Internal dose of glycidol in children and estimation of associated cancer risk

• Children are more susceptible to exposures to harmful compounds compared to adults. Monitoring of the actual exposures in vivo is important to enable risk mitigation actions. The general population, including children, is exposed to the carcinogen glycidol through food. A possible exposure source to glycidol is food containing refined cooking oils where it is present as a process-induced contaminant in the form of fatty acid esters.In the present study internal (in vivo) doses of the genotoxic and carcinogenic compound glycidol have been determined in a cohort of 50 children and in a reference group of 12 adults (non-smokers and smokers). The lifetime in vivo doses of glycidol have been calculated from the levels of the hemoglobin (Hb) adduct N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-valine in blood samples from the subjects, demonstrating about a 5-fold variation between the children (71–322 µMh). This variation is likely due to different dietary habits and/or different genotypes/phenotypes of the enzymes involved in the detoxification of glycidol. Data from the adults indicate that the non-smoking subjects are exposed to about the same level as the children, whereas the smoking subjects have about double levels, likely due to the presence of glycidol in tobacco smoke. The estimated exposure to glycidol in the children is higher than those estimated by European Food Safety Authority.The calculated relative cancer risk increment due to glycidol exposure demonstrated an unacceptable risk for all subjects. The excess lifetime risk based on the estimated lifetime in vivo doses of glycidol exceeded 1/1000, which should be compared to a generally applied acceptable lifetime risk level of 1/100 000. A small contribution to the internal dose of glycidol from other precursors to the measured Hb adduct, and corresponding contribution to estimated risks from intake of glycidol from food cannot though be excluded.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Annan kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Other Chemistry Topics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

glycidol

Hb adducts

in vivo dose

human cancer risk

miljökemi

Environmental Chemistry

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)