Interpreting biomarker data from the COPHES-DEMOCOPHES twin projects: Using lifestyle and environmental data to understand biomarker differences among countries

Abstract

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.<BR>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.<BR>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<P><P>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