Exposure determinants of cadmium in European mothers and their children

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  • Marika Berglund
  • Kristin Larsson
  • Margaretha Grandér
  • Ludwine Casteleyn
  • Marike Kolossa-Gehring
  • Gerda Schwedler
  • Argelia Castaño
  • Marta Esteban
  • Jürgen Angerer
  • Holger M Koch
  • Birgit K Schindler
  • Greet Schoeters
  • Roel Smolders
  • Karen Exley
  • Ovnair Sepai
  • Luies Blumen
  • Milena Horvat
  • Thit A Mørck
  • Anke Joas
  • Reinhard Joas
  • Pierre Biot
  • Dominique Aerts
  • Koen De Cremer
  • Ilse Van Overmeire
  • Andromachi Katsonouri
  • Adamos Hadjipanayis
  • Milena Cerna
  • Andrea Krskova
  • Jeanette K S Nielsen
  • Janne Fangel Jensen
  • Peter Rudnai
  • Szilvia Kozepesy
  • Chris Griffin
  • Ian Nesbitt
  • Arno C Gutleb
  • Marc E Fischer
  • Danuta Ligocka
  • Marek Jakubowski
  • M Fátima Reis
  • Sónia Namorado
  • Ioana-Rodica Lupsa
  • Anca E Gurzau
  • Katarina Halzlova
  • Michal Jajcaj
  • Darja Mazej
  • Janja Snoj Tratnik
  • Ana Lopez
  • Ana Cañas
  • Andrea Lehmann
  • Pierre Crettaz
  • Elly Den Hond
  • Eva Govarts

The metal cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental pollutant with documented adverse effects on the kidneys and bones from long-term environmental exposure, but with insufficiently elucidated public health consequences such as risk of cardiovascular disease, hormone-related cancer in adults and developmental effects in children. This study is the first pan-European human biomonitoring project that succeeded in performing harmonized measurements of Cd in urine in a comparable way in mother-child couples from 16 European countries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the overall Cd exposure and significant determinants of Cd exposure. A study population of 1632 women (24-52 years of age), and 1689 children (5-12 years of age), from 32 rural and urban areas, was examined within a core period of 6 months in 2011-2012. Women were stratified as smokers and non-smokers. As expected, smoking mothers had higher geometric mean (gm) urinary cadmium (UCd; 0.24µg/g crea; n=360) than non-smoking mothers (gm 0.18µg/g crea; n=1272; p<0.0001), and children had lower UCd (gm 0.065µg/g crea; n=1689) than their mothers at the country level. Non-smoking women exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home had 14% (95% CI 1-28%) higher UCd than those who were not exposed to ETS at home (p=0.04). No influence of ETS at home or other places on UCd levels was detected in children. Smoking women with primary education as the highest educational level of the household had 48% (95% CI 18-86%) higher UCd than those with tertiary education (p=0.0008). The same observation was seen in non-smoking women and in children; however they were not statistically significant. In children, living in a rural area was associated with 7% (95% CI 1-13%) higher UCd (p=0.03) compared to living in an urban area. Children, 9-12 years had 7% (95% CI 1-13%) higher UCd (p=0.04) than children 5-8 years. About 1% of the mothers, and 0.06% of the children, exceeded the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) appointed by EFSA, corresponding to 1.0µgCd/g crea in urine. Poland had the highest UCd in comparison between the 16 countries, while Denmark had the lowest. Whether the differences between countries are related to differences in the degree of environmental Cd contamination or to differences in lifestyle, socioeconomic status or dietary patterns is not clear.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEnvironmental Research
Volume141
Pages (from-to)69-76
Number of pages8
ISSN0013-9351
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2015

ID: 137756756