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Published on: May 4, 2016
Benchmark Dose Assessment for Coke Oven Emissions-Induced Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Damage Effects
Zhao Fan Yan1, Zhi Guang Gu1, Ya Hui Fan1
1Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Diseases, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China.
Objective:
The study aimed to estimate the benchmark dose (BMD) of coke oven emissions (COEs) exposure based on mitochondrial damage with the mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) as a biomarker.
Methods:
A total of 782 subjects were recruited, including 238 controls and 544 exposed workers. The mtDNAcn of peripheral leukocytes was detected through the real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Three BMD approaches were used to calculate the BMD of COEs exposure based on the mitochondrial damage and its 95% confidence lower limit (BMDL).
Results:
The mtDNAcn of the exposure group was lower than that of the control group (0.60 ± 0.29 vs. 1.03 ± 0.31; P < 0.001). A dose-response relationship was shown between the mtDNAcn damage and COEs. Using the Benchmark Dose Software, the occupational exposure limits (OELs) for COEs exposure in males was 0.00190 mg/m 3. The OELs for COEs exposure using the BBMD were 0.00170 mg/m 3 for the total population, 0.00158 mg/m 3 for males, and 0.00174 mg/m 3 for females. In possible risk obtained from animal studies (PROAST), the OELs of the total population, males, and females were 0.00184, 0.00178, and 0.00192 mg/m 3, respectively.
Conclusion:
Based on our conservative estimate, the BMDL of mitochondrial damage caused by COEs is 0.002 mg/m 3. This value will provide a benchmark for determining possible OELs.
