OBJECTIVE To identify suitable hydroxyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) for co-evaluation of internal exposure level of PAHs by simultaneous determination of a variety of OH-PAHs in urine. METHODS The 24-h individual particulate matter and morning urine samples of 112 subjects were collected during June 2011. PAHs carried by individual particulate matter samples and OH-PAHs in urine samples were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS Seven OH-PAHs were detected in urine samples, among which 1-hydroxy-naphthalene (1-OHNap) concentration was the highest [(20.54 ± 28.94) µmol/mol Cr], while 1-hydroxy-pyrene (1-OHP) concentration was the lowest [(0.73 ± 0.63) µmol/mol Cr]. The concentrations of these seven OH-PAHs decreased in the following order: 1-hydroxy-naphthalene (1-OHNap) > 9-hydroxy-fluorene (9-OHFlu) > 2-hydroxy-naphthalene (2-OHNap) > 3-hydroxy-fluorene (3-OHFlu) > 2-hydroxy-fluorene (2-OHFlu) > 6-hydroxy-chrysene (6-OHChr) > 1-hydroxy-pyrene (1-OHP). The effects of gender and smoking upon the contents of OH-PAHs in urine samples were not significant. There was a good correlation between total hydroxy-naphthalene (ΣOHNap) and 1-OHNap (r = 0.948), and a good correlation was also showed between total hydroxy-fluorene (ΣOHFlu) and 9-OHFlu (r = 0.975). Naphthalene carried by atmospheric particulate matters demonstrated better correlation with 1-OHNap than 2-OHNap, while fluorene carried by atmospheric particulate matters showed better correlation with 9-OHFlu than 3-OHFlu and 2-OHFlu. The correlation coefficients of ΣOHNap, ΣOHFlu and 6-OHChr with 1-OHP were 0.427, 0.543 and 0.655, respectively, and the correlations were not strong. CONCLUSIONS It cannot reflect internal exposure level of PAHs to use 1-OHP as the only biomarker, while 1-OHNap and 9-OHFlu can be well predictive of the exposure levels of corresponding total OH-PAHs, suggesting that simultaneous determination of 1-OHNap, 9-OHFlu and 1-OHP can be more accurate and comprehensive in evaluating the internal exposure level of PAHs.