Italian Children Exposure to Bisphenol A: Biomonitoring Data from the LIFE PERSUADED Project

A human biomonitoring (HBM) study on bisphenol A (BPA) in Italian children and adolescents was performed within the LIFE PERSUADED project, considering the residing areas, sex and age. The median urinary BPA level was 7.02 µg/L, with children living in the South of Italy or in urban areas having higher levels than those residing in the North or in rural areas. Children aged 4–6 years had higher BPA levels than those aged 7–10 and 11–14 years, but no differences were detected between sexes. The exposure in Italian children was higher compared to children from other countries, but lower than the HBM guidance value (135 µg/L). The estimated daily intake was 0.17 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day, about 24-fold below the temporary Tolerable Daily Intake of 4 μg/kg bw per day established by the European Food Safety Authority. However, this threshold was exceeded in 1.44% of the enrolled children, raising concern about the overall exposure of Italian young population.

Biomonitoring of Phthalates, Bisphenols and Parabens in Children: Exposure, Predictors and Risk Assessment

Exposure to emerging contaminants, such as phthalates, bisphenols and parabens in children has been associated with possible neurodevelopment and endocrine alterations. In the present study, the biomonitoring of biomarkers in children (5–12 years old) from the Valencia Region (Spain) have been implemented using urines from the BIOVAL program. More than 75% of the children studied (n = 562) were internally exposed (>LOQ) to bisphenols and parabens, and the whole population assessed (n = 557) were exposed to at least one phthalate. The geometric means (GM) of the concentrations of bisphenol A, methyl paraben and propyl paraben were 0.9, 1.4 and 0.39 ng/mL, respectively. Regarding phthalates, monoethyl phthalate GM was 55.0 ng/mL and diethyl hexyl phthalate (as the sum of five metabolites) GM was 60.6 ng/mL. Despite the studied population being widely exposed, the detection frequencies and concentrations were in general lower than in previous studies involving children in Spain and in other countries in recent years. Furthermore, the risk assessment study concluded that the internal exposure to phthalates, bisphenols and parabens is lower than the guidance values established, and, therefore, a health risk derived from the exposure to these compounds in the studied population is not expected.

Gender Inequalities Among Adults and Children: Exposure to Migration and the Evolution of Social Norms in Albania

This paper studies the distribution of resources within Albanian families in 2012 using a collective consumption model with two alternative specifications: the first enables the estimation of the intrahousehold distribution of resources among male adults, female adults and children; the second extends the analysis to girls and boys. In line with previous evidence on gender inequality in Albania, the results show that the female share of resources is substantially lower with respect to the male share, and that sons receive a larger share of resources than daughters. Considering that Albania experienced massive migration and return of young men in the 20 years before the survey, we further analyze the potential migration-induced transfer of gender norms. We find that the time spent abroad by the husband of the main couple has little influence on woman’s relative position within the households, however it does seem to favor a more equal treatment between daughters and sons. This result suggests that gender norms are more persistent in adult couples, however gender attitudes towards offspring are more elastic to social change.

Vaping and alternative smoking methods – a new risk of toxicity in children and adolescents

The children’s use of e-cigarettes has increased as many view them as a safer alternative to smoking during the past few years. In e-cigarettes, tobacco combustion is replaced by e-liquid heating, but the heating process can lead to new decomposition compounds of questionable toxicity. In addition, children exposure to e-cigarette liquids, whether intentional or accidental, may lead to specific adverse events of various types and severity from acute nicotine poisoning to an e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI), a severe pulmonary disease with public health implications. Therefore ongoing surveillance of poisoning exposure cases involving e-cigarettes and informing and educating the receptive population, especially adolescents and young people, on the risks they are exposed to by using these alternative smoking methods acquires special importance.

Evaluating the Levels and Human Health Risks of Heavy Metals in Soils around Onne Landfill, Rivers State, Nigeria

This study evaluated selected heavy metals’ levels in soil around the landfill in Onne Rivers State, Nigeria. It also examines potential human health risks due to exposure to the contaminated soil. Composite samples of soils from the northern, southern, eastern and western domains of the landfill were collected, processed, and analysed for heavy metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and their human health risks were evaluated. The heavy metals’ levels in the soils around the four domains were in the order Pb>Cr>Ni>Cd>As. Children and adult ingestion, inhalation and dermal hazards quotients for the selected metals in the four domains were below unity ranging from {(HQchildren 2.71 x 10-10 As inhalation in the eastern domain to 9.24 x 10-1 Pb ingestion in the northern domain); HQadult 1.55 x 10-10 As inhalation in the eastern domain to 9.90 x 10-2 Pb ingestion in the northern domain)}. Adult ingestion, inhalation and dermal cancer risks (CRadult) were within acceptable limits, ranging from 1.99 x 10-13 As inhalation in the eastern domain to 4.68 x10-5 Cr ingestion in the northern domain. However, ingestion cancer risk for children (CRchildren) due to exposure to Ni and Cr in the four domains were above tolerable limit ranging from {(Ni - 2.00 x 10-4 in the southern domain to 3.11 x 10-4 in the northern domain); Cr – 2.95 x 10-4 in the southern domain to 4.37 x 10-4 in the northern domain)}. Children and adult hazards index due to exposure to the selected metals were also less than 1.0, ranging from children exposure to Ni (5.91 x 10-3) in the southern domain and Pb (9.25 x 10-1) in the northern domain to adult exposure to Ni (6.50 x 10-4 in the southern domain and Pb (9.94 x 10-2) in the northern domain. Total cancer risks (TCRadult) due to adult exposure to the metals were within tolerable limit, ranging from Cd (4.93 x 10-7) in the southern domain to Cr (5.01 x 10-5) in the northern domain. And total cancer risk (TCRchildren) due to children exposure to Ni and Cr were above tolerable limit, ranging from {Ni (2.40 x 10-4 in the southern domain to 3.74 x 10-4 in the northern domain); Cr (3.54 x 10-4 in the southern domain to 5.24 x 10-4 in the northern domain)}. The values for both non carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were higher for children than those for adult. Reasons for this attributes and improvement actions were suggested.