Biomonitoring of complex occupational exposures to carcinogens: The case of sewage workers in Paris

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sewage workers provide an essential service in the protection of public and environmental health. However, they are exposed to varied mixtures of chemicals; some are known or suspected to be genotoxics or carcinogens. Thus, trying to relate adverse outcomes to single toxicant is inappropriate. We aim to investigate if sewage workers are at increased carcinogenic risk as evaluated by biomarkers of exposure and early biological effects.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>This cross sectional study will compare exposed sewage workers to non-exposed office workers. Both are voluntaries from Paris municipality, males, aged (20–60) years, non-smokers since at least six months, with no history of chronic or recent illness, and have similar socioeconomic status. After at least 3 days of consecutive work, blood sample and a 24-hour urine will be collected. A caffeine test will be performed, by administering coffee and collecting urines three hours after. Subjects will fill in self-administered questionnaires; one covering the professional and lifestyle habits while the a second one is alimentary. The blood sample will be used to assess DNA adducts in peripheral lymphocytes. The 24-hour urine to assess urinary 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxy-Guanosine (8-oxo-dG), and the in vitro genotoxicity tests (comet and micronucleus) using HeLa S3 or HepG2 cells. In parallel, occupational air sampling will be conducted for some Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Volatile Organic Compounds. A weekly sampling chronology at the offices of occupational medicine in Paris city during the regular medical visits will be followed. This protocol has been accepted by the French Est III Ethical Comitee with the number 2007-A00685-48.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Biomarkers of exposure and of early biological effects may help overcome the limitations of environmental exposure assessment in very complex occupational or environmental settings.</p

Cardiovascular health and particulate vehicular emissions: a critical evaluation of the evidence

A major public health goal is to determine linkages between specific pollution sources and adverse health outcomes. This paper provides an integrative evaluation of the database examining effects of vehicular emissions, such as black carbon (BC), carbonaceous gasses, and ultrafine PM, on cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Less than a decade ago, few epidemiological studies had examined effects of traffic emissions specifically on these health endpoints. In 2002, the first of many studies emerged finding significantly higher risks of CV morbidity and mortality for people living in close proximity to major roadways, vs. those living further away. Abundant epidemiological studies now link exposure to vehicular emissions, characterized in many different ways, with CV health endpoints such as cardiopulmonary and ischemic heart disease and circulatory-disease-associated mortality; incidence of coronary artery disease; acute myocardial infarction; survival after heart failure; emergency CV hospital admissions; and markers of atherosclerosis. We identify numerous in vitro, in vivo, and human panel studies elucidating mechanisms which could explain many of these cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associations. These include: oxidative stress, inflammation, lipoperoxidation and atherosclerosis, change in heart rate variability (HRV), arrhythmias, ST-segment depression, and changes in vascular function (such as brachial arterial caliber and blood pressure). Panel studies with accurate exposure information, examining effects of ambient components of vehicular emissions on susceptible human subjects, appear to confirm these mechanisms. Together, this body of evidence supports biological mechanisms which can explain the various CV epidemiological findings. Based upon these studies, the research base suggests that vehicular emissions are a major environmental cause of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in the United States. As a means to reduce the public health consequences of such emissions, it may be desirable to promulgate a black carbon (BC) PM2.5 standard under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which would apply to both on and off-road diesels. Two specific critical research needs are identified. One is to continue research on health effects of vehicular emissions, gaseous as well as particulate. The second is to utilize identical or nearly identical research designs in studies using accurate exposure metrics to determine whether other major PM pollutant sources and types may also underlie the specific health effects found in this evaluation for vehicular emissions

Longitudinal melanonychia in children: a clinical and histopathologic study of 40 cases.

Very little has been published on longitudinal melanonychia in children. Our objective was to determine the nature of melanocytic lesions in pediatric patients with longitudinal or total melanonychia and to look for correlations between clinical and histologic features.Journal Articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Impact of tourism-related fishing on Tridacna maxima (Mollusca, Bivalvia) stocks in Bora-Bora lagoon (French Polynesia)

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Exposure of pregnant women to persistent organic pollutants and cord sex hormone levels

International audienceStudy question - Is prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) associated with variations of sex hormone levels in cord blood? Summary answer - Prenatal exposure to a number of POPs is associated with a disruption of hormone levels in cord blood, with sex specificities. What is known already - Epidemiological studies have reported disorders of reproductive health, in relation with POPs exposure during early life and the endocrine disruption properties of these chemicals have been suggested as possible mechanisms. Study design, size, duration - A subset of 282 mother-child pairs was selected from the prospective population-based PELAGIE birth cohort (n = 3421, 2002-2006, Brittany, France). Pregnant women were recruited before 19 weeks of gestation and followed until delivery. Participants/materials, setting, methods - Sex hormone levels including sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol (E2), total testosterone (T), free testosterone (fT = T/SHBG) and the aromatase index (AI = T/E2) were measured in 282 cord blood samples. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was measured in male newborns only. Pesticide concentrations of α-endosulfan, β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), γ-HCH, dieldrin, pp'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), heptachlor epoxide (HCE), as well as PCBs (congeners 153, 187 and the sum of anti-estrogenic PCBs 118, 138, and 170) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE209) were also measured in cord blood. Associations between sex hormones and POPs exposure were explored using multiple linear regressions adjusted for potential confounders. Main results and the role of chance - High PCB levels were associated with an increase of SHBG (P-trend < 0.01) and AMH (P-trend < 0.05) and a decrease of fT (P-trend < 0.05) and AI (P-trend < 0.01). High pesticide levels, particularly α-endosulfan and HCE, were associated with an increase of SHBG (P < 0.05) and E2 (P < 0.01) and a decrease of fT (P < 0.05) and AI (P < 0.01). Several of these associations were stronger, or specific, among male or female newborns. The associations were not altered in the sensitivity analyses. Limitations, reasons for caution - The study population was of relatively small sample size, and some compounds rarely detected in cord blood. The high level of correlation between POPs makes it difficult to identify the most contributing POPs. Hormone measurements were performed at birth (in cord blood) and may not adequately represent the infant endocrine system. Multiple statistical testing may have led to false-positive associations. Wider implications of the findings - Our results are in discordance with those reported in the only published study of the kind but in accordance with studies about prenatal exposure to other endocrine disruptors such as phthalates. These findings may help understanding the pathways involved in adverse reproductive outcomes associated with POPs exposure. Study funding/competing interests - The PELAGIE cohort is funded by Inserm, French Ministry of Health, French Ministry of Labor, InVS, ANR, ANSES, and French Ministry of Ecology. None of the authors has any competing interest to declare

Suspect screening and targeted analyses: Two complementary approaches to characterize human exposure to pesticides

International audienceCharacterizing human exposure to pesticides is challenging because their metabolites have a broad diversity of chemical structures. We aimed to study the interest of associating suspect screening and targeted analysis to identify multiple pesticide exposure of pregnant women. Approximately 300 urinary samples collected during early pregnancy (France) were analyzed by UHPLC/HRMS using both a suspect screening approach and targeted multiresidue analysis. Sixty-eight pesticides were selected according to available data on agricultural practices and analytical feasibility and 435 known or putative metabolites were added based on the literature. Compounds detected using the two approaches were compared and the place of residence was studied as a determinant of exposure for illustrative purposes. Suspect screening resulted in the characterization of 28 pesticide metabolites, corresponding to three fungicides (azoxystrobin, fenpropimorph, and procymidone), three herbicides (an arylphenoxypropionic acid derivative, chlorpropham, and phenmedipham), and one insecticide (carbofuran). The targeted approach led to the identification of pyrethroids, organophosphorus, fluazifop-P-butyl, and chlorpyrifos in &gt;60% of samples and prochloraz, bromoxynil, diazinon, and procymidone in 10 to 50%. Both urban and rural areas were identified as being determinants of exposure, depending on the active substance. This combined strategy better characterizes pesticide mixtures. Suspect screening allows the detection of metabolites of pesticides that are rarely studied and not measured in biomonitoring studies, mainly because it allows the detection of conjugated phase II metabolites (azoxystrobin and fenpropimorph). The targeted approach complements it with the detection of highly polar and low molecular-weight metabolites, the confirmation of the parent compound, and the quantification of compounds for which analytical standards are commercially available or may be synthesized (organophosphorous, pyrethroids, and fluazifop-P-butyl). In addition, we detected several metabolites that have never been described in humans (fenpropimorph and azoxystrobin), which deserve to be candidates in the selection of markers of exposure