Macromolecular adducts caused by environmental chemicals.

We describe three biomonitoring studies in which hemoglobin (Hb) adducts were used as biochemical markers to assess indirectly the target dose of genotoxic chemicals. We monitored the exposure to 1,3-butadiene in occupationally exposed workers and in two control groups by analyzing the adducts formed by the reaction of the first activation product, butadiene monoepoxide, with the terminal valine of Hb; we also measured hydrolyzable adducts formed by the reaction of metabolically formed nitroso derivatives with Hb from five selected nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (1-nitropyrene; 2-nitrofluorene, 3-nitrofluoranthrene, 6-nitrochrysene, and 9-nitrophenanthrene) in coke oven workers of different job categories and control workers of the same geographical area. We detected hydrolyzable adducts from monocyclic nitroarenes in blood from individuals living in a contaminated area where explosives had been produced and from controls. The contaminants considered were 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene; 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluene; and 1,3-dinitrobenzene. Differences between groups were significant, but interindividual variation was great and back-ground exposures must be considered.