Acrylamide (AA), a chemical compound currently classified as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”, is formed through the Maillard reaction in processed carbohydrate-rich foods and is also present in tobacco smoke. The primary sources of AA exposure in the general population are dietary intake and inhalation. Within a 24-h period, humans eliminate approximately 50% of AA in the urine, predominantly in the form of mercapturic acid conjugates such as N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-L-cysteine (AAMA), N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoyl-2- hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine (GAMA3), and N-acetyl-3-[(3-amino-3-oxopropyl)sulfinyl]-L-alanine (AAMA-Sul). These metabolites serve as short-term biomarkers for AA exposure in human biomonitoring studies. In this study, we analysed first-morning urine samples from the adult population (aged 18–65 years) residing in the Valencian Region, Spain, (n = 505). AAMA, GAMA-3 and AAMA-Sul were quantified in 100% of the analysed samples, with geometric means (GM) of 84, 11 and 26 μg L⁻¹, respectively, while the estimated daily intake of AA in the studied population ranged from 1.33 to 2.13 μg·kg-bw⁻¹·day⁻¹ (GM). Statistical analysis of the data indicated that the most significant predictors of AA exposure were smoking and the amount of potato fried products and, biscuits and pastries consumed last 24 h. Based on risk assessment approaches conducted, the findings suggest that exposure to AA could pose a potential health risk. Therefore, it is crucial to closely monitor and continuously evaluate AA exposure to ensure the well-being of the population.

丙烯酰胺 (AA) 是一种目前被归类为“合理预期为人类致癌物”的化合物，它是在富含碳水化合物的加工食品中通过美拉德反应形成的，也存在于烟草烟雾中。一般人群接触 AA 的主要来源是饮食摄入和吸入。在 24 小时内，人类从尿液中排出大约 50% 的 AA，主要以硫醇尿酸结合物的形式存在，例如 N-乙酰基-S-(2-氨甲酰乙基)-L-半胱氨酸 (AAMA)、N-乙酰基-S-(2-氨基甲酰基-2-羟乙基)-L-半胱氨酸 (GAMA3) 和 N-乙酰基-3-[(3-氨基-3-氧丙基)亚磺酰基]-L-丙氨酸 (AAMA-Sul)。这些代谢物在人体生物监测研究中用作 AA 暴露的短期生物标志物。在这项研究中，我们分析了居住在西班牙瓦伦西亚地区 (n = 505) 的成年人群（18-65 岁）的第一晨尿样本。AAMA、GAMA-3 和 AAMA-Sul 在 100% 的分析样品中进行了定量，几何平均值 (GM) 分别为 84、11 和 26 μg L^-1，而研究人群中 AA 的估计每日摄入量范围为 1.33 至 2.13 μg·kg-bw ^-1 ·天^-1 (GM)。数据的统计分析表明，AA 暴露的最重要预测因素是吸烟和最近 24 小时食用的土豆油炸产品以及饼干和糕点的数量。根据进行的风险评估方法，研究结果表明，暴露于 AA 可能会带来潜在的健康风险。因此，密切监测和持续评估 AA 暴露以确保人群的福祉至关重要。