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2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 34350

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Dr. Giovanna Tranfo

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Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, 00078 Rome, Italy
Interests: occupational toxicology; assessment of the environmental and occupational exposure to chemicals; biomonitoring and health effects
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Some months ago we organized the first edition of this Special Issue (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/human_biomonitoring). It has been a success and 16 papers have been published. We believe that a lot can still be said on this topic, as research advances rapidly thanks to new knowledge and technologies.

Human biomonitoring of general population is growing in importance, and this was recognized at the international level as a means to reveal which levels of polluting substances are increasing or decreasing over time and to provide guidance for policy makers. In the occupational exposure field, it is required to measure biomarker levels in order to cope with occupational Biological Limit Values for dangerous substances, and to have a reliable measure of individual exposure for the registries. Only biomonitoring can help to build a dose/effect relationship for the study of the toxicological properties of industrial toxicants, in order to achieve a correct classification. Untargeted metabolomics, coupled to chemometric data analysis, can provide a new insight in the exposure effects and leads the way for the discovery of new biomarkers.

All these considerations are the basis for research projects all over the world, and I would be happy to collect some of their results in this second edition of the Special Issue entitled “Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures.”

Dr. Giovanna Tranfo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

biomarkers
occupational exposure
environmental exposure
dangerous substances
population study
metabolomics
urine
hair
blood
breath
chemometrics
dose/effect relationship
Biological Limit Values

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Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (16 articles)

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11 pages, 2139 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diagnostic Performance Evaluation of the Novel Index Combining Urinary Cotinine and 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol in Smoking Status Verification and Usefulness for Trend Monitoring of Tobacco Smoking Exposure

by Hyun-Seung Lee

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12147; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912147 - 25 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1553

Abstract

During the last decade in Korea, urinary cotinine concentrations in non-current smokers have decreased, making it difficult to distinguish secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure from nonsmokers because of overlapping values between non-current smokers with and without SHS exposure. Additionally, the importance of smoking status verification to avoid misclassification is increasing with the increased use of e-cigarettes. We developed a novel index combining urinary cotinine and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) and evaluated its diagnostic performance for the classification of smoking status using the KNHANES VII dataset. A total of 10,116 and 5575 Korean participants aged >19 years with measured urinary cotinine concentrations were enrolled in a training set and validation set, respectively. When using 4.0 as the cutoff value for distinguishing current smokers from non-current smokers, urinary cotinine∙NNAL showed a better diagnostic performance than urinary cotinine or urinary NNAL. Among e-cigarette users, urinary cotinine∙NNAL showed more accurate classification rates than urinary NNAL. Furthermore, urinary cotinine∙NNAL had measurable values in non-current smokers, whereas urinary cotinine had unmeasurable values in one-fourth of all participants. This study shows that urinary cotinine∙NNAL might be a useful biomarker for smoking status verification and trend monitoring of tobacco smoking exposure with increased use of e-cigarettes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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11 pages, 502 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Background Level of Unstable Chromosome Aberrations in the Kazakhstan Population: A Human Biomonitoring Study

by Laura B. Kenzhina, Aigul N. Mamyrbayeva, Sergey N. Lukashenko, Zhanat A. Baigazinov, Dina B. Biyakhmetova, Andrey V. Panitskiy, Elena Polivkina, Fail F. Zhamaldinov, Clarice Patrono, Valentina Palma and Antonella Testa

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8485; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148485 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2045

Abstract

Kazakhstan is known as a country with a complex radioecological situation resulting from different sources such as a natural radiation background, extensive activities of the industrial system of the former Soviet Union and a well-known testing of nuclear power weapons occurred in the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) area. The present study focuses on the assessment of the background of dicentric chromosomes in Kazakhstan’s population, which is the starting point in the dose assessment of irradiated people, since the baseline level of spontaneous dicentrics can vary significantly in different populations. In this context, aiming to determine the background frequency of chromosome aberrations in the population of Kazakhstan, considering the heterogeneity of natural radiation background levels of its large territory, a selection of 40 control subjects living in four cities of North, South, West and East Kazakhstan was performed. The cytogenetic study on the selected groups showed fairly low background frequency values of chromosome aberrations (0.84 ± 0.83 per 1000 cells), comparable with other data in the literature on general populations, reporting background frequency values between 0.54 and 2.99 per 1000 cells. The obtained results should be taken into account when constructing the dose–effect calibration curve used in cytogenetic biodosimetry, as a “zero” dose point, which will reduce the uncertainty in quantifying the individual absorbed dose in emergency radiological situations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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14 pages, 1399 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Second-Hand Smoke Exposure on Establishing Urinary Cotinine-Based Optimal Cut-Off Values for Smoking Status Classification in Korean Adults

by Hyun-Seung Lee, Ji-Hyun Cho, Young-Jin Lee and Do-Sim Park

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7971; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137971 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2099

Abstract

Regulations for banning smoking in indoor public places and workplaces have increased worldwide in recent years. A consecutive Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) between 2008 and 2018 showed a trend toward significant decreases in self-reported tobacco smoke exposure and measured urinary cotinine concentrations. We established and compared each optimal cut-off value for assessing the effect of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure on establishing urinary cotinine-based cut-off values for smoking status classification in a population setting controlled for racial and cultural diversity, using four KNHANES datasets consisting of the 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018 surveys. A total of 18,229 Korean participants aged >19 years with measured urinary cotinine concentrations were enrolled. Self-reports of current smoking status showed that the prevalence of current smokers decreased from 22.9% to 18.2% between 2008 and 2018. During this period, the median value of urinary cotinine in nonsmokers decreased from 5.86 µg/L to 0.48 µg/L, whereas the median value showed no remarkable decrease in current smokers. The AUC-based optimal cut-off values of urinary cotinine concentration for distinguishing current smokers from nonsmokers decreased from 86.5 µg/L to 11.5 µg/L. Our study showed that decreased SHS exposure would result in decreased optimal cut-off values for distinguishing current smokers from nonsmokers. In addition, the study suggests that the range of urinary cotinine concentration to define SHS exposure for the trend monitoring of populationof SHS exposure is appropriate between 0.30 µg/L and 100 µg/L. In addition, our study showed the importance of determination of cotinine concentration, which would have allowed us to avoid mistakes in qualification to the study group in an increased use of e-cigarette setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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23 pages, 1163 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Harmonization of Human Biomonitoring Studies in Europe: Characteristics of the HBM4EU-Aligned Studies Participants

by Liese Gilles, Eva Govarts, Laura Rodriguez Martin, Anna-Maria Andersson, Brice M. R. Appenzeller, Fabio Barbone, Argelia Castaño, Dries Coertjens, Elly Den Hond, Vazha Dzhedzheia, Ivan Eržen, Marta Esteban López, Lucia Fábelová, Clémence Fillol, Carmen Franken, Hanne Frederiksen, Catherine Gabriel, Line Småstuen Haug, Milena Horvat, Thórhallur Ingi Halldórsson, Beata Janasik, Nataša Janev Holcer, Réka Kakucs, Spyros Karakitsios, Andromachi Katsonouri, Jana Klánová, Tina Kold-Jensen, Marike Kolossa-Gehring, Corina Konstantinou, Jani Koponen, Sanna Lignell, Anna Karin Lindroos, Konstantinos C. Makris, Darja Mazej, Bert Morrens, Ľubica Palkovičová Murínová, Sónia Namorado, Susana Pedraza-Diaz, Jasmin Peisker, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Loïc Rambaud, Valentina Rosolen, Enrico Rucic, Maria Rüther, Dimosthenis Sarigiannis, Janja Snoj Tratnik, Arnout Standaert, Lorraine Stewart, Tamás Szigeti, Cathrine Thomsen, Hanna Tolonen, Ása Eiríksdóttir, An Van Nieuwenhuyse, Veerle J. Verheyen, Jelle Vlaanderen, Nina Vogel, Wojciech Wasowicz, Till Weber, Jan-Paul Zock, Ovnair Sepai and Greet Schoeters Show full author list Hide full author list

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6787; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116787 - 1 Jun 2022

Cited by 47 | Viewed by 6226

Abstract

Human biomonitoring has become a pivotal tool for supporting chemicals’ policies. It provides information on real-life human exposures and is increasingly used to prioritize chemicals of health concern and to evaluate the success of chemical policies. Europe has launched the ambitious REACH program in 2007 to improve the protection of human health and the environment. In October 2020 the EU commission published its new chemicals strategy for sustainability towards a toxic-free environment. The European Parliament called upon the commission to collect human biomonitoring data to support chemical’s risk assessment and risk management. This manuscript describes the organization of the first HBM4EU-aligned studies that obtain comparable human biomonitoring (HBM) data of European citizens to monitor their internal exposure to environmental chemicals. The HBM4EU-aligned studies build on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies. The HBM4EU-aligned studies focus on three age groups: children, teenagers, and adults. The participants are recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11 to 12 primary sampling units that are geographically distributed across Europe. Urine samples are collected in all age groups, and blood samples are collected in children and teenagers. Auxiliary information on socio-demographics, lifestyle, health status, environment, and diet is collected using questionnaires. In total, biological samples from 3137 children aged 6–12 years are collected for the analysis of biomarkers for phthalates, HEXAMOLL^® DINCH, and flame retardants. Samples from 2950 teenagers aged 12–18 years are collected for the analysis of biomarkers for phthalates, Hexamoll^® DINCH, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and samples from 3522 adults aged 20–39 years are collected for the analysis of cadmium, bisphenols, and metabolites of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The children’s group consists of 50.4% boys and 49.5% girls, of which 44.1% live in cities, 29.0% live in towns/suburbs, and 26.8% live in rural areas. The teenagers’ group includes 50.6% girls and 49.4% boys, with 37.7% of residents in cities, 31.2% in towns/suburbs, and 30.2% in rural areas. The adult group consists of 52.6% women and 47.4% men, 71.9% live in cities, 14.2% in towns/suburbs, and only 13.4% live in rural areas. The study population approaches the characteristics of the general European population based on age-matched EUROSTAT EU-28, 2017 data; however, individuals who obtained no to lower educational level (ISCED 0–2) are underrepresented. The data on internal human exposure to priority chemicals from this unique cohort will provide a baseline for Europe’s strategy towards a non-toxic environment and challenges and recommendations to improve the sampling frame for future EU-wide HBM surveys are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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25 pages, 404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Citizens’ Perception and Concerns on Chemical Exposures and Human Biomonitoring—Results from a Harmonized Qualitative Study in Seven European Countries

by Linda Matisāne, Lisbeth E. Knudsen, Joana Lobo Vicente, Maria Uhl, Andromachi Katsonouri, Annick D. van den Brand, Tamar Berman, Mirjana Dimovska, Eleni Anastasi, Anthi Thoma, Szilvia Középesy, Dragan Gjorgjev, Mirjana Borota Popovska, Shalenie P. den Braver-Sewradj, Tamás Szigeti, Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj, Inese Mārtiņsone, Lāsma Akūlova and Linda Paegle

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6414; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116414 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3153

Abstract

Exposure to different chemicals is an inevitable part of our everyday lives. Within HBM4EU, focus group discussions were conducted to gather data on citizens’ perceptions of chemical exposure and human biomonitoring. These discussions were hosted in Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, the Netherlands, and North Macedonia following a protocol developed in the first round of discussions. Results indicate the very high concern of European citizens regarding food safety and the environment. Focus group participants were well aware of potential uptake of chemicals through food consumption (e.g., preservatives, flavor enhancers, coloring agents, pesticides, fertilizers, metals), drinking water, or from polluted air and water. One of the positive aspects identified here, is the high interest of citizens in awareness and education on personal measures to control exposure. The promotion of personal behavioral changes requires active involvement of society (e.g., commuting habits, energy choices, waste disposal, dietary habits). Activities should focus on raising awareness of the general public, implementation of policy measures, and mainstreaming of related topics into the education system. Raising awareness of the general public may promote engagement of citizens, which in turn may empower them to put pressure on politicians to take effective actions. There is also a need for further research which might focus on the impact of country-specific situations and of the COVID-19 pandemic on the exposure of citizens to chemicals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

13 pages, 2426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hyperbaric Exposure of Scuba Divers Affects the Urinary Excretion of Nucleic Acid Oxidation Products and Hypoxanthine

by Enrico Marchetti, Daniela Pigini, Mariangela Spagnoli, Giovanna Tranfo, Flavia Buonaurio, Fabio Sciubba, Ottavia Giampaoli, Alfredo Miccheli, Alessandro Pinto, Nazzareno De Angelis and Luigi Fattorini

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 3005; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19053005 - 4 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2362

Abstract

In recent studies, oxidative stress after scuba diving has been explored by measuring urinary biomarkers in volunteers under controlled conditions. Dive depth and duration, water temperature, and workload are all variables that can elicit metabolic responses. A controlled diving experiment was performed in an indoor pool at 20, 30, and 40 m depths at a water temperature of 32 °C, on three different days. Samples of urine from five male scuba divers were taken before diving and at four time points after diving, and then tested for their concentration of five different oxidative stress biomarkers by means of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics analysis. The results showed no variation in the five biomarkers after diving, but a decreasing trend was observed over the three days, with no differences among the three depths. The lack of effect on oxidative stress biomarkers has been attributed to the comfortable water temperature and to the absence of exercise in the divers during the experiment. Instead, an increase in hypoxanthine excretion, which can be considered a biomarker sensitive to hyperbaric exposure, was found after diving. Finally, the results suggest a physiological mechanism of metabolic adaptation to a new condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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12 pages, 1875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of Rare Earth Elements with Passive Smoking among Housewives in Shanxi Province, China

by Jigen Na, Huiting Chen, Hang An, Nan Li, Lailai Yan, Rongwei Ye and Zhiwen Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010559 - 4 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2252

Abstract

Background: Rare earth elements (REEs) are emerging contaminants. Previous studies reported the association between REEs and active smoking, but little is known about the effects of passive smoking on this condition. In China, female passive smoking is widespread, particularly in rural areas. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the relationship between REEs accumulation and passive smoking among rural housewives. Methods: We recruited 385 subjects in Shanxi Province of northern China, of whom 117 housewives were exposed to passive smoking, and 268 were not. We analyzed 15 REEs in the hair of housewives with ICP–MS, including lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, and yttrium. Results: The results indicated higher levels of 14 REEs except for Sm in both the univariate and adjusted models among the housewives exposed to passive smoking. The increasing linear trend of adjusted odds ratios of 15 REEs supported their association. The Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models showed that 15 REEs had a significant overall effect, and Eu had a single-exposure effect with passive smoking. Conclusion: We concluded that passive smoking might be associated with increased exposure to REEs among rural housewives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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14 pages, 772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Occupational Exposure in Industrial Painters: Sensitive and Noninvasive Biomarkers to Evaluate Early Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity and Oxidative Stress

by Delia Cavallo, Cinzia Lucia Ursini, Anna Maria Fresegna, Aureliano Ciervo, Raffaele Maiello, Giuliana Buresti, Enrico Paci, Daniela Pigini, Monica Gherardi, Damiano Carbonari, Renata Sisto, Giovanna Tranfo and Sergio Iavicoli

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4645; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094645 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3028

Abstract

This study aimed to identify sensitive and noninvasive biomarkers of early cyto-genotoxic, oxidative and inflammatory effects for exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in shipyard painters. On 17 (11 spray and 6 roller) painters (previously characterized for VOCs exposure to toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, ethyl acetate) and on 18 controls, we performed buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay; Fpg-comet assay on lymphocytes; detection of urinary 8-oxoGua (8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine), 8-oxodGuo (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine) and 8-oxoGuo (8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine), and cytokines release on serum. We found induction of cyto-genotoxicity by BMCyt assay and inflammatory effects (IL-6 and TNFα) in roller painters exposed to lower VOC concentrations than spray painters. In contrast, in both worker groups, we found direct and oxidative DNA damage by comet assay (with slightly higher oxidative DNA damage in roller) and significant increase of 8-oxoGuo and decrease of 8-oxodGuo and 8-oxoGua in respect to controls. The cyto-genotoxicity observed only on buccal cells of roller painters could be related to the task’s specificity and the different used protective equipment. Although limited by the small number of subjects, the study shows the usefulness of all the used biomarkers in the risk assessment of painters workers exposed to complex mixtures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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17 pages, 1443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cumulative Pesticides Exposure of Children and Their Parents Living near Vineyards by Hair Analysis

by Elisa Polledri, Rosa Mercadante, Dario Consonni and Silvia Fustinoni

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(7), 3723; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073723 - 2 Apr 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2702

Abstract

The aim of the present work was the application of hair biomonitoring to investigate exposure to pesticides in children and their parents residing in a vineyard area. Thirty-three children and 16 parents were involved in the study. Hair samples were self-collected before and after the application season (PRE- and POST-EXP samples). Information on study subjects and the use of pesticides in the area were obtained. Thirty-nine pesticides were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, and thirty-one pesticides were quantifiable in at least one hair sample. Most frequently detected pesticides were chlorpyrifos, cycloxidim, dimethomorph, metalaxyl, spiroxamine, and tetraconazole. From PRE-EXP to POST-EXP the percentage of quantification and/or the concentration of pesticides increased; the concentration was typically in the low pg/mg hair range with comparable levels in children and parents. An inverse correlation was found between the total exposure to pesticides in POST-EXP hair samples and the distance between home and the treated fields (Spearman ρ = −0.380, p = 0.01). The results of this study show that the majority of the study pesticides were measured in the hair of subjects living in the close proximity of treated vineyards, supporting the determination of pesticides in hair for the purpose of biomonitoring cumulative exposure in the general population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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20 pages, 8890 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A ‘Dilute and Shoot’ Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for Multiclass Drug Analysis in Pre-Cut Dried Blood Spots

by Lucia Mainero Rocca, Nunziata L’Episcopo, Andrea Gordiani, Matteo Vitali and Alessandro Staderini

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 3068; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063068 - 16 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2933

Abstract

Drugs able to affect the auditory and nervous systems and consumed by workers to treatdifferent pathologies can represent a possible source of risk in the work environment. All the target compounds involved in the presented project show ototoxic and/or narcoleptic side effects and, for these reasons, occupational safety organizations have recognized them as potential causes of work injuries. A multiclass method for the analysis of 15 drugs among the most widespread worldwide (belonging to nine different classes including antihistamines, beta-blockers, antidepressants, Z-drugs and opioids), was developed and validated. This study describes a rapid, sensitive and effective method to analyse these substances in whole blood using tailored pre-cut dried blood spots. Detection was achieved with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer after an easy and simple ‘dilute and shoot’ solubilisation followed by an UPLC separation. All the issues linked to the use of the dried blood spots and whole blood, such as haematocrit variability, volumetric evaluation and sample carrier choice were carefully studied and managed during method development. From the validation study results it emerged that this approach can be deemed successful thanks to its few pg µL⁻¹ LOQs, good linear intervals, absolute recoveries of no less than 75%, an almost negligible matrix effect and accuracy and precision in line with the European and American guidelines for validation. All the obtained goals have been specifically pursued in order to encourage method diffusion as a primary prevention intervention, even in small private workplaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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17 pages, 638 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

HBM4EU Occupational Biomonitoring Study on e-Waste—Study Protocol

by Paul T. J. Scheepers, Radu Corneliu Duca, Karen S. Galea, Lode Godderis, Emilie Hardy, Lisbeth E. Knudsen, Elizabeth Leese, Henriqueta Louro, Selma Mahiout, Sophie Ndaw, Katrien Poels, Simo P. Porras, Maria J. Silva, Ana Maria Tavares, Jelle Verdonck, Susana Viegas, Tiina Santonen and HBM4EU e-Waste Study Team

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 12987; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412987 - 9 Dec 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4119

Abstract

Workers involved in the processing of electronic waste (e-waste) are potentially exposed to toxic chemicals. If exposure occurs, this may result in uptake and potential adverse health effects. Thus, exposure surveillance is an important requirement for health risk management and prevention of occupational disease. Human biomonitoring by measurement of specific biomarkers in body fluids is considered as an effective method of exposure surveillance. The aim of this study is to investigate the internal exposure of workers processing e-waste using a human biomonitoring approach, which will stimulate improved work practices and contribute to raising awareness of potential hazards. This exploratory study in occupational exposures in e-waste processing is part of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU). Here we present a study protocol using a cross sectional survey design to study worker’s exposures and compare these to the exposure of subjects preferably employed in the same company but with no known exposure to industrial recycling of e-waste. The present study protocol will be applied in six to eight European countries to ensure standardised data collection. The target population size is 300 exposed and 150 controls. Biomarkers of exposure for the following chemicals will be used: chromium, cadmium and lead in blood and urine; brominated flame retardants and polychlorobiphenyls in blood; mercury, organophosphate flame retardants and phthalates in urine, and chromium, cadmium, lead and mercury in hair. In addition, the following effect biomarkers will be studied: micronuclei, epigenetic, oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and telomere length in blood and metabolomics in urine. Occupational hygiene sampling methods (airborne and settled dust, silicon wristbands and handwipes) and contextual information will be collected to facilitate the interpretation of the biomarker results and discuss exposure mitigating interventions to further reduce exposures if needed. This study protocol can be adapted to future European-wide occupational studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Human Biomonitoring of Environmental and Occupational Exposures)

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