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http://hdl.handle.net/1942/35535
Title: | Human Biomonitoring Data Enables Evidence-Informed Policy to Reduce Internal Exposure to Persistent Organic Compounds: A Case Study | Authors: | Colles, A Coertjens, D Morrens, B Den Hond, E Paulussen, M BRUCKERS, Liesbeth Govarts, E Covaci, A Koppen, G Croes, K Nelen, V Van Larebeke, N De Henauw, S Fierens, T Van Gestel, G Chovanova, H Mampaey, M Van Campenhout, K Loots, I Baeyens, W Schoeters, G |
Issue Date: | 2021 | Publisher: | MDPI | Source: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (11) (Art N° 5559) | Abstract: | Human biomonitoring (HBM) monitors levels of environmental pollutants in human samples, which often is a topic of concern for residents near industrially contaminated sites (ICSs). Around an ICS area in Menen (Belgium), including a (former) municipal waste incinerator and a metal recovery plant, increasing environmental concentrations of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were observed, causing growing concern among residents and authorities. The local community succeeded in convincing the responsible authorities to investigate the problem and offer research funding. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were measured in two consecutive HBM studies (2002-2006 and 2010-2011), in the context of the Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS), as well as in soil and locally produced food. Meanwhile, local authorities discouraged consumption of locally produced food in a delineated area of higher exposure risk. Ultimately, HBM and environmental data enabled tailored dietary recommendations. This article demonstrates the usefulness of HBM in documenting the body burdens of residents near the ICS, identifying exposure routes, evaluating remediating actions and providing information for tailored policy strategies aiding to further exposure reduction. It also highlights the role of the local stakeholders as an example of community-based participatory research and how such an approach can create societal support for research and policy. | Keywords: | POPs;PCBs;dioxins;human biomonitoring;science-to-policy;participation | Document URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1942/35535 | ISSN: | 1661-7827 | e-ISSN: | 1660-4601 | DOI: | 10.3390/ijerph18115559 | ISI #: | 000659925400001 | Rights: | 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). | Category: | A1 | Type: | Journal Contribution | Validations: | ecoom 2022 |
Appears in Collections: | Research publications |
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ijerph-18-05559.pdf | Published version | 1.31 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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