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oai:repisalud.isciii.es:20.500.12105/99512025-04-23T10:34:45Zcom_20.500.12105_2052com_20.500.12105_2051col_20.500.12105_19610

00925njm 22002777a 4500 dc Den Hond, Elly author Govarts, Eva author Willems, Hanny author Smolders, Roel author Casteleyn, Ludwine author Kolossa-Gehring, Marike author Schwedler, Gerda author Seiwert, Margarete author Fiddicke, Ulrike author Castaño, Argelia author Esteban-Lopez, Marta author Angerer, Jürgen author Koch, Holger M author Schindler, Birgit K author Sepai, Ovnair author Exley, Karen author Bloemen, Louis author Horvat, Milena author Knudsen, Lisbeth E author Joas, Anke author Joas, Reinhard author Biot, Pierre author Aerts, Dominique author Koppen, Gudrun author Katsonouri, Andromachi author Hadjipanayis, Adamos author Krskova, Andrea author Maly, Marek author Mørck, Thit A author Rudnai, Peter author Középesy, Szilvia author Mulcahy, Maurice author Mannion, Rory author Gutleb, Arno C author Fischer, Marc E author Ligocka, Danuta author Jakubowski, Marek author Reis, M Fátima author Namorado, Sónia author Gurzau, Anca Elena author Lupsa, Ioana-Rodica author Halzlova, Katarina author Jajcaj, Michal author Mazej, Darja author Tratnik, Janja Snoj author Lopez-Herranz, Ana author Lopez-Martin, Estrella author Berglund, Marika author Larsson, Kristin author Lehmann, Andrea author Crettaz, Pierre author Schoeters, Greet author 2015-03 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 first 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 field 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. Environ Health Perspect. 2015 Mar;123(3):255-63. 10.1289/ehp.1408616 1552-9924 0091-6765 Environmental health perspectives 25493439 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/9951 First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale