Assessing exposure of young children to common endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the home environment: a review and commentary of the questionnaire-based approach

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Although infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure, there is an absence of comprehensive exposure data for this age group. As young children spend the majority of their time indoors, improved methods of exposure assessment are needed to characterise the health risks from exposures in the home environment. Biologic assessment, which has been considered the gold standard for exposure assessment in recent years, is difficult to conduct in young children. Questionnaires are an alternative and indirect method of predicting exposure, which may overcome some of the limitations of direct exposure assessment.</jats:p><jats:p>The feasibility of using a questionnaire-based approach to predict exposure of young children to EDCs in the home has yet to be comprehensively reviewed. Moreover, there is no one questionnaire that has been validated for predicting the exposure of infants to common EDCs in the home.</jats:p><jats:p>The aim of this review is to discuss the use and validation of the questionnaire-based approach to predict exposure of children to chemicals from three common classes of EDCs in the home, namely, plasticisers, flame retardants, and insecticides. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the questionnaire-based approach as well as the important pathways of exposure in the home environment, by which to guide the design and validation of future exposure questionnaires.</jats:p><jats:p>The findings from our review indicate that the questionnaire-based approach is a valuable tool in the prediction of exposure to persistent organic pollutants, as well as to toxicants that have consistent patterns of exposure. With improvements to the design and validation process, the questionnaire-based approach may also prove to be a reliable instrument in predicting exposure to EDCs with short-half lives, including bisphenol A, phthalates, and pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides.</jats:p>

Children and Parents’ Awareness Regarding Potential Hazards Derived from the Use of Chemical Products in Greece

“…A huge variety of everyday household items could be considered potential sources of exposures to numerous chemicals and mixtures thereof, through potential carriers like air, dust, and food [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are well-known as chemical compounds which can cause endocrine system disorders leading to adverse health effects in human organisms [ 13 ].…”

“…A huge variety of everyday household items could be considered potential sources of exposures to numerous chemicals and mixtures thereof, through potential carriers like air, dust, and food [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are well-known as chemical compounds which can cause endocrine system disorders leading to adverse health effects in human organisms [ 13 ]. Organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, bisphenol A (BPA), as well as phthalates and polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants are some of the most common representatives of EDCs [ 16 ].…”

Development of a questionnaire-based insecticide exposure assessment method and comparison with urinary insecticide biomarkers in young Australian children

“…As recently reviewed by our research group, exposure-assessment questionnaires could have several 95 applications, particularly to epidemiological studies in young children where biomonitoring is 96 practically challenging, for the reasons described above (English, Healy et al 2015). When 97 administered in conjunction with biomonitoring or environmental monitoring, they may also 98 provide important information about potentially modifiable pathways of exposure to environmental 99 toxicants.…”

Assessing exposure of young Australian children to toxicants in the home environment using a web-based questionnaire

“…As recently reviewed by our research group, exposure-assessment questionnaires could have several applications, particularly to epidemiological studies in young children where biomonitoring is practically challenging, for the reasons described above (351). When administered in conjunction with biomonitoring or environmental monitoring, they may also provide important information about potentially modifiable pathways of exposure to environmental toxicants.…”

“…While serum concentrations of lower PBDEs remain relatively consistent over this time period, faecal concentrations of PBDEs vary from day to day and the variability in both serum and faeces is even greater for BDE-209(164, 360). The exposure classification error that would result from only collecting and analysing one faecal sample would affect the accuracy of estimated serum concentrations, as well as the questionnaire-validation process(351). Therefore, to adequately assess the association of questionnaire variables with PBDE exposure, the study should be repeated with a larger sample size, providing pooled samples from several days, and should be restricted to children at the same stage of weaning.…”