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BackgroundFor Europe as a whole, data on internal exposure to environmental chemicals do not yet exist. Characterization of the internal individual chemical environment is expected to enhance understanding of the environmental threats to health.ObjectivesWe developed and applied a harmonized protocol to collect comparable human biomonitoring data all over Europe.MethodsIn 17 European countries, we measured mercury in hair and cotinine, phthalate metabolites, and cadmium in urine of 1,844 children (5–11 years of age) and their mothers. Specimens were collected over a 5-month period in 2011–2012. We obtained information on personal characteristics, environment, and lifestyle. We used the resulting database to compare concentrations of exposure biomarkers within Europe, to identify determinants of exposure, and to compare exposure biomarkers with health-based guidelines.ResultsBiomarker concentrations showed a wide variability in the European population. However, levels in children and mothers were highly correlated. Most biomarker concentrations were below the health-based guidance values.ConclusionsWe have taken the first steps to assess personal chemical exposures in Europe as a whole. Key success factors were the harmonized protocol development, intensive training and capacity building for field work, chemical analysis and communication, as well as stringent quality control programs for chemical and data analysis. Our project demonstrates the feasibility of a Europe-wide human biomonitoring framework to support the decision-making process of environmental measures to protect public health.CitationDen Hond E, Govarts E, Willems H, Smolders R, Casteleyn L, Kolossa-Gehring M, Schwedler G, Seiwert M, Fiddicke U, Castaño A, Esteban M, Angerer J, Koch HM, Schindler BK, Sepai O, Exley K, Bloemen L, Horvat M, Knudsen LE, Joas A, Joas R, Biot P, Aerts D, Koppen G, Katsonouri A, Hadjipanayis A, Krskova A, Maly M, Mørck TA, Rudnai P, Kozepesy S, Mulcahy M, Mannion R, Gutleb AC, Fischer ME, Ligocka D, Jakubowski M, Reis MF, Namorado S, Gurzau AE, Lupsa IR, Halzlova K, Jajcaj M, Mazej D, Snoj Tratnik J, López A, Lopez E, Berglund M, Larsson K, Lehmann A, Crettaz P, Schoeters G. 2015. First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale. Environ Health Perspect 123:255–263; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408616

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Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were translocated in cages to 56 water bodies in Flanders (Belgium) during summer 2001. After six weeks, concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p'-DDE, and trace metals were measured in the transplanted mussels. It was investigated whether total dissolved water and sediment pollutant levels or bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) and biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) were predictive for mussel tissue levels. The sample sites covered a broad range both in terms of the type and concentration of the pollutants, and this was reflected in large differences in tissue concentrations of all pollutants among the sites. The highest pollutant levels in mussels were among the highest reported in the literature. For Cd and Zn levels up to 33 and 1994 microg/g dry wt. respectively were found. The lowest levels were comparable to those from uncontaminated sites in Europe and the U.S. For Cd and Zn respectively 51 and 75% of the variation in tissue levels was described. For both metals, dissolved and particulate metal contributed to the variation in accumulation. For other pollutants, relationships between tissue concentration and water or sediment concentration were weak or nonsignificant. Then the measured environmental factors (dissolved calcium, pH, oxygen, organic carbon and clay content in the sediment) were taken into account applying multiple regression analysis, and no increase in the described variation of pollutant accumulation was observed. The BAF and BSAF for all pollutants varied up to 1000-fold even after TOC-normalization. Clear negative relationships were found between BAFs/ BSAFs and environmental levels. However, even at constant environmental concentrations a 10- to 100-fold variation in BAFs/BSAFs was observed. This study illustrated the need for biological monitoring since neither environmental