Exposure of the general French population to metals and metalloids in 2014–2016: Results from the Esteban study

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of the Esteban study was to describe levels of various biomarkers of exposure to several environmental pollutants, including metals and metalloids, among the French population. This paper describes the distribution of concentrations of 28 metals and metalloids in two different populations, and estimates the main determinants of exposure to total arsenic, the sum of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and its two metabolites monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury and nickel. MethodsEsteban is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2014 and 2016 on a random sample of 2503 adults (18–74 years old) and 1104 children (6–17 years old) from the general population. The data collected included biological samples (blood, hair, and urines), socio-demographic characteristics, environmental and occupational exposure, and information on dietary factors and lifestyle. The geometric mean and percentiles of the distribution were estimated for each metal. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the determinants of exposure using a generalized linear model. ResultsOnly four metals had a quantification rate below 90% in adults (beryllium, iridium, palladium, and platinum), and three metals in children (beryllium, iridium, and platinum). The concentrations of total arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury were higher than those found in most international studies. The determinants significantly associated with exposure were mainly diet and smoking. ConclusionsEsteban provided a nationwide description of 28 metal and metalloid exposure levels for adults (some never measured before) and for the first time in children. The study results highlighted widespread exposure to several metals and metalloids. These results could be used to advocate public health decisions for continued efforts to reduce harmful exposure to toxic metals. The Reference values (RV95) built from Esteban could also be used to support future government strategies.