BIOLOGICAL MONITORING

INTERPRETATION METHODS HEALTH & SAFETY

January 2005 LABORATORY
Health Guidance Values (HGVs) are set at
a level at which there is no indication from
the scientific evidence available that the Method for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
substance being monitored is likely to be
injurious to health. Values not greatly in excess
of a HGV are unlikely to produce serious short Hazardous Substance:
or long term effects on health. However, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
regularly exceeding the HGV does indicate
that control of exposure may not be adequate Maximum exposure limit withdrawn
controlled. Under these circumstances
employers will need to look at current work
practices to see how they can be improved to
reduce exposure.

Biological Monitoring Guidance Value:

Benchmark value - 4 mol 1-hydroxypyrene
/mol creatintine in urine
For further advice contact: Conversion: 1 mol/mol = 1.93 g/g

Group Support Unit

Room L.2.51
Health and Safety Laboratory
Harpur Hill
Buxton
SK17 9JN

Telephone: 01298 218099 Fax: 01298 218172

Website: www.hsl.gov.uk The Health and Safety Laboratory is an Agency of the Health and Safety Executive
 Sample Collection Other Information

Time: Urine samples collected at the end of shift Elimination half-time

Equipment: Polystyrene universal container (30ml) 1-hydroxypyrene in urine has half lives of about 5.5 hours,
23h and over 300h.
Description of Suggested Method
Confounding Factors
Urine (200l) is incubated at 37OC for 4h with glucurase before None known although use of coal tar products (such as
injection onto a C18 HPLC column. Detection is by fluorescence shampoos) can increase 1-hydroxypyrene levels significantly
with an excitation wavelength of 242 nm and an emission and any use should be noted.
wavelength of 398 nm.
Unexposed Levels
Sample Transport to Laboratory < 2 mol hydroxypyrene/mol creatine

At ambient temperature, samples should arrive within 48h of Creatinine Correction

collection. If delay anticipated store for up to 7 days in Advised
refrigerator, longer term storage at -20OC. Samples sent through
postal system must comply with Post Office regulations. Quality Assurance

Analytical Evaluation Internal QC - must be established

External QA - G-EQUAS (www.g-equas.de)
Precision
- within day <8% RSD at 40 nmol/l
- day to day <7% RSD at 250 nmol/l
Detection Limit
- 3x background - 5 nmol/l
Calibration Range
- typically 5-100 nmol/l
Sample Stability
- 2 days at ambient, >3 months at -20oC
Analytical Interferences
- None known