Exposure to bisphenol A in European women from 2007 to 2014 using human biomonitoring data - The European Joint Programme HBM4EU.

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA; or 4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol) is an endocrine disrupting chemical. It was widely used in a variety of plastic-based manufactured products for several years. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently reduced the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for BPA by 20,000 times due to concerns about immune-toxicity.

Exposure of the general French population to metals and metalloids in 2014-2016: Results from the Esteban study.

Background: The purpose of the Esteban study was to describe levels of various biomarkers of exposure to several environmental pollutants, including metals and metalloids, among the French population. This paper describes the distribution of concentrations of 28 metals and metalloids in two different populations, and estimates the main determinants of exposure to total arsenic, the sum of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and its two metabolites monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury and nickel.

Methods: Esteban is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2014 and 2016 on a random sample of 2503 adults (18-74 years old) and 1104 children (6-17 years old) from the general population.

Characterization of organic contaminants in hair for biomonitoring purposes.

Biological monitoring is one way to assess human exposure to contaminants. Blood and urine are often used as biological matrices, but hair is an innovative and effective tool for quantifying more biomarkers over a wider exposure window. In order to improve the use of hair in exposure assessment, this article identifies relevant compounds in the literature to investigate hair contamination.

Exposure of the general French population to herbicides, pyrethroids, organophosphates, organochlorines, and carbamate pesticides in 2014-2016: Results from the Esteban study.

Esteban is a nationwide cross-sectional study conducted in France in 2014-2016, including 2503 adults aged 18-74 years old and 1104 children aged 6-17 years old, as part of the French Human Biomonitoring programme. The present paper describes the biological levels of five families of pesticides analysed on random sub-samples of 900 adults and 500 children for urine concentrations, and 759 adults and 255 children for serum concentrations, and the determinants of exposure. Organophosphates, carbamates and herbicides were measured in urine by UPLC-MS/MS; chlorophenols and pyrethroids were measured in urine by GC-MS/MS; specific organochlorines were measured in serum by GC-HRMS.

FAIR environmental and health registry (FAIREHR)- supporting the science to policy interface and life science research, development and innovation.

The environmental impact on health is an inevitable by-product of human activity. Environmental health sciences is a multidisciplinary field addressing complex issues on how people are exposed to hazardous chemicals that can potentially affect adversely the health of present and future generations. Exposure sciences and environmental epidemiology are becoming increasingly data-driven and their efficiency and effectiveness can significantly improve by implementing the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles for scientific data management and stewardship.

Relation of urinary bisphenol concentration and diabetes or prediabetes in French adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: International research has recently shown an association between exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and the risk of diabetes, although limited results are available for exposure to bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF). The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between impregnation with BPA, BPS, and BPF and the prevalence of diabetes or prediabetes in the French adult population.

Methods: Based on the Esteban cross-sectional study, 852 adults aged 18 to 74 years living in France were included.

Assessment of multi-chemical exposure using human biomonitoring data from the French Esteban study using exposure load method.

Exposure to chemical substances is common and comes from several sources (environmental, food, and occupational). It is often studied using a substance-by-substance approach. Although this method helps identify the determinants of exposure to a single chemical, it cannot accurately reflect exposure to multiple chemicals.

Developing human biomonitoring as a 21st century toolbox within the European exposure science strategy 2020-2030.

Human 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.

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

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.

Estimation of blood lead levels in the French population using two complementary approaches: Esteban (2014-2016) as part of the human biomonitoring program and the national surveillance system for childhood lead poisoning (2015-2018).

Background: Used widely for centuries, lead is a common environmental pollutant. As a cumulative toxic, its presence in the body is always evidence of exposure, and health effects occur without threshold. Though regulated by European directives, lead requires close monitoring due to its environmental persistence and toxicity.

Risk Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Flame Retardants in Children by Using HBM-Data.

Due to their extensive usage, organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) have been detected in humans and in the environment. Human are exposed to OPFRs via inhalation of indoor air, dust uptake or dietary uptake through contaminated food and drinking water. Only recently, few studies addressing dietary exposure to OPFRs were published.

Identification of pesticides exposure biomarkers for residents living close to vineyards in France.

Biomonitoring can be relevant for assessing pesticides exposure of residents living close to vineyards (LCTV). However, because xenobiotics are generally present at low levels in human biological matrices and the sources of pesticide exposure are multiple, several challenges need to be overcome to reliably assess exposure in residents LCTV. This includes particularly identifying the most appropriate exposure biomarkers, the biological matrices in which they should be measured, and analytical methods that are sufficiently sensitive and specific to quantify them.

Exposure of the French population to bisphenols, phthalates, parabens, glycol ethers, brominated flame retardants, and perfluorinated compounds in 2014-2016: Results from the Esteban study.

Background: As part of the French Human Biomonitoring (HBM) programme, the Esteban study described, among other things, biomarkers levels of various chemicals in adults (18-74 years old) and children (6-17 years old). This paper describes the design of the study and provides, for the first time, data on the biological exposure of the general French population to a wide range of contaminants posing a threat to human health which are currently found in domestic environments.

Methods: Esteban is a cross-sectional study conducted on a nationwide sample of the French general population.

Chlordecone and organochlorine compound levels in the French West Indies population in 2013-2014.

Agricultural activities in the Caribbean, especially banana cropping, are known for their significant use of pesticides. In particular is chlordecone, which was used between 1972 and 1993 against the banana root borer, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar, 1824). In this context, "Kannari study: Health, Nutrition and Exposition to Chlordecone in French West Indies" was put in place in 2013-2014 to supplement knowledge about the exposure of the population to chlordecone and other organochlorine pollutants.

Pesticide exposures for residents living close to agricultural lands: A review.

Background: Residents living close to agricultural lands might be exposed to pesticides through non-occupational pathways including spray drift and volatilization of pesticides beyond the treated area.

Objective: This review aimed to identify and analyze scientific literature measuring pesticide exposure in non-farmworker residents living close to agricultural lands, and to suggest practical implications and needs for future studies.

Methods: A review was performed using inclusion criteria to identify original articles of interest published between 2003 and 2018.

Prenatal exposure to lead in France: Cord-blood levels and associated factors: Results from the perinatal component of the French Longitudinal Study since Childhood (Elfe).

Background: As a result of the ban on lead in gasoline on 2nd January 2000, the French population's exposure to lead has decreased in recent years. However, because of the acknowledged harmful cognitive effects of lead even at low levels, lead exposure remains a major public health issue. In France, few biomonitoring data are available for exposure to lead in pregnant women and newborn.

The French human biomonitoring program: First lessons from the perinatal component and future needs.

This paper presents a progress report of the French human biomonitoring (HBM) program established in 2010. This program has been designed to provide a national representative estimation of the French population's exposure to various environmental chemicals and to study the determinants of exposure. This program currently consists in two surveys: a perinatal component related to a selection of 4145 pregnant women who have been enrolled in the Elfe cohort (the French Longitudinal Study since Childhood) in 2011, and a general population survey related to adults aged 18-74 years and children as from 6 years (Esteban).

Arsenic urinary concentrations in children living in a naturally arsenic contaminated area.

A cross sectional study using environmental and biological samples was undertaken to assess the association between arsenic (As) soil concentrations and urinary As levels of children living in an area where the soil is naturally As rich, during summer and winter. Twenty-nine children aged between 2 and 7 years from 21 dwellings in the summer study, and 23 of the 29 previous children from 17 dwellings in the winter study, were recruited. Housing characteristics, living conditions and individual characteristics were collected by questionnaire, and urine samples were collected for iAs+MMA+DMA measurement.

Highlights of recent studies and future plans for the French human biomonitoring (HBM) programme.

This manuscript presents highlights of recent studies and perspectives from the French human biomonitoring (HBM) programme. Until recently, HBM studies focused on specific populations or pollutants to gain a better understanding of exposure to environmental chemicals, to help regulators reduce environmental exposure and to monitor existing policies on specific concerns. Highlights of recent multicentre biomonitoring studies with specific population or pollutant focus are given.

Does arsenic in soil contribute to arsenic urinary concentrations in a French population living in a naturally arsenic contaminated area?

A cross sectional study using environmental and biological samples was implemented to assess the association between arsenic (As) concentrations in the environment and urinary As levels of residents living in an area where the soil is naturally As rich. As was measured in drinking water, atmospheric particulate matter, and soil and a geographic information system was used to assign environmental concentrations closest to the participants' dwellings and the sum of inorganic As and metabolites in urine samples. The only potential source of As environmental contamination was from soil with a range of 13-131 mg As/kg of dry matter.

Urinary arsenic concentrations and speciation in residents living in an area with naturally contaminated soils.

A cross sectional study was carried out to evaluate arsenic exposure of residents living in an area with a soil naturally rich in arsenic (As), through urinary measurements. During the summer of 2007, 322 people aged over 7 years and resident in the study area for at least 4 days prior to the investigation were recruited. The sum of urinary inorganic arsenic and metabolites (iAs+MMA+DMA) and speciation were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively.