Data available in the PEH Data Platform

The PEH Data Platform was developed during the HBM4EU project and currently hosts the data from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies and the MoM-study (Methylmercury-contrOl in expectant Mothers through suitable dietary advice for pregnancy). The platform will be expanded with new data generated under PARC.

HBM4EU Aligned Studies

As one of the core elements of HBM4EU a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (Gilles et al. 2021¹, Gilles et al. 2022², Govarts et al. 2023³). The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participants of three age groups: (i) 3,576 children aged 6-12 years, (ii) 3,117 teenagers aged 12-18 years and (iii) 4,102 young adults aged 20-39 years. The participants were recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11 to 12 countries per age group, geographically distributed across Europe. Depending on the age group, internal exposure to phthalates and the substitute DINCH, halogenated and organophosphorus flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), cadmium, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic species, acrylamide, mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol (total DON)), benzophenones and selected pesticides was assessed by measuring substance specific biomarkers subjected to stringent quality control programs for chemical analysis.

Figure 1: Overview of HBM4U Aligned Studies

Detailed overview of available data

Table 1: Overview of exposure data HBM4EU Aligned Studies in children.

 

Table 2: Overview of effect biomarker data HBM4EU Aligned Studies in children.

 

Table 3: Overview of health outcome information HBM4EU Aligned Studies in children.

 

Table 4: Overview of exposure data HBM4EU Aligned Studies in teenagers.

 

Table 5: Overview of effect biomarker data HBM4EU Aligned Studies in teenagers. 

 

Table 6: Overview of health outcome information HBM4EU Aligned Studies in teenagers. 

Table 7: Overview of exposure data HBM4EU Aligned Studies in adults.

Table 8: Overview of health outcome information HBM4EU Aligned Studies in adults. 

 

HBM4EU MoM-study

HBM4EU MoM-study was an intervention study, whose target population were pregnant women living in Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Iceland and Portugal. The study was implemented in two phases. In Phase 1, pregnant women (up to 20th week) were recruited through their health care providers and provided hair samples to assess their baseline exposure to mercury. Through assisted interviews, participants provided related personal information (e.g., sociodemographic information, fish consumption patterns, other possible exposures to mercury, preferences). Women were randomized in a “control group”, which did not receive the HBM4EU-MOM intervention, and an “intervention group”, which received the intervention. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed in Phase 2 (close to birth) through a second round of human biomonitoring (HBM) sampling involving a second analysis of total mercury in hair.

Figure 2: Overview of HBM4EU-MOM Survey

References

1. Gilles, Govarts et al., 2021. HBM4EU combines and harmonises human biomonitoring data across the EU, building on existing capacity - The HBM4EU survey. Int J Hyg Environ Health 237, 113809.

2. Gilles et al., 2022. Harmonization of Human Biomonitoring Studies in Europe: Characteristics of the HBM4EU-Aligned Studies Participants. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19

3. Govarts et al., 2023. Harmonized human biomonitoring in European children, teenagers and adults: EU-wide exposure data of 11 chemical substance groups from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (2014-2021). Int J Hyg Environ Health.