title: Tentative reference values for environmental pollutants in blood or urine from the children of Kinshasa.
abstract: The DRC, as most of African nations, does not have a national biomonitoring programme and there is a lack of information on background levels of environmental pollutants in the general DRC population, particularly in children. The focus of the data presented in this report aims to establish the background levels of a range of environmental pollutants in urine or blood from the children population of Kinshasa. Based on the representative data collection of the Kinshasa population, the survey selected 125 children aged 1-14years and living in Kinshasa (6years on average, 56% of girls, 100% of non-smokers, without amalgam fillings and consumers of fish 3 times per week). Biomarkers of a range of metals (As, Cd, Hg and Pb), pyrene (PAH) and benzene were analyzed in the blood or urine samples. Globally, the results indicate that the exposure levels of children living in Kinshasa are 10 times higher than those published by the American, Canadian and German children surveys. This study provides the first Reference Values of environmental pollutants [As, Cd, Hg, Pb, pyrene (PAH) and benzene] in the Kinshasa children population and reveals elevated levels of all biomarkers studied. The data set of this study may allow environmental and health authorities of DRC to undertake a national biomonitoring programme, especially with four insights for the protection of human heath.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Health and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, USA; Louvain Center for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (LTAP), UCL, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: joeltuakuila@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tuakuila
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Health and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kabamba
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Health and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Health and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mbuyi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011721:Pyrenes; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; C030984:pyrene; D008628:Mercury; D001554:Benzene; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Children; Environmental pollutants; Human biomonitoring; Kinshasa population; Reference values