Jožef Stefan Institute
Department of Environmental Sciences
Jamova 39
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenija
T: +386 1 5885 355
F: +386 1 5885 346
Department of Environmental Sciences
Jamova 39
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenija
T: +386 1 5885 355
F: +386 1 5885 346
DEMOCOPHES
Summary
People are exposed to many natural and man-made chemicals every day but the exposure is relatively poorly assessed especially for long term exposure to low level of chemicals. Exposure assessment is a key for risk assessment. Pollutants from the environment can enter the body through the respiratory tract, skin and ingestion. They are transferred to the various body tissues, so that the balance concentration between body fluids and tissues is created.
The Slovenian study is part of a European Union funded project DEMOCOPHES involving 17 countries in Europe. The purpose of this study is to determine levels of key environmental pollutants (cadmium, mercury, phthalates, and cotinine) in children aged from 6 to 11 years and their parents up to 45 years old. Urine, hair and blood will be sampled; subjects will also have to fill out a questionnaire to obtain some information necessary for interpreting the results. This information will include residential environment, nutrition, smoking, occupation and socio-demographic information. Based on the results of the study preliminary reference values will be determined for each biological indicator. In Slovenia (and some other countries), additional biomarkers were selected to be included in the pilot study: bisphenol A, parabene and triclosane in urine. Additionally, mercury, lead and cadmium will be determined in blood. Recruitment and sampling will take place between September 2011 and December 2011, in two areas: urban area (Ljubljana) and rural area (Šmarje in Jelšah). Subjects will be invited to participate in the study through the schools; sampling will be also conducted at the school or optionally at participant’s home or in health centers.
Accurate assessment of exposure will improve the quality of risk assessment and planning measures to reduce risks from exposure to environmental pollutants.
.thumb-120x56.jpg)