Italian network for human biomonitoring of metals: preliminary results from two regions

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Abstract

The Italian program for human biomonitoring (HBM) of chemical elements, PROgram for Biomonitoring of the Exposure (PROBE), started in 2008 with the aim to provide the knowledge about risk assessment of the Italian population following the environmental exposure to metals. The project is implemented through a HBM campaign for the production of data on 19 metals in the blood and serum of subjects living in different Italian Regions. The metals studied are: antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, iridium, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, thallium, tin, tungsten, uranium and vanadium. The first phase of the project has included the development and validation of laboratory protocols for the collection of fluids and quantification of metals. The second phase provides the HBM data expressed as the reference values (RVs) for the Italian population, i.e., as the level of metals in the general population not occupationally exposed. In this paper, the experimental protocols used for the maintenance of high standards of analysis and the RVs for metals in serum of inhabitants of two Italian Regions (Calabria and Umbria) are described.

Translated abstract

Il programma italiano per il biomonitoraggio umano degli elementi chimici, PROgramma per il Biomonitoraggio dell'Esposizione (PROBE), è stato avviato nel 2008 con l'obiettivo di fornire le conoscenze necessarie per la stima del rischio della popolazione italiana in seguito all'esposizione ambientale a metalli. Il progetto è realizzato attraverso una campagna di biomonitoraggio per ottenere dati su 19 metalli nel sangue e nel siero di soggetti distribuiti in varie regioni italiane. I metalli studiati sono: antimonio, berillio, cadmio, cobalto, cromo, iridio, manganese, mercurio, molibdeno, nichel, palladio, piombo, platino, rodio, stagno, tallio, tungsteno, uranio e vanadio. La prima fase del progetto ha previsto lo sviluppo e la validazione di protocolli di laboratorio per la raccolta dei fluidi e la quantificazione dei metalli. Nella seconda fase si forniscono i dati di biomonitoraggio, espressi come i valori di riferimento (VR) per la popolazione italiana, ovvero come i livelli dei metalli nella popolazione generale non professionalmente esposta. In questo lavoro si presentano i protocolli sperimentali utilizzati per il mantenimento di elevati standard analitici e i VR per i metalli nel siero di residenti in due regioni italiane (Calabria e Umbria).

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Most cited references 16

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Trace element reference values in tissues from inhabitants of the European community. I. A study of 46 elements in urine, blood and serum of Italian subjects.

G Nicolaou, C Minoia, P. APOSTOLI … (1990)

Neutron activation analysis-electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETA-AAS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) have been used for the determination of 46 elements in urine, 35 in blood and 26 in serum of unexposed Italian subjects living in the same region (Lombardy). The results allowed the proposal of reference values for various elements determined in more than 350 healthy subjects, these being Ag, Al, As, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Tl, V, Zn, in urine; Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, Tl, Zn in blood; and Ag, Al, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Tl, V, Zn in serum (or plasma). For all other elements indicative values are suggested. In addition to the mean value and the "reference range", a "range of uncertainty" and an upper limit above which metabolic abnormalities could be expected have also been defined on the basis of simple statistical considerations.