Preliminary assessment of terrestrial microalgae isolated from lichens as testing species for environmental monitoring: Lichen phycobionts present high sensitivity to environmental micropollutants

Bioassays constitute a tool for pollution analysis providing a holistic approach and high-quality indication of the toxicity. Microbioassays allow evaluating the toxicity of many samples, implying lower costs and enabling routine monitoring and pollution control. But tests conducted so far are limited to the use of a small number of taxa. Lichens are excellent bioindicators of pollution with great ecological significance. Studies show that the phycobiont is more sensitive to pollutants than the mycobiont. Phycobiont have features such as adaptation to anhydrobiosis and relatively rapid growth in vitro, making them suitable for microbioassays. Our aim is to determine the sensitivity of phycobionts to the pharmaceutical micropollutants carbamazepine and diclofenac as a preliminary step for the development of a toxicity microbioassay based on phycobionts. Optical dispersion and chlorophyll autofluorescence were used as endpoints of toxicity on two algal species showing that suspensions present cyclic and taxon specific patterns of aggregation. Trebouxia TR9 suspensions present a very high grade of aggregation while Asterochloris erici cells do not. Both micropollutants alter optical properties of the suspensions of both species. No significant alteration of chlorophyll autofluorescence by carbamazepine is observed. A. erici chlorophyll autofluorescence is extremely sensitive to diclofenac but the effect is not dependent on the drug concentration or on the time of exposure. Differently, TR9 only shows punctual chlorophyll alterations. Fluctuations in optical dispersion may indicate changes in the population structure of the species, including reproductive strategy. A. erici seems more sensitive to micropollutants, is better characterized and is available from commercial collections

HBM4EU-MOM: Prenatal methylmercury-exposure control in five countries through suitable dietary advice for pregnancy – Study design and characteristics of participants

Background: Seafood is a major source of vital nutrients for optimal fetal growth, but at the same time is the main source of exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), an established neurodevelopmental toxicant. Pregnant women must be provided with dietary advice so as to include safely fish in their diet for nutrition and mercury control. The aim of this work is to present the design of a multicentre randomized control trial (RCT), which combines human biomonitoring (HBM) with dietary interventions using seafood consumption advice to pregnant women for MeHg control, and to collect information about other possible sources of exposure to mercury. It also presents the materials developed for the implementation of the study and the characteristics of the study participants, which were self-reported in the first trimester of pregnancy. Methods: The "HBM4EU-MOM" RCT was performed in the frame of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) in five coastal, high fish-consuming European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Iceland). According to the study design, pregnant women (≥120/country, ≤20 weeks gestational age) provided a hair sample for total mercury assessment (THg) and personal information relevant to the study (e.g., lifestyle, pregnancy status, diet before and during the pregnancy, information on seafood and factors related to possible non-dietary exposures to mercury) during the first trimester of pregnancy. After sampling, participants were randomly assigned to "control" (habitual practices) or "intervention" (received the harmonized HBM4EU-MOM dietary advice for fish consumption during the pregnancy and were encouraged to follow it). Around child delivery, participants provided a second hair sample and completed another tailored questionnaire. Results: A total of 654 women aged 18-45 years were recruited in 2021 in the five countries, primarily through their health-care providers. The pre-pregnancy BMI of the participants ranged from underweight to obese, but was on average within the healthy range. For 73% of the women, the pregnancy was planned. 26% of the women were active smokers before the pregnancy and 8% continued to smoke during the pregnancy, while 33% were passive smokers before pregnancy and 23% remained passively exposed during the pregnancy. 53% of the women self-reported making dietary changes for their pregnancy, with 74% of these women reporting making the changes upon learning of their pregnancy. Of the 43% who did not change their diet for the pregnancy, 74% reported that their diet was already balanced, 6% found it difficult to make changes and 2% were unsure of what changes to make. Seafood consumption did not change significantly before and during the first trimester of pregnancy (overall average ∼8 times per month), with the highest frequency reported in Portugal (≥15 times per month), followed by Spain (≥7 times per month). During the first-trimester of pregnancy, 89% of the Portuguese women, 85% of the Spanish women and 90%) were unaware of safe procedures for handling spillage from broken thermometers and energy-saving lamps, though >22% experienced such an incident (>1 year ago). 26% of the women had dental amalgams. ∼1% had amalgams placed and ∼2% had amalgams removed during peri-pregnancy. 28% had their hair dyed in the past 3 months and 40% had body tattoos. 8% engaged with gardening involving fertilizers/pesticides and 19% with hobbies involving paints/pigments/dyes. Conclusions: The study design materials were fit for the purposes of harmonization and quality-assurance. The harmonized information collected from pregnant women suggests that it is important to raise the awareness of women of reproductive age and pregnant women about how to safely include fish in their diet and to empower them to make proper decisions for nutrition and control of MeHg, as well as other chemical exposures.We acknowledge funding for HBM4EU from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement #733032 and the national governments of the participating countries. This publication reflects only the authors’ views, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the in formation it contains.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

HBM4EU-MOM: Prenatal methylmercury-exposure control in five countries through suitable dietary advice for pregnancy - Study design and characteristics of participants

Background: Seafood is a major source of vital nutrients for optimal fetal growth, but at the same time is the main source of exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), an established neurodevelopmental toxicant. Pregnant women must be provided with dietary advice so as to include safely fish in their diet for nutrition and mercury control. The aim of this work is to present the design of a multicentre randomized control trial (RCT), which combines human biomonitoring (HBM) with dietary interventions using seafood consumption advice to pregnant women for MeHg control, and to collect information about other possible sources of exposure to mercury. It also presents the materials developed for the implementation of the study and the characteristics of the study participants, which were self-reported in the first trimester of pregnancy. Methods: The "HBM4EU-MOM" RCT was performed in the frame of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) in five coastal, high fish-consuming European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Iceland). According to the study design, pregnant women (≥120/country, ≤20 weeks gestational age) provided a hair sample for total mercury assessment (THg) and personal information relevant to the study (e.g., lifestyle, pregnancy status, diet before and during the pregnancy, information on seafood and factors related to possible non-dietary exposures to mercury) during the first trimester of pregnancy. After sampling, participants were randomly assigned to "control" (habitual practices) or "intervention" (received the harmonized HBM4EU-MOM dietary advice for fish consumption during the pregnancy and were encouraged to follow it). Around child delivery, participants provided a second hair sample and completed another tailored questionnaire. Results: A total of 654 women aged 18-45 years were recruited in 2021 in the five countries, primarily through their health-care providers. The pre-pregnancy BMI of the participants ranged from underweight to obese, but was on average within the healthy range. For 73% of the women, the pregnancy was planned. 26% of the women were active smokers before the pregnancy and 8% continued to smoke during the pregnancy, while 33% were passive smokers before pregnancy and 23% remained passively exposed during the pregnancy. 53% of the women self-reported making dietary changes for their pregnancy, with 74% of these women reporting making the changes upon learning of their pregnancy. Of the 43% who did not change their diet for the pregnancy, 74% reported that their diet was already balanced, 6% found it difficult to make changes and 2% were unsure of what changes to make. Seafood consumption did not change significantly before and during the first trimester of pregnancy (overall average ∼8 times per month), with the highest frequency reported in Portugal (≥15 times per month), followed by Spain (≥7 times per month). During the first-trimester of pregnancy, 89% of the Portuguese women, 85% of the Spanish women and 90%) were unaware of safe procedures for handling spillage from broken thermometers and energy-saving lamps, though >22% experienced such an incident (>1 year ago). 26% of the women had dental amalgams. ∼1% had amalgams placed and ∼2% had amalgams removed during peri-pregnancy. 28% had their hair dyed in the past 3 months and 40% had body tattoos. 8% engaged with gardening involving fertilizers/pesticides and 19% with hobbies involving paints/pigments/dyes. Conclusions: The study design materials were fit for the purposes of harmonization and quality-assurance. The harmonized information collected from pregnant women suggests that it is important to raise the awareness of women of reproductive age and pregnant women about how to safely include fish in their diet and to empower them to make proper decisions for nutrition and control of MeHg, as well as other chemical exposures.We acknowledge funding for HBM4EU from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement #733032 and the national governments of the participating countries. This publication reflects only the authors’ views, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.S

Monitorización del consumo de sustancias de abuso legales e ilegales en España a través de las aguas residuales en el marco de la red ESAR-Net

Trabajo presentado en el 4th Congreso Internacional y XLIX Jornadas Nacionales de Socidrogalcohol - VIII Congreso Nacional Patología Bio-Psicosocial, celebrado en Tenerife del 06 al 08 de octubre de 2022

Environmental levels of PAHs and other SVOCs in a petrochemical area. Combining monitoring and modelling tools

En aquesta tesi s’ha avaluat la contaminació atmosfèrica com a conseqüència de la presència de contaminants orgànics semivolàtils (SVOCs) al camp de Tarragona. Aquesta àrea conté un dels complexes químics/petroquímics més gran del sud d’Europa. Entre els contaminants analitzats tenim als hidrocarburs aromàtics policíclics (PAHs), contaminants que s’emeten principalment per l’activitat humana (p.ex. refineries de petroli). Així mateix, també s’ha analitzat altres contaminants com els bifenils policlorats (PCBs), pesticides organoclorats (OCPs), retardants de flama bromats (BFRs) i fragàncies sintètiques (SMs). S’han utilitzat diferents tècniques de mostreig com ara els mostrejadors passius amb escumes de poliuretà (PUF-PAS), líquens trasplantats, vegetació i sòls. Aquests mètodes de mostreig permeten detectar contaminants, fins i tot de zones remotes, amb costos baixos o nuls de manteniment. També s’ha posat a punt el mètode QuEChERS (ràpid, fàcil, barat, efectiu, robust i segur) combinat amb un mètode d’anàlisi per GC-MS (Cromatografia de gasos amb detector d’espectròmetre de masses) per a l'extracció de PAHs, PCBs, HCB, BFRs i SMs en sòls i vegetació. Els resultats indiquen que els PUF-PAS mostregen principalment els contaminants de baix pes molecular, que estan presents a la fase gasosa de l’aire. La vegetació també capta els contaminants presents a la fase gasosa i alhora part dels presents a la fase particulada que no han estat rentats per processos naturals. Els sòls en canvi retenen els contaminants més pesats, i menys degradables associats fonamentalment a la fase particulada de l’aire. Els resultats obtinguts s’han modelitzat amb els models MUM-Fate i WRF+CHIMERE per tal de predir el comportament dels PAHs, emissions i les concentracions tenint en compte el clima actual i de canvi climàtic (RCP8.5, 2031-2050). Les prediccions indiquen que la concentració de Benzo(a)pirè s’incrementarà en aire, mentre que en sòls davallarà, fet que incrementarà el risc de càncer de pulmó en of 5x10-8 casos.En esta tesis se ha evaluado la contaminación atmosférica asociada a la presencia de compuestos orgánicos semi-volátiles (SVOCs) en Tarragona España, donde se localiza uno de los mayores complejos químicos/petroquímicos del sur de Europa. Entre los contaminantes analizados se encuentran los hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos (HAP), compuestos emitidos principalmente por fuentes antropogénicas (p.ej. refinerías de petróleo). Así mismo, se han analizado bifenilos policlorados (PCB), plaguicidas organoclorados (OCP), retardantes de llama bromados (BFR) y fragancias sintéticas (SMs). Las técnicas de muestreo pasivo utilizadas para el control de la contaminación han sido captadores pasivos con espuma de poliuretano (PUF-PAS), trasplantes de líquenes, vegetación y suelos. Esas técnicas proporcionan información sobre los niveles de contaminantes en diferentes localizaciones, implicando un bajo o nulo mantenimiento y coste económico asociado. Así mismo, se ha adaptado la metodología QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) combinada con GC-MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) para la extracción PAH, PCB, HCB, BFR y SMs en suelos y vegetación. Los resultados indican que PUF-PAS son dispositivos que capturan principalmente los contaminantes de bajo peso molecular, presentes en la fase gaseosa. Así mismo, la vegetación captura los contaminantes presentes en la fase gaseosa, pero también algunos asociados a la fase particulada que no haya sido lavada por procesos naturales; mientras que los suelos tienden a capturar los compuestos más pesados y resistentes a la degradación, asociados principalmente a la fase particulada. Por último, se han empleado los modelos MUM-Fate y WRF+CHIMERE para predecir el destino final, emisiones y concentración de los PAHs en condiciones climáticas actuales y de cambio climático (escenario RCP8.5, 2031-2050). Las predicciones indican que las concentraciones de Benzo(a)pireno aumentarán en el aire y disminuirán en los suelos, lo que resulta en un aumento de 5x10-8 en el riesgo de padecer cáncer de pulmón en las zonas más pobladas.In this thesis atmospheric pollution due to the presence of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) has been assessed in Tarragona country Spain, where one of the largest chemical/petrochemical complex in Southern Europe is located. Among these contaminants there are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), compounds mostly emitted by anthropogenic sources, being the oil refineries a considerable emission point. Likewise, pollutants as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and synthetic musk fragrances (SMs) also have been analysed. Passive Air Sampling techniques such as Passive Air Samples with polyurethane foam (PUF-PAS), lichen transplants, vegetation and soils have been utilised for pollution monitoring. Those techniques can provide information on the contaminants levels at different locations, involving low or no maintenance and reduced costs. Also an extraction method for soils and vegetation based on QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) methodology combined with GC-MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) have been developed to analyse PAHs, PCBs, HCB, BFRs and SMs. Results indicate that PUF-PAS mainly capture the pollutants of low molecular weight (most volatile), that are present in gas phase. Concerning to vegetation, results indicate that this matrix capture the pollutants present in the gas phase, but also retains some of them associated to the particulate phase (which has not been washed by natural processes), while soils tend to capture the heaviest, the less volatile and the most resistant to degradation pollutants mainly associated to the particulate phase. Results obtained have been modelled with MUM-Fate and WRF+CHIMERE models in order to predict PAHs fate, emissions and future concentrations considering actual and future climate conditions (RCP8.5 scenario, 2031-2050). Predictions indicate that concentrations of Benzo(a)pyrene will increase in air and decrease in soils, resulting in an increase of 5x10-8 in the life-time risk of lung cancer, particularly in the most populated areas

Environmental levels of PAHs and other SVOCs in a petrochemical area. Combining monitoring and modelling tools

En aquesta tesi s’ha avaluat la contaminació atmosfèrica com a conseqüència de la presència de contaminants orgànics semivolàtils (SVOCs) al camp de Tarragona. Aquesta àrea conté un dels complexes químics/petroquímics més gran del sud d’Europa. Entre els contaminants analitzats tenim als hidrocarburs aromàtics policíclics (PAHs), contaminants que s’emeten principalment per l’activitat humana (p.ex. refineries de petroli). Així mateix, també s’ha analitzat altres contaminants com els bifenils policlorats (PCBs), pesticides organoclorats (OCPs), retardants de flama bromats (BFRs) i fragàncies sintètiques (SMs). S’han utilitzat diferents tècniques de mostreig com ara els mostrejadors passius amb escumes de poliuretà (PUF-PAS), líquens trasplantats, vegetació i sòls. Aquests mètodes de mostreig permeten detectar contaminants, fins i tot de zones remotes, amb costos baixos o nuls de manteniment. També s’ha posat a punt el mètode QuEChERS (ràpid, fàcil, barat, efectiu, robust i segur) combinat amb un mètode d’anàlisi per GC-MS (Cromatografia de gasos amb detector d’espectròmetre de masses) per a l'extracció de PAHs, PCBs, HCB, BFRs i SMs en sòls i vegetació. Els resultats indiquen que els PUF-PAS mostregen principalment els contaminants de baix pes molecular, que estan presents a la fase gasosa de l’aire. La vegetació també capta els contaminants presents a la fase gasosa i alhora part dels presents a la fase particulada que no han estat rentats per processos naturals. Els sòls en canvi retenen els contaminants més pesats, i menys degradables associats fonamentalment a la fase particulada de l’aire. Els resultats obtinguts s’han modelitzat amb els models MUM-Fate i WRF+CHIMERE per tal de predir el comportament dels PAHs, emissions i les concentracions tenint en compte el clima actual i de canvi climàtic (RCP8.5, 2031-2050). Les prediccions indiquen que la concentració de Benzo(a)pirè s’incrementarà en aire, mentre que en sòls davallarà, fet que incrementarà el risc de càncer de pulmó en of 5x10-8 casos.En esta tesis se ha evaluado la contaminación atmosférica asociada a la presencia de compuestos orgánicos semi-volátiles (SVOCs) en Tarragona España, donde se localiza uno de los mayores complejos químicos/petroquímicos del sur de Europa. Entre los contaminantes analizados se encuentran los hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos (HAP), compuestos emitidos principalmente por fuentes antropogénicas (p.ej. refinerías de petróleo). Así mismo, se han analizado bifenilos policlorados (PCB), plaguicidas organoclorados (OCP), retardantes de llama bromados (BFR) y fragancias sintéticas (SMs). Las técnicas de muestreo pasivo utilizadas para el control de la contaminación han sido captadores pasivos con espuma de poliuretano (PUF-PAS), trasplantes de líquenes, vegetación y suelos. Esas técnicas proporcionan información sobre los niveles de contaminantes en diferentes localizaciones, implicando un bajo o nulo mantenimiento y coste económico asociado. Así mismo, se ha adaptado la metodología QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) combinada con GC-MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) para la extracción PAH, PCB, HCB, BFR y SMs en suelos y vegetación. Los resultados indican que PUF-PAS son dispositivos que capturan principalmente los contaminantes de bajo peso molecular, presentes en la fase gaseosa. Así mismo, la vegetación captura los contaminantes presentes en la fase gaseosa, pero también algunos asociados a la fase particulada que no haya sido lavada por procesos naturales; mientras que los suelos tienden a capturar los compuestos más pesados y resistentes a la degradación, asociados principalmente a la fase particulada. Por último, se han empleado los modelos MUM-Fate y WRF+CHIMERE para predecir el destino final, emisiones y concentración de los PAHs en condiciones climáticas actuales y de cambio climático (escenario RCP8.5, 2031-2050). Las predicciones indican que las concentraciones de Benzo(a)pireno aumentarán en el aire y disminuirán en los suelos, lo que resulta en un aumento de 5x10-8 en el riesgo de padecer cáncer de pulmón en las zonas más pobladas.In this thesis atmospheric pollution due to the presence of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) has been assessed in Tarragona country Spain, where one of the largest chemical/petrochemical complex in Southern Europe is located. Among these contaminants there are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), compounds mostly emitted by anthropogenic sources, being the oil refineries a considerable emission point. Likewise, pollutants as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and synthetic musk fragrances (SMs) also have been analysed. Passive Air Sampling techniques such as Passive Air Samples with polyurethane foam (PUF-PAS), lichen transplants, vegetation and soils have been utilised for pollution monitoring. Those techniques can provide information on the contaminants levels at different locations, involving low or no maintenance and reduced costs. Also an extraction method for soils and vegetation based on QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) methodology combined with GC-MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) have been developed to analyse PAHs, PCBs, HCB, BFRs and SMs. Results indicate that PUF-PAS mainly capture the pollutants of low molecular weight (most volatile), that are present in gas phase. Concerning to vegetation, results indicate that this matrix capture the pollutants present in the gas phase, but also retains some of them associated to the particulate phase (which has not been washed by natural processes), while soils tend to capture the heaviest, the less volatile and the most resistant to degradation pollutants mainly associated to the particulate phase. Results obtained have been modelled with MUM-Fate and WRF+CHIMERE models in order to predict PAHs fate, emissions and future concentrations considering actual and future climate conditions (RCP8.5 scenario, 2031-2050). Predictions indicate that concentrations of Benzo(a)pyrene will increase in air and decrease in soils, resulting in an increase of 5x10-8 in the life-time risk of lung cancer, particularly in the most populated areas

Combining monitoring and modelling approaches for BaP characterization over a petrochemical area

In this study, air concentrations of BaP in two different seasons (winter 2015 and summer 2016) and BaP levels in ground vegetation from Tarragona County were used as control simulations performed with the WRF-CHIMERE air quality modelling system, in order to reproduce the incidence of that hazardous chemical in air and soils. The CTM was validated for the present climatology, showing a good ability to represent air and soil concentrations of BaP over the target domain (petrochemical, chemical, urban and background sites), particularly in the wither. Then, the variation of the BaP concentrations in air and soils were simulated for the time series 1996-2015 and for the climate change scenario RCP8.5 (2031-2050). While an increase is projected for the levels in air, particularly in chemical and remote silos where the variation can go up to 10%, in terms of soil deposition the findings are the opposite, with an evident decrease in soil BaP concentrations, particularly for background sites. Finally, a potential health effect of BaP for the local population (lung cancer) was assessed. Although according to the projections the EU threshold for BaP atmospheric incidence (1 ng m(-3)) will not be reached by 2050, there will be an increase in the life-time risk of lung cancer, particularly in the most populated areas within the simulation domain. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Multi-component determination of atmospheric semi-volatile organic compounds in soils and vegetation from Tarragona County, Catalonia, Spain

Tarragona County (Spain) is home to the most important chemical/petrochemical industrial complex in SouthernEurope, which raises concerns about the presence and effects of the numerous environmental contaminants. Inorder to assess the levels and patterns of five classes of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) - polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs), synthetic musks (SMs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants(BFRs) and one organochlorine pesticide, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), 27 samples of soil and vegetation(Piptatherum L.) from different areas (petrochemical, chemical, urban/residential, and background) of TarragonaCounty were analysed. The results show that PAHs levels in soils ranged from 45.12 to 158.00 ng/g and the urbanareas presented the highest concentrations, mainly associated with the presence of a nearby highway and severalroads with heavy traffic. PAHs levels in vegetation samples ranged from 42.13 to 80.08 ng/g, where the greatestinfluence came from the urban and petrochemical areas. In the case of SMs, levels in soils and vegetation samplesranged from 5.42 to 10.04 ng/g and from 4.08 to 17.94 ng/g, respectively, and in both cases, background areas (atleast 30 km away from the main SVOCs emission sources) showed the highest levels, suggesting an influence ofthe personal care products derived from beach-related tourism in the coast. PCBs (from 6.62 to 14.07 ng/g insoils; from 0.52 to 4.41 ng/g in vegetation) prevailed in the chemical area in both matrices, probably associated with the presence of two sub-electrical stations located in the vicinities. In general terms, BFRs and HCB valuesrecorded in soil and vegetation samples were quite similar between matrices and sampling areas.© 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A simple method for direct mercury analysis in dried blood spots (DBS) samples for human biomonitoring studies

Human exposure to mercury can have serious health effects, especially in vulnerable groups such as children and fetuses. The use of dried blood spot (DBS) samples to collect capillary blood greatly facilitates sample collection and fieldwork, being a less invasive alternative to blood collection by venipuncture, needing a small volume of sample, and does not require specialized medical staff. Moreover, DBS sampling reduces logistical and financial barriers related to transport and storage of blood samples. We propose here a novel method to analyze total mercury in DBS samples in a Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) that allow the control of the volume of the DBS samples. This method has shown good results in terms of precision (<6% error), accuracy (<10% coefficient of variation) and recovery (75–106%). The applicability of the method in human biomonitoring (HBM) was demonstrated in a pilot study involving 41 adults aged 18–65. Mercury concentrations of DBS samples from capillary blood collected by finger prick (real DBS samples) were determined in the DMA and compared with those determined in whole blood (venous blood) by ICP-MS, the method usually used in HBM. The sampling procedure was also validated by comparison of real DBS samples and DBS generated artificially in the laboratory by depositing venous samples in cellulose cards (laboratory DBS). There were no statistically significant differences in the results obtained using both methodologies (DMA: Geometric Mean (confidence interval 95%) = 3.87 (3.12–4.79) µg/L; ICP-MS: Geometric Mean (confidence interval 95%) = 3.46 (2.80–4.27) µg/L). The proposed method is an excellent alternative to be applied in clinical settings as screening methodology for assessing mercury exposure in vulnerable groups, such us pregnant woman, babies and children