TY - JOUR
T1 - Environmental chemical exposures among Greenlandic children in relation to diet and residence
AU - Timmermann, Clara Amalie Gade
AU - Pedersen, Henning Sloth
AU - Budtz-Jørgensen, Esben
AU - Bjerregaard, Peter
AU - Oulhote, Youssef
AU - Weihe, Pál
AU - Nielsen, Flemming
AU - Grandjean, Philippe
PY - 2019/12
Y1 - 2019/12
N2 - The objective of this study was to identify geographic, dietary, and other predictors for childhood exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and methylmercury in Greenlandic children. The study includes cross-sectional data from 367 Greenlandic children aged 7 to 12 years examined during 2012-2015. A parent or guardian participated in a structured interview, and a blood sample from the child was analysed for PFASs, PCBs and total mercury. Predictors for the environmental exposures were identified using linear regression. Area of residence was found to have the strongest explanatory power, accounting for 24% to 68% of the variance in the serum concentrations. Information about diet was available for two-thirds of the children, and among these, consumption of traditional Greenlandic food accounted for 2% to 10% of the variance in the biomarker concentrations. Models including all predictors associated with at least one of the environmental chemicals explained 19% to 54% of the total variance. In conclusion, area is a likely proxy for a traditional marine diet, and together area and diet constitute the most important predictors of exposure to methylmercury, PCBs and PFASs among Greenlandic children.
AB - The objective of this study was to identify geographic, dietary, and other predictors for childhood exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and methylmercury in Greenlandic children. The study includes cross-sectional data from 367 Greenlandic children aged 7 to 12 years examined during 2012-2015. A parent or guardian participated in a structured interview, and a blood sample from the child was analysed for PFASs, PCBs and total mercury. Predictors for the environmental exposures were identified using linear regression. Area of residence was found to have the strongest explanatory power, accounting for 24% to 68% of the variance in the serum concentrations. Information about diet was available for two-thirds of the children, and among these, consumption of traditional Greenlandic food accounted for 2% to 10% of the variance in the biomarker concentrations. Models including all predictors associated with at least one of the environmental chemicals explained 19% to 54% of the total variance. In conclusion, area is a likely proxy for a traditional marine diet, and together area and diet constitute the most important predictors of exposure to methylmercury, PCBs and PFASs among Greenlandic children.
U2 - 10.1080/22423982.2019.1642090
DO - 10.1080/22423982.2019.1642090
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 31339476
VL - 78
JO - International Journal of Circumpolar Health
JF - International Journal of Circumpolar Health
SN - 1239-9736
IS - 1
M1 - 1642090
ER -