Chemical Mixtures in the EU Population: Composition and Potential Risks

Sebastian Socianu, Stephanie K. Bopp, Eva Govarts, Liese Gilles, Jurgen Buekers, Marike Kolossa-Gehring, Thomas Backhaus and Antonio Franco
Additional contact information
Sebastian Socianu: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy
Stephanie K. Bopp: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy
Eva Govarts: VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Liese Gilles: VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Jurgen Buekers: VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Marike Kolossa-Gehring: German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Thomas Backhaus: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22B, 41319 Gothenburg, Sweden
Antonio Franco: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Regulating chemical mixtures is a complex scientific and policy task. The aim of this study was to investigate typical mixtures and their potential risks based on internal exposure levels in the European population. Based on human biomonitoring (HBM) data made available via the HBM4EU project, we derived generic mixtures representative of a median (P50) and a worst-case scenario (P95) for adults and children. We performed a mixture risk assessment based on HBM concentrations, health-based guidance values (HBGVs) as internal thresholds of concern, and the conservative assumption of concentration addition applied across different toxicological endpoints. Maximum cumulative ratios (MCRs) were calculated to characterize the mixture risk. The mixtures comprise 136 biomarkers for adults and 84 for children, although concentration levels could be quantified only for a fraction of these. Due to limited availability of HBGVs, the mixture risk was assessed for a subset of 20 substance-biomarker pairs for adults and 17 for children. The mixture hazard index ranged from 2.8 (P50, children) to 9.2 (P95, adults). Six to seven substances contributed to over 95% of the total risk. MCR values ranged between 2.6 and 5.5, which is in a similar range as in previous studies based on human external exposures assessments. The limited coverage of substances included in the calculations and the application of a hazard index across toxicological endpoints argue for caution in the interpretation of the results. Nonetheless the analyses of MCR and MAF ceiling can help inform a possible mixture assessment factor (MAF) applicable to single substance risk assessment to account for exposure to unintentional mixtures.

Keywords: combined exposure to multiple chemicals; risk assessment of chemical mixtures; maximum cumulative ratio; human biomonitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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