OBJECTIVETo study the urinary excretion pattern for of 2-thio-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) in workers exposed to CS2, so as to provide experimental basis for working out biomonitoring measures for short-term exposure to CS2.

METHODSSixty-nine subjects were divided into three groups: (1) fourteen volunteers who had not been exposed to CS2 before were exposed to CS2 for 2 hours, their urine samples were collected and analyzed at different time points; (2) The urine samples of 15 occupational exposure workers were collected on pre-shift, mid-shift, post-shift; (3) The relationship between 8 h time weighted average CS2 exposure concentrations (PC-TWA) and TTCA levels of post-shift urine was studied among 40 workers chronically exposed to CS2.

RESULTS(1) In the 1st group, urine TTCA level reached the peak [(1.03 +/- 0.72) mg/gCr] 4 h after exposure; (2) In the 2nd group, urine TTCA level on pre-shift [(0.37 +/- 0.28) mg/gCr] was lower than that on mid-shift [(1.23 +/- 0.71) mg/gCr, P<0.01] and post-shift [(1.31 +/- 0.78) mg/gCr, P<0.01]; (3) In the 3rd group, there was a linear relationship between the post-shift urine TTCA level and 8 h CS2 exposure concentrations dose (PC-TWA). The regression equation is Y(TTCA mg/gCr)=1.163 6X(CS2 mg/m3)-5.411 6.

CONCLUSIONThe post-shift urine TTCA levels may be regarded as a bio-monitoring index for workers exposed to CS2.