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Risk assessment driven by inadequate and inappropriate communication
Abstracts / Toxicology Letters 258S (2016) S62–S324
P23 – Risk communication P23-001 Risk assessment driven by inadequate and inappropriate communication 3, ˇ T. Fatur 1 , J. Kuˇzner 2 , B. Jeretin 3 , D. Stajnbaher L. Peterlin Maˇsiˇc 4 , M. Krˇzan 5 , M. Filipiˇc 6 , L. Perhariˇc 1,∗ 1
National Institute of Public Health, Zaloˇska 29, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 2 Slovenian Society of Toxicology, Gerbiˇ ceva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 3 National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food, Prvomajska 1, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia 4 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aˇ skerˇceva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 5 Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 6 National Institute of Biology, Veˇ cna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia To control the Varroa several bee-keepers used illegal products containing amitraz, chlorfenvinphos and rotenone. Imprecise communication and intimidating interpretations of residues in honey and honeycomb caused severe public concern. Risk assessment for consumers was requested. Using gas chromatography with mass selective detector for amitraz and its metabolites (level of determination – LOD <0.05 mg/kg, honey; <0.20 mg/kg, honeycomb) and chlorfenvinphos (LOD <0.01 mg/kg; honey; <0.05 mg/kg, honeycomb), chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for rotenoids (LOD <0.01 mg/kg, honey; <0.20 mg/kg; honeycomb), 20 samples were analysed. The risk was assessed according to the International Programme on Chemical Safety and the Scientific Committees of the European Commission Methodology. Only amitraz and chlorfenvinphos exceeded LOD with peak concentrations of amitraz at 4.1 mg/kg in honeycomb and 0.14 mg/kg in honey (maximum residue level is <0.2 mg/kg), and 0.71 mg chlorfenvinphos/kg honeycomb. Assuming the 95th percentile daily consumption of honey (20 g in toddlers, 40 g in adults) the acute exposure would be 30–100 times below the acute reference dose for amitraz (0.01 mg/kg bw/day) and the chronic exposure 10–30 times below the acceptable daily intake (0.003 mg/kg bw/day). Although the honeycomb was not intended for human consumption we calculated the amount without appreciable risk. The biological significance of a combined exposure was unlikely. Our risk assessment was widely presented with little effect. To avoid communication noise we proposed harmonized communication pathways among the competent institutions. However, risk assessment should not to be misused to justify the use of illegally manufactured products. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2016.06.2080
S317
P23-002 Metal and metalloid content variation in adjacent urban topsoils: Relevance to public health ˜ Fernandez 3 ˜ 1,∗ , M. Lobo Bedmar 2 , A. Pena M. González Munoz 1
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Toxicology Unit, Universidad de Alcalá, Crta. Madrid-Barcelona Km, 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain 2 Departamento de Investigación Agroambiental, IMIDRA, Finca el Encín, Crta. Madrid-Barcelona Km, 38.2, 28800 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain 3 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
Increasing urbanization and industrialization is producing highly contaminated urban topsoils with trace elements which may impact in the morbidity and mortality of the population. As a consequence, a comprehensive environmental monitoring study was undertaken in Alcalá de Henares, as it is one of the largest cities in the Madrid Region, Spain. Evaluation of Al, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Ti, Tl, V and Zn in topsoils collected from urban parks from 4 different zones was performed. Zones had different density of green areas, open spaces, urban environment, density of traffic and industrial activities. Be (p < 0.001), Cr (p < 0.05), Ni (p < 0.01), Sn (p < 0.01) and Ti (p < 0.05) showed statistically significances between zones. However, these elements also displayed a different pattern in distribution in the soil samples in each zone studied. This variation would be a reflection of several sources of these pollutants at the same time, both natural (geological, hydrological, and meteorological) and anthropogenic, creating was called “diffuse pollution” in urban topsoils. This diffuse pollution may present a risk for human health as trace element concentrations can vary dramatically between zones even at small distances. Thus, the levels of Be (0.17–2.57 mg kg−1 ) would require remediation in certain parts of the city as they were higher that the regulatory guidance values for this metal. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2016.06.2081 P23-003 Mercury, amalgam and toxicity knowledge in dental patients H. Sino, T. Ho, J. Schulze ∗ Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany Amalgam has been used in dental applications for more than 100 years; due to the systemic toxicity of organic mercury compounds its use has decreased. Currently in Germany most dentists use alternative materials to fill dental cavities. Mercury toxicity has been widely discussed and exaggerated in the lay press; therefore we have tried to determine the lay person knowledge about mercury, amalgam and mercury toxicity in patients of two large dental offices in Germany. We have developed a questionnaire including sociodemographic data, formal education, income, current information sources commonly used and questions of mercury properties and effects in humans; most questions were statements to be answered by “yes”, “no” or “don’t know”. In addition, we evaluated the general acceptance of amalgam fillings. We included 400 patients or relatives of accompanying persons. Most participants got their information from the Internet, newspapers or radio/TV, only a small minority indicated scientific reports. In general, knowl-
P23 – Risk communication P23-001 Risk assessment driven by inadequate and inappropriate communication 3, ˇ T. Fatur 1 , J. Kuˇzner 2 , B. Jeretin 3 , D. Stajnbaher L. Peterlin Maˇsiˇc 4 , M. Krˇzan 5 , M. Filipiˇc 6 , L. Perhariˇc 1,∗ 1
National Institute of Public Health, Zaloˇska 29, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 2 Slovenian Society of Toxicology, Gerbiˇ ceva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 3 National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food, Prvomajska 1, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia 4 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aˇ skerˇceva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 5 Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 6 National Institute of Biology, Veˇ cna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia To control the Varroa several bee-keepers used illegal products containing amitraz, chlorfenvinphos and rotenone. Imprecise communication and intimidating interpretations of residues in honey and honeycomb caused severe public concern. Risk assessment for consumers was requested. Using gas chromatography with mass selective detector for amitraz and its metabolites (level of determination – LOD <0.05 mg/kg, honey; <0.20 mg/kg, honeycomb) and chlorfenvinphos (LOD <0.01 mg/kg; honey; <0.05 mg/kg, honeycomb), chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for rotenoids (LOD <0.01 mg/kg, honey; <0.20 mg/kg; honeycomb), 20 samples were analysed. The risk was assessed according to the International Programme on Chemical Safety and the Scientific Committees of the European Commission Methodology. Only amitraz and chlorfenvinphos exceeded LOD with peak concentrations of amitraz at 4.1 mg/kg in honeycomb and 0.14 mg/kg in honey (maximum residue level is <0.2 mg/kg), and 0.71 mg chlorfenvinphos/kg honeycomb. Assuming the 95th percentile daily consumption of honey (20 g in toddlers, 40 g in adults) the acute exposure would be 30–100 times below the acute reference dose for amitraz (0.01 mg/kg bw/day) and the chronic exposure 10–30 times below the acceptable daily intake (0.003 mg/kg bw/day). Although the honeycomb was not intended for human consumption we calculated the amount without appreciable risk. The biological significance of a combined exposure was unlikely. Our risk assessment was widely presented with little effect. To avoid communication noise we proposed harmonized communication pathways among the competent institutions. However, risk assessment should not to be misused to justify the use of illegally manufactured products. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2016.06.2080
S317
P23-002 Metal and metalloid content variation in adjacent urban topsoils: Relevance to public health ˜ Fernandez 3 ˜ 1,∗ , M. Lobo Bedmar 2 , A. Pena M. González Munoz 1
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Toxicology Unit, Universidad de Alcalá, Crta. Madrid-Barcelona Km, 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain 2 Departamento de Investigación Agroambiental, IMIDRA, Finca el Encín, Crta. Madrid-Barcelona Km, 38.2, 28800 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain 3 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
Increasing urbanization and industrialization is producing highly contaminated urban topsoils with trace elements which may impact in the morbidity and mortality of the population. As a consequence, a comprehensive environmental monitoring study was undertaken in Alcalá de Henares, as it is one of the largest cities in the Madrid Region, Spain. Evaluation of Al, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Ti, Tl, V and Zn in topsoils collected from urban parks from 4 different zones was performed. Zones had different density of green areas, open spaces, urban environment, density of traffic and industrial activities. Be (p < 0.001), Cr (p < 0.05), Ni (p < 0.01), Sn (p < 0.01) and Ti (p < 0.05) showed statistically significances between zones. However, these elements also displayed a different pattern in distribution in the soil samples in each zone studied. This variation would be a reflection of several sources of these pollutants at the same time, both natural (geological, hydrological, and meteorological) and anthropogenic, creating was called “diffuse pollution” in urban topsoils. This diffuse pollution may present a risk for human health as trace element concentrations can vary dramatically between zones even at small distances. Thus, the levels of Be (0.17–2.57 mg kg−1 ) would require remediation in certain parts of the city as they were higher that the regulatory guidance values for this metal. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2016.06.2081 P23-003 Mercury, amalgam and toxicity knowledge in dental patients H. Sino, T. Ho, J. Schulze ∗ Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany Amalgam has been used in dental applications for more than 100 years; due to the systemic toxicity of organic mercury compounds its use has decreased. Currently in Germany most dentists use alternative materials to fill dental cavities. Mercury toxicity has been widely discussed and exaggerated in the lay press; therefore we have tried to determine the lay person knowledge about mercury, amalgam and mercury toxicity in patients of two large dental offices in Germany. We have developed a questionnaire including sociodemographic data, formal education, income, current information sources commonly used and questions of mercury properties and effects in humans; most questions were statements to be answered by “yes”, “no” or “don’t know”. In addition, we evaluated the general acceptance of amalgam fillings. We included 400 patients or relatives of accompanying persons. Most participants got their information from the Internet, newspapers or radio/TV, only a small minority indicated scientific reports. In general, knowl-