TThe first national human biomonitoring in Slovenia surveyed cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in a childbearing population (18–49 years) selected from lactating primiparous women and men (N = 1084). The overall aim was to estimate trace elements’ levels and geographical variations in order to identify sources of possible exposures and set the national reference values. The study population was selected evenly from 12 study areas across Slovenia, including rural, urban and known or potentially contaminated environments. Within 6–8 weeks after delivery, venous blood, spot urine, scalp hair and breast milk samples were collected to determine the selected elements. The data analysis included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression using elemental concentrations in biological matrices, questionnaire data and environmental datasets. Essential elements showed no significant deficiencies or excessive levels in the study population and were largely determined by sex and/or the participating women’s physiological status (postpartum, lactation), as well as by certain dietary sources. Toxic elements’ levels were mainly below the levels considered to present increased health risk. Lifestyle and nutritional habits appeared as significant determinants of exposure to Cd (smoking and game meat consumption), Hg (seafood and amalgam fillings), As (seafood) and Pb (alcohol consumption, smoking, game meat consumption and type of water supply). A distinctive geographical pattern was confirmed, due to past mining activities combined with naturally elevated background levels in the cases of Pb (Mežica Valley), Hg (Idrija and Posočje) and As exposure (Zasavje). Increased seafood consumption in the coastal study area contributed to higher Hg and As (arsenobetaine) levels. Extensive sample size database accompanied with life-style and environmental data improved the prediction of exposure patterns, set the reference values for the childbearing population living in Slovenia, and provided a strong basis for evaluating spatial and temporal trends in exposure. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to establish reference values for lactating primiparous women.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4685169
Human biomonitoring (HBM) programs consist of several interrelated and equally important steps. Of these steps, the study design must answer a specific question: How many individuals must be recruited in order to define the spatial or temporal trends of exposure to environmental pollutants in a given HBM study? Two components must be considered at this stage: the population variability of the expected exposure and the performance characteristics of the analytical methods used. The objective of the present study was to quantify the contribution to the required sample size arising from (i) measurement uncertainty and (ii) inter-laboratory measurement variability. For this purpose, the sample size was calculated using the measurement uncertainty of one laboratory, inter-laboratory comparison exercise data, and population variability for commonly studied metals (mercury, cadmium, and lead) in blood. Measurement uncertainty within one laboratory proved to have little influence on the sample size requirements, while the inter-laboratory variability of the three metals increased the requirements considerably, particularly in cases of low population variability. The multiple laboratories approach requires that laboratory variability be considered as early as the planning stage; a single-laboratory approach is thus a cost-effective compromise in HBM to reduce variability due to the participation of different laboratories.
COBISS.SI-ID: 32477479
In the present study, urinary bisphenol A (BPA) levels were reported for the first time in the Slovenian general population and were evaluated with regard to dietary and non-dietary exposure sources, and compared according to age, gender and area of residence. First morning urine was collected from children (6-11 years), their mothers (30-52 years) and fathers (30-53 years), living in urban and rural areas of Slovenia. Besides basic questionnaire data on general population characteristics, socio-economic status and dietary habits, BPA-specific data was also collected, including consumption of food and beverages from plastic and canned containers, presence of white dental fillings, the use of specific consumer products and hormonal treatments. Urine samples were analysed for both free and conjugated BPA using GC-MS/MS. The urinary levels of total BPA in children, mothers and fathers were low, with geometric means of 1.51, 0.79, and 0.20 µg/g creatinine, respectively. The levels were comparable with the levels reported for other European countries and were all below the current health-based guidance values. In line with large-scale surveys, the data revealed age-dependant BPA urinary levels, with the highest levels in the youngest age group. In mothers, urinary levels of BPA were determined by hormonal interactions more than dietary sources, while a positive association between urinary BPA and diet was apparent in children (canned food/drink and food from plastic material) and fathers (canned food/drink). The study clearly shows that physiological and behavioural differences account for differences in levels of urinary BPA among study groups, a finding that sets the priorities for future research.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31702567
The aim of this study was to obtain FA patterns in mature milk arising from different dietary habits in two geographically different areas in Slovenia: Koper (KP), a coastal area, and Pomurje (MS), an inland area. Maternal diet influences the quality of human milk. The quantity and composition of fatty acids (FAs) in milk can influence a child’s growth and development. Therefore, associations between maternal diet and FA composition in 74 mature human milk samples were investigated. The results revealed statistically significant differences in the dietary intake of game, freshwater fish, and fresh and frozen seafood between the study areas. Among the mean percentages of 35 individual FAs, 19 were higher in KP and 16 were higher in MS. In KP, despite the higher intake of fresh seafood, the levels of saturated and monounsaturated FAs were higher and the levels of PUFAs, ??-3, and ??-6 were lower compared to those in MS. The ??-6:?-3 ratio did not differ significantly between the study areas. This finding was not expected and indicates a discrepancy between the measured and self-reported data - the latter lack reliable data on dietary supplements. Therefore, determination of FA profile is important as biomarker of dietary intake in environmental health studies.
COBISS.SI-ID: 33299495
The present study aimed to test whether the levels of selected elements and FAs and ?13CFA in human milk could represent a more reliable marker of seafood dietary habits and sources of food consumed as assessed from the questionnaire data. It is the first study to investigate stable isotopes of FAs in human milk in Slovenia. This study showed that human milk samples from coastal (KP) and inland (MS) areas had different elemental and FA compositions and different FA stable isotope profiles, which is indicative of the different dietary habits and lifestyles in the two distinct study areas of Slovenia. Therefore, the FA composition and its ?13CFA values together with the elemental composition in maternal milk could be used as a marker of fresh seafood intake. Data mining approaches confirmed that using the classifier for fresh seafood intake based on the seven variables, including elemental composition, levels of FAs, and their stable isotopes in milk, enables distinguishing between seafood consumption less than once per month vs at least once per month fresh with 84% accuracy. Clustering could be used to divide the data sets into two with 90% accuracy. A clustering approach based on the percentage of the FAs iC17:0, C4:0, C18:2?6t, aC17:0, CLA, C22:4?6, and ?13C of C18:1?9c is an accurate indicator to distinguish between higher and lower fresh seafood intake. This confirmed our hypothesis that stable isotope analysis in combination with elemental analysis is an important tool to distinguish between diets, particularly for seafood. These findings suggest that in human-related studies related to the risks and benefits of seafood consumption, the analyses of FAs, their stable isotopes, and elemental compositions can significantly improve the information on seafood consumption.
COBISS.SI-ID: 32785447