Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2019-10-25"
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- Health studies: opportunities for the development of Human Biomonitoring in EuropePublication . Namorado, Sónia; Andersson, Anna-Maria; Holmboe, Stine Agergaard; Nunes, Baltazar; Dias, Carlos Matias; Tolonen, HannaIntroduction: Human Biomonitoring (HBM) and health studies are very similar in terms of the infrastructure and procedures necessary for their implementation, as in either type of studies data is collected through fieldwork, which constitutes one of the largest expenditures for such studies. Thus, combined studies could result in more cost-effective ways to conduct health and environmental monitoring. As such, within the HBM4EU project an inventory of the health studies available which could include an HBM component was performed. Methods: An online questionnaire was developed to collect information on recently conducted, ongoing and planned health studies, which could be linked to an HBM study. The link to the questionnaire was distributed with the help of the National Hub Contact Points of the HBM4EU project. Results: From the 58 different studies included in this inventory, half were longitudinal and presented the possibility of introducing an HBM component in the future. Most of the studies for which data was reported had public funding, either from the government or from public grants (national or European). The vast majority of the studies included the collection of biological samples and the most frequently stored samples were blood, plasma, serum or DNA. More than 50% of the studies reported that the measurement of chemicals was already performed or was planned to be performed. The most frequently measured chemicals were phthalates, bisphenols and cadmium. Conclusions: In vast majority of the studies included in the inventory biological samples are collected and stored, posing the opportunity to use them in HBM studies for the analyses of chemicals of interest. About 50% of these studies already had ethical approval to measure chemicals from collected samples. Funding: HBM4EU has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement 733032).
- Exposure assessment of Portuguese women of childbearing age to methylmercury: first results of a human biomonitoring studyPublication . Santiago, Susana; Namorado, Sónia; Dias, Carlos; Martins, Carla; Carvalho, Cristina; Assunção, RicardoMethylmercury (MeHg) is a toxic compound that undergoes bioaccumulation in the aquatic food chain. Fish, especially predatory species such as tuna or swordfish, are an important human exposure source. Portugal presents the highest consumption of fishery and aquaculture products in the European Union (EU), above the EU and world average. The central nervous system is the main target of MeHg and the prenatal period represents a period of greatest vulnerability regarding neurodevelopmental effects on the fetus. As recommended by EFSA, the risk of exceeding the MeHg tolerable dose through consumption of fish and seafood should be properly assessed by each member state. Total mercury concentration in blood is usually considered a suitable biomarker for estimating short-term internal exposure to methylmercury, in individuals with regular fish consumption. The present study aimed at evaluating the exposure of Portuguese women of childbearing age to MeHg through human biomonitoring. For this study, 300 Portuguese women of childbearing age (25 to 44 years) were randomly selected among the participants in a cross-sectional epidemiological study carried out in Portugal (INSEF, http://www.insef.pt/). Total mercury content was determined in whole blood samples collected in 2015 by thermal decomposition and amalgamation atomic absorption spectrophotometry (TDA/AAS). Two samples had total mercury levels below LOQ (0.5 μg/L), and in the remaining (n=298), mercury levels ranged from 0.6 to 35 μg/L. Almost 52% of the samples had values below 5 μg/L, a HBM value below which no adverse health effects are expected. However, 48% of samples revealed levels above 5 μg/L, and therefore presented an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. This study reinforces the need to develop and implement in Portugal strategies regarding risk communication focused on the selection of fish species with lower MeHg concentration in order to prevent human exposure to this compound, especially in particularly susceptible populations.
- INSEF-ExpoQuim: assessing the exposure of the Portuguese population to chemicalsPublication . Namorado, Sónia; Kislaya, Irina; Alves-Alves, Clara; Castilho, Emília; Cordeiro, Eugénio; Dinis, Ana; Gouveia, Bruna; Prokopenko, Tamara; Vargas, Patrícia; Nunes, Baltazar; Matias Dias, CarlosIntroduction: Exposure to hazardous chemicals may endanger human health and pollute the environment. To assess and minimize the risks associated with the use of chemicals it is essential to know whether and to what extent these substances are present in the human body. We report preliminary results of the recruitment phase in the study of Exposure of the Portuguese Population to Environmental Chemicals: a study nested in INSEF 2015 (INSEF-ExpoQuim). Methods: INSEF-ExpoQuim is an epidemiologic study nested in INSEF 2015 targeting 300 non-institutionalized individuals aged 28-39 years, living in Portugal for more than 12 months, able to follow an interview in Portuguese. Fieldwork started in June 2019 and is ongoing. Procedures are according to the guidelines of the HBM4EU project. Selected individuals receive an invitation letter and are later contacted by phone to schedule sample collection and the telephone interview. Urine samples for determination of heavy metals, bisphenols and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are collected, as well as data on socio-demographic characteristics, living conditions and residential history, habits/lifestyle, nutrition, health, occupation and substance specific information covering nearly all exposure pathways. Results: Up to date 384 of the 848 eligible individuals were successfully contacted (45,3%), of which 172 accepted to participate in INSEF-ExpoQuim corresponding to a participation rate of 20%. Conclusions: Results from INSEF-ExpoQuim will contribute to reduce the health impact that could result from the exposure of the population residing in Portugal to environmental chemicals, by producing high quality data on the actual exposure of the Portuguese population to hazardous chemicals, in order to support the development and implementation of policy measures aimed at minimizing exposure to those chemicals.
- Occupational secondhand smoke effect on nasal epithelial proteomaPublication . Pacheco, Solange; Vaz, Fatima; Torres, Vukosava; Penque, Deborah; Simões, Tania; James, PeterThe tobacco is one of the biggest public health threats, smoking kills more than 7 million people/year worldwide and more than 890,000 are deaths resulting from exposure to Secondhand Smoke (SHS). In adults, SHS is associated to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer, through pathological and molecular mechanisms not yet understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the SHS effects on nasal epithelial proteome in exposed workers.
- Contribution to hazard characterization of the Next-Generation Plasticizer DINCH®: cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assessment in human cellsPublication . Vasconcelos, Ana Luísa; Silva, Maria João; Louro, HenriquetaThe chemical diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (Hexamoll® DINCH®), a cyclohexanoate plasticizer, has been employed as a safer alternative to restricted phthalates, to increase flexibility and elasticity of many consumer products made of PVC or polystyrene, namely food packaging, children’s toys, and medical devices. Concomitantly, the detection of DINCH in human surroundings and in biological matrices has increased during the last decade. This prompt the establishment of biomonitoring guidance values for DINCH metabolites in urine, as a measure of precaution; however, the studies about potential adverse effects of DINCH in humans are still scarce. DINCH is not classified as reprotoxic nor genotoxic and mutagenic however, there are limited data available regarding safety assessment, especially regarding cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. Since liver and kidney are DINCH target organs in animal models, the aim of this study was to assess DINCH cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in a human liver (HepG2) and kidney cell lines (HK-2). The methodology included the MTT cell viability, micronucleus, conventional and FPG-modified comet assays to detect cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The results showed that DINCH was moderately cytotoxic for kidney cells exposed for 48h, but not for liver cells. No chromosomal damage was induced after short-term or longer exposures of both cell lines. However, DINCH was able to induce oxidative DNA damage in liver cells exposed for 3h, which decreased after a more prolonged exposure. The occurrence of oxidative lesions, even transiently, implies that mutation fixation may occur leading to adverse effects in liver. Overall, the present work provides new insights into the potential toxicity of this next-generation plasticizer in kidney and liver cells, in spite of public reports in which DINCH is classified as non-genotoxic agent. On the other hand, human biomonitoring studies are fundamental to confirm the current levels of human internal exposure to DINCH, as well as to detect early biologic effects.
- The Human Biomonitoring Initiative for Europe (HBM4EU): an overviewPublication . Silva, Maria JoãoThe Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU, https://www.hbm4eu.eu/the-project/)) is a Horizon 2020 Framework Project aimed at understanding the European citizens’ exposure to chemical substances from environmental sources, food intake, consumer products or occupational activities. The HBM4EU is organized in three pillars, namely, science to policy, Human Biomonitoring (HBM) platform, and exposure and health, all working to generate harmonised HBM data across the 28 participating countries. To coordinate activities, a National Hub (NH) was established in every country, resulting in the creation of a European HBM network. Following consultation to stakeholders and EU organizations, several substances were prioritized for study, e.g., phthalates, bisphenols, PAHs, cadmium, chromium, mercury, pesticides, and mycotoxins. A chemical group leader (CGL) was assigned to each substance/substance group, to formulate relevant policy questions and propose activities to be undertaken; a Portuguese team is the CGL for mycotoxins. In addition to the analysis of existent data sets for each substance, new and harmonized data on internal exposure to some of them and to mixtures is being produced, which will contribute to fill gaps in knowledge and policy needs. The Portuguese participation in the HBM4EU has allowed to lay the foundations of what could become a wider national HBM network, e.g., by raising awareness of scientists, policy makers and stakeholders about the role of HBM in chemicals risk assessment or contributing to capacity building in some biomarkers analyses. Furthermore, new and comparable data on occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium and on Portuguese population exposure to several chemicals is being generated, which will feed into a pan-European publicly available database. The data will be used to evaluate current chemicals policies and to support the development of new ones, in order to reduce or prevent exposure to hazardous substances and the associated health outcomes, for a healthier future in Portugal and in Europe.
- The Usefulness of Early Effect Biomarkers in Monitoring Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent ChromiumPublication . Afonso, Catarina; Gomes, Bruno Costa; Louro, Henriqueta; Nogueira, Ana; Pinhal, Hermínia; Reis, S.; Ventura, Célia; Ladeira, Carina; Ribeiro, Edna; Santonen, Tiina; Viegas, Susana; Silva, Maria JoãoIntroduction: In the frame of the Project HBM4EU (https://www.hbm4eu.eu/) a biomonitoring study is being conducted across Europe to characterize occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], a recognized human lung carcinogen. Herein we present the results of biomarkers of exposure and effect characterized in a group of workers from a Portuguese aircraft maintenance company, where Cr(VI) replacement is not expected in the near future. Methods: All participants signed an informed consent and responded to a questionnaire to collect contextual information. Cr(VI) exposure was assessed by the analysis of personal air samples; total Cr was measured in urine and blood samples from 50 workers and 26 controls. The effects biomarkers included the alkaline comet assay and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in blood in leukocytes. Results: The concentrations of Cr in the air samples were variable, depending on the activities performed. Noteworthy, workers engaged in painting exterior surfaces with Cr(VI)-reach paints were exposed to the highest Cr(VI) levels. Results from biomonitoring confirmed the occurrence of internal exposure. Furthermore, significantly increased micronuclei frequencies (p < 0.001, Fisher’s exact test) and DNA damage levels were identified in leukocytes from workers comparatively to controls. Interestingly, among the painters showed up a group of 6 workers who were exposed to a mixture of Cr, organic solvents, silica, and other chemicals and who displayed an elevated level of micronucleated cells comparatively to matched controls. Conclusions: An association between Cr(VI) exposure and genotoxicity biomarkers was found, raising concern about a potentially increased cancer risk. Furthermore, these results suggest that the effect biomarkers selected are useful to strengthen the exposure data, in that more exposed or vulnerable groups can be more reliably detected. This is relevant to allow the prioritization of occupational hygiene and risk management measures implementation in the workplace.