Health effects in the Flemish population in relation to low levels of mercury exposure: from organ to transcriptome level.
Due to possible health risks, quantification of mercury accumulation in humans was included in the Flemish biomonitoring programmes FLEHS I (2002-2006) and FLEHS II (2007-2011). The general objective of FLEHS I was to assess regional exposure levels in order to link possible differences in these internal exposure levels to different types of local environmental pressure. Therefore, Hg and MMHg (methylmercury) were only measured in pooled blood samples per region and per age class. In FLEHS II, mercury concentrations were measured in hair of each participant. About 200 adolescents and 250 mothers (reference group) and two times 200 adolescents (2 hotspots) were screened. The main objectives of the FLEHS II study were: (1) to determine reference levels of mercury in hair for Flanders; (2) to assess relations between mercury exposure and possible sources like fish consumption; (3) to assess dose-effect relations between mercury exposure and health effect markers. The results showed that mercury concentrations in the Flemish population were rather low compared to other studies. Mercury levels in the Flemish populations were strongly related to the age of the participants and consumption of fish. Significant negative associations were observed between mercury in hair and asthma, having received breast feeding as a newborn, age at menarche in girls, allergy for animals and free testosterone levels. Significant correlations were also observed between mercury in hair and genes JAK2, ARID4A, Hist1HA4L (boys) and HLAdrb5, PIAS2, MANN1B1, GIT and ABCA1 (girls).
Free University of Brussels (VUB), Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (ANCH), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Kim
K
Croes
Ghent University Hospital, Study Centre for Carcinogenesis and Primary Prevention of Cancer, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Sam
S
De Coster
Free University of Brussels (VUB), Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (ANCH), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Sandra
S
De Galan
University of Antwerp, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Sint Jacobstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Bert
B
Morrens
University of Antwerp, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Sint Jacobstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Ilse
I
Loots
Provincial Institute for Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Els
E
Van de Mieroop
Provincial Institute for Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Vera
V
Nelen
Ghent University, Department of Public Health, UZ-2 Blok A, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Research Foundation - Flanders, Egmontstraat 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
Isabelle
I
Sioen
Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium.
Liesbeth
L
Bruckers
School of Public Health, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 (O&N 706), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Tim
T
Nawrot
Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Health and Risk, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
Ann
A
Colles
Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Health and Risk, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
Elly
E
Den Hond
Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Health and Risk, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
Greet
G
Schoeters
Ghent University Hospital, Study Centre for Carcinogenesis and Primary Prevention of Cancer, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Nicolas
N
van Larebeke
Free University of Brussels (VUB), Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (ANCH), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Willy
W
Baeyens
Free University of Brussels (VUB), Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (ANCH), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: yue.gao@vub.ac.be.
Yue
Y
Gao
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001530:Belgium; D001942:Breast Feeding; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008572:Menarche; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D013739:Testosterone; D008628:Mercury
FLEHS; Gene expression; Health effects; Human biomonitoring; Mercury; Methylmercury