The first harmonised total diet study in Portugal: Arsenic, cadmium and lead exposure assessment Elsa Vasco, M. Graça Dias, Luísa Oliveira Chemosphere, 2025 for cadmium. Margins of exposure of below or close to one were found for inorganic arsenic and lead, whereas 5.4 % of individuals exceeded the Tolerable Weekly Intake for cadmium. These results indicate that adverse health effects cannot be ruled out. Bread was the common main contributor for the exposure to all three elements.
Mercury Exposure Assessment from the First Harmonised Total Diet Study in Portugal Elsa Vasco, M. Graça Dias, Luísa Oliveira Exposure and Health, 2025 The aim of this study was to estimate the Portuguese population’s baseline exposure to methyl and inorganic mercury by a harmonised total diet study (TDS) methodology and the risk of exceeding the Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI). TDS food samples representative of the whole diet of the population were prepared as consumed, and analysed for total mercury. European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) conservative approach was used to estimate methylmercury and inorganic mercury and exposure was estimated using Monte Carlo Risk Assessment (MCRA) software. Mean, median and P95 exposure of the overall population (18 to 74 years old) to methylmercury and to inorganic mercury were 1.25, 0.01 and 5.45 µg/kg bw/week, and 0.37, 0.15 and 1.27 µg/kg bw/week, respectively. The percentage of individuals exceeding TWI was 27.6 for methylmercury and 3.5 for inorganic mercury. Regarding childbearing age women (18 to 45 years old), methylmercury mean exposure was 1.13 µg/kg bw/week with 25% of women exceeding the TWI. Cod and hake were the main contributors to mercury intake.
Exposure assessment of the European adult population to deoxynivalenol – Results from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies Sónia Namorado, Carla Martins, Joana Ogura, Ricardo Assunção, Elsa Vasco, Brice Appenzeller, Thorhallur I Halldorsson, Beata Janasik, Marike Kolossa-Gehring, An Van Nieuwenhuyse, Kristin Ólafsdóttir, Loïc Rambaud, Margaux Riou, Susana Silva, Wojciech Wasowicz, Till Weber, Marta Esteban-López, Argelia Castaño, Liese Gilles, Laura Rodríguez Martin, Eva Govarts, Greet Schoeters, Susana Viegas, Maria João Silva, Paula Alvito Food Research International, 2024 Mycotoxins are natural toxins produced by fungi that may cause adverse health effects thus constituting a public health concern. Deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin affecting the immune system and causing intestinal disorders, was selected as a priority under the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU). Urinary total DON levels (tDON) of 1270 participants from six countries were used to characterize the internal exposure of the adult European population and identify the most relevant determinants of exposure. tDON concentrations' P50 and P95 were in the range of 0.41-10.16 µg/L (0.39-9.05 µg/g crt) and 3.25-46.58 µg/L (2.12-33.50 µg/g crt) respectively. Higher tDON levels were observed for (i) male participants from France and Germany, (ii) samples collected in spring and summer, (iii) participants with a lower educational level, (iv) participants living in rural areas, (v) individuals without a job in France and Luxembourg, while in Portugal higher exposure was observed in working individuals, (vi) individuals with higher consumption of cereals and bread. The proportion of individuals with exposure levels exceeding the HBM-GV of 23 µg/L was 12.3 %, ranging from 0.8 % to 20.7 % in the individual countries. This study on mycotoxins exposure has used post harmonized questionnaire data and validated analytical methodologies for analysis and covered countries representing the four geographical regions of Europe, having produced much needed knowledge on the exposure of the European adult population to deoxynivalenol.
The first harmonised total diet study in Portugal: Vitamin D occurrence and intake assessment M. Graça Dias, Elsa Vasco, Francisco Ravasco, Luísa Oliveira Food Chemistry, 2024 Vitamin D acts in calcium and phosphate homeostasis and also as an immunomodulatory hormone. To estimate the vitamin D intake by the 'adults' and 'elderly' Portuguese populations TDS methodology was used, since in the absence of skin UVB exposure, food and supplements are the only vitamin D sources. Vitamin D was quantifiable in 78 (24 from the fish group) of the 164 TDS samples. Sea bream contained the most vitamin D (13.8 µg/100 g), followed by plaice (9.2 µg/100 g). MCRA software (semi-probabilistic approach) was used to estimate the median vitamin D intake that ranged between 2.47 ('adults' 'males') - 1.45 ('elderly' 'females') µg/day, well below the Dietary Reference Values (5-15 µg/day). Plaice, sea bream and sardine were the main contributors to intake. A prevalence of 94% inadequate vitamin D intake for 'adults' and 'elderly' was found based on the estimated average requirement of 10 µg/day.
Harmonized human biomonitoring in European children, teenagers and adults: EU-wide exposure data of 11 chemical substance groups from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (2014–2021) Eva Govarts, Liese Gilles, Laura Rodriguez Martin, Tiina Santonen, Petra Apel, Paula Alvito, Elena Anastasi, Helle Raun Andersen, Anna-Maria Andersson, Lenka Andryskova, Jean-Philippe Antignac, Brice Appenzeller, Fabio Barbone, Zohar Barnett-Itzhaki, Robert Barouki, Tamar Berman, Wieneke Bil, Teresa Borges, Jurgen Buekers, Ana Cañas-Portilla, Adrian Covaci, Zsofia Csako, Elly Den Hond, Darina Dvorakova, Lucia Fabelova, Tony Fletcher, Hanne Frederiksen, Catherine Gabriel, Catherine Ganzleben, Thomas Göen, Thorhallur I. Halldorsson, Line S. Haug, Milena Horvat, Pasi Huuskonen, Medea Imboden, Marta Jagodic Hudobivnik, Beata Janasik, Natasa Janev Holcer, Spyros Karakitsios, Andromachi Katsonouri, Jana Klanova, Venetia Kokaraki, Tina Kold Jensen, Jani Koponen, Michelle Laeremans, Federica Laguzzi, Rosa Lange, Nora Lemke, Sanna Lignell, Anna Karin Lindroos, Joana Lobo Vicente, Mirjam Luijten, Konstantinos C. Makris, Darja Mazej, Lisa Melymuk, Matthieu Meslin, Hans Mol, Parisa Montazeri, Aline Murawski, Sónia Namorado, Lars Niemann, Stefanie Nübler, Baltazar Nunes, Kristin Olafsdottir, Lubica Palkovicova Murinova, Nafsika Papaioannou, Susana Pedraza-Diaz, Pavel Piler, Veronika Plichta, Michael Poteser, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Loïc Rambaud, Elke Rauscher-Gabernig, Katarina Rausova, Sylvie Remy, Margaux Riou, Valentina Rosolen, Christophe Rousselle, Maria Rüther, Denis Sarigiannis, Maria J. Silva, Zdenka Šlejkovec, Janja Snoj Tratnik, Anja Stajnko, Tamas Szigeti, José V. Tarazona, Cathrine Thomsen, Žiga Tkalec, Hanna Tolonen, Tomas Trnovec, Maria Uhl, An Van Nieuwenhuyse, Elsa Vasco, Veerle J. Verheyen, Susana Viegas, Anne Marie Vinggaard, Nina Vogel, Katrin Vorkamp, Wojciech Wasowicz, Till Weber, Sona Wimmerova, Marjolijn Woutersen, Philipp Zimmermann, Martin Zvonar, Holger Koch, Marike Kolossa-Gehring, Marta Esteban López, Argelia Castaño, Lorraine Stewart, Ovnair Sepai, Greet Schoeters International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2023 As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participants of three age groups: (i) 3,576 children aged 6-12 years, (ii) 3,117 teenagers aged 12-18 years and (iii) 4,102 young adults aged 20-39 years. The participants were recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11-12 countries per age group, geographically distributed across Europe. Depending on the age group, internal exposure to phthalates and the substitute DINCH, halogenated and organophosphorus flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), cadmium, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic species, acrylamide, mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol (total DON)), benzophenones and selected pesticides was assessed by measuring substance specific biomarkers subjected to stringent quality control programs for chemical analysis. For substance groups analyzed in different age groups higher average exposure levels were observed in the youngest age group, i.e., phthalates/DINCH in children versus teenagers, acrylamide and pesticides in children versus adults, benzophenones in teenagers versus adults. Many biomarkers in teenagers and adults varied significantly according to educational attainment, with higher exposure levels of bisphenols, phthalates, benzophenones, PAHs and acrylamide in participants (from households) with lower educational attainment, while teenagers from households with higher educational attainment have higher exposure levels for PFASs and arsenic. In children, a social gradient was only observed for the non-specific pyrethroid metabolite 3-PBA and di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP), with higher levels in children from households with higher educational attainment. Geographical variations were seen for all exposure biomarkers. For 15 biomarkers, the available health-based HBM guidance values were exceeded with highest exceedance rates for toxicologically relevant arsenic in teenagers (40%), 3-PBA in children (36%), and between 11 and 14% for total DON, Σ (PFOA + PFNA + PFHxS + PFOS), bisphenol S and cadmium. The infrastructure and harmonized approach succeeded in obtaining comparable European wide internal exposure data for a prioritized set of 11 chemical groups. These data serve as a reference for comparison at the global level, provide a baseline to compare the efficacy of the European Commission's chemical strategy for sustainability and will give leverage to national policy makers for the implementation of targeted measures.
Current Advances, Research Needs and Gaps in Mycotoxins Biomonitoring under the HBM4EU—Lessons Learned and Future Trends Paula Alvito, Ricardo Manuel Assunção, Lola Bajard, Carla Martins, Marcel J. B. Mengelers, Hans Mol, Sónia Namorado, Annick D. van den Brand, Elsa Vasco, Susana Viegas, Maria João Silva Toxins, 2022 Mycotoxins are natural metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate food and feed worldwide. They can pose a threat to human and animal health, mainly causing chronic effects, e.g., immunotoxic and carcinogenic. Due to climate change, an increase in European population exposure to mycotoxins is expected to occur, raising public health concerns. This urges us to assess the current human exposure to mycotoxins in Europe to allow monitoring exposure and prevent future health impacts. The mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) were considered as priority substances to be studied within the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) to generate knowledge on internal exposure and their potential health impacts. Several policy questions were addressed concerning hazard characterization, exposure and risk assessment. The present article presents the current advances attained under the HBM4EU, research needs and gaps. Overall, the knowledge on the European population risk from exposure to DON was improved by using new harmonised data and a newly derived reference value. In addition, mechanistic information on FB1 was, for the first time, organized into an adverse outcome pathway for a congenital anomaly. It is expected that this knowledge will support policy making and contribute to driving new Human Biomonitoring (HBM) studies on mycotoxin exposure in Europe.
Ibero-American consensus on low- and no-calorie sweeteners: Safety, nutritional aspects and benefits in food and beverages Lluis Serra-Majem, António Raposo, Javier Aranceta-Bartrina, Gregorio Varela-Moreiras, Caomhan Logue, Hugo Laviada, Susana Socolovsky, Carmen Pérez-Rodrigo, Jorge Aldrete-Velasco, Eduardo Meneses Sierra, Rebeca López-García, Adriana Ortiz-Andrellucchi, Carmen Gómez-Candela, Rodrigo Abreu, Erick Alexanderson, Rolando Álvarez-Álvarez, Ana Álvarez Falcón, Arturo Anadón, France Bellisle, Ina Beristain-Navarrete, Raquel Blasco Redondo, Tommaso Bochicchio, José Camolas, Fernando Cardini, Márcio Carocho, Maria Costa, Adam Drewnowski, Samuel Durán, Víctor Faundes, Roxana Fernández-Condori, Pedro García-Luna, Juan Garnica, Marcela González-Gross, Carlo La Vecchia, Rosaura Leis, Ana López-Sobaler, Miguel Madero, Ascensión Marcos, Luis Mariscal Ramírez, Danika Martyn, Lorenza Mistura, Rafael Moreno Rojas, José Moreno Villares, José Niño-Cruz, María Oliveira, Nieves Palacios Gil-Antuñano, Lucía Pérez-Castells, Lourdes Ribas-Barba, Rodolfo Rincón Pedrero, Pilar Riobó, Juan Rivera Medina, Catarina Tinoco de Faria, Roxana Valdés-Ramos, Elsa Vasco, Sandra Wac, Guillermo Wakida, Carmina Wanden-Berghe, Luis Xóchihua Díaz, Sergio Zúñiga-Guajardo, Vasiliki Pyrogianni, Sérgio Cunha Velho de Sousa Nutrients, 2018
A conceptual framework for the collection of food products in a Total Diet Study Aida Turrini, Ginevra Lombardi-Boccia, Federica Aureli, Francesco Cubadda, Laura D’Addezio, Marilena D’Amato, Laura D’Evoli, PerOla Darnerud, Niamh Devlin, Maria Graça Dias, Marina Jurković, Cecily Kelleher, Cinzia Le Donne, Maite López Esteban, Massimo Lucarini, Maria Alba Martinez Burgos, Emilio Martínez-Victoria, Breige McNulty, Lorenza Mistura, Anne Nugent, Hatice Imge Oktay Basegmez, Luisa Oliveira, Hayrettin Ozer, Gemma Perelló, Marina Pite, Karl Presser, Darja Sokolić, Elsa Vasco, Jean-Luc Volatier Food Additives and Contaminants Part A Chemistry Analysis Control Exposure and Risk Assessment, 2018
Development of harmonised food and sample lists for total diet studies in five European countries Marcela Dofkova, Tanja Nurmi, Katharina Berg, Ólafur Reykdal, Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir, Elsa Vasco, Maria Graça Dias, Jitka Blahova, Irena Rehurkova, Tiina Putkonen, Tiina Ritvanen, Oliver Lindtner, Natasa Desnica, Hrönn Ó. Jörundsdóttir, Luísa Oliveira, Jiri Ruprich Food Additives and Contaminants Part A Chemistry Analysis Control Exposure and Risk Assessment, 2016
