Harmonized human biomonitoring in European children, teenagers and adults : EU-wide exposure data of 11 chemical substance groups from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (2014–2021)
(2023) In International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 249. p.1-21- Abstract
As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participants of three age groups: (i) 3,576 children aged 6–12 years, (ii) 3,117 teenagers aged 12–18 years and (iii) 4,102 young adults aged 20–39 years. The participants were recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11–12 countries per age group, geographically distributed across Europe. Depending on the age group, internal exposure to phthalates and the... (More)
As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participants of three age groups: (i) 3,576 children aged 6–12 years, (ii) 3,117 teenagers aged 12–18 years and (iii) 4,102 young adults aged 20–39 years. The participants were recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11–12 countries per age group, geographically distributed across Europe. Depending on the age group, internal exposure to phthalates and the substitute DINCH, halogenated and organophosphorus flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), cadmium, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic species, acrylamide, mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol (total DON)), benzophenones and selected pesticides was assessed by measuring substance specific biomarkers subjected to stringent quality control programs for chemical analysis. For substance groups analyzed in different age groups higher average exposure levels were observed in the youngest age group, i.e., phthalates/DINCH in children versus teenagers, acrylamide and pesticides in children versus adults, benzophenones in teenagers versus adults. Many biomarkers in teenagers and adults varied significantly according to educational attainment, with higher exposure levels of bisphenols, phthalates, benzophenones, PAHs and acrylamide in participants (from households) with lower educational attainment, while teenagers from households with higher educational attainment have higher exposure levels for PFASs and arsenic. In children, a social gradient was only observed for the non-specific pyrethroid metabolite 3-PBA and di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP), with higher levels in children from households with higher educational attainment. Geographical variations were seen for all exposure biomarkers. For 15 biomarkers, the available health-based HBM guidance values were exceeded with highest exceedance rates for toxicologically relevant arsenic in teenagers (40%), 3-PBA in children (36%), and between 11 and 14% for total DON, Σ (PFOA + PFNA + PFHxS + PFOS), bisphenol S and cadmium. The infrastructure and harmonized approach succeeded in obtaining comparable European wide internal exposure data for a prioritized set of 11 chemical groups. These data serve as a reference for comparison at the global level, provide a baseline to compare the efficacy of the European Commission's chemical strategy for sustainability and will give leverage to national policy makers for the implementation of targeted measures.
(Less)
- author
- publishing date
- 2023-04
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- Adults, Children, Exposure biomarkers, HBM4EU, Human biomonitoring (HBM), Teenagers
- in
- International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
- volume
- 249
- article number
- 114119
- pages
- 1 - 21
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:36773580
- scopus:85147662492
- ISSN
- 1438-4639
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114119
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
- id
- 23e2f0f6-e71e-4588-a01c-802069b1a6e7
- date added to LUP
- 2025-02-21 21:46:56
- date last changed
- 2025-07-12 20:23:53
@article{23e2f0f6-e71e-4588-a01c-802069b1a6e7,
abstract = {{<p>As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participants of three age groups: (i) 3,576 children aged 6–12 years, (ii) 3,117 teenagers aged 12–18 years and (iii) 4,102 young adults aged 20–39 years. The participants were recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11–12 countries per age group, geographically distributed across Europe. Depending on the age group, internal exposure to phthalates and the substitute DINCH, halogenated and organophosphorus flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), cadmium, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic species, acrylamide, mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol (total DON)), benzophenones and selected pesticides was assessed by measuring substance specific biomarkers subjected to stringent quality control programs for chemical analysis. For substance groups analyzed in different age groups higher average exposure levels were observed in the youngest age group, i.e., phthalates/DINCH in children versus teenagers, acrylamide and pesticides in children versus adults, benzophenones in teenagers versus adults. Many biomarkers in teenagers and adults varied significantly according to educational attainment, with higher exposure levels of bisphenols, phthalates, benzophenones, PAHs and acrylamide in participants (from households) with lower educational attainment, while teenagers from households with higher educational attainment have higher exposure levels for PFASs and arsenic. In children, a social gradient was only observed for the non-specific pyrethroid metabolite 3-PBA and di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP), with higher levels in children from households with higher educational attainment. Geographical variations were seen for all exposure biomarkers. For 15 biomarkers, the available health-based HBM guidance values were exceeded with highest exceedance rates for toxicologically relevant arsenic in teenagers (40%), 3-PBA in children (36%), and between 11 and 14% for total DON, Σ (PFOA + PFNA + PFHxS + PFOS), bisphenol S and cadmium. The infrastructure and harmonized approach succeeded in obtaining comparable European wide internal exposure data for a prioritized set of 11 chemical groups. These data serve as a reference for comparison at the global level, provide a baseline to compare the efficacy of the European Commission's chemical strategy for sustainability and will give leverage to national policy makers for the implementation of targeted measures.</p>}},
author = {{Govarts, Eva and Gilles, Liese and Rodriguez Martin, Laura and Santonen, Tiina and Apel, Petra and Alvito, Paula and Anastasi, Elena and Andersen, Helle Raun and Andersson, Anna Maria and Andryskova, Lenka and Antignac, Jean Philippe and Appenzeller, Brice and Barbone, Fabio and Barnett-Itzhaki, Zohar and Barouki, Robert and Berman, Tamar and Bil, Wieneke and Borges, Teresa and Buekers, Jurgen and Cañas-Portilla, Ana and Covaci, Adrian and Csako, Zsofia and Den Hond, Elly and Dvorakova, Darina and Fabelova, Lucia and Fletcher, Tony and Frederiksen, Hanne and Gabriel, Catherine and Ganzleben, Catherine and Göen, Thomas and Halldorsson, Thorhallur I. and Haug, Line S. and Horvat, Milena and Huuskonen, Pasi and Imboden, Medea and Jagodic Hudobivnik, Marta and Janasik, Beata and Janev Holcer, Natasa and Karakitsios, Spyros and Katsonouri, Andromachi and Klanova, Jana and Kokaraki, Venetia and Kold Jensen, Tina and Koponen, Jani and Laeremans, Michelle and Laguzzi, Federica and Lange, Rosa and Lemke, Nora and Lignell, Sanna and Lindroos, Anna Karin and Lobo Vicente, Joana and Luijten, Mirjam and Makris, Konstantinos C. and Mazej, Darja and Melymuk, Lisa and Meslin, Matthieu and Mol, Hans and Montazeri, Parisa and Murawski, Aline and Namorado, Sónia and Niemann, Lars and Nübler, Stefanie and Nunes, Baltazar and Olafsdottir, Kristin and Palkovicova Murinova, Lubica and Papaioannou, Nafsika and Pedraza-Diaz, Susana and Piler, Pavel and Plichta, Veronika and Poteser, Michael and Probst-Hensch, Nicole and Rambaud, Loïc and Rauscher-Gabernig, Elke and Rausova, Katarina and Remy, Sylvie and Riou, Margaux and Rosolen, Valentina and Rousselle, Christophe and Rüther, Maria and Sarigiannis, Denis and Silva, Maria J. and Šlejkovec, Zdenka and Snoj Tratnik, Janja and Stajnko, Anja and Tarazona, José V. and Thomsen, Cathrine and Tkalec, Žiga and Tolonen, Hanna and Trnovec, Tomas and Uhl, Maria and Van Nieuwenhuyse, An and Vasco, Elsa and Verheyen, Veerle J. and Viegas, Susana and Vinggaard, Anne Marie and Vogel, Nina and Vorkamp, Katrin and Wasowicz, Wojciech and Weber, Till and Wimmerova, Sona and Woutersen, Marjolijn and Zimmermann, Philipp and Zvonar, Martin and Koch, Holger and Kolossa-Gehring, Marike and Esteban López, Marta and Castaño, Argelia and Stewart, Lorraine and Sepai, Ovnair and Schoeters, Greet}},
issn = {{1438-4639}},
keywords = {{Adults; Children; Exposure biomarkers; HBM4EU; Human biomonitoring (HBM); Teenagers}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{1--21}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health}},
title = {{Harmonized human biomonitoring in European children, teenagers and adults : EU-wide exposure data of 11 chemical substance groups from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (2014–2021)}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114119}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114119}},
volume = {{249}},
year = {{2023}},
}