Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1942/10322
Title: | Hormone levels and sexual development in Flemish adolescents residing in areas differing in pollution pressure | Authors: | Croes, K. Baeyens, W. BRUCKERS, Liesbeth Den Hond, E. Koppen, G. Nelen, V. Van de Mieroop, E. Keune, H. Dhooge, W. Schoeters, G. Van Larebeke, N. |
Issue Date: | 2009 | Publisher: | ELSEVIER GMBH, URBAN & FISCHER VERLAG | Source: | INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, 212(6). p. 612-625 | Abstract: | In 2002, the Centre for Environment and Health in Flanders, Belgium started a human biomonitoring program. For 1679 adolescents, residing in nine study areas with differing pollution pressure, hormone levels and the degree of sexual maturation were measured. Possible confounding effects of lifestyle and personal characteristics were taken into account. Participants from the nine different study areas had significantly different levels of sex hormones (total and free testosterone, oestradiol, aromatase, luteinizing hormone) and the thyroid hormone free triiodothyronine, after correction for confounders. Significantly higher hormone concentrations were measured in samples from participants residing in the area around the waste incinerators, while significantly lower values were found in participants residing in the Albert Canal zone with chemical industry. Sexual maturation of boys as well as girls tended to be somewhat slower in the industrial city of Antwerp and in the Antwerp harbour compared to the other areas in Flanders. Even within the same study area, significant differences in hormone levels could be observed between sub-areas. Data on the internal exposure of the same adolescents to lead, cadmium, PCBs, p,p'-DDE, HCB, 1-hydroxypyrene and t,t'-muconic acid have already been published. The observed differences in hormone levels and in sexual maturation could however only in part be explained by the measured differences in internal exposure to pollutants, suggesting that also other pollutants and other factors that vary in function of the area of residence could play a role. Nevertheless, our results also suggest that local (environmental) factors, acting within a short distance, might influence the measured hormone levels and degree of sexual maturation. (C) 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. | Notes: | [Croes, K.; Baeyens, W.] Free Univ Brussels, Dept Analyt & Environm Chem, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. [Bruckers, L.] Univ Hasselt, Interuniv Inst Biostat & Stat Bioinformat, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. [Bruckers, L.] Katholieke Univ Leuven, Louvain, Belgium. [Den Hond, E.; Koppen, G.; Schoeters, G.] Flemish Inst Technol Res, B-2400 Mol, Belgium. [Nelen, V.; Van de Mieroop, E.] Prov Inst Hyg, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium. [Keune, H.] Univ Antwerp, Fac Polit & Social Sci, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium. [Dhooge, W.] Ghent Univ Hosp, Dept Endocrinol, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. [Croes, K.; Van Larebeke, N.] Ghent Univ Hosp, Dept Radiotherapy & Expt Cancerol, Study Ctr Carcinogenesis & Primary Prevent Canc, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. [Schoeters, G.] Univ Antwerp, Dept Biomed Sci, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium. | Keywords: | Human biomonitoring; Adolescents; Hormone levels; Sexual maturation; Environment; Pollution | Document URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1942/10322 | ISSN: | 1438-4639 | e-ISSN: | 1618-131X | DOI: | 10.1016/j.ijheh.2009.05.002 | ISI #: | 000272295300005 | Category: | A1 | Type: | Journal Contribution | Validations: | ecoom 2010 |
Appears in Collections: | Research publications |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hormone levelsandsexualdevelopmentinFlemishadolescentsresidingin.pdf | Peer-reviewed author version | 2.42 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
SCOPUSTM
Citations
18
checked on Sep 2, 2020
WEB OF SCIENCETM
Citations
21
checked on Apr 22, 2024
Page view(s)
58
checked on Sep 5, 2022
Download(s)
248
checked on Sep 5, 2022
Google ScholarTM
Check
Altmetric
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.