First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale

Elly Den Hond; Eva Govarts; Hanny Willems; Roel Smolders; Ludwine Casteleyn; Marike Kolossa-Gehring; Gerda Schwedler; Margarete Seiwert; Ulrike Fiddicke; Argelia Castaño; Marta Esteban; Jürgen Angerer; Holger M Koch; Birgit K Schindler; Ovnair Sepai; Karen Exley; Louis Bloemen; Milena Horvat; Lisbeth E. Knudsen; Anke Joas; Reinhard Joas; Pierre Biot; Dominique Aerts; Gudrun Koppen; Andromachi Katsonouri; Adamos Hadjipanayis; Andrea Krskova; Marek Maly; Thit A Mørck; Peter Rudnai; Szilvia Kozepesy; Maurice Mulcahy; Rory Mannion; Arno C Gutleb; Marc E Fischer; Danuta Ligocka; Marek Jakubowski; M Fátima Reis; Sónia Namorado; Anca Elena Gurzau; Ioana-Rodica Lupsa; Katarina Halzlova; Michal Jajcaj; Darja Mazej; Janja Snoj Tratnik; Ana López; Estrella Lopez; Marika Berglund; Kristin Larsson; Andrea Lehmann; Pierre Crettaz; Greet Schoeters

doi:10.1289/ehp.1408616

First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale

Elly Den Hond, Eva Govarts, Hanny Willems, Roel Smolders, Ludwine Casteleyn, Marike Kolossa-Gehring, Gerda Schwedler, Margarete Seiwert, Ulrike Fiddicke, Argelia Castaño, Marta Esteban, Jürgen Angerer, Holger M Koch, Birgit K Schindler, Ovnair Sepai, Karen Exley, Louis Bloemen, Milena Horvat, Lisbeth E. Knudsen, Anke JoasReinhard Joas, Pierre Biot, Dominique Aerts, Gudrun Koppen, Andromachi Katsonouri, Adamos Hadjipanayis, Andrea Krskova, Marek Maly, Thit A Mørck, Peter Rudnai, Szilvia Kozepesy, Maurice Mulcahy, Rory Mannion, Arno C Gutleb, Marc E Fischer, Danuta Ligocka, Marek Jakubowski, M Fátima Reis, Sónia Namorado, Anca Elena Gurzau, Ioana-Rodica Lupsa, Katarina Halzlova, Michal Jajcaj, Darja Mazej, Janja Snoj Tratnik, Ana López, Estrella Lopez, Marika Berglund, Kristin Larsson, Andrea Lehmann, Pierre Crettaz, Greet Schoeters

103 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: For Europe as a whole, data on internal exposure to environmental chemicals do not yet exist. Characterization of the internal individual chemical environment is expected to enhance understanding of the environmental threats to health. objectives: We developed and applied a harmonized protocol to collect comparable human biomonitoring data all over Europe. Methods: In 17 European countries, we measured mercury in hair and cotinine, phthalate metabolites, and cadmium in urine of 1,844 children (5–11 years of age) and their mothers. Specimens were collected over a 5-month period in 2011–2012. We obtained information on personal characteristics, environment, and lifestyle. We used the resulting database to compare concentrations of exposure biomarkers within Europe, to identify determinants of exposure, and to compare exposure biomarkers with health-based guidelines. Results: Biomarker concentrations showed a wide variability in the European population. However, levels in children and mothers were highly correlated. Most biomarker concentrations were below the health-based guidance values. Conclusions: We have taken the frst steps to assess personal chemical exposures in Europe as a whole. Key success factors were the harmonized protocol development, intensive training and capacity building for feld work, chemical analysis and communication, as well as stringent quality control programs for chemical and data analysis. Our project demonstrates the feasibility of a Europe-wide human biomonitoring framework to support the decision-making process of environmental measures to protect public health.

Original language	English
Journal	Environmental Health Perspectives
Volume	123
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	255-263
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0091-6765
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408616
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2015

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Den Hond, E., Govarts, E., Willems, H., Smolders, R., Casteleyn, L., Kolossa-Gehring, M., Schwedler, G., Seiwert, M., Fiddicke, U., Castaño, A., Esteban, M., Angerer, J., Koch, H. M., Schindler, B. K., Sepai, O., Exley, K., Bloemen, L., Horvat, M., Knudsen, L. E., ... Schoeters, G. (2015). First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale. Environmental Health Perspectives, 123(3), 255-263. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408616

Den Hond, E, Govarts, E, Willems, H, Smolders, R, Casteleyn, L, Kolossa-Gehring, M, Schwedler, G, Seiwert, M, Fiddicke, U, Castaño, A, Esteban, M, Angerer, J, Koch, HM, Schindler, BK, Sepai, O, Exley, K, Bloemen, L, Horvat, M, Knudsen, LE, Joas, A, Joas, R, Biot, P, Aerts, D, Koppen, G, Katsonouri, A, Hadjipanayis, A, Krskova, A, Maly, M, Mørck, TA, Rudnai, P, Kozepesy, S, Mulcahy, M, Mannion, R, Gutleb, AC, Fischer, ME, Ligocka, D, Jakubowski, M, Reis, MF, Namorado, S, Gurzau, AE, Lupsa, I-R, Halzlova, K, Jajcaj, M, Mazej, D, Tratnik, JS, López, A, Lopez, E, Berglund, M, Larsson, K, Lehmann, A, Crettaz, P & Schoeters, G 2015, 'First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale', Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 123, no. 3, pp. 255-263. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408616

@article{c26364c40d3c4accab3ef1b27cde1d86,

title = "First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale",

abstract = "Background: For Europe as a whole, data on internal exposure to environmental chemicals do not yet exist. Characterization of the internal individual chemical environment is expected to enhance understanding of the environmental threats to health. objectives: We developed and applied a harmonized protocol to collect comparable human biomonitoring data all over Europe. Methods: In 17 European countries, we measured mercury in hair and cotinine, phthalate metabolites, and cadmium in urine of 1,844 children (5–11 years of age) and their mothers. Specimens were collected over a 5-month period in 2011–2012. We obtained information on personal characteristics, environment, and lifestyle. We used the resulting database to compare concentrations of exposure biomarkers within Europe, to identify determinants of exposure, and to compare exposure biomarkers with health-based guidelines. Results: Biomarker concentrations showed a wide variability in the European population. However, levels in children and mothers were highly correlated. Most biomarker concentrations were below the health-based guidance values. Conclusions: We have taken the frst steps to assess personal chemical exposures in Europe as a whole. Key success factors were the harmonized protocol development, intensive training and capacity building for feld work, chemical analysis and communication, as well as stringent quality control programs for chemical and data analysis. Our project demonstrates the feasibility of a Europe-wide human biomonitoring framework to support the decision-making process of environmental measures to protect public health.",

author = "{Den Hond}, Elly and Eva Govarts and Hanny Willems and Roel Smolders and Ludwine Casteleyn and Marike Kolossa-Gehring and Gerda Schwedler and Margarete Seiwert and Ulrike Fiddicke and Argelia Casta{\~n}o and Marta Esteban and J{\"u}rgen Angerer and Koch, {Holger M} and Schindler, {Birgit K} and Ovnair Sepai and Karen Exley and Louis Bloemen and Milena Horvat and Knudsen, {Lisbeth E.} and Anke Joas and Reinhard Joas and Pierre Biot and Dominique Aerts and Gudrun Koppen and Andromachi Katsonouri and Adamos Hadjipanayis and Andrea Krskova and Marek Maly and M{\o}rck, {Thit A} and Peter Rudnai and Szilvia Kozepesy and Maurice Mulcahy and Rory Mannion and Gutleb, {Arno C} and Fischer, {Marc E} and Danuta Ligocka and Marek Jakubowski and Reis, {M F{\'a}tima} and S{\'o}nia Namorado and Gurzau, {Anca Elena} and Ioana-Rodica Lupsa and Katarina Halzlova and Michal Jajcaj and Darja Mazej and Tratnik, {Janja Snoj} and Ana L{\'o}pez and Estrella Lopez and Marika Berglund and Kristin Larsson and Andrea Lehmann and Pierre Crettaz and Greet Schoeters",

year = "2015",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1289/ehp.1408616",

language = "English",

volume = "123",

pages = "255--263",

journal = "Environmental Health Perspectives",

issn = "0091-6765",

publisher = "National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe

T2 - demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale

AU - Den Hond, Elly

AU - Govarts, Eva

AU - Willems, Hanny

AU - Smolders, Roel

AU - Casteleyn, Ludwine

AU - Kolossa-Gehring, Marike

AU - Schwedler, Gerda

AU - Seiwert, Margarete

AU - Fiddicke, Ulrike

AU - Castaño, Argelia

AU - Esteban, Marta

AU - Angerer, Jürgen

AU - Koch, Holger M

AU - Schindler, Birgit K

AU - Sepai, Ovnair

AU - Exley, Karen

AU - Bloemen, Louis

AU - Horvat, Milena

AU - Knudsen, Lisbeth E.

AU - Joas, Anke

AU - Joas, Reinhard

AU - Biot, Pierre

AU - Aerts, Dominique

AU - Koppen, Gudrun

AU - Katsonouri, Andromachi

AU - Hadjipanayis, Adamos

AU - Krskova, Andrea

AU - Maly, Marek

AU - Mørck, Thit A

AU - Rudnai, Peter

AU - Kozepesy, Szilvia

AU - Mulcahy, Maurice

AU - Mannion, Rory

AU - Gutleb, Arno C

AU - Fischer, Marc E

AU - Ligocka, Danuta

AU - Jakubowski, Marek

AU - Reis, M Fátima

AU - Namorado, Sónia

AU - Gurzau, Anca Elena

AU - Lupsa, Ioana-Rodica

AU - Halzlova, Katarina

AU - Jajcaj, Michal

AU - Mazej, Darja

AU - Tratnik, Janja Snoj

AU - López, Ana

AU - Lopez, Estrella

AU - Berglund, Marika

AU - Larsson, Kristin

AU - Lehmann, Andrea

AU - Crettaz, Pierre

AU - Schoeters, Greet

PY - 2015/3/1

Y1 - 2015/3/1

N2 - Background: For Europe as a whole, data on internal exposure to environmental chemicals do not yet exist. Characterization of the internal individual chemical environment is expected to enhance understanding of the environmental threats to health. objectives: We developed and applied a harmonized protocol to collect comparable human biomonitoring data all over Europe. Methods: In 17 European countries, we measured mercury in hair and cotinine, phthalate metabolites, and cadmium in urine of 1,844 children (5–11 years of age) and their mothers. Specimens were collected over a 5-month period in 2011–2012. We obtained information on personal characteristics, environment, and lifestyle. We used the resulting database to compare concentrations of exposure biomarkers within Europe, to identify determinants of exposure, and to compare exposure biomarkers with health-based guidelines. Results: Biomarker concentrations showed a wide variability in the European population. However, levels in children and mothers were highly correlated. Most biomarker concentrations were below the health-based guidance values. Conclusions: We have taken the frst steps to assess personal chemical exposures in Europe as a whole. Key success factors were the harmonized protocol development, intensive training and capacity building for feld work, chemical analysis and communication, as well as stringent quality control programs for chemical and data analysis. Our project demonstrates the feasibility of a Europe-wide human biomonitoring framework to support the decision-making process of environmental measures to protect public health.

AB - Background: For Europe as a whole, data on internal exposure to environmental chemicals do not yet exist. Characterization of the internal individual chemical environment is expected to enhance understanding of the environmental threats to health. objectives: We developed and applied a harmonized protocol to collect comparable human biomonitoring data all over Europe. Methods: In 17 European countries, we measured mercury in hair and cotinine, phthalate metabolites, and cadmium in urine of 1,844 children (5–11 years of age) and their mothers. Specimens were collected over a 5-month period in 2011–2012. We obtained information on personal characteristics, environment, and lifestyle. We used the resulting database to compare concentrations of exposure biomarkers within Europe, to identify determinants of exposure, and to compare exposure biomarkers with health-based guidelines. Results: Biomarker concentrations showed a wide variability in the European population. However, levels in children and mothers were highly correlated. Most biomarker concentrations were below the health-based guidance values. Conclusions: We have taken the frst steps to assess personal chemical exposures in Europe as a whole. Key success factors were the harmonized protocol development, intensive training and capacity building for feld work, chemical analysis and communication, as well as stringent quality control programs for chemical and data analysis. Our project demonstrates the feasibility of a Europe-wide human biomonitoring framework to support the decision-making process of environmental measures to protect public health.

U2 - 10.1289/ehp.1408616

DO - 10.1289/ehp.1408616

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25493439

SN - 0091-6765

VL - 123

SP - 255

EP - 263

JO - Environmental Health Perspectives

JF - Environmental Health Perspectives

IS - 3

ER -

First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale

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