title: Blood and urinary levels of metals and metalloids in the general adult population of Northern France: The IMEPOGE study, 2008-2010.
abstract: The assessment of human chemical risks related to occupational or environmental exposure to pollutants requires the use of both accurate exposure indicators and reference values. The objective of this study was to evaluate the blood and urinary levels of various metals and metalloids in a sample of adults aged 20-59 years of the general population of Northern France, a formerly heavily industrialised area that retains some industrial activity.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2008 and 2010, enrolling 2000 residents of Northern France. The quota method was used to guarantee the representativeness of the participants on a sex, age, social category and smoking status basis, according to the census done by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. The levels of 14 metals: aluminium (Al), antimony (Sb), total arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), thallium (Tl), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) were quantified by ICP-MS in urine and blood samples.
  
  
  
  A total of 982 men and 1018 women participated, allowing the analysis of 1992 blood and 1910 urine samples. Some metal(loid)s were detected in over 99% of the blood (Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb) and urine (As, Co, Pb, Zn) samples and the remaining metals in 84-99% of the samples, with the exception of blood V (19%), blood Be (57%) and urine Be (58%). Mean blood levels of Pb and Zn were significantly higher in men, and Mn, Co and Cr in women. In urine, mean Pb, Tl and Sb concentrations were significantly higher in men, and Al and Co in women. Current smokers had significantly higher mean levels of blood Cd and Pb and lower blood Co, Mn and Hg. In urine (adjusted on urinary creatinine), the smokers had higher mean levels of Cd, Pb, V and Zn and lower mean levels of As, Co, and Hg. Overall, the mean urinary levels of most metal(loid)s found in the general population of Northern France were higher than those found in the French national survey for the same period except for urinary V. Mean blood lead level was markedly less than that of the French national population.
  
  
  
  This first biomonitoring survey of a large number of metal(loid)s in the general population of Northern France provides useful information on exposure levels to toxic elements and highlights the specificity of the regional environment. These data could be used, in complement to the national human biomonitoring reference values, for the interpretation of biomonitoring results.
authors.affiliation: Univ. Lille, EA 4483 - IMPECS - IMPact of Environmental ChemicalS on human health, F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Pôle de Santé Publique, F-59000 Lille, France; Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: catherine.nisse@univ-lille2.fr.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nisse
authors.affiliation: Univ. Lille, EA 4483 - IMPECS - IMPact of Environmental ChemicalS on human health, F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Pôle de Santé Publique, F-59000 Lille, France; Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: romualdfotso@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Romuald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tagne-Fotso
authors.affiliation: Univ. Lille, Centre Universitaire de Mesures et d'Analyses, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: mike.howsam@univ-lille2.fr.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Howsam
authors.affiliation: CHU Lille, Laboratoire de Toxicologie et Génopathies, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: camille.richeval@chru-lille.fr.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richeval
authors.affiliation: CHU Lille, Laboratoire de Toxicologie et Génopathies, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: laurence.labat@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Labat
authors.affiliation: Univ. Lille, EA 4483 - IMPECS - IMPact of Environmental ChemicalS on human health, F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Pôle de Santé Publique, F-59000 Lille, France; Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: ariane.leroyer@univ-lille2.fr.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leroyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Aluminium (PubChem CID: 5359268); Arsenic (PubChem CID: 5359596); Cadmium (PubChem CID: 23973); Chromium (PubChem CID: 23976); Cobalt (PubChem CID: 104730); Cross-sectional study; Environmental exposure; Human biomonitoring; ICP-MS; Industrialised area; Lead (PubChem CID: 5352425); Manganese (PubChem CID: 23930); Mercury (PubChem CID: 23931); Metals and metalloids; Nickel (PubChem CID: 935); Vanadium (PubChem CID: 23990)