Ž . The Science of the Total Environment 212 1998 5967 Correlation between urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and ambient air pyrene measured with an inhalable aerosol sampler and a total dust sampler in an electrode paste plant R.K. Bentsen a,  , K. Halgard b , H. Notø b , H.L. Daae b , S. Øvrebø a a Department of Toxicology, National Institute of Occupational Health, PO Box 8149 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway b Department of Occupational Hygiene, National Institute of Occupational Health, PO Box 8149 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway Received 19 September 1997; accepted 25 November 1997 Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of an inhalable aerosol sampler would improve the correlation between urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and occupational pyrene exposure compared to measurements with a total dust sampler in an electrode paste plant. PAHs were collected on a filter and adsorbent by a 37-mm closed-face total aerosol sampler and an open-face sampler for inhalable aerosol from the Institute of Occupational Medicine Ž . IOM . 1-Hydroxypyrene in pre- and post-shift urine samples was quantitated by high performance liquid chromatog- Ž . raphy HPLC . In this study, the use of the IOM sampler resulted in approximately four times higher concentrations of particulate PAH and pyrene than the total dust sampler. The correlation between pyrene levels measured with the two samplers was good with a correlation coefficient of 0.83. The correlation between workplace air pyrene and Ž . 1-hydroxypyrene in post-shift urine was poor r sy0.12 , but a small non-significant improvement was found with Ž . the IOM sampler r s0.11 . In this factory the use of an inhalable aerosol sampler had only marginal effect on the correlation between 1-hydroxypyrene in urine and breathing zone pyrene. These results indicate that skin exposure is an important route of PAH uptake in this plant.  1998 Elsevier Science B.V. Keywords: Personal samplers; Workplace monitoring; Soderberg electrode paste; 1-hydroxypyrene ¨ 1. Introduction Production of Soderberg electrode paste to the ¨ electrometallurgic industry involves the mixing of calcined anthracite with coal tar at temperatures  Corresponding author. around 170°C. During the production process po- Ž . lycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs are liber- ated into the working atmosphere. The PAHs are found both as vapour and in particulate form. A number of the PAHs have been demonstrated to exhibit carcinogenic effects in experimental ani- Ž . mals IARC, 1983, 1987 . The main occupational hygiene strategy for as- 0048-9697r98r$19.00  1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Ž . PII S0048-9697 98 00331-8