Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

BIOAMBIENT.ES study protocol: rationale and design of a cross-sectional human biomonitoring survey in Spain

  • Short Research and Discussion Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Human biomonitoring (HBM), defined as the measurement of concentrations of chemicals or of their metabolites in human biological matrices, is considered the method of choice for determining internal exposures in individuals. HBM is part of environmental exposure surveillance systems in several countries. In 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment promoted BIOAMBIENT.ES project, a national-level HBM study on environmental pollutants carried out in Spain to estimate levels of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and other substances on the Spanish active workforce. BIOAMBIENT.ES is a nationwide cross-sectional study, with a stratified cluster sampling designed to cover all geographical areas, sex and occupational sectors, and aimed to obtain a representative sample of the Spanish workforce. Participants were recruited among people residing in Spain for 5 years or more, which underwent their annual occupational medical check-up in the health facilities of the Societies for Prevention of IBERMUTUAMUR, MUTUALIA, MC-PREVENCIÓN, MUGATRA, UNIMAT PREVENCIÓN, and PREVIMAC (March 2009–July 2010). A total of 1,892 subjects fulfilled the criteria for inclusion, donated biological samples (1,880 blood, 1,770 urine, and 577 hair) and completed a short self-administrated epidemiological questionnaire on environmental and lifestyle-related exposures. Additionally, clinical information from participant’s health exams was obtained. This project will provide a first overview of the body burden of selected pollutants in a representative sample of the Spanish-occupied population. This information will be useful to establish reference values of the studied population and, eventually, to evaluate temporal trends and the effectiveness of environmental and health policies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aguilera I, Daponte A, Gil F, Hernandez AF, Godoy P, Pla A, Ramos JL (2008) Biomonitoring of urinary metals in a population living in the vicinity of industrial sources: a comparison with the general population of Andalusia, Spain. Sci Total Environ 407:669–678

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aguilera I, Daponte A, Gil F, Hernandez AF, Godoy P, Pla A, Ramos JL, Daponte A, Aguilera I, Fernandez-Ajuria A, Toro S, Martin-Olmedo P, Lacasana M, Mayoral JM, Pla A, Gil F, Hernandez A, Villanueva E, Rodrigo L, de Santiago E, Lopez O, Ramos JL, Godoy P, Sanchez-Parra F (2010) Urinary levels of arsenic and heavy metals in children and adolescents living in the industrialised area of Ria of Huelva (SW Spain). Environ Int 36:563–569

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Angerer J, Ewers U, Wilhelm M (2007) Human biomonitoring: state of the art. Int J Hyg Environ Health 210:201–228. doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2007.01.024

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aragones N, Perez-Gomez B, Astray J, Gil E, Perez-Meixeira AM, de Paz C, Iriso A, Cisneros M, de Santos A, Arias P, Sanz JC, Asensio A, Fernandez MA, Gonzalez MJ, de Leon A, Garcia-Sagredo JM, Pollan M, Lopez-Abente G, Frutos GJ, Martinez M (2008) Biomonitoring of exposure to environmental pollutants in newborns and their parents in Madrid, Spain (BioMadrid): study design and field work results. Gac Sanit 22:483–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker K, Kaus S, Krause C, Lepom P, Schulz C, Seiwert M, Seifert B (2002) German Environmental Survey 1998 (GerES III): environmental pollutants in blood of the German population. Int J Hyg Environ Health 205:297–308. doi:10.1078/1438-4639-00155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernert JT, Turner WE, Patterson DG Jr, Needham LL (2007) Calculation of serum “total lipid” concentrations for the adjustment of persistent organohalogen toxicant measurements in human samples. Chemosphere 68:824–831. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.02.043

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bleda M, Tobías A (2002) Aplicación de los modelos de regresión tobit en la modelización de variables epidemiológicas censuradas. Gac Sanit 16:188–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Cañas A, Castaño A, Esteban M, Navarro C, Jimenez J (2010) Selection of sampling material for the analysis of heavy metals in blood for human biomonitoring studies. Toxicol Lett 196:S44. doi:10.1016/S0378-4274(10)01450-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castaño A, Esteban M, Roman J, Pérez B, Jimenez J, Pastor R, Calvo E, Díaz G, Ruiz M, Pollan M, Aragonés N, Navarro C, Cañas A, Huetos O, Bartolome M, Lopez-Abente G (2009) A national human biomonitoring program on pops and heavy metals in spain. Epidemiology 20:S243. doi:10.1097/01.ede.0000362814.59310.9b

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/about_nhanes.htm. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) Biomonitoring program. Available from www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • Esteban M, Ruiz-Moraga M, Pérez-Gómez B, Grupo BIOAMBIENT.ES, Castaño A (2012) Practical aspects of the pre-analytical phase in BIOAMBIENT.ES. Gac Sanit (in press)

  • European Commission (2012a) Consultative forum on Environment and Health. Available from http://ec.europa.eu/health/healthy_environments/working_groups/index_en.htm. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • European Commission (2012b) EU Mercury strategy. Available from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/mercury/index.htm. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • European Commission (2012c) Statistical classification of economic activities. Available from http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/product_details/publication?p_product_code=KS-RA-07-015

  • European Union (2005) Science, Children, Awareness, Legal instrument, Evaluation (SCALE initiative). Available from http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/environment/general_provisions/l28133_es.htm. Accessed 7 August 2012

  • Ewers U, Krause C, Schulz C, Wilhelm M (1999) Reference values and human biological monitoring values for environmental toxins. Report on the work and recommendations of the Commission on Human Biological Monitoring of the German Federal Environmental Agency. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 72:255–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flemish Centre of Expertise of Environmental Health (2007) Flemish Human Biomonitoring Program: monitoring and surveillance. Available from http://www.milieu-en-gezondheid.be/English/Luik21case%20studies.html. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • Fréry N, Saoudi A, Garnier R, Zeghnoun A, Falq G, Guldner L (2010) Exposure of the French population to environmental pollutants—environmental components of the French national survey on nutrition and health—initial results. French institute for public health. Surveillance, Saint-Maurice (Fra)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez CA, Kogevinas M, Gadea E, Huici A, Bosch A, Bleda MJ, Papke O (2000) Biomonitoring study of people living near or working at a municipal solid-waste incinerator before and after two years of operation. Arch Environ Health 55:259–267. doi:10.1080/00039890009603416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Health Canada (2010) Report on Human Biomonitoring of Environmental Chemicals in Canada. Results of the Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 1 (2007–2009). Health Canada, Ottawa

  • Horvitz DG, Thompson DJ (1952) A generalization of sampling without replacement from a finite universe. J Am Stat Assoc 47:663–685

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2009) Spanish Active Population Survey 2009. Avaialble from www.ine.es. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2011) National Classification of Economic Activities 2009. Available from http://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do?type=pcaxis&path=/t40/clasrev&file=inebase. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2012) Spanish Active Population Survey 2007. Available from www.ine.es. Accessed 2 August 2012

  • Kim NS, Lee BK (2010) Blood total mercury and fish consumption in the Korean general population in KNHANES III, 2005. Sci Total Environ 408:4841–4847. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.06.026

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Llop S, Aguinagalde X, Vioque J, Ibarluzea J, Guxens M, Casas M, Murcia M, Ruiz M, Amurrio A, Rebagliato M, Marina LS, Fernandez-Somoano A, Tardon A, Ballester F (2011) Prenatal exposure to lead in Spain: cord blood levels and associated factors. Sci Total Environ 409:2298–2305. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.02.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manno M, Viau C, Cocker J, Colosio C, Lowry L, Mutti A, Nordberg M, Wang S (2010) Biomonitoring for occupational health risk assessment (BOHRA). Toxicol Lett 192:3–16. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.05.001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ministerio de Agricultura Alimentación y Medio Ambiente (2007) Encomienda de gestión entre el ministerio de medio ambiente y el instituto de salud carlos III, para la investigación sobre la presencia y vigilancia de contaminantes orgánicos persistentes y otras sustancias en humanos. Boletín Oficial del Estado 192:34495–34500

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministerio de Agricultura Alimentación y Medio Ambiente (2012) Policies Declaration for the National Implementation Plan (NIP) of the Stockholm Convention and of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. Avaialble from http://www.cnrcop.es/gc/assets/docs/pnestocolmofinal.pdf. Accessed 1 August 2012

  • National Institute of Public Health (2011) Environmental health monitoring system in the Czech Republic. Summary report 2009. http://www.szu.cz/uploads/documents/chzp/souhrnna_zprava/Szu_10.pdf. Accessed 1 August 2012

  • Paustenbach D, Galbraith D (2006) Biomonitoring: is body burden relevant to public health. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 44:249–261. doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2006.01.005

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porta M, Gasull M, Puigdomenech E, Gari M, Bosch DB, Guillen M, Lopez T, Bigas E, Pumarega J, Llebaria X, Grimalt JO, Tresserras R (2010) Distribution of blood concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in a representative sample of the population of Catalonia. Environ Int 36:655–664. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porta M, Lopez T, Gasull M, Rodriguez-Sanz M, Gari M, Pumarega J, Borrell C, Grimalt JO (2012) Distribution of blood concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in a representative sample of the population of Barcelona in 2006, and comparison with levels in 2002. Sci Total Environ 423:151–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porta M, Puigdomenech E, Ballester F, Selva J, Ribas-Fito N, Llop S, Lopez T (2008) Monitoring concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in the general population: the international experience. Environ Int 34:546–561. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2007.10.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seifert B, Becker K, Hoffmann K, Krause C, Schulz C (2000) The German environmental survey 1990/1992 (GerES II): a representative population study. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 10:103–114. doi:10.1038/sj.jea.7500075

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (1996) Biological monitoring of chemical exposure in the workplace. WHO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Zumbado M, Goethals M, Alvarez-Leon EE, Luzardo OP, Cabrera F, Serra-Majem L, Dominguez-Boada L (2005) Inadvertent exposure to organochlorine pesticides DDT and derivatives in people from the Canary Islands (Spain). Sci Total Environ 339:49–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, previously named Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (SEG 1251/07).

Conflict of interest

The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Cancer Epidemiology Unit, National Centre for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    Beatriz Pérez-Gómez, Roberto Pastor-Barriuso, Marta Cervantes-Amat, Nuria Aragonés, Marina Pollán & Gonzalo López-Abente

  2. CIBERESP, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain

    Beatriz Pérez-Gómez, Roberto Pastor-Barriuso, Marta Cervantes-Amat, Nuria Aragonés, Marina Pollán & Gonzalo López-Abente

  3. Environmental Toxicology Area, National Centre on Environmental Health, Carlos III Institute of Health, Carretera Majadahonda- Pozuelo km. 2, Majadahonda, 28220, Madrid, Spain

    Marta Esteban, Carmen Navarro & Argelia Castaño

  4. Ibermutuamur, C/Ramírez de Arellano 27, 4ª planta, 28043, Madrid, Spain

    Montserrat Ruiz-Moraga, Eva Calvo & Javier Román

Authors
  1. Beatriz Pérez-Gómez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roberto Pastor-Barriuso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marta Cervantes-Amat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marta Esteban
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Montserrat Ruiz-Moraga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Nuria Aragonés
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Marina Pollán
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Carmen Navarro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Eva Calvo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Javier Román
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Gonzalo López-Abente
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Argelia Castaño
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Consortia

on behalf of BIOAMBIENT.ES

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beatriz Pérez-Gómez.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Other members of BIOAMBIENT.ES: Jose A. Jimenez , Ana I. Cañas, Olga Huetos, Mónica Bartolomé,Carolina Rodríguez, Gema Díaz, Ana López-Herranz, Juan Mayor, José Manuel Aleixandre, Miquel Vila,Carlos-Félix Méndez, Mª Victoria Cortés, Mª Ángeles Molina.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pérez-Gómez, B., Pastor-Barriuso, R., Cervantes-Amat, M. et al. BIOAMBIENT.ES study protocol: rationale and design of a cross-sectional human biomonitoring survey in Spain. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 1193–1202 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1320-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1320-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation