 potassium phosphate monobasic 1.5 g을 증류수 1 L에 녹인 후, 메탄올 0.6 L와 혼합하여 조제한 것을 사용하였으며, 유속 2.4 mL/min에서 분석한 결과, 6종의 유기용매 대사체들을 2.5분 이내에 검출하였다. 일정 농도 범위 내에서 6종 화합물 모두 검량선의 상관계수($r^2$)가 0.9993 이상으로 양호한 직선성을 나타내었다. 각 화합물별로 5가지 농도에 대하여 하루에 5번 반복 실험하여 구한 일내 정밀성 %C.V.와 정확성은 0.01~7.32%, 83.9~116.3%이고 5일간 반복 실험하여 구한 일간 정밀성 %C.V.는 0.01~7.16%이다. 본 분석법은 뇨 중 유기용매 대사체의 분석에 필요한 충분한 감도와 특이성, 직선성, 정확성 및 정밀성을 가지며, 한국산업안전공단 산하 산업안전보건연구원 직업병연구센터의 정도관리 소변시료를 분석 비교하여 그 신뢰성을 확보하였다.