title: Biomarker measurements of concurrent exposure to multiple environmental chemicals and chemical classes in children.
abstract: Concern is mounting that children from disadvantaged, low-income neighborhoods are likely to be both more exposed to chemical hazards and more susceptible to related adverse health effects. This article reports measurements of >75 individual biomarkers spanning 7 chemical/pollutant classes in blood and urine from more than 100 children living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse area of south Minneapolis, MN. Results indicate that a significant proportion of children in the study were at the high end of the exposure distribution compared to national reference ranges for a variety of environmental chemicals and/or their metabolites, including phthalates, organochlorine pesticides, organophosphate pesticides, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, and volatile organic compounds. In addition, levels of cotinine in urine indicate that more than half the children were regularly exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, with the upper 10th percentile exposed to relatively high concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas School of Public Health, Brownsville, Texas 78520, USA. ken.sexton@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sexton
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Adgate
authors.forename: Dana Boyd
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Larry L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Needham
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D008910:Minnesota; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D008670:Metals; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; C032279:phthalic acid; D003367:Cotinine