Woodsmoke marker levoglucosan: kinetics in a self-experiment.

OBJECTIVES Concerns on climate change are leading to the renaissance of wood burning and particulate exposures. Levoglucosan is used as a marker of woodsmoke in air and urine. OBJECTIVES Contribution of data on urinary excretion of levoglucosan, to improve biomonitoring and source apportionment of woodsmoke. MATERIALS AND METHODS 1, 3, 5, and 7 hours after 5 mg of levoglucosan had been administered orally, urinary excretion was measured by HPLC and mass spectrometry. RESULTS After oral intake, urine concentrations increased rapidly, reached highest values after 3 hours, and after 7 hours approximately 70% of the administered dose was excreted. CONCLUSIONS Urinary levoglucosan may be used for biomonitoring of woodsmoke exposure on the same day.