House dust as possible route of environmental exposure to cadmium and lead in the adult general population

Journal Article · Mon Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2007 · Environmental Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2006.05.009· OSTI ID:20861684

Hogervorst, Janneke ^[1]; Plusquin, Michelle ^[2]; Vangronsveld, Jaco ^[1]; Nawrot, Tim ^[2]; Cuypers, Ann ^[1]; Van Hecke, Etienne ^[3]; Roels, Harry A ^[4]; Carleer, Robert ^[1]; Staessen, Jan A ^[2]

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1. Centrum voor Milieukunde, Limburgs Universitair Centrum, Diepenbeek (Belgium)
2. Studiecooerdinatiecentrum, Departement Hart-en Vaatziekten, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)
3. Onderzoeksgroep voor Sociale en Economische Geografie, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)
4. Unite de Toxicologie Industrielle et de Medecine du Travail, Universite catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles (Belgium)

Contaminated soil particles and food are established routes of exposure. We investigated the relations between biomarkers of exposure to cadmium and lead, and the metal loading rates in house dust in the adult residents of an area with a soil cadmium concentration of >=3mg/kg (n=268) and a reference area (n=205). We determined the metal concentrations in house dust allowed to settle for 3 months in Petri dishes placed in the participants' bedrooms. The continuously distributed vegetable index was the first principal component derived from the metal concentrations in six different vegetables. The biomarkers of exposure (blood cadmium 9.2 vs. 6.2nmol/L; 24-h urinary cadmium 10.5 vs. 7.0nmol; blood lead 0.31 vs. 0.24{mu}mol/L), the loading rates of cadmium and lead in house dust (0.29 vs. 0.12 and 7.52 vs. 3.62ng/cm{sup 2}/92 days), and the vegetable indexes (0.31 vs. -0.44 and 0.13 vs. -0.29 standardized units) were significantly higher in the contaminated area. A two-fold increase in the metal loading rate in house dust was associated with increases (P<0.001) in blood cadmium (+2.3%), 24-h urinary cadmium (+3.0%), and blood lead (+2.0%), independent of the vegetable index and other covariates. The estimated effect sizes on the biomarkers of internal exposure were three times greater for house dust than vegetables. In conclusion, in the adult population, house dust is potentially an important route of exposure to heavy metals in areas with contaminated soils, and should be incorporated in the assessment of health risks.

• OSTI ID: 20861684
• Journal Information: Environmental Research, Journal Name: Environmental Research Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 103; ISSN ENVRAL; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
BLOOD
CADMIUM
DUSTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
HEAVY METALS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
LEAD
SOILS
VEGETABLES