Suchergebnisse

Thirty years ago, Northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic was one of the most air polluted areas in Europe. After political changes, the Czech government put forward a research program to determine if air pollution is really affecting human health. This program, later called the "Teplice Program", was initiated in collaboration with scientists from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). This cooperation made possible the use of methods on the contemporary level. The very high concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO(2)), particulate matter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the air showed, for the first time, the impact of air pollutants on the health of the population in mining districts: adverse pregnancy outcomes, the impact of air pollution on sperm morphology, learning disabilities in children, and respiratory morbidity in preschool children. A surprising result came from the distribution of the sources of pollution: 70% of PM10 pollution came from local heating and not from power plants as expected. Thanks to this result, the Czech government supported changes in local heating from brown coal to natural gas. This change substantially decreased SO(2) and PM10 pollution and affected mortality, especially cardiovascular mortality.

Abstract
In 2013–2015, a consortium of European scientists – NEWDANUBE – was established to prepare a birth cohort in the Danube region, including most of the countries with the highest air pollution in Europe, the area being one-fifth of the European Union's (EU's) territory, including 14 countries (nine EU member states), over 100 million inhabitants, with numerous challenges: big socioeconomic disparities, and a region-specific environmental pollution. The consortium reflects the EU Strategy for the Danube Region Strategy (2010), which identified 11 thematic Priority Areas – one of which is the environmental risks. Birth cohorts have been established in all other areas of Europe and collaborative efforts in promoting maternal and fetal health by minimizing the environmental exposures have been initiated with national, European, and international financial support. A birth cohort in the Danube area could apply the established methodologies for prenatal exposure and birth outcome measurements and establish a platform for targeted health promotion in couples planning pregnancies. The consortium included a strong socioeconomic part focusing on the participant's active registration of exposures to environmental toxicants and health indicators of disease and wellbeing, combined with investigation of their risk-reducing behavior and interventions to change their lifestyle to avoid the adverse health risks. Willingness to pay for reducing the health risks in children is also proposed to be estimated. Further collaboration and networking is encouraged as the Danube region has several decades of experience and expertise in biomonitoring adult populations exposed environmentally or occupationally. Additionally, some countries in the Danube region launched small-scale birth cohorts encouraged by participation in several ongoing research projects.

In 2013-2015, a consortium of European scientists - NEWDANUBE - was established to prepare a birth cohort in the Danube region, including most of the countries with the highest air pollution in Europe, the area being one-fifth of the European Union's (EU's) territory, including 14 countries (nine EU member states), over 100 million inhabitants, with numerous challenges: big socioeconomic disparities, and a region-specific environmental pollution. The consortium reflects the EU Strategy for the Danube Region Strategy (2010), which identified 11 thematic Priority Areas - one of which is the environmental risks. Birth cohorts have been established in all other areas of Europe and collaborative efforts in promoting maternal and fetal health by minimizing the environmental exposures have been initiated with national, European, and international financial support. A birth cohort in the Danube area could apply the established methodologies for prenatal exposure and birth outcome measurements and establish a platform for targeted health promotion in couples planning pregnancies. The consortium included a strong socioeconomic part focusing on the participant's active registration of exposures to environmental toxicants and health indicators of disease and wellbeing, combined with investigation of their risk-reducing behavior and interventions to change their lifestyle to avoid the adverse health risks. Willingness to pay for reducing the health risks in children is also proposed to be estimated. Further collaboration and networking is encouraged as the Danube region has several decades of experience and expertise in biomonitoring adult populations exposed environmentally or occupationally. Additionally, some countries in the Danube region launched small-scale birth cohorts encouraged by participation in several ongoing research projects.

WOS: 000319871200001 ; PubMed ID: 23198723 ; Aims: Urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) is a widely used biomarker of oxidative stress. However, variability between chromatographic and ELISA methods hampers interpretation of data, and this variability may increase should urine composition differ between individuals, leading to assay interference. Furthermore, optimal urine sampling conditions are not well defined. We performed inter-laboratory comparisons of 8-oxodG measurement between mass spectrometric-, electrochemical- and ELISA-based methods, using common within-technique calibrants to analyze 8-oxodG-spiked phosphate-buffered saline and urine samples. We also investigated human subject- and sample collection-related variables, as potential sources of variability. Results: Chromatographic assays showed high agreement across urines from different subjects, whereas ELISAs showed far more inter-laboratory variation and generally overestimated levels, compared to the chromatographic assays. Excretion rates in timed 'spot' samples showed strong correlations with 24 h excretion (the 'gold' standard) of urinary 8-oxodG (r(p) 0.67-0.90), although the associations were weaker for 8-oxodG adjusted for creatinine or specific gravity (SG). The within-individual excretion of 8-oxodG varied only moderately between days (CV 17% for 24 h excretion and 20% for first void, creatinine-corrected samples). Innovation: This is the first comprehensive study of both human and methodological factors influencing 8-oxodG measurement, providing key information for future studies with this important biomarker. Conclusion: ELISA variability is greater than chromatographic assay variability, and cannot determine absolute levels of 8-oxodG. Use of standardized calibrants greatly improves intra-technique agreement and, for the chromatographic assays, importantly allows integration of results for pooled analyses. If 24 h samples are not feasible, creatinine- or SG-adjusted first morning samples are recommended. ; ECNIS (Environmental Cancer Risk, Nutrition and Individual Susceptibility), a network of excellence operating within the European Union 6th Framework Program, Priority 5:"Food Quality and Safety" [FOOD-CT-2005-513943]; ECNIS2, a coordination and support action within the European Union FP7 Cooperation Theme 2 Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnologies; CISBO; Ingeborg; Leo Dannin Foundation; National Science Council, TaiwanNational Science Council of Taiwan [NSC 97-2314-B-040-015-MY3, NSC 100-2628-B-040-001-MY4]; US NIHUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA [P30ES009089]; Instituto Carlos III division of the Government for Clinical Research [PI-10/00802, RD06/0045/0006]; Generalitat ValencianaGeneralitat Valenciana [ACOM/2012/238]; Swedish Council for Working Life and Social ResearchSwedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council for Health Working Life & Welfare (Forte); TUBITAK (Technical and Scientific Research Council of Turkey)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108Y049]; Grant Agency of the Czech RepublicGrant Agency of the Czech Republic [P503/11/0084]; Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg; UK Medical Research Council via a People Exchange Programme Research Leader Fellowship award [G1001808/98136] ; Some of the authors of this work were partners in, and this work was partly supported by, ECNIS (Environmental Cancer Risk, Nutrition and Individual Susceptibility), a network of excellence operating within the European Union 6th Framework Program, Priority 5:"Food Quality and Safety" (Contract No. FOOD-CT-2005-513943), and also ECNIS 2 , a coordination and support action within the European Union FP7 Cooperation Theme 2 Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnologies.; P Moller and S Loft are supported by CISBO and the Ingeborg and Leo Dannin Foundation.; M-R Chao and C-W Hu acknowledge financial support from the National Science Council, Taiwan (Grants NSC 97-2314-B-040-015-MY3 and NSC 100-2628-B-040-001-MY4).; R Santella acknowledges the contribution of Qiao Wang, and support from US NIH P30ES009089.; G Saez and C Cerda acknowledge financial support from the Instituto Carlos III division of the Government for Clinical Research (Grants PI-10/00802 and RD06/0045/0006) and Grant ACOM/2012/238 from Generalitat Valenciana.; K Broberg, C Lindh, and M Hossain acknowledge financial support from the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research; H Orhan and N Senduran acknowledge financial support from TUBITAK (Technical and Scientific Research Council of Turkey), grant number 108Y049.; P Rossner, Jr. and RJ Sram acknowledge support from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (P503/11/0084).; L Barregard acknowledges financial support from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg.; MS Cooke acknowledges support from the UK Medical Research Council via a People Exchange Programme Research Leader Fellowship award (G1001808/98136).