Ricerc@Sapienza

Urban air contains benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which have carcinogenic properties. The objective of this paper is to study the correlation of exposure biomarkers with biomarkers of nucleic acid oxidation also considering smoking. In 322 subjects, seven urinary dose biomarkers were analyzed for benzene, pyrene, nitropyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, and naphthalene exposure, and four effect biomarkers for nucleic acid and protein oxidative stress.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are products of the incomplete combustion of organic materials, and exposure of the general population to PAH is ubiquitous. They are also present in tobacco smoke. Some PAH are classified as carcinogens. Urine samples from 747 non-smoking and 269 smoking subjects living in the same area of Central Italy were analyzed in order to determine reference values for PAHs exposure of a general population. The concentration of cotinine, urinary metabolite of nicotine was also measured in these samples in order to classify the subjects as smokers or not.

Breast milk, the first and irreplaceable source of nourishment for the infant, and the wellbeing of both the mother and baby are increasingly threatened by contamination from environmental toxic agents. In particular, elements can be used as good indicators/tracers of environmental and food contamination. In turn, as well as urine [1–3], and serum [4], breast milk can be considered as suitable biological matrix for biomonitoring studies.

Breast milk guarantees all the nutrients required by infants during their first few months of life and remains the most important food source for their health and growth. However, the mother may transfer potentially toxic chemicals to the suckling infant through breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to optimize and validate a fast method for the determination of a total content of 34 elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Te, Ti, Tl, U, V, and Zn) in liquid and lyophilized breast milk.

The determination of major and trace elements in non-invasive biological matrix (i.e. human hair, breast milk, meconium, and urine) is potentially useful for assessing an individual's health status and monitoring occupational and environmental exposure [1-3]. On the other hand, owing to the lack of standardised biological matrix analysis procedures (including sample treatment methods), it is difficult to compare and interpret the results (intervals and reference values) from different studies and reach significant conclusions.

The aim of the study was to evaluate occupational exposure to 40 elements among a group of Eritrean adults employed at the Medeber metal market by analysing human scalp hair samples and by investigating the role of some predictors (gender, age, and body mass index—BMI) on their levels.

Advancements in sample preparation for performing elemental analysis are coming from the dissemination of microwave-assisted procedures, but there is still room for improvements by looking for fast and easily applicable procedures. In the present study, the open-vessel digestion sample treatment (19–21 °C or 95 °C) was compared with closed-vessel microwave-assisted digestion (180 °C). Detection and quantification limits, accuracy, precision, residual carbon content, and residual acidity were quantified with certified and in-field hair samples.