Monitoring human risk and exposure to trinitrotoluene (TNT) using haemoglobin adducts as biomarkers

Toxicol Lett. 1995 May;77(1-3):281-7. doi: 10.1016/0378-4274(95)03308-4.

Abstract

Two studies were carried out in a trinitrotoluene (TNT) plant using TNT haemoglobin (TNT-Hb) adduct as a biomarker to study dose-adduct and adduct-response relationships. In the first study, TNT-Hb adduct levels were determined in 117 TNT-exposed workers in different working sites with different exposure conditions. External exposure was calculated from the inhaled air concentration plus skin contamination. TNT-Hb adduct levels in blood were significantly correlated with their external exposure to TNT. Two methods, HPLC-UV and CI-ELISA, were developed for measuring TNT-Hb adduct: good correlations (r = 0.77 and 0.86) were found between these 2 methods. In the second study, TNT cataract was used as an indicator of health effects. The prevalence of cataract and the degree of lenticular damage increased with the increase of blood TNT-Hb level.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cataract / etiology
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Hemoglobins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Occupational Exposure / adverse effects
  • Protein Binding
  • Risk Assessment
  • Trinitrotoluene / blood*
  • Trinitrotoluene / metabolism*

Substances

  • Hemoglobins
  • Trinitrotoluene