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Longitudinal cohort study of prenatal exposure to mercury in the Mediterranean region
S244
Abstracts / Toxicology Letters 189S (2009) S57–S273
H23 Longitudinal cohort study of prenatal exposure to mercury in the Mediterranean region Milena Horvat 1,∗ , Fabio Barbone 2 , Mladen Krsnik 3 , D’Anna Little 2 , Marika Mariuz 2 , Darja Mazej 1 , Sheena Nakou 4 , Josko Osredkar 3 , Maria Parpinel 2 , Oleg Petrovic 5 , Igor Prpic 5 , Katia Sofianou 4 , Zdravko Spiric 6 , Giorgio Tamburlini 7 , Janja Tratnik 1,7 , Francesca Valent 2
chronic exposure to low and near ambient levels of CO on development of fetuses and newborn infants because of high susceptibility to hypoxic effect in fetuses and newborn infants. There is a lack of information about toxicity of trifluoroacetic acid, carbonyl fluoride, hydrogen fluoride, and formic acid in humans and animals. Animal studies remain necessary for risk assessment of chemicals because it is difficult to find alternative methods to determine the toxic effect of chemicals. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.06.466
1
Institute Jozef Stefan, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2 University of Udine, Cattedra di Igiene ed Epidemiologia, Udine, Italy, 3 University in Ljubljana, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 4 Institute of Child Health, Athens, Greece, 5 University of Rijeka, Clinical Centre, Rijeka, Croatia, 6 Oikon Ltd., Zagreb, Croatia, 7 IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Slovenia Neurotoxicity from prenatal exposure to mercury has been studied but no firm conclusions have been reached on the dose-response relationship, especially at levels of exposure less than 10 g/g. The ongoing Northern Adriatic and Eastern Aegean cohort studies will assess the impact of mercury exposure through fish consumption during pregnancy on the developing nervous system. This Mediterranean study will enrol a total of 1700 pregnant women and their children in Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Greece as part of the European Commission funded project on the Public health impact of long-term, low-level mixed element exposure in susceptible population strata (PHIME). The overall purpose of this study is to permit researchers, policy makers and health professionals to orient future mothers with precise, scientifically based recommendations regarding the implications of dietary intake of fish during pregnancy. Maternal hair, blood, urine and cord blood samples are collected at different times during pregnancy and after delivery. Information on fish consumption patterns is collected through brief and detailed food frequency questionnaires administered during pregnancy and 1–3 months after delivery, respectively. The study is in progress and current mercury levels in hair are low, but there is a correlation between the consumption of fresh fish and hair total mercury levels. Recruitment for the Mediterranena cohorts will conclude in spring 2009. Testing of neurodevelopmental outcomes in children at 18 months of age started May 2008 and should conclude October 2010. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.06.465
H24 Toxicity of degradation products of refrigerants Makoto Ema ∗ , Masato Naya, Kikuo Yoshida, Ryuichi Nagaosa National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, RSS, Tsukuba, Japan The present study summarizes the data available in the literature concerning toxicity of degradation products of 1,1,1,2tetrahydrofluoroethane (HFC-134a), which is widely used worldwide as a refrigerant, and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf), which is developed as a refrigerant for new generation. There are many studies available for toxic effects of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) in humans and animals. Although general toxicity of excessive CO2 exposure in humans is well reported, information about reproductive and developmental toxicity of CO2 in humans and animals is inadequate for risk assessment. As for CO, further studies are required to evaluate the adverse effects of
H25 ATHON NDL-PCB effect database—A tool to facilitate the cumulative risk assessment of NDL-PCBs Emma Westerholm 1,∗ , Jordi Boix 2 , Hanna M. Miettinen 3 , Robert Roos 4 , Elsa Antunes-Fernandes 5 , Remco Westerink 5 , Majorie van Duursen 5 , Maria Stenberg 6 , Sara Correia Carreira 7 , Miroslav Machala 8 , Ilona Silins 1 , Ulla Stenius 1 , Krister Halldin 1 , Annika Hanberg 1 , Helen Håkansson 1 Karolinska Institutet, IMM, Stockholm, Sweden, 2 Foundation Centro Investigacion Principe Felipe, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Valencia, Spain, 3 National Institute for Health and Welfare, Environmental Health, Kuopio, Finland, 4 University of Kaiserslautern, Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Kaiserslautern, Germany, 5 Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6 Umeå University, Environmental Chemistry, Umeå, Sweden, 7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust, Medical Physics, Bristol, United Kingdom, 8 Veterinary Research Institute, Chemistry and Toxicology, Brno, Czech Republic
1
ATHON—Assessing the toxicity and hazard of non-dioxin like PCBs present in food—is an FP6 project designed to study the biological effects of non-dioxin like (NDL) PCBs. ATHON has developed a toxicological effect database for NDLPCBs. During the period March 2008 to February 2009, 138 references defined as concerning effects of NDL-PCBs were identified in literature. After exclusion of 37 Arochlor papers, about 20% of the remaining 101 references describe in vitro studies while in vivo and epidemiology studies are described in 30% of the references each. 15% of the references were reviews and were only included if they contained original data. The references were also divided into the ATHON main areas, i.e. neurotoxicity, reproduction/development, liver/cancer, and endocrinology, with approximately one fifth of the references classified into each effect sub-category. A text mining technology was used to rank and classify references older than March 2008 based on the evidence they contain. As ATHON progresses, the database will be updated with data generated within the project using ultra pure NDL-PCBs as well as with available data from other recent EU projects. The anticipated outcome of the effect database is to identify NDL-PCB specific effect biomarkers and mechanisms of action and to further develop the toxicity-based NDL-PCB classification strategy. The information in the database combined with the unique ATHON data will be used for an NDL-PCB monograph intended as a basis for discussions on NDL-PCB guidance values. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.06.467
Abstracts / Toxicology Letters 189S (2009) S57–S273
H23 Longitudinal cohort study of prenatal exposure to mercury in the Mediterranean region Milena Horvat 1,∗ , Fabio Barbone 2 , Mladen Krsnik 3 , D’Anna Little 2 , Marika Mariuz 2 , Darja Mazej 1 , Sheena Nakou 4 , Josko Osredkar 3 , Maria Parpinel 2 , Oleg Petrovic 5 , Igor Prpic 5 , Katia Sofianou 4 , Zdravko Spiric 6 , Giorgio Tamburlini 7 , Janja Tratnik 1,7 , Francesca Valent 2
chronic exposure to low and near ambient levels of CO on development of fetuses and newborn infants because of high susceptibility to hypoxic effect in fetuses and newborn infants. There is a lack of information about toxicity of trifluoroacetic acid, carbonyl fluoride, hydrogen fluoride, and formic acid in humans and animals. Animal studies remain necessary for risk assessment of chemicals because it is difficult to find alternative methods to determine the toxic effect of chemicals. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.06.466
1
Institute Jozef Stefan, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2 University of Udine, Cattedra di Igiene ed Epidemiologia, Udine, Italy, 3 University in Ljubljana, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 4 Institute of Child Health, Athens, Greece, 5 University of Rijeka, Clinical Centre, Rijeka, Croatia, 6 Oikon Ltd., Zagreb, Croatia, 7 IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Slovenia Neurotoxicity from prenatal exposure to mercury has been studied but no firm conclusions have been reached on the dose-response relationship, especially at levels of exposure less than 10 g/g. The ongoing Northern Adriatic and Eastern Aegean cohort studies will assess the impact of mercury exposure through fish consumption during pregnancy on the developing nervous system. This Mediterranean study will enrol a total of 1700 pregnant women and their children in Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Greece as part of the European Commission funded project on the Public health impact of long-term, low-level mixed element exposure in susceptible population strata (PHIME). The overall purpose of this study is to permit researchers, policy makers and health professionals to orient future mothers with precise, scientifically based recommendations regarding the implications of dietary intake of fish during pregnancy. Maternal hair, blood, urine and cord blood samples are collected at different times during pregnancy and after delivery. Information on fish consumption patterns is collected through brief and detailed food frequency questionnaires administered during pregnancy and 1–3 months after delivery, respectively. The study is in progress and current mercury levels in hair are low, but there is a correlation between the consumption of fresh fish and hair total mercury levels. Recruitment for the Mediterranena cohorts will conclude in spring 2009. Testing of neurodevelopmental outcomes in children at 18 months of age started May 2008 and should conclude October 2010. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.06.465
H24 Toxicity of degradation products of refrigerants Makoto Ema ∗ , Masato Naya, Kikuo Yoshida, Ryuichi Nagaosa National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, RSS, Tsukuba, Japan The present study summarizes the data available in the literature concerning toxicity of degradation products of 1,1,1,2tetrahydrofluoroethane (HFC-134a), which is widely used worldwide as a refrigerant, and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf), which is developed as a refrigerant for new generation. There are many studies available for toxic effects of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) in humans and animals. Although general toxicity of excessive CO2 exposure in humans is well reported, information about reproductive and developmental toxicity of CO2 in humans and animals is inadequate for risk assessment. As for CO, further studies are required to evaluate the adverse effects of
H25 ATHON NDL-PCB effect database—A tool to facilitate the cumulative risk assessment of NDL-PCBs Emma Westerholm 1,∗ , Jordi Boix 2 , Hanna M. Miettinen 3 , Robert Roos 4 , Elsa Antunes-Fernandes 5 , Remco Westerink 5 , Majorie van Duursen 5 , Maria Stenberg 6 , Sara Correia Carreira 7 , Miroslav Machala 8 , Ilona Silins 1 , Ulla Stenius 1 , Krister Halldin 1 , Annika Hanberg 1 , Helen Håkansson 1 Karolinska Institutet, IMM, Stockholm, Sweden, 2 Foundation Centro Investigacion Principe Felipe, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Valencia, Spain, 3 National Institute for Health and Welfare, Environmental Health, Kuopio, Finland, 4 University of Kaiserslautern, Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Kaiserslautern, Germany, 5 Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6 Umeå University, Environmental Chemistry, Umeå, Sweden, 7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust, Medical Physics, Bristol, United Kingdom, 8 Veterinary Research Institute, Chemistry and Toxicology, Brno, Czech Republic
1
ATHON—Assessing the toxicity and hazard of non-dioxin like PCBs present in food—is an FP6 project designed to study the biological effects of non-dioxin like (NDL) PCBs. ATHON has developed a toxicological effect database for NDLPCBs. During the period March 2008 to February 2009, 138 references defined as concerning effects of NDL-PCBs were identified in literature. After exclusion of 37 Arochlor papers, about 20% of the remaining 101 references describe in vitro studies while in vivo and epidemiology studies are described in 30% of the references each. 15% of the references were reviews and were only included if they contained original data. The references were also divided into the ATHON main areas, i.e. neurotoxicity, reproduction/development, liver/cancer, and endocrinology, with approximately one fifth of the references classified into each effect sub-category. A text mining technology was used to rank and classify references older than March 2008 based on the evidence they contain. As ATHON progresses, the database will be updated with data generated within the project using ultra pure NDL-PCBs as well as with available data from other recent EU projects. The anticipated outcome of the effect database is to identify NDL-PCB specific effect biomarkers and mechanisms of action and to further develop the toxicity-based NDL-PCB classification strategy. The information in the database combined with the unique ATHON data will be used for an NDL-PCB monograph intended as a basis for discussions on NDL-PCB guidance values. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.06.467