Search results for "Human Biomonitoring"
showing 10 items of 18 documents
Children’s exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Valencian Region (Spain): Urinary levels, predictors of exposure and risk assessment
2021
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pollutants that are released into the environment during incomplete combustion of organic matter and which can have a negative effect on human health. PAHs enter the human body mostly through ingestion of food or inhalation of tobacco smoke. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the internal levels of PAHs that children living in the Valencian Region (Spain) are exposed to. In total, we measured eleven biomarkers of exposure to naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene in the urine of 566 children aged 5-12. The analytical method was based on a liquid-liquid extraction of the PAH metabolites from the urine samples, …
Risk assessment of exposure to phthalates in breastfeeding women using human biomonitoring
2020
In this study, we assessed the presence of 14 phthalate metabolites in the urine of 104 lactating mothers from Valencia (Spain) who took part in the human biomonitoring project BETTERMILK. Nine of the metabolites studied showed detection frequencies >80%, whereas the rest of the metabolites presented low detection frequencies (<5%). The concentrations ranged from <LoQ to 1291 ng/mL with monoethyl phthalate showing the highest concentration, with a geometric mean of 34.90 ng/mL. In general, the phthalate metabolite levels quantified in the present study were lower than the urinary levels found in previous studies that involved lactating mothers. The consumption of packaged juices and the fre…
Serum concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the inhabitants of a Sicilian city.
2012
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides are common environmental contaminants that have been associated with human health problems. OBJECTIVES: To assess serum concentrations of several organochlorine contaminants in general population living in a city with an ancient agricultural tradition and to identify possible exposure sources in Sicily. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 individuals. Each participant answered a face-to-face questionnaire submitted by well-trained personnel and provided a serum sample which was analyzed for the concentrations of PCBs, HCB, HCHs and DDTs by using gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. RESULTS: HCB, p…
Biomonitoring of bisphenols A, F, S in human milk and probabilistic risk assessment for breastfed infants
2019
The present study addresses the presence of bisphenols A (BPA) and its analogs bisphenol F (BPF) and S (BPS) in milk of 120 mothers living in Valencia (Spain) and participating in the BETTERMILK project (year 2015). We also studied the factors that could influence the BPA levels and estimated the exposure and the risk for breast fed infants. The frequency of detection of total (conjugated + unconjugated) and unconjugated-BPA were 83% and 77%. with a geometric mean of 0.29 ng/mL and 0.15 ng/mL, respectively. The frequency of detection was much lower for total-BPF (22%) and total-BPS (1.1%). The place of residence of the mother and the use of personal care products showed significant associat…
Biomonitoring of parabens in human milk and estimated daily intake for breastfed infants
2020
In this study, we assessed the presence of four parabens in human milk of 120 mothers from Valencia (Spain) which took part in a human biomonitoring project (BETTERMILK). The detection frequency ranges of parabens were 41-60% and 61-89% for unconjugated- and total (unconjugated + conjugated)-parabens, respectively. The concentrations ranged from <LoQ to 31 ng/mL and from <LoQ to 49 ng/mL for unconjugated- and total-parabens, respectively. The frequency of use of some cosmetic products and human milk protein levels were the main predictors of parabens in milk. The study evidences the presence of both conjugated and unconjugated paraben forms in human milk. The newborns estimated daily intake…
Occurrence of palladium and platinum in human scalp hair of adolescents living in urban and industrial sites
2023
Platinum group elements (PGEs) can be naturally found at very low concentrations in the Earth's crust. However, the increasing uses of PGEs in vehicle exhaust catalysts, in addition to some other applications (industry, jewelry, anticancer drugs) cause their anthropogenic emission and dispersion in the environment. The use of human hair samples analysis is considered a suitable biological indicator to assess human occupational and environmental exposure. It is an easily accessible material for individuals or population groups of non-invasive sampling. The aim of this study is a comparative analysis to investigate human hair content of Pd and Pt in adolescents, of both genders, residing near…
Use of lead isotopic fingerprint in human scalp hair to identify potential sources of pollution in industrial Sicilian sites (Italy)
2019
Petrochemical industries represent a controversial, although important, the economic resource. They offer numerous job opportunities, which in turn contribute to the economic development of the city. People living in towns close to industrial plants are particularly exposed to severe environmental decline, which involves the deterioration of the quality of air, water, soil, and food. The municipalities of Augusta (SR), Gela (CL) and Pace del Mela (ME) host large oil refineries, together with several important chemical and petrochemical industries. The main goal of this study is to evaluate if stable lead isotope ratios measured in the biological matrix can be used as pollution fingerprints.…
Gender as a key factor in trace metal and metalloid content of human scalp hair. A multi-site study
2016
This multi-site study discusses the content of metals and metalloids (MM) in scalp hair of children, living in different environmental contexts, with the purpose of verifying if hair level of some MM is distinctively gender-specific. A total of 943 hair samples (537 females and 406 males) from adolescents were analysed for their content of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sr, U, V and Zn. Elemental quantification was performed by ICP-MS. The obtained data identified different metal distributions in adolescent girls which exhibited significantly higher hair concentrations of some trace metals, especially Sr, Zn and Ni, than boys. On the base of the median value, hai…
Concentration and reference interval of trace elements in human hair from students living in Palermo, Sicily (Italy).
2010
Trace element contents in specimens of hair collected from 137 children aged 11–13 years old, living in Palermo (Sicily, Italy) were determined by ICP-MS. This work reports analytical data for the following 19 elements: Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sr, U, V and Zn. The most abundant chemical elements were zinc and copper (Zn > Cu), with concentrations exceeding 10microg/g (Zn = 189.2microg/g; Cu= 22.9microg/g). Other elements with concentrations greater than 1microg/g were, in order of abundance, Al > Sr > Ba > Pb. The remaining elements were all below 1microg/g. The average elemental concentrations in hair were statistically compared by Kolmogorov–Smirnov’s t…
Trace elements in scalp hair of children chronically exposed to volcanic activity (Mt. Etna, Italy)
2014
Abstract The aim of this survey was to use scalp hair as a biomonitor to evaluate the environmental exposure to metals and metalloids of schoolchildren living around the Mt. Etna area, and to verify whether the degree of human exposure to trace elements is subject to changes in local environmental factors. Twenty trace elements were determined in 376 samples of scalp hair from schoolboys (11–13 years old) of both genders, living in ten towns located around the volcanic area of Mt. Etna (Sicily). The results were compared with those (215 samples) from children living in areas of Sicily characterized by a different geological setting (reference site). As, U and V showed much higher concentrat…