Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, prevalent in approximately 50–70% of the dementia cases. AD affects memory, and it is a progressive disease interfering with cognitive abilities, behaviour and functioning of the person affected. In 2015, there were 47 million people affected by dementia worldwide, and the figure was estimated to increase to 75 million in 2030 and to 132 million by 2050. In the framework of European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU), 18 substances or substance groups were prioritized for investigation. For each of the priority substances, a scoping document was prepared. Based on these scoping documents and complementary review of the recent literature, a scoping review of HBM4EU-priority substances which might be associated with AD was conducted. A possible association between risk of AD and pesticides was detected. For mercury (Hg), association is possible but inconsistent. Regarding cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), the results are inconsistent but inclined towards possible associations between the substances and the risk of disease. The evidence regarding lead (Pb) was weaker than for the other substances; however, possible associations exist. Although there is evidence of adverse neurological effects of environmental substances, more research is needed. Environmental chemical exposure and the related hazards are essential concerns for public health, and they could be preventable.
Highlights
Eighteen substances and substance groups were selected based on two prioritization rounds: acrylamide, anilines, aprotic solvents, arsenic (As), benzophenones (UV filters), bisphenols, cadmium (Cd), chromium VI (Cr VI), flame retardants (FRs), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), mycotoxins, per- and poly-fluorinated substances (PFASs), pesticides, phthalates and Hexamoll ® Dinch, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chemical mixtures and emerging chemicals
Because pesticides comprise a huge group of diverse chemical substances, the following pesticides were prioritised in the HBM4EU project: pyrethroids, chlorpyrifos and dimethoate, fipronil, and glyphosate
The HBM4EU priority substances mentioned in the studies were the ones selected for the review
Summary
Dementia is an umbrella term for various diseases, including AD, which affect memory, thinking, behavior and emotion of a person leading to obstacles in daily living [1]. These are diseases which are regarded as chronic or progressive in nature including degeneration of cognitive function. The overall disease group of dementia is caused by different diseases and injuries influencing the brain, and the World Health Organization (WHO) considers dementia as a public health priority [2] These diseases cause a significant health and economic burden worldwide. Urine: long-term accumulation and exposure, blood: short-term exposure, sometimes measured in hair, nails, saliva, breast milk, placenta, or meconium Pb [10,18,20,21]
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