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Schwedler, Gerda

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Schwedler
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  • Publication
    Benzene metabolite SPMA and acrylamide metabolites AAMA and GAMA in urine of children and adolescents in Germany - human biomonitoring results of the German Environmental Survey 2014-2017 (GerES V)
    (2020) Bethke, Robert; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Murawski, Aline; Rucic, Enrico; Schmied-Tobies, Maria Irene Hilde; Schwedler, Gerda
    Benzene and acrylamide are carcinogenic substances contained inter alia in tobacco smoke. The mercapturic acid metabolites of benzene, N-acetyl-S-phenyl-L-cysteine (SPMA), and of acrylamide, N-acetyl-S-(3-amino-3-oxopropyl)-cysteine (AAMA) and N-acetyl-S-(3-amino-2-hydroxy-3-oxopropyl)-cysteine (GAMA), were analysed in 2260 first-morning void urine samples from children and adolescents aged 3-17 years, participating in the population-representative German Environmental Survey on Children and Adolescents, GerES V 2014-2017. SPMA was detected in 98% of the participants with a geometric mean (GM) of 0.097 (my)g/L urine. Smokers had about 10-fold higher levels of the benzene metabolite SPMA than non-smokers. The sample comprises of 48 self-reported smokers, mainly in the oldest age group (14-17-year-olds). Second-hand smoke exposure, living near busy or very busy roads, and using domestic fuels for heating were additionally associated with higher benzene metabolite levels. SPMA levels in GerES V were lower compared to levels found in other countries, which in part however may reflect different proportions of smokers. The acrylamide metabolites AAMA and GAMA were detected in 100% of the participants with a GM of 72.6 (my)g/L urine for AAMA and 15.0 (my)g/L urine for GAMA. Smoking children and adolescents had about 2.5-fold higher AAMA levels than non-smoking ones. The frequency of consumption of french-fried potatoes and potato crisps consumption was also positively associated with urinary AAMA and GAMA levels. Compared to the urinary AAMA and GAMA levels in Germany and other countries, levels in GerES V tended to be higher than in the few studies reported. The urinary levels of the benzene biomarker SPMA, and the acrylamide biomarkers AAMA and GAMA build the basis to derive reference values for the exposure of children and adolescents in Germany. The results reveal options for exposure reduction mainly in personal choices regarding smoking and diet, but also requiring policy to maintain efforts in non-smoking regulations and improving ambient air quality. Providing these results also to the European HBM Initiative HBM4EU will contribute to gain knowledge on the exposure of the European population, the health impact of carcinogens and thus providing support for substantiated exposure assessment. © 2020 The Author(s)
  • Publication
    Mothers and children are related, even in exposure to chemicals present in common consumer products
    (2019) Koppen, Gudrun; Govarts, Eva; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Vanermen, Guido; Schwedler, Gerda
    Background Phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan (TCS) are detectable in the vast majority of people. Most humans are continuously exposed to these chemicals due to their presence in food or in everyday consumer products. The measurement of these compounds in family members may help to explore the impact of major lifestyle factors on exposure. Mothers and (young) children are especially interesting to study, as they mostly share considerable parts of daily life together. Materials and methods Phthalate metabolites, bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan (TCS) were measured in first morning void urine, collected in mother-child pairs (n=129) on the same day. The mothers (27-45y) and their children (6-11y) were recruited in the Brussels agglomeration and rural areas of Belgium in the context of the European COPHES-DEMOCOPHES human biomonitoring project. Face-to-face questionnaires gathered information on major exposure sources and lifestyle factors. Exposure determinants were assessed by multiple linear regression analysis. Results The investigated compounds were detectable in nearly all mothers (92.8-100%) and all children (95.2-100%). The range (P90 vs. P10) of differences in urinary concentrations within each age group was for most compounds around 10-20 fold, and was very high for TCS up to 35 and 350-fold in children and mothers respectively. Some participants exceeded the tolerable daily intake guidelines as far as they were available from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Overall, for BPA, the urinary concentrations were similar among both age groups. Most urinary phthalate metabolites were higher in children compared to the mothers, except for monoethyl phthalate (MEP). TCS levels were generally higher in the mothers. Despite the difference in mothers' and children's urinary concentrations, the creatinine-corrected levels were correlated for all biomarkers (Spearman rank r=0.32 to 0.66, p<0.001). Furthermore, for phthalates, similar home and lifestyle factors were associated with the urinary concentrations in both age groups: home renovation during last two years or redecoration during the last year for di-ethyl phthalate (DEP); PVC in home for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), and personal care products use for DiBP and DnBP. Based on questionnaire information on general food type consumption patterns, the exposure variability could not be explained. However, comparing the phthalate intake from the current study with earlier assessed Belgian food intake calculations for both ages, food in general was estimated to be the major intake source for di-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), with diminishing importance for BBzP, DiBP and DnBP. Conclusion Our results confirm, that children and their mothers, sharing diets and home environments, also share exposure in common consumer products related chemicals. By collecting morning urine levels on the same day, and using basic questionnaires, suspected exposure routes could be unraveled.
  • Publication
    A pilot study on the feasibility of European harmonized Human Biomonitoring: Strategies towards a common approach, challenges and opportunities
    (2015) Casteleyn, Ludwine; Dumez, Birgit; Becker, Kerstin; Den Hond, Elly; Schoeters, Greet; Castaño, Argelia; Koch, Holger Martin; Angerer, Jürgen; Esteban, Marta; Exley, Karen; Sepai, Ovnair; Bloemen, Louis; Fiddicke, Ulrike; Horvath, Milena; Knudsen, Lisbeth E.; Joas, Anke; Joas, Reinhard; Biot, Pierre; Koppen, C.; Dewolf, M.-C.; Katsonouri, Andromachi; Hadjipanayis, Adamos; Cerna, Milena; Krskova, A.; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Nielsen, Jeanette K.S.; Jensen, J.F.; Rudnai, Peter; Közepesy, S.; Mulcahy, M.F.R.; Mannion, R.; Gutleb, Arno C.; Fischer, M.E.; Ligocka, Danuta; Jakubowski, M.; Reis, M.Fátima; Namorado, S.; Lupsa, Ioana-Rodica; Schwedler, Gerda; Gurzau, Anca Elena
    In 2004theEuropeanCommissionandMemberStatesinitiatedactivitiestowardsaharmonizedap-
    proach forHumanBiomonitoringsurveysthroughoutEurope.Themainobjectivewastosustainen-
    vironmental healthpolicybybuildingacoherentandsustainableframeworkandbyincreasingthe
    comparability ofdataacrosscountries.Apilotstudy totestcommonguidelinesforsettingupsurveys
    wasconsideredakeystepinthisprocess.Throughabottom-upapproachthatincludedallstakeholders,
    a jointstudyprotocolwaselaborated.
    FromSeptember2011tillFebruary2012,17Europeancountriescollecteddatafrom1844mother-
    child pairsintheframeofDEMOnstrationofastudytoCoordinateandPerformHumanBiomonitoring
    on aEuropeanScale(DEMOCOPHES). Mercury inhairandurinarycadmiumandcotininewereselected
    as biomarkersofexposurecoveredbysufficient analyticalexperience.PhthalatemetabolitesandBi-
    sphenol Ainurinewereaddedtotakeintoaccountincreasingpublicandpoliticalawarenessfor
    emerging typesofcontaminantsandtotestlessadvancedmarkers/markerscoveredbylessanalytical
    experience.Extensiveeffortstowardschemo-analyticalcomparabilitywereincluded.
    The pilotstudyshowed thatcommonapproachescanbefoundinacontextofconsiderablediffer-
    ences withrespecttoexperienceandexpertize,socio-culturalbackground,economicsituationandna-
    tional priorities.ItalsoevidencedthatcomparableHumanBiomonitoringresultscanbeobtainedinsuch
    context.AEuropeannetworkwasbuilt,exchanging information,expertise andexperiences,andpro-
    viding trainingonallaspectsofasurvey.Akeychallengewas finding therightbalancebetweenarigid
    structure allowingmaximalcomparabilityanda flexibleapproachincreasingfeasibilityandcapacity
    building. NextstepsinEuropeanharmonizationinHumanBiomonitoringsurveysincludetheestab-
    lishment ofajointprocessforprioritizationofsubstancestocoverandbiomarkerstodevelop,linking
    biomonitoring surveyswithhealthexaminationsurveysandwithresearch,andcopingwiththediverse
    implementations ofEUregulationsandinternationalguidelineswithrespecttoethicsandprivacy.
    ©2014ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.
  • Publication
    Alkyl pyrrolidone solvents N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) in urine of children and adolescents in Germany - human biomonitoring results of the German Environmental Survey 2014-2017 (GerES V)
    (2021) Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Murawski, Aline; Rucic, Enrico; Schmied-Tobies, Maria Irene Hilde; Schwedler, Gerda
    N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and its substitute N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) are aprotic solvents used in many technical applications, but also in carpets, and consumer products such as cleaning agents, and cosmetics. NMP and NEP are classified as reproductive toxicants. As a substance of very high concern (SVHC), NMP is included in the European REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation of Chemicals) candidate list for authorisation. NMP and NEP metabolites were measured in more than 2100 urine samples of 3- to 17-year-old children and adolescents, participating in the population-representative German Environmental Survey for Children and Adolescents 2014-2017 (GerES V). The two NMP metabolites 5-hydroxy-N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (5-HNMP) and 2-hydroxy-N-methylsuccinimide (2-HMSI) could be detected and quantified in all urine samples, and the two NEP metabolites 5-hydroxy-N-ethylpyrrolidone (5-HNEP) and 2-hydroxy-N-ethylsuccinimide (2-HESI) in 32% and 87% of the urine samples. Geometric mean concentrations were 103.1 (my)g/L (88.21 (my)g/gcreatinine) for the sum of NMP metabolites and 11.86 Ìg/L (10.15 (my)g/gcreatinine) for the sum of NEP metabolites, thus remaining below the current health-based human biomonitoring values. For NMP, highest exposure was found in young children, but exposure pathways could not be revealed. Exposure to NEP was highest in adolescents and participants with low socio-economic status or migration background. Associations to usage of personal care products suggested the choice of products to have a distinct impact on NEP exposure. The presented data can be used by the German Human Biomonitoring Commission to derive new reference values (RV95) for NMP and NEP for children and adolescents in Germany. This will facilitate to recognise changing exposure levels in this population group in Germany. © 2020 The Author(s).
  • Publication
    Environmental health surveillance in a future European health information system
    (2018) Joas, Anke; David, Madlen; Schöpel, Miriam; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Schwedler, Gerda
    Background To date Health information (HI) in the European Union does not comprise indicators or other information related to impacts of hazardous chemicals in consumer products, food, drinking water or air on the health status of the population. Therefore, we inventorised and evaluated the potential of environmental health surveillance and research data sources in the European population to provide HBM-based indicators of internal human exposure and health impact of relevant chemicals. Methods We established an up-dated inventory of European cross-sectional Human Biomonitoring (HBM) surveys and of birth cohorts, and compared chemicals and chemical groups addressed by HBM with indicators and health end points collected via European Core Health Indicators (ECHI), in birth registries, as well as in environmental and food data bases and health registries to see on how data collection could be aligned. Finally, we investigated study designs of HBM survey and health examination surveys for potential synergies. Results The inventory covers a total of 11 European cross-sectional national programmes and a large number of birth cohorts and includes information on study population, age groups, covered substances, sampled matrices, and frequency. The comparison of data collections shows that there are many overlaps between environmental chemicals with environmental and health reporting. HBM data could be linked with ECHI indicators for work-related risks, body mass index (BMI), and low birth weight, with perinatal disease, neurologic disorders, and some chronic diseases, or with data bases for e.g. indoor air, food, or consumer products. Existing initiatives to link data collections at European Environment Agency (EEA) and Joint Research Center (JRC) or at World Health Organization (WHO) are good options to further develop linkage of HBM with exposures sources and health end points. Conclusions There is potential to use HBM based information in a number of public health policies, and this would help to align reporting to international commitments. Environmental health surveillance based on HBM and HBM-based indicators, is an excellent tool to inform public health policies about risks from environmental chemicals, and the EU health information system would benefit from additional HBM-based indicators for monitoring exposure burden from environmental chemicals. Considerable efforts are needed to align and establish routine data collections and to develop a surveillance system and indicators which may inform public health policies. © The Author(s). 2018
  • Publication
    Interpreting biomarker data from the COPHES-DEMOCOPHES twin projects: Using lifestyle and environmental data to understand biomarker differences among countries
    (2013) Den Hond, Elly; Govarts, Eva; Koppen, Gudrun; Willems, Hanny; Joas, Reinhard; Casteleyn, Ludwine; Joas, Anke; Biot, Pierre; Aerts, Dominique; Angerer, Jürgen; Berglund, Marika; Bloemen, Louis; Castaño, Argelia; Fiddicke, Ulrike; Crettaz, Pierre; Esteban, Marta; Exley, Karen; Fabianova, Eleonora; Fischer, Marc; Gutleb, Arno Christian; Hadjipanayis, Adamos; Halzlova, Katarina; Horvat, Milena; Jakubowski, Marek; Katsonouri, Andromachi; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Koch, Holger; Krskova, Andrea; Lehmann, Andreas; Ligocka, Danuta; Lupsa, Ioana-Rodica; Mazej, Darja; Mulcahy, Maurice; Namorado, Sónia; Nielsen, Jeanette; Schwedler, Gerda
    In 2011 and 2012, the COPHES/DEMOCOPHES twin projects performed a first ever harmonized human biomonitoring survey in 17 European countries. In more than 1800 mother-child pairs, cadmium, cotinine and certain phthalate metabolites were measured in urine, and total mercury in hair samples. The presentation provides an overview of the analyses that studied whether it was feasible to interpret the observed differences in biomarker values among different countries, using external databases on environmental quality and lifestyle.
    Despite the fact that harmonised biomonitoring data was available from 17 different European countries, the assessment was hampered by a lack of consistent data on lifestyle and environmental quality. This implied that most analyses could only be performed for about half to two thirds of the participating countries. Nonetheless, it was feasible to relate aggregated fish consumption data to mercury in hair, to relate the strength of anti-smoking legislation to urinary cotinine levels, and to find a borderline significant relationship between cadmium levels in air or food and urinary cadmium levels across DEMOCOPHES countries. However, the challenge to integrate environmental exposure and lifestyle data with biomarker data is to have data available on a similar geographical resolution and therefore remains a pitfall for human biomonitoring to achieve its true potential for evidence-based policy making.
    With many thanks to the COPHES consortium funded by DG RTD under FP7 and DEMOCOPHES co-funded under Life+, as well as the Ministries of the DEMOCOPHES countries, for the support. www.eu-hbm.info

    Roel Smolders, et al.: Interpreting biomarker data from the COPHES-DEMOCOPHES twin projects: Using lifestyle and environmental data to understand biomarker differences among countries. In: Abstracts / The 9thInternational Symposium on Biological Monitoring in Occupational and Environmental Health. 2013, Manchester, S. 33

  • Publication
    Phthalate metabolites in urine of children and adolescents in Germany. Human biomonitoring results of the German Environmental Survey GerES V, 2014-2017
    (2020) Conrad, André; Daniels, Anja; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Lange, Rosa; Rucic, Enrico; Schmied-Tobies, Maria Irene Hilde; Schulz, Christine; Schwedler, Gerda
    During the population representative German Environmental Survey of Children and Adolescents (GerES V, 2014-2017) 2256 first-morning void urine samples from 3 to 17 years old children and adolescents were analysed for 21 metabolites of 11 different phthalates (di-methyl phthalate (DMP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di-cyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnPeP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DiNP), di-iso-decyl phthalate (DiDP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)). Metabolites of DMP, DEP, BBzP, DiBP, DnBP, DEHP, DiNP and DiDP were found in 97-100% of the participants, DCHP and DnPeP in 6%, and DnOP in none of the urine samples. Geometric means (GM) were highest for metabolites of DiBP (MiBP: 26.1 my g/L), DEP (MEP: 25.8 my g/L), DnBP (MnBP: 20.9 my g/L), and DEHP (cx-MEPP: 11.9 my g/L). For all phthalates but DEP, GMs were consistently higher in the 3-5 years old children than in the 14-17 years old adolescents. For DEHP, the age differences were most pronounced. All detectable phthalate biomarker concentrations were positively associated with the levels of the respective phthalate in house dust. In GerES V we found considerably lower phthalate biomarker levels than in the preceding GerES IV (2003-2006). GMs of biomarker levels in GerES V were only 18% (BBzP), 23% (MnBP), 23% (DEHP), 29% (MiBP) and 57% (DiNP) of those measured a decade earlier in GerES IV. However, some children and adolescents still exceeded health-based guidance values in the current GerES V. 0.38% of the participants had levels of DnBP, 0.08% levels of DEHP and 0.007% levels of DiNP which were higher than the respective health-based guidance values. Accordingly, for these persons an impact on health cannot be excluded with sufficient certainty. The ongoing and substantial exposure of vulnerable children and adolescents to many phthalates confirms the need of a continued monitoring of established phthalates, whether regulated or not, as well as of potential substitutes. With this biomonitoring approach we provide a picture of current individual and cumulative exposure developments and body burdens to phthalates, thus providing support for timely and effective chemicals policies and legislation. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.
  • Publication
    Parabens in urine of children and adolescents in Germany - human biomonitoring results of the german environmental survey 2014-2017 (GerES V)
    (2020) Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Tschersich, Carolin; Murawski, Aline; Rucic, Enrico; Schwedler, Gerda
    Parabens are antimicrobial preservatives used in a wide range of consumer products such as personal care products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food. Consequently, the general population is ubiquitously exposed to these substances via dermal absorption, ingestion, and inhalation. Parabens promote estrogenic activity and are hence under assessment as endocrine disrupting substances. Urine samples from 3- to 17-year-old children and adolescents (N = 516) living in Germany were analysed for concentrations of nine parabens in the population representative German Environmental Survey for Children and Adolescents 2014-2017 (GerES V). Detection rates and urinary concentrations of the parabens decreased with increasing length of the alkyl chain. Methyl paraben was quantified in 97% of the samples with a geometric mean (GM) concentration of 7.724 (my)g/L (6.714 (my)g/gcreatinine), ethyl paraben was quantified in 69% (GM: 0.943 (my)g/L and 0.825 (my)g/gcrea), and n-propyl paraben in 31% (GM: 0.563 (my)g/L and 0.493 (my)g/gcrea). Concentrations of iso-propyl paraben, butyl paraben, iso-butyl paraben, and benzyl paraben were below the limit of quantification in most samples. Pentyl paraben and heptyl paraben were not detected in any of the samples. Paraben concentrations in urine were found to be associated with frequent usage of leave-on personal care products and cosmetics. Cumulative exposure to parabens (back-calculated daily intakes, expressed as hazard index) was found to be on a level raising concern in up to 14% of the population, mainly driven by n-propyl paraben, and depending on the level of conservativeness and point-of departures used for calculation. © 2020 The Author(s)