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Urinary Cadmium and Cotinine Levels and Hair Mercury Levels in Czech Children and Their Mothers Within the Framework of the COPHES/DEMOCOPHES Projects

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Abstract

The COPHES/DEMOCOPHES twin project was performed in 2011–2012 in 17 European countries to harmonize all steps of the human biomonitoring survey. Urinary cadmium, cotinine, phthalate metabolites, and hair mercury were measured in children (N = 120, 6–11 years) and their mothers of reproductive age, living in urban or rural areas. Cadmium in mothers’ and children’s urine was detected at a geometric mean (GM) concentration 0.227 and 0.109 μg/L, respectively; 95th percentile (P95) was 0.655 and 0.280 μg/L in mothers and children, respectively. No age-related, education-related, or urban versus rural differences were observed within the frame of each population group. Cadmium urinary level in mothers was about twofold compared with children. Higher levels were obtained in all smoking mothers but not in occasionally smoking or mothers and children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Mercury values in mothers were significantly higher in urban than in rural populations but not in children. GM and P95 for mercury in children’s hair were 0.098 and 0.439 μg/g and in mothers’ hair were 0.155 and 0.570 μg/g. Concentrations for mercury in the Czech samples were lower than European average. Hair mercury increased significantly with consumption of fish or seafood and with number of amalgam tooth fillings (in children). A positive association was found with family educational level. No influence of age was observed. Urinary cadmium and hair mercury levels were lower than health-based guidelines with one exception. High levels of urinary cotinine were found in the 12 smoking mothers (GM approximately 500 μg/L); lower levels in occasionally smoking mothers, N = 11 (34.5 μg/L). The mean cotinine levels in nonsmoking mothers who reported daily exposure to ETS was 10.7 μg/L. A similar mean value (10.8 μg/L) was obtained in six children who had daily exposure to ETS. In children without exposure to ETS, the mean cotinine level was 1.39 μg/L urine. Cotinine in the urine of children demonstrates limited protection of the Czech children against exposure to ETS.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD) that funded the COPHES project in the 7th Framework Program (No. 244237). The DEMOCOPHES project (LIFE09ENV/BE/000410) received funding through the LIFE + financial instrument of the European Commission (DGENV). In the Czech Republic, DEMOCOPHES project was cofunded by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic No. 7EX11063 and Prvouk PE 02 Environmental Research, Charles University in Prague. The authors appreciate the contribution of the field workers and laboratory staff, namely Šárka Dušková, Iveta Hanzlíková, and Ludmila Dabrowská. They also acknowledge all donors of biological material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia

    Kateřina Forysová, Sylva Rödlová & Milena Černá

  2. National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czechia

    Anna Pinkr-Grafnetterová, Marek Malý, Andrea Krsková, Jaroslav Mráz, Lucie Kašparová, Mája Čejchanová & Lenka Sochorová

  3. Regional Public Health Authority in Liberec, Liberec, Czechia

    Kateřina Forysová

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  1. Kateřina Forysová
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Forysová, K., Pinkr-Grafnetterová, A., Malý, M. et al. Urinary Cadmium and Cotinine Levels and Hair Mercury Levels in Czech Children and Their Mothers Within the Framework of the COPHES/DEMOCOPHES Projects. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 73, 421–430 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0412-y

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