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 Eur

SUBMITTER: Den Hond E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4348748 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature