Development of national human biomonitoring programme in Slovenia

Abstract

In Slovenia patchy human biomonitoring (HBM) data have been collected over the past three decades, mainly in areas polluted with lead, mercury or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In 2007, the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) prepared a proposal for the national HBM programme based on the initiatives and recommendations of the World Health Organisation, the International Programme on Chemical Safety and the European Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010. In the absence of national reference values we proposed an initial two year cross-sectional environmental epidemiological study aiming to establish national reference values for selected chemicals in blood of 320 subjects; i.e. 40 males, and in blood and milk of 40 breastfeeding first time mothers, aged 20-35 years living in each of the four unpolluted areas, and fulfilling other specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the next two phases, inhabitants of other regions including heavily contaminated hot spots will be studied, thus involving in total 960 subjects in six years. We selected the following chemicals: benzene, cadmium, fluoride, lead, mercury, organochlorine pesticides, and a range of polybrominated dyphenyl ethers, polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzo furans and PCB congeners. The selection criteria were based on national air and soil monitoring results, toxicological hazard of chemicals, their persistence and bioaccumulation potential, estimated size of exposed populations, analytical capacity, certain public concerns, and trends in other countries. In order to help the identification of exposure sources we also proposed the contents of a detailed questionnaire to be completed by the participants. The first results were expected in 2010, but are not yet available. We expect that the results will provide a base to determine the national reference values, exposure of adults to selected chemicals irrespective of exposure route and exposure of babies via maternal milk, to establish the geographical differences in exposure, to identify and evaluate the sources of exposure, to compare the data internationally, as well as generate data for risk assessment, risk reduction measures, and indicate the needs for further studies.