Introduction: Conflicting opinions exist about urinary benzene (UB) as a reliable biomarker of exposure. Objective of our study is to evaluate the effect of low-level environmental exposure on UB levels.
Methods: We monitored UB excretion in 74 non-smoking non- occupationally exposed subjects; a questionnaire interview gathered information on relevant exposures during the day of monitoring.
Results: UB excretion was related (p < 0.05) to gender, sampling time, residence, and reported vehicular traffic, but not to passive smoking and body mass index.
Conclusion: Our findings support the use of unmetabolized UB as a specific and sensitive biomarker of low-level exposure to benzene.