Browsing by Author "Mol, Hans"
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- Biomonitorização humana de micotoxinas no âmbito do projeto HBM4EU: um estudo sobre desoxinivalenol e fumonisina B1Publication . Alvito, Paula; Namorado, Sónia; Assunção, Ricardo; Bajard, Lola; Martins, Carla; Mengelers, Marcel; Mol, Hans; Van den Brand, Annick; Vasco, Elsa; Viegas, Susana; Silva, Maria JoãoAs micotoxinas são toxinas naturais produzidas por fungos, apresentando efeitos tóxicos para o homem e para os animais. Reconhece-se, atualmente, que as alterações climáticas terão impacto na distribuição geográfica de algumas espécies de fungos produtores de micotoxinas o que se traduzirá, previsivelmente, num aumento da exposição humana a estes compostos. Pelas razões descritas, urge conhecer a atual exposição a micotoxinas na Europa, com vista à sua futura monitorização e à prevenção/redução do seu impacto na saúde. No âmbito da Iniciativa Europeia em Biomonitorização Humana (HBM4EU) consideraram-se as micotoxinas desoxinivalenol (DON) e fumonisina B1 (FB1) como substâncias prioritárias, tendo sido abordadas várias questões relativas à avaliação da exposição humana e o potencial risco para a saúde. No presente artigo, apresentam-se as questões identificadas como mais importantes, respostas obtidas e perspetivas futuras. Os resultados confirmaram a exposição humana a DON, tendo sido obtidos, pela primeira vez, dados harmonizados de exposição ao nível europeu e derivado um valor de referência para essa exposição. Foi ainda proposto, pela primeira vez no HBM4EU, uma sucessão de eventos biológicos baseados no mecanismo de ação da FB1 que permitiu associar a exposição durante a gravidez ao desenvolvimento de defeitos do tubo neural no feto. Espera-se que estes resultados possam contribuir para uma futura monitorização da exposição a micotoxinas na Europa e para melhorar a avaliação de risco destas substâncias.
- Current Advances, Research Needs and Gaps in Mycotoxins Biomonitoring under the HBM4EU-Lessons Learned and Future TrendsPublication . Alvito, Paula; Assunção, Ricardo Manuel; Bajard, Lola; Martins, Carla; Mengelers, Marcel J.B.; Mol, Hans; Namorado, Sónia; van den Brand, Annick D.; Vasco, Elsa; Viegas, Susana; Silva, Maria JoãoMycotoxins are natural metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate food and feed worldwide. They can pose a threat to human and animal health, mainly causing chronic effects, e.g., immunotoxic and carcinogenic. Due to climate change, an increase in European population exposure to mycotoxins is expected to occur, raising public health concerns. This urges us to assess the current human exposure to mycotoxins in Europe to allow monitoring exposure and prevent future health impacts. The mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) were considered as priority substances to be studied within the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) to generate knowledge on internal exposure and their potential health impacts. Several policy questions were addressed concerning hazard characterization, exposure and risk assessment. The present article presents the current advances attained under the HBM4EU, research needs and gaps. Overall, the knowledge on the European population risk from exposure to DON was improved by using new harmonised data and a newly derived reference value. In addition, mechanistic information on FB1 was, for the first time, organized into an adverse outcome pathway for a congenital anomaly. It is expected that this knowledge will support policy making and contribute to driving new Human Biomonitoring (HBM) studies on mycotoxin exposure in Europe.
- Developing human biomonitoring as a 21st century toolbox within the European exposure science strategy 2020-2030Publication . Zare Jeddi, Maryam; Hopf, Nancy B.; Louro, Henriqueta; Viegas, Susana; Galea, Karen S.; Pasanen-Kase, Robert; Santonen, Tiina; Mustieles, Vicente; Fernandez, Mariana F.; Verhagen, Hans; Bopp, Stephanie K.; Antignac, Jean Philippe; David, Arthur; Mol, Hans; Barouki, Robert; Audouze, Karine; Duca, Radu-Corneliu; Fantke, Peter; Scheepers, Paul; Ghosh, Manosij; Van Nieuwenhuyse, An; Lobo Vicente, Joana; Trier, Xenia; Rambaud, Loïc; Fillol, Clémence; Denys, Sebastien; Conrad, André; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Paini, Alicia; Arnot, Jon; Schulze, Florian; Jones, Kate; Sepai, Ovnair; Ali, Imran; Brennan, Lorraine; Benfenati, Emilio; Cubadda, Francesco; Mantovani, Alberto; Bartonova, Alena; Connolly, Alison; Slobodnik, Jaroslav; Bruinen de Bruin, Yuri; van Klaveren, Jacob; Palmen, Nicole; Dirven, Hubert; Husøy, Trine; Thomsen, Cathrine; Virgolino, Ana; Röösli, Martin; Gant, Tim; von Goetz, Natalie; Bessems, JosHuman biomonitoring (HBM) is a crucial approach for exposure assessment, as emphasised in the European Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). HBM can help to improve chemical policies in five major key areas: (1) assessing internal and aggregate exposure in different target populations; 2) assessing exposure to chemicals across life stages; (3) assessing combined exposure to multiple chemicals (mixtures); (4) bridging regulatory silos on aggregate exposure; and (5) enhancing the effectiveness of risk management measures. In this strategy paper we propose a vision and a strategy for the use of HBM in chemical regulations and public health policy in Europe and beyond. We outline six strategic objectives and a roadmap to further strengthen HBM approaches and increase their implementation in the regulatory risk assessment of chemicals to enhance our understanding of exposure and health impacts, enabling timely and targeted policy interventions and risk management. These strategic objectives are: 1) further development of sampling strategies and sample preparation; 2) further development of chemical-analytical HBM methods; 3) improving harmonisation throughout the HBM research life cycle; 4) further development of quality control / quality assurance throughout the HBM research life cycle; 5) obtain sustained funding and reinforcement by legislation; and 6) extend target-specific communication with scientists, policymakers, citizens and other stakeholders. HBM approaches are essential in risk assessment to address scientific, regulatory and societal challenges. HBM requires full and strong support from the scientific and regulatory domain to reach its full potential in public and occupational health assessment and in regulatory decision-making.
- Guidance on minimum information requirements (MIR) from designing to reporting human biomonitoring (HBM)Publication . Jeddi, Maryam Zare; Galea, Karen S.; Ashley-Martin, Jillian; Nassif, Julianne; Pollock, Tyler; Poddalgoda, Devika; Kasiotis, Konstantinos M.; Esteban-López, Marta; Chung, Ming Kei; Kil, Jihyon; Jones, Kate; Covaci, Adrian; Ait Bamai, Yu; Fernandez, Mariana F.; Pasanen Kase, Robert; Louro, Henriqueta; Silva, Maria J.; Santonen, Tiina; Katsonouri, Andromachi; Castaño, Argelia; Quirós-Alcalá, Lesliam; Argelia Castaño; Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá; Lin, Elizabeth Ziying; Pollitt, Krystal; Ana Virgolino; Virgolino, Ana; Scheepers, Paul T.J; Mustieles, Vicente; Cañas-Portilla, Ana Isabel; Viegas, Susana; von Goetz, Natalie; Sepai, Ovnair; Bird, Emily; Gӧen, Thomas; Fustinoni, Silvia; Ghosh, Manosij; Dirven, Hubert; Kwon, Jung-Hwan; Carignan, Courtney; Mizuno, Yuki; Ito, Yuki; Xia, Yankai; Shoji F. Nakayama; Nakayama, Shoji F.; Makris, Konstantinos C.; Parsons, Patrick J.; Gonzales, Melissa; Bader, Michael; Dusinska, Maria; Menouni, Aziza; Duca, Radu Corneliu; Chbihi, Kaoutar; El Jaafari, Samir; Godderis, Lode; van Nieuwenhuyse, An; Qureshi, Asif; Ali, Imran; Costa Trindade, Carla; Teixeira, Joao Paulo; Bartonova, Alena; Tranfo, Giovanna; Audouze, Karine; Verpaele, Steven; LaKind, Judy; Mol, Hans; Bessems, Jos; Magagna, Barbara; Nasution Waras, Maisarah; Connolly, Alison; Nascarella, Marc; Yang, Wonho; Huang, Po-Chin; Heussen, Henri; Goksel, Ozlem; Yunesian, Masud; Yeung, Leo W.Y.; Souza, Gustavo; Vekic, Ana Maria; Haynes, Erin N.; Hopf, Nancy B.Human biomonitoring (HBM) provides an integrated chemical exposures assessment considering all routes and sources of exposure. The accurate interpretation and comparability of biomarkers of exposure and effect depend on harmonized, quality-assured sampling, processing, and analysis. Currently, the lack of broadly accepted guidance on minimum information required for collecting and reporting HBM data, hinders comparability between studies. Furthermore, it prevents HBM from reaching its full potential as a reliable approach for assessing and managing the risks of human exposure to chemicals. The European Chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science HBM Working Group (ISES Europe HBM working group) has established a global human biomonitoring community network (HBM Global Network) to develop a guidance to define the minimum information to be collected and reported in HBM, called the “Minimum Information Requirements for Human Biomonitoring (MIR-HBM)”. This work builds on previous efforts to harmonize HBM worldwide. The MIR-HBM guidance covers all phases of HBM from the design phase to the effective communication of results. By carefully defining MIR for all phases, researchers and health professionals can make their HBM studies and programs are robust, reproducible, and meaningful. Acceptance and implementation of MIR-HBM Guidelines in both the general population and occupational fields would improve the interpretability and regulatory utility of HBM data. While implementation challenges remain—such as varying local capacities, and ethical and legal differences at the national levels, this initiative represents an important step toward harmonizing HBM practice and supports an ongoing dialogue among policymakers, legal experts, and scientists to effectively address these challenges. Leveraging the data and insights from HBM, policymakers can develop more effective strategies to protect public health and ensure safer working environments.
- 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)Publication . Govarts, Eva; Gilles, Liese; Rodriguez Martin, Laura; Santonen, Tiina; Apel, Petra; Alvito, Paula; Anastasi, Elena; Andersen, Helle Raun; Andersson, Anna-Maria; Andryskova, Lenka; ANTIGNAC, Jean-Philippe; Rüther, Maria; Sarigiannis, Denis; Silva, Maria João; Šlejkovec, Zdenka; Snoj Tratnik, Janja; Stajnko, Anja; Szigeti, Tamas; Tarazona, Jose; Thomsen, Cathrine; Tkalec, Žiga; Trnovec, Tomas; Tolonen, Hanna; Uhl, Maria; Van Nieuwenhuyse, An; Vasco, Elsa; Verheyen, Veerle J.; Viegas, Susana; Vinggaard, Anne Marie; Vogel, Nina; Vorkamp, Katrin; Wasowicz, Wojciech; Wimmerova, Sona; Weber, Till; Woutersen, Marjolijn; Zimmermann, Philipp; Zvonar, Martin; Koch, Holger; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Esteban López, Marta; Castano, Argelia; Stewart, Lorraine; Sepai, Ovnair; Appenzeller, Brice; Schoeters, Greta; Barbone, Fabio; Barnett-Itzhaki, Zohar; Barouki, Robert; Berman, Tamar; Bil, Wieneke; Borges, Teresa; Buekers, Jurgen; Cañas-Portilla, Ana; Covaci, Adrian; Csako, Zsofia; Den Hond, Elly; Dvorakova, Darina; Fabelova, Lucia; Fletcher, Tony; Frederiksen, Hanne; Gabriel, Catherine; Ganzleben, Catherine; Göen, Thomas; Halldorsson, Thorhallur; Haug, Line Småstuen; Horvat, Milena; Huuskonen, Pasi; Imboden, Medea; Jagodic Hudobivnik, Marta; Janasik, Beata; Janev Holcer, Natasa; Karakitsios, Spyros; Katsonouri, Andromachi; Klanova, Jana; Kokaraki, Venetia; Kold Jensen, Tina; Koponen, Jani; Laeremans, Michelle; Laguzzi, Federica; Lange, Rosa; Lemke, Nora; Lignell, Sanna; Lindroos, Anna Karin; Lobo Vicente, Joana; Luijten, Mirjam; Makris, Konstantinos C.; Mazej, Darja; Melymuk, Lisa; Meslin, Matthieu; Mol, Hans; Montazeri, Parisa; Murawski, Aline; Namorado, Sónia; Niemann, Lars; Nübler, Stefanie; Nunes, Baltazar; Olafsdottir, Kristin; Palkovicova Murinova, Lubica; Papaioannou, Nafsika; Pedraza-Diaz, Susana; Piler, Pavel; Plichta, Veronika; Poteser, Michael; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Rambaud, Loic; Rauscher-Gabernig, Elke; Rausova, Katarina; Remy, Sylvie; Riou, Margaux; Rosolen, Valentina; Rousselle, ChristopheAbstract: 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.
- Human biomonitoring of mycotoxins under HBM4EU: update on key outputsPublication . Alvito, Paula; Assunção, Ricardo; Bajard, Lola; Mol, Hans; Martins, Carla; Mengelers, Marcel; Namorado, Sónia; Vasco, Elsa; Van den Brand, Annick; Viegas, Susana; Silva, MariaThe European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) is a project gathering 30 countries, funded under Horizon 2020 and running from 2017 until 2021. The goal of HBM4EU is to generate evidence on the current exposure of European citizens to chemicals and on their possible health effects to assess the associated risks. Following a systematic prioritization exercise, the mycotoxins Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Fumonisin B1 (FB1) were considered as priority substances around which the HBM4EU research programme was developed. As part of the HBM4EU project, several policy questions are being addressed for these mycotoxins, concerning analytical methods, exposure levels and high exposure population groups in Europe (including workers), associated time trends, risk characterization, exposure models and toxicokinetic data, human biomonitoring guidance values, key events that determine the health effects of the target mycotoxins, effect biomarkers, data gaps and research needs. Key outputs from HBM4EU achieved until now for DON and FB1, include: i) a biomarker selected to assess human exposure to DON (total urinary DON) that will be used in the aligned studies, ii) several European laboratories selected to perform DON analysis after passing an interlaboratory study, ii) a research protocol on human exposure and geographic variations in Europe, iv) a risk assessment plan to assess DON and FB1 exposure in Europe, v) a review of available toxicokinetics models, vi) a draft on the possible mechanisms of FB1-induced adverse health effects and vii) a specific effect biomarker for FB1.
- A Tiered Approach for Assessing Individual and Combined Risk of Pyrethroids Using Human Biomonitoring DataPublication . Tarazona, Jose; Cattaneo, Irene; Niemann, Lars; Pedraza-Diaz, Susana; González-Caballero, MCarmen; Alba-Gonzalez, Mercedes de; Cañas, Ana; Domínguez-Morueco, Noelia; Esteban, Marta; Castano, Argelia; Borges, Teresa; Katsonouri, Andromachi; Makris, Konstantinos C.; Ottenbros, Ilse; Mol, Hans; De Decker, Annelies; Morrens, Bert; Berman, Tamar; Barnett-Itzhaki, Zohar; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Fuhrimann, Samuel; Snoj Tratnik, Janja; Horvat, Milena; RAMBAUD, Loic; RIOU, Margaux; Schoeters, Greta; Govarts, Eva; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Weber, Till; Apel, Petra; Namorado, Sónia; Santonen, TiinaPyrethroids are a major insecticide class, suitable for biomonitoring in humans. Due to similarities in structure and metabolic pathways, urinary metabolites are common to various active substances. A tiered approach is proposed for risk assessment. Tier I was a conservative screening for overall pyrethroid exposure, based on phenoxybenzoic acid metabolites. Subsequently, probabilistic approaches and more specific metabolites were used for refining the risk estimates. Exposure was based on 95th percentiles from HBM4EU aligned studies (2014–2021) covering children in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Israel, Slovenia, and The Netherlands and adults in France, Germany, Israel, and Switzerland. In all children populations, the 95th percentiles for 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) exceeded the screening value. The probabilistic refinement quantified the risk level of the most exposed population (Belgium) at 2% or between 1–0.1% depending on the assumptions. In the substance specific assessments, the 95th percentiles of urinary concentrations in the aligned studies were well below the respective human biomonitoring guidance values (HBM-GVs). Both information sets were combined for refining the combined risk. Overall, the HBM data suggest a low health concern, at population level, related to pyrethroid exposure for the populations covered by the studies, even though a potential risk for highly exposed children cannot be completely excluded. The proposed tiered approach, including a screening step and several refinement options, seems to be a promising tool of scientific and regulatory value in future.