DNA adducts in biomonitoring

Application of methods to the measurement of DNA adducts in occupational and environmental studies was surveyed. The methods included the 32P-postlabeling assay, immunoassay, mass spectrometry, and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. Methods for detecting excreted urinary RNA and DNA adducts were also discussed. When the techniques have been applied in occupational settings with complex exposures, identification and quantitation of the adduct levels have not been possible. At present emphasis is being placed on the determination of specific adduct levels. This can often be achieved by adding a purification step before the determination of adducts. Inasmuch as humans differ in their metabolic capacity, it has become feasible to determine adducts in humans who are polymorphic in their xenobiotic metabolism.