Article (Scientific journals)
Mercury analysis in hair: Comparability and quality assessment within the transnational COPHES/DEMOCOPHES project
Esteban, Marta; Schindler, Birgit K.; Jiménez-Guerrero, José A. et al.
2015In Environmental Research, 141, p. 24-30
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
2015_Environ Res_141.pdf
Publisher postprint (485.96 kB)
Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
Biomonitoring; Mercury; Hair; COPHES/DEMOCOPHES
Abstract :
[en] Human biomonitoring (HBM) is an effective tool for assessing actual exposure to chemicals that takes into account all routes of intake. Although hair analysis is considered to be an optimal biomarker for assessing mercury exposure, the lack of harmonization as regards sampling and analytical procedures has often limited the comparison of data at national and international level. The European-funded projects COPHES and DEMOCOPHES developed and tested a harmonized European approach to Human Biomonitoring in response to the European Environment and Health Action Plan. Herein we describe the quality assurance program (QAP) for assessing mercury levels in hair samples from more than 1800 mother–child pairs recruited in 17 European countries. To ensure the comparability of the results, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sampling and for mercury analysis were drafted and distributed to participating laboratories. Training sessions were organized for field workers and four external quality-assessment exercises (ICI/EQUAS), followed by the corresponding web conferences, were organized between March 2011 and February 2012. ICI/EQUAS used native hair samples at two mercury concentration ranges (0.20–0.71 and 0.80–1.63) per exercise. The results revealed relative standard deviations of 7.87–13.55% and 4.04–11.31% for the low and high mercury concentration ranges, respectively. A total of 16 out of 18 participating laboratories the QAP requirements and were allowed to analyze samples from the DEMOCOPHES pilot study. Web conferences after each ICI/EQUAS revealed this to be a new and effective tool for improving analytical performance and increasing capacity building. The procedure developed and tested in COPHES/DEMOCOPHES would be optimal for application on a global scale as regards implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Disciplines :
Pharmacy, pharmacology & toxicology
Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Esteban, Marta
Schindler, Birgit K.
Jiménez-Guerrero, José A.
Koch, Holger
Angerer, Jürgen
Rivas, Teresa C.
Rosado, Montserrat
Gómez, Silvia
Casteleyn, Ludwine
Kolossa-Gehring, Marike
Becker
Bloemen, Louis
Schoeters, Greet
Den Hond, Elly
Sepai, Ovnair
Exley, Karen
Horvat, Milena
PIRARD, Catherine  ;  Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Toxicologie clinique
More authors (8 more) Less
Language :
English
Title :
Mercury analysis in hair: Comparability and quality assessment within the transnational COPHES/DEMOCOPHES project
Publication date :
2015
Journal title :
Environmental Research
ISSN :
0013-9351
eISSN :
1096-0953
Publisher :
Academic Press, New York, United States - New York
Volume :
141
Pages :
24-30
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
European Projects :
FP7 - 244237 - COPHES - European coordination action on human biomonitoring
Funders :
CE - Commission Européenne [BE]
Available on ORBi :
since 06 January 2015

Statistics


Number of views
80 (7 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
6 (6 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
37
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
23
OpenCitations
 
36

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi