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Assessing Exposure to Selected Environmental Pollutants
in the Israeli Population
Human biomonitoring (HBM) is used to estimate exposure to environmental
chemicals by measuring the chemicals or their metabolites in tissues or body fluids
(e.g., blood or urine). HBM is an important tool for determining the effectiveness of
public health efforts to reduce public exposure to specific chemicals, for tracking time
trends in exposure levels, and for determining whether exposure levels are higher
among potentially vulnerable groups such as minorities and children. Therefore many
countries have developed national biomonitoring programs. The objectives of the study
were to test the hypothesis that levels of exposure (urinary concentrations) to several
environmental contaminants in the Israeli population are different from those in US and
European populations, and to test the hypothesis that diet is an important source of
exposure to environmental contaminants in Israel.
The current study provided valuable data on exposure of the general population
in Israel to a range of environmental contaminants, including organophosphate
pesticides, bisphenol A, phthalates, environmental tobacco smoke, and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons. The study showed that exposure to several environmental
contaminants (organophosphate pesticide, environmental tobacco smoke, phthalates)
in the Israeli population is high compared to other international populations.
Urinary bisphenol A concentrations were significantly higher in Jewish compared
to Arab and Druze study participants and in current smokers. Total organophosphate
metabolites were higher in study participants with high income compared to subjects
with the lowest income and in study participants with high fruit consumption (>75th
percentile). Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was associated with being
male, younger age, and low education status.
The major implications of the study for environment and health in Israel are: (1)
Ministry of Health commitment to continue biomonitoring in the general population,
including a plan to incorporate biomonitoring in the “MABAT” National Health and
Nutrition Survey scheduled for 2015; (2) data to support policy aimed at reducing
agricultural use of organophosphate pesticides in Israel; and (3) data to support policy
aimed at reducing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in non-smokers in Israel.
Research publications
(1)
Berman, T., Goldsmith, R., Göen, T., Spungen, J., Novack, L., Levine, H., Amitai, Y., Shohat, T.,
& Grotto, I. (2013). Urinary concentrations of environmental contaminants and phytoestrogens in
adults in Israel.
Environment International, 59
, 478-484.
(2)
Berman, T., Goldsmith, R., Göen, T., Spungen, J., Novack, L., Levine, H., Amitai, Y., Shohat, T.,
& Grotto, I. (2013). Urinary concentrations of organophosphate pesticide metabolites in adults in
Israel: Demographic and dietary predictors.
Environment International, 60
, 183–189.
(3)
Levine, H., Berman, T., Goldsmith, R., Göen, T., Spungen, J., Novack, L., Amitai, Y., Shohat, T., &
Grotto, I. (2013). Exposure to tobacco smoke based on urinary cotinine levels among Israeli smoking
and nonsmoking adults: A cross-sectional analysis of the first Israeli human biomonitoring study.
BMC Public Health, 13
, 1241.
(4)
Berman, T., Goldsmith, R., Göen, T., Spungen, J., Novack, L., Levine, H., Amitai, Y., Shohat, T.,
& Grotto, I. (2014). Demographic and dietary predictors of urinary bisphenol A concentrations in
adults in Israel.
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 217
(6), 638-644.
(5)
Levine, H., Berman, T., Goldsmith, R., Göen, T., Spungen, J., Novack, L., Amitai, Y., Shohat, T.,
& Grotto, I. (2014). Urinary concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Israeli adults:
Demographic and life-style predictors.
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
.
Advance online publication. doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2014.09.004
Itamar Grotto
1
Tamar Berman
1
Rebecca Goldsmith
1
Yona Amitai
2
| Tamy Shohat
3
1. Israel Ministry of Health
2. Bar-Ilan University
3. Israel Center for Disease
Control (ICDC)
2009-2013
Multi-Year Research Grants