Biological monitoring of carbon disulphide: kinetics of urinary 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) in exposed workers

Abstract

The objectives of this study was to establish the kinetics of urinary 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (UTTCA) for workers exposed to carbon disulphide (CS₂) and to investigate the effects of volume and creatinine adjustment methods for urine measurement. Ten workers in the spinning department of a rayon factory were individually monitored for airborne CS₂ concentrations, with consecutive urine samples collected for 24-38 hours after termination of exposure. The U-TTCA, urine volume and creatinine level were measured for each sample. First-order and biphasic kinetics were determined using the curve-fit method, for the measurement series. For the first-order kinetics linearity fit, statistically significant correlation coefficients of 0.74-0.98 and 0.86-0.99 were derived for the volume- and creatinine-adjusted methods, respectively. For the biphasic kinetics approach, the overall correlation coefficients were 0.544-0.999 and 0.171-0.999 for the first and second phases of the creatinine-adjusted method, respectively. A post-shift U-TTCA of 3.0 mg/g Cr. equivalent, 40% below the current BEI setting at nearly PEL exposed level, was found. In conclusion, first-order kinetic response was confirmed for U-TTCA. Both volume- and creatinine-based urine adjustment are satisfactory for TTCA assessment as a biomarker of individual CS₂ exposure although the correlation for creatinine-based measurement was modestly superior to the volume-based analogue. Based on the results of this study, we recommend a re-evaluation of the current biological exposure index of 5 mg/g creatinine at a CS₂ exposure level of 10 ppm.

Keywords

biological monitoring carbon disulphide kinetics urinary TTCA

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anonymous . 1987: Biological markers in environmental health research. Committee on Biological Markers of the National Research Council. Environmental Health Perspectives 74, 3-9.

Beauchamp, R. O. , Bus, J. S. , Popp, J. A. , Boreiko, C. J. , Goldberg, L. 1983: A critical review of the literature on carbon disulfide toxicity. Critical Reviews in Toxicology 11, 169-278.

Boeniger, M. F. , Lowry, L. K. and Rosenberg, J. 1993: Interpretation of urine results used to assess chemical exposure with emphasis on creatinine adjustments: a review. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 54, 615-627.

Campbell, L. , Jones, A. H. and Wilson, H. K. 1985. Evaluation of occupational exposure to carbon disulphide by blood, exhaled air, and urine analysis. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 8, 143-153.

Chen, C. W. , Shih, T. S. , Li, C. C. and Chou, J. S. 2001: High performance liquid chromatographic determination of 2- thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid as a marker of occupational exposure to carbon disulfide. Chromatographia 53, 665-668.

Chu, C. C. , Huang, C. C. , Chen, R. S. and Shih, T. S. 1995: Polyneuropathy induced by carbon disulphide in viscose rayon workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 52, 404-407.

Chu, C. C. , Huang, C. C. , Chu, N. S. and Wu, T. N. 1996: Carbon disulfide induced polyneuropathy: sural nerve pathology, electrophysiology, and clinical correlation. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 94, 258-263.

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). 2000: Maximale Arbeitsplatzkonezentrationen und biologische Arbeitsstofftoleranzwerte. Mitteilung 33, Senatskommission zur Prufunggesundheitsschadlicher Arbeitsstoffe. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH.

Drexler, H. , Goen, T. , Angerer, J. , Abou-el-ela, S. and Lehnert, G. 1994: Carbon disulphide. I. External and internal exposure to carbon disulphide of workers in the viscose industry. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 65, 359-365.

10.

Droz, P. O. and Fiserova-Bergerova, V. 1995: Pharmacokinetic models used in setting biological exposure indices. In ACG IH , editor, Topics in biological monitoring. Cincinnati, OH, 45-51.

11.

Fiserova-Bergerova, V. 1990: Application of toxicokinetic models to establish biological exposure indicators. The Annals of Occupational Hygiene 34, 639-651.

12.

Graham, D. G. , Amarnath, V. , Valentine, W. M. , Pyle, S. J. and Anthony, D. C. 1995: Pathogenetic studies of hexane and carbon disulfide neurotoxicity. Critical Reviews in Toxicology 25: 91-112.

13.

Henry, R. J. , Cannon, D. C. and Winkleman, J. W. 1974: Automated determination of serum and urine creatinine. In Henry, R. J. , Cannon, D. C. and Winkleman, J. W. , editors, Clinical chemistry, principles and technics. New York: Harper and Row, 552-555.

14.

Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. 2000: The investigation of the exposure and health effects of the workers exposed to carbon disulfide in rayon manufacturing processes in Taiwan. Final report. (IOSH89-A307). Taipei, Taiwan: Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

15.

Kuo, H. W. , Lai, J. S. , Lin, M. and Su, E. S. 1997: Effects of exposure to carbon disulfide (CS2) on electrocardiographic features of ischemic heart disease among viscose rayon factory workers. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 70, 61-66.

16.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 1994: (NIOSH) Manual of analytical methods. Method 1600. Cincinnati, OH: NIOSH.

17.

Rosier, J. , Vanhoorne, M. , Grosjean, R. , Van de Walle, E. , Billemont, G. and Van Peteghem, C. 1982: Preliminary evaluation of urinary 2-thio-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic-acid (TTCA) levels as a test for exposure to carbon disulfide. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 51, 159-167.

18.

Rosier, J. , Billemont, G. , Van Peteghem, C. , Vanhoorne, M. , Grosjean, R. and Van de Walle, E. 1984: Relation between the iodine azide test and the TTCA test for exposure to carbon disulphide. British Journal of Industrial Medicine 41, 412-416.

19.

Rosier, J. , Veulemans, H. , Masschelein, R. , Vanhoorne, M. and Van Peteghem, C. 1987: Experimental human exposure to carbon disulfide. II. Urinary excretion of 2-thiothiazoli-dine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) during and after exposure. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 59, 243-250.

20.

Simon, P. , Nicot, T. and Dieudonne, M. 1994: Dietary habits, a non-negligible source of 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid and possible overestimation of carbon disulfide exposure. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 66, 85-90.

21.

Takebayashi, T. , Omae, K. , Ishizuka, C. , Nomiyama, T. and Sakurai, H. 1998: Cross sectional observation of the effects of carbon disulphide on the nervous system, endocrine system, and subjective symptoms in rayon manufacturing workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 55, 473-479.

22.

Teisinger, J. 1983: Carbon disulfide. In Parmeggiani, L. , editor, Encyclopedia of occupational health and safety, third edition. Geneva, Switzerland: International Labor Office, 393-395.

23.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists . 1996: TLV -Threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. Cincinnati, OH: ACGIH.

24.

van Doorn, R. , Delbressine, L. P. , Leijdekkers, C. M. , Vertin, P. G. and Henderson, P. T. 1981a: Identification and determination of 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid in urine of workers exposed to carbon disulfide. Archives of Toxicology 47, 51-58.

25.

van Doorn, R. , Leijdekkers, C. P. , Henderson, P. T. , Vanhoorne, M. and Vertin, P. G. 1981b: Determination of thio compounds in urine of workers exposed to carbon disulfide. Archives of Environmental Health 36, 289-297.

26.

van Doorn, R. , Leijdekkers, C. M. , Nossent, S. M. and Henderson, P. T. 1982: Excretion of TTCA in human urine after administration of disulfiram. Toxicology Letters 12, 59-64.