OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the intake (by various routes of exposure) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by children living in a Czech city, and its effect on excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in summer and winter periods. METHODS: Four groups of children (3-6 years old) were chosen: (1) two groups from a kindergarten situated in the city center with a higher traffic density ("polluted" area); (2) two groups from a kindergarten situated in a green zone of the same city ("non-polluted" area). Food consumption was recorded in all children and PAH intake from foodstuffs was estimated. Ambient air samples were collected from the playground and inside the kindergartens. Soil samples were collected too. Morning and evening urine samples were collected during sampling days. RESULTS: In both seasons, the mean outdoor total PAH concentration (sum of 12 individual PAH) in the -polluted" area was approximately three-times higher than that in the "non-polluted" area. Indoor concentration in the "polluted" area was more than six-times higher than that in the "non-polluted" area in summer, and almost three-times higher in winter. The same trend was observed for pyrene and for the sum of carcinogenic PAH. The contribution to the total pyrene absorbed dose from food consumption was much more important than that from inhalation and from ingestion of soil dust. Significantly higher urinary concentrations of 1-OHP (evening samples) were found in children from the "polluted" kindergarten in both seasons. The number of significant relationships between 1-OHP and pyrene absorbed dose was weak. CONCLUSIONS: Food seems to be the main source of total pyrene and total PAH intake in small children, even under relatively higher air PAH exposure in the city. Estimated pyrene ingestion from soil had a negligible contribution to the total pyrene absorbed dose. Urinary 1-OHP seems to be an uncertain (non-sensitive) marker of the environmental inhalation exposure to pyrene (PAH) if the pollution of air by pyrene (PAH) is not excessive and the pyrene (PAH) dose by this route is much less than by ingestion. Usefulness of the urinary 1-OHP as an indicator of overall environmental exposure to PAH needs further investigation.

• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• polycyklické sloučeniny škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí analýza   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí MeSH
• polycyklické sloučeniny MeSH

Exposure limits for occupational and environmental chemical contaminants are based on animal experimentation and observation in humans. Usually, the final recommendations are "predictions" which can hardly guarantee the absolute safety for all. Late effects were discovered to lately in the past. The impact of the biotransformation of pollutants on their biological activity is demonstrated with trichloroethylene, styrene and N,N-dimethylformamide, which are suspected of having carcinogenic potential. In addition, trichloroethylene and N,N-dimethylformamide cause intolerance of alcohol with hyperacetaldehydemia; acetaldehyde is claimed to be carcinogenic as well. The biotransformation of these three widely used substances differs among various species. Different fate of chemicals in human and animal organisms results in the necessity to consider kinetic and metabolic studies in setting limits; in microorganisms also metabolites supposed to be formed in humans should be tested. Limits for some pollutants in various media are given.

• MeSH
• biotransformace MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pracovní expozice * zákonodárství a právo   MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí * zákonodárství a právo   MeSH
• zdravotní stav MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Československo MeSH
• Názvy látek
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí MeSH

1 Objectives of this study were (1) to compare concentrations of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in air of polluted and nonpolluted area of Czech Republic during winter and summer periods and (2) to verify if urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), as supposed practical biological marker, permits the assessment of spacial and temporal variations in environmental PAH exposure. 2 The study population consisted of three groups: (1) a group of 22 physical exercise students who regularly train outside, from the university situated in a polluted town, spending 14 days in winter and 14 days in summer in 'non-polluted' mountains; (2) a control group of 22 residents from the town and (3) a control group of 18 residents from the mountains. 3 The total PAH concentrations (sum of 13 individual PAH) were 19.3 and 104.6 ng/m3 in town and in mountains, respectively, during summer and 86.6 and 261 ng/m3 during winter. 4 Median 1-OHP levels ranged between 0.03 and 0.13 mumol/mol creatinine for controls and between 0.04 and 0.12 mumol/mol creatinine for students. No relationship was found between pyrene levels in air and group means of urinary 1-OHP. Our results show that other factors (probably PAH in food) contribute in masking air pollution influence on urinary 1-OHP levels in subjects non-occupationally exposed to PAH.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• látky znečišťující vzduch analýza   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí * MeSH
• polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky analýza   moč   MeSH
• pyreny analýza   MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 1-hydroxypyrene MeSH Prohlížeč
• látky znečišťující vzduch MeSH
• polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky MeSH
• pyreny MeSH

Environmental fate and exposure models are a powerful means to integrate information on chemicals, their partitioning and degradation behaviour, the environmental scenario and the emissions in order to compile a picture of chemical distribution and fluxes in the multimedia environment. A 1995 pioneering book, resulting from a series of workshops among model developers and users, reported the main advantages and identified needs for research in the field of multimedia fate models. Considerable efforts were devoted to their improvement in the past 25 years and many aspects were refined; notably the inclusion of nanomaterials among the modelled substances, the development of models at different spatial and temporal scales, the estimation of chemical properties and emission data, the incorporation of additional environmental media and processes, the integration of sensitivity and uncertainty analysis in the simulations. However, some challenging issues remain and require research efforts and attention: the need of methods to estimate partition coefficients for polar and ionizable chemical in the environment, a better description of bioavailability in different environments as well as the requirement of injecting more ecological realism in exposure predictions to account for the diversity of ecosystem structures and functions in risk assessment. Finally, to transfer new scientific developments into the realm of regulatory risk assessment, we propose the formation of expert groups that compare, discuss and recommend model modifications and updates and help develop practical tools for risk assessment.

• MeSH
• hodnocení rizik MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí analýza   MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí metody   MeSH
• nejistota MeSH
• teoretické modely * MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí analýza   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí MeSH

As the production of missile, nuclear devices and electronics grew and modern industrial technologies emerged the risk of the occupational exposure to beryllium has become increasingly common and widespread. The environmental burden of beryllium is also on the increase, not only as a result of emissions from plants producing and processing beryllium, or its alloys and compounds, but also from burning coal of higher beryllium content in some localities. This article discusses primarily the hygienic and toxicologic aspects of beryllium and its threat to human health. The following topics are included in this review: occurrence, production and uses of beryllium; its metabolism and experimental toxicology; clinical toxicology and pathogenesis of berylliosis; hygienic and epidemiologic aspects of berylliosis; berylliosis treatment and prevention. Berylliosis is here characterized as a disease combining clinical manifestations of pneumosclerosis, allergy to beryllium and, in its granulomatous form, autoimmune reactions. Importantly, the available technical means and measures can ensure that the both occupational and environmental exposure to beryllium can be kept below the established MAC values. If occasionally impossible, special preventive measures should be adopted. It is essential that all persons with allergy be prophylactically excluded from work at risk of exposure to beryllium.

• MeSH
• berylióza * diagnóza   terapie   MeSH
• beryllium imunologie   metabolismus   toxicita   MeSH
• diferenciální diagnóza MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory chemicky indukované   MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• beryllium MeSH

Molecular epidemiology is a new and evolving area of research, combining laboratory measurement of internal dose, biologically effective dose, biologic effects, and influence of individual susceptibility with epidemiologic methodologies. Biomarkers evaluated were selected according to basic scheme: biomarkers of exposure--metabolites in urine, DNA adducts, protein adducts, and Comet assay parameters; biomarkers of effect--chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges, micronuclei, mutations in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene, and the activation of oncogenes coding for p53 or p21 proteins as measured on protein levels; biomarkers of susceptibility--genetic polymorphisms of genes CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTT1, NAT2. DNA adducts measured by 32P-postlabeling are the biomarker of choice for the evaluation of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Protein adducts are useful as a biomarker for exposure to tobacco smoke (4-aminobiphenyl) or to smaller molecules such as acrylonitrile or 1,3-butadiene. Of the biomarkers of effect, the most common are cytogenetic end points. Epidemiologic studies support the use of chromosomal breakage as a relevant biomarker of cancer risk. The use of the Comet assay and methods analyzing oxidative DNA damage needs reliable validation for human biomonitoring. Until now there have not been sufficient data to interpret the relationship between genotypes, biomarkers of exposure, and biomarkers of effect for assessing the risk of human exposure to mutagens and carcinogens.

• MeSH
• karcinogeny analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární epidemiologie * MeSH
• mutageny analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• pracovní expozice statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• karcinogeny MeSH
• mutageny MeSH

The use of human hair analysis technique is far from being the universal tool for monitoring exposures to environmental pollutants and considering the broad spectrum of pollutants encountered in the general environment one can hardly expect that such a screening tool would ever exist. However, for a majority of toxic trace metals this technique has proved to be a well-suited biological marker of occupational and environmental exposure of man. One of the essential conditions for ensuring the realistic evaluation of excessive population exposure is the examination of sufficiently large population groups and the use of group diagnostics methodology in environmental epidemiology studies. The method of hair analysis appears to be ideally suited for use in pilot prospective studies. If an excessive exposure is detected it is recommendable that the epidemiological examination be completed by analyses of other biological materials, most often blood and urine, in order to obtain a closer specification of the degree of exposure in the respective population.

• MeSH
• biologické markery MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pracovní expozice * MeSH
• vlasy, chlupy chemie   MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• biologické markery MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí * MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in pregnant women may have detrimental effects such as spontaneous abortion, lower birth weight, stillbirth, and reduced infant lung function. To extend our knowledge on the molecular effects of tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy, we analyzed transcriptome alterations in passive smokers (PS) and compared them with those in active smokers (AS). METHODS: Using Illumina Expression Beadchips with 24,526 transcript probes, gene expression patterns were assayed in placentas from PS (N = 25) exposed to ETS throughout pregnancy and nonexposed (NS) counterparts (N = 34) and in cord blood cells from their newborns. ETS exposure was evaluated by questionnaire disclosure and cotinine measurement in maternal and cord blood. RESULTS: A total of 158 genes were significantly deregulated in the placentas of PS compared with NS. These genes were associated with the extracellular matrix, apoptosis, placental function, blood clotting, response to stress, and lipid metabolism. Cord blood of the newborns of PS displayed differential expression of 114 genes encoding mainly adhesion molecules and regulators of immunologic response. A comparison of the affected pathways between PS and AS indicated that ETS exposure and active smoking in pregnancy partly employ the same molecular mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that even low dose exposure to ETS during pregnancy leads to significant deregulation of transcription in placental and fetal cells. These data suggest that the effect of ETS on the fetus is primarily indirect, mediated via deregulation of placental functions.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• genetická transkripce genetika   MeSH
• komplikace těhotenství genetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• maternofetální výměna látek genetika   MeSH
• matka - expozice noxám škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• placenta MeSH
• regulace genové exprese genetika   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese genetika   MeSH
• znečištění tabákovým kouřem škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• zpožděný efekt prenatální expozice genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• znečištění tabákovým kouřem MeSH

Pharmaceutically active compounds are taken up and accumulate in crops irrigated with treated wastewater. This raises the concern of chronic human exposure to pharmaceuticals via food consumption. Thus, there is a need to develop a reliable technique to detect and quantify pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations in human biological matrices, particularly urine. In this study, we focus on carbamazepine, an antiepileptic drug and recalcitrant compound that is taken up by crops-making it an excellent model compound for this study. This paper presents a new analytical technique enabling quantification of trace concentrations of carbamazepine and its metabolites in the urine of individuals who have been environmentally exposed. Sample preparation included extraction with acetonitrile followed by clean-up through mixed-mode ion-exchange cartridges and analysis using LC/MS/MS. This technique, which was validated for a wide range of concentrations (5-2000 ng L(-1)), exhibits low limits of quantification (3.0-7.2 ng L(-1)), acceptable recovery levels (70-120%), and low relative standard deviation (<20%). Unlike currently available methods for the analysis of water or treated wastewater that require large volumes (up to 1 L), the new method uses only 10 mL of urine. Moreover, relative to available methods for carbamazepine detection in the urine of individuals who are chronically treated with this drug, the limit of quantification values with our method are six orders of magnitude lower. The newly developed method has been successfully applied for the quantification of carbamazepine and its metabolites in the urine of healthy people exposed to this pharmaceutical through their diet. Our analytical protocol can provide the scientific community and stakeholders with real data for risk assessments and the design of policies ensuring safe use of wastewater for crop irrigation.

• Klíčová slova
• Exposure, LC/MS/MS, Recovery, Treated wastewater,
• MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu moč   MeSH
• chromatografie kapalinová MeSH
• karbamazepin moč   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí metody   MeSH
• odpadní voda MeSH
• tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• validační studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu MeSH
• karbamazepin MeSH
• odpadní voda MeSH

Concerns about the possible negative impacts of current use pesticides (CUPs) for both the environment and human health have increased worldwide. However, the knowledge on the occurrence of CUPs in soil and air and the related human exposure in Africa is limited. This study investigated the presence of 30 CUPs in soil and air at two distinct agricultural sites in South Africa and estimated the human exposure and related risks to rural residents via soil ingestion and inhalation (using hazard quotients, hazard index and relative potency factors). We collected 12 soil and 14 air samples over seven days during the main pesticide application season in 2018. All samples were extracted, purified and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. In soils, nine CUPs were found, with chlorpyrifos, carbaryl and tebuconazole having the highest concentrations (up to 63.6, 1.10 and 0.212 ng g-1, respectively). In air, 16 CUPs were found, with carbaryl, tebuconazole and terbuthylazine having the highest levels (up to 25.0, 22.2 and 1.94 pg m-3, respectively). Spatial differences were observed between the two sites for seven CUPs in air and two in soils. A large dominance towards the particulate phase was found for almost all CUPs, which could be related to mass transport kinetics limitations (non-equilibrium) following pesticide application. The estimated daily intake via soil ingestion and inhalation of individual pesticides ranged from 0.126 fg kg-1 day-1 (isoproturon) to 14.7 ng kg-1 day-1 (chlorpyrifos). Except for chlorpyrifos, soil ingestion generally represented a minor exposure pathway compared to inhalation (i.e. <5%). The pesticide environmental exposure largely differed between the residents of the two distinct agricultural sites in terms of levels and composition. The estimated human health risks due to soil ingestion and inhalation of pesticides were negligible although future studies should explore other relevant pathways.

• Klíčová slova
• Africa, Air, Current use pesticides, Human exposure, Inhalation, Soil,
• MeSH
• dursban * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí MeSH
• pesticidy * analýza   MeSH
• půda MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Jihoafrická republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dursban * MeSH
• pesticidy * MeSH
• půda MeSH