Urinary lead in relation to combustion-derived air pollution in urban environments. A longitudinal study of an international panel. (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bai, Yang; Laenen, Annouschka; Haufroid, Vincent; Nawrot, Tim S.; Nemery, Benoit
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 125(2019)
• Page Start: 75
• Page End: 81
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: Urinary lead -- Carbon load in airway macrophages -- Biomonitoring; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.01.044
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Urinary lead (Pb) is generally considered to have limited use in biomonitoring environmental exposure to lead. Carbon load in airway macrophages (AM BC) is an internal marker to assess long-term exposure to combustion-derived aerosol particles. In urban environments, atmospheric Pb and black carbon may have common sources. We aimed to study the temporal change of urinary Pb (U-Pb) when exposure to outdoor air pollution changes, and the relationship between U-Pb and AM BC. Methods: A panel of 50 young healthy adults [mean (SD) 26.7 (5.2) years], including 17 long-term (>1 year) residents in Leuven, Belgium (BE), 15 and 18 newcomers (arrived <3 weeks) from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and high-income countries (HIC), respectively, underwent 8 repeated measurements at 6 weeks intervals. In urine spot samples obtained at 5 time points (T1, T2, T4, T6, T8), 24 trace elements were quantified by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. At each time point, AM BC was quantified as the median surface of black inclusions (in μm 2 ) by means of image analysis of 25 macrophages obtained by induced sputum. Changes in urinary metal concentrations (with and without creatinine correction) and the relationship between U-Pb and AM BC were estimated using linear mixed models adjusted for covariates and potential confounders. Results: Only U-Pb differed between groups and exhibited significant time trends. Participants from the LMIC group had significantly higher initial U-Pb (1.18 μg/g creat) than the HIC group (0.44 μg/g creat) and BE group (0.45 μg/g creat). In the LMIC group, U-Pb decreased significantly with time by 0.061 μg/g creatinine per 30 days [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.034, 0.088]. U-Pb remained unchanged in the other two groups. An increase in AM BC of 1 μm 2 was associated with an increase in U-Pb of 0.369 μg/g creat (95% CI: 0.145, 0.593). Conclusion: This panel study demonstrates that U-Pb may be a valid alternative to blood Pb for biomonitoring changes in exposure to lead, at least at group level. In addition, we identified a positive association between U-Pb and AM BC, a biomarker of exposure to traffic-related air pollution, suggesting the existence of common sources of Pb and black carbon in urban environments. Highlights: People coming from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) had high urinary Pb In people coming from LMIC urinary Pb decreased towards values of the host country Urinary Pb was positively associated with carbon load in airway macrophages Urinary Pb and carbon in macrophages may have a common origin in urban environments Decreasing urban air pollution may result in reducing population exposure to Pb