Urinary Cadmium and Cotinine Levels and Hair Mercury Levels in Czech Children and Their Mothers Within the Framework of the COPHES/DEMOCOPHES Projects

Abstract

The COPHES/DEMOCOPHES twin project was performed in 2011-2012 in 17 European countries to harmonize all steps of the human biomonitoring survey. Urinary cadmium, cotinine, phthalate metabolites, and hair mercury were measured in children (N = 120, 6-11 years) and their mothers of reproductive age, living in urban or rural areas. Cadmium in mothers' and children's urine was detected at a geometric mean (GM) concentration 0.227 and 0.109 μg/L, respectively; 95th percentile (P95) was 0.655 and 0.280 μg/L in mothers and children, respectively. No age-related, education-related, or urban versus rural differences were observed within the frame of each population group. Cadmium urinary level in mothers was about twofold compared with children. Higher levels were obtained in all smoking mothers but not in occasionally smoking or mothers and children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Mercury values in mothers were significantly higher in urban than in rural populations but not in children. GM and P95 for mercury in children's hair were 0.098 and 0.439 μg/g and in mothers' hair were 0.155 and 0.570 μg/g. Concentrations for mercury in the Czech samples were lower than European average. Hair mercury increased significantly with consumption of fish or seafood and with number of amalgam tooth fillings (in children). A positive association was found with family educational level. No influence of age was observed. Urinary cadmium and hair mercury levels were lower than health-based guidelines with one exception. High levels of urinary cotinine were found in the 12 smoking mothers (GM approximately 500 μg/L); lower levels in occasionally smoking mothers, N = 11 (34.5 μg/L). The mean cotinine levels in nonsmoking mothers who reported daily exposure to ETS was 10.7 μg/L. A similar mean value (10.8 μg/L) was obtained in six children who had daily exposure to ETS. In children without exposure to ETS, the mean cotinine level was 1.39 μg/L urine. Cotinine in the urine of children demonstrates limited protection of the Czech children against exposure to ETS.

Postnatal exposure to mercury and neuropsychological development among preschooler children

“…Levels observed in this study were similar to those found in previous Spanish studies conducted on children, such as in 4-year-old children from Menorca [29] and from Granada [8], both populations with a geometric mean (GM) of 1.0 µg/g and around 50% of the children with levels above the EPA recommendations. On comparing with international studies, levels observed in this study were much higher than those observed in other populations from North or East Europe, such as 6-11-year-old children from the Czech Republic (geometric mean = 0.098 µg/g) [30], Denmark (geometric mean = 0.326 µg/g) [31] or Germany (geometric mean = 0.055 µg/g). Other European studies conducted in Mediterranean regions found Hg concentrations that were higher than in North Europe, but still lower than in our study, such as in children aged 7-9 years from Italy (mean = 0.88 µg/g) [32] or 11-12-year-old children from Greece (GM: 0.30-0.44 µg/g, depending of the location) [33].…”

Mercury exposure and its effects on fertility and pregnancy outcome

“…27,51 Hg concentration in the mother's hair was higher than in children. 52 Its level increased in accordance with the number of dental amalgam fillings in the children, as well as the consumption of marine and fish products. 53 On average, the levels of Hg in the body of the screened persons did not exceed the recommended values.…”

“…Biomonitoring of the state of maternal and child health conducted in the framework of the COPHES/ DEMOCOPHES project reported that the Hg concentration in the urine of mothers living in the city was higher than in rural women . Hg concentration in the mother’s hair was higher than in children . Its level increased in accordance with the number of dental amalgam fillings in the children, as well as the consumption of marine and fish products .…”

Biomarkers of Exposure to Secondhand and Thirdhand Tobacco Smoke: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

“…The role of SHS exposure in urinary cadmium levels was also not conclusive. As an example, similar cadmium concentrations were found in children exposed and non-exposed to SHS, without clear correlations with urinary cotinine [46,115]. Conversely, Sánchez-Rodríguez et al found that urinary cadmium levels slightly decreased in 83 adults after the implementation of a restrictive anti-smoking legislation, ranging from 0.17 (0.11–0.29) μg/g cr before the smoking ban to 0.10 (0.06–0.22) μg/g cr one year after the law implementation.…”

“…The typical urinary cotinine cutoff value is 30 ng/mL. Urinary cotinine concentrations usually range from 34.5 to 489 ng/mL for smokers [46,47], from 0.25 to 30 ng/mL for SHS exposed nonsmokers [22,36,42,45,46,48,49,50], up to 5 ng/mL for THS exposed nonsmokers [41,43,44] and around 0.88 ng/mL in non-exposed nonsmokers [43]. Nevertheless, acute exposure to SHS can raise urinary cotinine concentrations to levels similar to those reported in smokers’ concentrations.…”