Category Research project
  • Toxikologie
  • Expositionsschätzung

European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU)

Project status
Completed
Project start
Jan 2017
Project end
Jun 2022
Acronym
HBM4EU im BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
Department
Lebensmittelsicherheit

Description and Objective

To participate in an EU-wide project to establish and standardize human biomonitoring for use in risk assessment in Europe, to develop new methods for detecting internal exposureExposureTo glossary and demonstrating causal effects between exposure and health, and to expand in-house expertise and networking. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment was involved as a linked third party in three out of 16 work packages (WP): 1) Translating results into policy (WP5): HBM4EU results will provide scientific support to decision makers to better protect the health of European citizens. Activities under this WP will enhance the interpretation of internal chemical exposure levels in terms of risks to health, and promote the use of human biomonitoring data in chemical risk assessment. 2) From HBM to exposure (WP12): The main objectives of this WP is to link human biomonitoring data to exposure. Our work will link data from human biomonitoring, environmental monitoring and external exposure modelling. This will support a more effective interpretation of human biomonitoring data in elucidating chemical exposure and supporting both chemical risk assessment and risk management. 3) Effect Biomarkers (WP14): This WP will provide the tools to understand the impact of environmental exposure on human health through the identification and validation of specific biomarkers of effect. For this purpose, HBM4EU partners will create an inventory of existing biomarkers of human health effects, based on the scientific literature, and will classify these biomarkers according to their relevance, level of validation, applicability to human biomonitoring studies, and adverse outcome pathways.

Result

An overview of the overall results achieved in the HBM4EU project can be found in the following publication:
Weise, Pshort forphosphorus., Apel, Pshort forphosphorus. & Kolossa-Gehring, M. Human Biomonitoring for Europe (HBM4EU)—first insights into the results of the initiative. Bundesgesundheitsbl 65, 936–939 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-022-03578-z :
"Abstract
Human biomonitoring measures the internal exposure of humans to chemicals from various sources, such as food, everyday objects, or the air we breathe, by analyzing blood and urine, for example. To promote and coordinate human biomonitoring in Europe, the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) was launched in 2017 and involves 30 countries, the European Environment Agency, and the European Commission. The project was completed in June 2022.Comparable and reliable exposure data were collected and consistently assessed for a wide range of environmental chemicals. Other important achievements of the initiative were the establishment of a quality assurance program, a concept for standardizing future HBM studies, a common strategy for deriving health-based guidance values (HBM-GVs), and the establishment of national committees in the partner countries. The exposure data generated are accessible via the Information Platform for Chemical Monitoring (IPCHEM) and the EU HBM Dashboard. Publications are freely available through the HBM4EU online library.Overall, the results show that exposures of the EU population to many chemicals are too high, such as phthalates and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), and that policy action is still needed. The knowledge generated in the HBM4EU project can support policymakers in improving chemical, environment, and health policies." The Work Packages (WPs) listed below contributed to the completion of various tasks. These included literature searches, preparation of scoping documents, derivation of HBM guidance values, modeling for exposure estimation, and laboratory experimental studies. The results of the WPs are available via the project's homepage at https://www.hbm4eu.eu/result/deliverables/ . WP 5: Translation of results into policy/ Tasks 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 and various other subsequently named deliverables with participation from the Food Safety, Pesticide Safety, Chemical and Product Safety and Food Chain Safety Divisions; WP 12: From HBM to exposure/ Tasks 12.1, 12.2, 12.33 and various other subsequently designated deliverables with participation from the Exposure Division; WP 14: Effect Biomarker/ Tasks 14.1, 14.2, 14.2A and various other subsequently named deliverables with participation from the Food Safety Division.Publications with BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment participation (peer-reviewed)Physiology-based toxicokinetic modeling in the frame of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative
Sarigiannis, D.A., Karakitsios, S., Dominguez-Romero, E., Papadaki, K., Brochot, C., Kumar, V., Schumacher, M., Sy, M., Mielke, H., Greiner, M., Mengelers, M., Scheringer, M. 01/2019; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.01.045Transcriptomic effect marker patterns of genotoxins – a comparative study with literature data
Katrin Kreuzer, Falko Frenzel, Alfonso Lampen, Albert Braeuning, Linda Böhmert 12/2019; https://doi.org/10.1002/jat.3928Identification of a transcriptomic signature of food-relevant genotoxins in human HepaRG hepatocarcinoma cells
Katrin Kreuzer, Linda Böhmert, Deema Alhalabi, Thorsten Buhrke, Alfonso Lampen, Albert Braeuning 03/2020; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2020.111297Biomarkers of effect as determined in human biomonitoring studies on hexavalent chromium and cadmium in the period 2008-2020
Célia Ventura, Bruno Costa Gomes, Axel Oberemm, Henriqueta Louro, Pasi Huuskonen, Vicente Mustieles, Mariana F. Fernández, Sophie Ndaw, Marcel Mengelers, Mirjam Luijten, Claudia Gundacker, Maria João Silva 03/2021; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110998The Use of Human Biomonitoring to Assess Occupational Exposure to PAHs in Europe: A Comprehensive Review
Henriqueta Louro, Bruno Costa Gomes, Anne Thoustrup Saber, Anna Laura Iamiceli, Thomas Göen, Kate Jones, Andromachi Katsonouri, Christiana M. Neophytou, Ulla Vogel, Célia Ventura, Axel Oberemm, Radu Corneliu Duca, Mariana F. Fernandez, Nicolas Olea, Tiina Santonen, Susana Viegas, Maria João Silva 08/2022; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10080480Use of transcriptomics in hazard identification and next generation risk assessment: A case study with clothianidin
Heike Sprenger, Katrin Kreuzer , Jimmy Alarcan, Kristin Herrmann , Julia Buchmüller , Philip Marx-Stoelting, Albert Braeuning 08/2022; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2022.113212A Tiered Approach for Assessing Individual and Combined Risk of Pyrethroids Using Human Biomonitoring Data
Jose V. Tarazona, Irene Cattaneo, Lars Niemann, Susana Pedraza-Diaz, Maria Carmen González-Caballero, Mercedes de Alba-Gonzalez, Ana Cañas, Noelia Dominguez-Morueco, Marta Esteban-López, Argelia Castaño, Teresa Borges, Andromachi Katsonouri, Konstantinos C. Makris, Ilse Ottenbros, Hans Mol, Annelies De Decker, Bert Morrens, Tamar Berman, Zohar Barnett-Itzhaki, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Samuel Fuhrimann, Janja Snoj Tratnik, Milena Horvat, Loic Rambaud, Margaux Riou, Greet Schoeters, Eva Govarts, Marike Kolossa-Gehring, Till Weber, Petra Apel, Sonia Namorado and Tiina Santonen 08/2022; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10080451Application of AOPs to assist regulatory assessment of chemical risks – Case studies, needs and recommendations
Lola Bajard,Ondrej Adamovsky, Karine Audouze, Kirsten Baken, Robert Barouki, Joost B. Beltman, Anna Beronius, Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen, German Cano-Sancho, Milo L. de Baat, Filippo Di Tillio, Mariana F. Fernández, Rex E. FitzGerald, Claudia Gundacker, Antonio F. Hernández, Klara Hilscherova, Spyros Karakitsios, Eliska Kuchovska, Manhai Long, Mirjam Luijten, Sanah Majid, Philip Marx-Stoelting, Vicente Mustieles, Chander K. Negi, Dimosthenis Sarigiannis, Stefan Scholtz, Iva Sovadinova, Rob Stierum, Shihori Tanabe, Knut Erik Tollefsen, Annick D. van den Brand, Carolina Vogs, Maria Wielsøe, Clemens Wittwehr, Ludek Blaha 10/2022; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114650
Type of project

Third-party funded project

Research focus

Harmonisierung und Standardisierung von Expositionsschätzungen / Gesundheit von Mensch, Tier und Umwelt (One Health) / Expositionsabschätzung und Bewertung biologischer Risiken

Organisational units and partners

Lead specialist group: Ernährungsrisiken und Biomarker (84)
Contact persons: PDshort foroutside lecturer Dr. Klaus Abraham, Prof. Dr. Albert Braeuning, Dr. Lars Niemann, Dr. Axel Oberemm, Dr. Moustapha Sy, Dr. Patrick Tarnow, Dr. Thorsten Buhrke
Involved BfR partners: Sicherheit in der Nahrungskette
External partner: Umweltbundesamt , Umweltbundesamt GmbH, Sciensano, Flämisches Institut für technologische Forschung, Schweizerisches Tropen- und Public-Health-Institut , Zyprisches Gesundheitsministerium, Masaryk-Universität, Region Hovedstaden, Technische Universität Dänemark, The National Research Centre For The Working Environment, European Environment Agency (EEA) , Aristoteles-Universität Thessaloniki, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Carlos III Institut für Gesundheit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Health Service Executive, Ministry of Health - Israel, Universität von Island, Italian National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, IT, Lithuanian National Public Health Surveillance Laboratory, Litauische Behörde für Wissenschaft, Innovation und Technologie, State Education Development Agency Republic of Latvia, Stradins-Universität Riga, National Institute For Public Health and The Environment, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, National Health Institute Dr Ricardo Jorge, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Public Health, Slowenia, Institut "Jožef Stefan", Slowakische Medizinische Universität Bratislava, Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, Department of Health & Social Care

Funding body and grant number

Europäische Union
733032 HBM4EU

Publications

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-022-03578-z, https://www.hbm4eu.eu/result/deliverables/, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.01.045, https://doi.org/10.1002/jat.3928, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2020.111297, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110998, https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10080480, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2022.113212, https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10080451, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114650