title: Population variation in biomonitoring data for persistent organic pollutants (POPs): an examination of multiple population-based datasets for application to Australian pooled biomonitoring data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Australian national biomonitoring for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) relies upon age-specific pooled serum samples to characterize central tendencies of concentrations but does not provide estimates of upper bound concentrations. This analysis compares population variation from biomonitoring datasets from the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Belgium to identify and test patterns potentially useful for estimating population upper bound reference values for the Australian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Arithmetic means and the ratio of the 95th percentile to the arithmetic mean (P95:mean) were assessed by survey for defined age subgroups for three polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 138, 153, and 180), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), 2,2',4,4' tetrabrominated diphenylether (PBDE 47), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arithmetic mean concentrations of each analyte varied widely across surveys and age groups. However, P95:mean ratios differed to a limited extent, with no systematic variation across ages. The average P95:mean ratios were 2.2 for the three PCBs and HCB; 3.0 for DDE; 2.0 and 2.3 for PFOA and PFOS, respectively. The P95:mean ratio for PBDE 47 was more variable among age groups, ranging from 2.7 to 4.8. The average P95:mean ratios accurately estimated age group-specific P95s in the Flemish Environmental Health Survey II and were used to estimate the P95s for the Australian population by age group from the pooled biomonitoring data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar population variation patterns for POPs were observed across multiple surveys, even when absolute concentrations differed widely. These patterns can be used to estimate population upper bounds when only pooled sampling data are available.
authors.affiliation: Summit Toxicology LLP, Falls Church, VA, USA; National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (ENTOX), University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: laylward@summittoxicology.com.
authors.forename: Lesa L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Aylward
authors.affiliation: Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Mar Institute of Medical Research - IMIM, Barcelona, CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Leisa-Maree
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Toms
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute of Technology (VITO), Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Elly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Den Hond
authors.affiliation: Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Mar Institute of Medical Research - IMIM, Barcelona, CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasull
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Mar Institute of Medical Research - IMIM, Barcelona, CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pumarega
authors.affiliation: Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.affiliation: Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
authors.forename: Marike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolossa-Gehring
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute of Technology (VITO), Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schoeters
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (ENTOX), University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Jochen F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D001315:Australia; D002210:Caprylates / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002210:Caprylates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Biomonitoring; Persistent organic pollutants; Population monitoring; Variation