Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology最新文献

{"title":"A comparative study of urinary mycotoxin biomarkers co-occurrence patterns and cumulative risk assessment in population from three typical areas in China","authors":"Ying-Ying Zhou, Ming-Lu Li, Xiao-Dan Wang, Hai-Bin Xu, Jiang Liang","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00830-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00830-x","url":null,"abstract":"This biomonitoring study investigated levels of multi-mycotoxin biomarkers in the urine of subjects living in three different geographic locations and dietary patterns in China. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the inner-exposure characteristics to multiple mycotoxins within the Chinese population. The study involved a total of 311 healthy volunteers, with 103 from Anhui Province, 102 from Henan Province, and 106 from Sichuan Province. UHPLC-MS/MS was employed to analyze seven mycotoxin biomarkers [total deoxynivalenol (DONt), β-zearalenol (β-ZEL), nivalenol (NIV), α-zearalenol (α-ZEL), diacetoxycyclohexenol (DAS), zearalenone (ZEN), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1)] in urine samples. Urinary biomarker concentrations were used to estimate probable daily intake (PDI), further calculate hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI). In the study population, DON was the most prevalent (100%) with a mean concentration of 90.77 ng/ml, followed by β-ZEL (27.97%), NIV (24.76%), α-ZEL (24.12%), DAS (12.86%), ZEN (6.11%) and AFM1 (10.96%) in urine samples. The mean PDI for DONt, ZENt and NIV in the total population were 3.02 µg/kg bw/d, 0.01 µg/kg bw/d and 0.79 µg/kg bw/d, respectively. There were 61.09% of the total population with an HQ > 1 for DONt, while 0.96% and 10.93% had an HQ > 1 for ZENt and NIV, respectively. Moreover, approximately 64.31% of urine samples exhibited the co-occurrence of two or more mycotoxins. The most common binary and ternary combinations were DONt-ZENt (46.34%) and DONt-ZENt-NIV (19.02%). The percentages of HI > 1 for DONt-ZENt and DONt-ZENt-NIV were 61.09% and 69.77% respectively. In the present study, the co-occurrence pattern and cumulative risk of the metabolite biomarkers of multi-mycotoxins were firstly revealed in three typical areas with different climate types and dietary patterns. This study helps assess the health risks of mycotoxin exposure under different environmental and dietary conditions, reveals the relationship between diet and mycotoxin exposure, and provides scientific support for mitigating the harmful effects of mycotoxins on human health.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 3","pages":"438-449"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sociodemographic predictors of PFAS exposure among a combined sample of U.S. pregnant women: an Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) public-use dataset analysis","authors":"Jessie A. Gleason, Kristen Lyall, Jerald A. Fagliano, Lucy F. Robinson, Gloria B. Post, Anneclaire J. De Roos","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00833-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00833-8","url":null,"abstract":"Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals widely used in manufacturing since the 1940s and are associated with developmental and immune effects at exposure levels observed in the general population. To evaluate differences in exposure to 14 PFAS by sociodemographic factors among U.S. pregnant women. We combined maternal PFAS measurements from pregnant women from twelve pediatric cohorts drawn from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium’s public-use dataset (n = 3,043). Geometric means were estimated by race, ethnicity, and education. We used multivariable linear regression to estimate percent difference in log-transformed PFAS levels and logistic regression to assess odds of detectable PFAS levels by sociodemographic factors, adjusting for cohort, maternal age, trimester, year of sample collection, parity, BMI, fish consumption, and breastfeeding. Compared with White mothers, Black mothers had lower levels of PFOA (−23%; 95% CI −29%, −16%), PFOS (−9%; 95% CI −16%, −1%), and PFHxS (−23%; 95% CI −29%, −14%) based on linear analysis, and lower detection of PFOSA, EtFOSAA, PFDoDA, and PFPeA and higher detection of PFBS and PFHxA based on logistic analysis. Compared with White mothers, Asian mothers had higher levels of PFNA ( + 26%; 95% CI 13%, 40%), PFDA ( + 60%, 95% CI 36%, 89%), and PFUnDA (+95%; 95% CI 63%, 134%) based on linear analysis and higher detection of PFPeA based on logistic regression. Greater weekly fish consumption was found to be a significant predictor of PFAS concentrations but did not attenuate associations with Asian race. Compared with non-Hispanic mothers, Hispanic mothers had lower levels of most of PFAS analytes studied. Higher levels of maternal education were associated with increased levels of most PFAS analytes. In data drawn from this US consortium, documents continued widespread PFAS exposure, with higher levels noted for certain racial groups, non-Hispanic ethnicity, and higher educational attainment. We analyzed data from a combined sample of U.S. pregnant women (n = 3043) in the ECHO public-use dataset to assess exposure to 14 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including both legacy and less-studied compounds. Higher levels of some PFAS were observed by race, ethnicity, and education. Our findings document continued widespread PFAS exposure in the U.S., including among fetuses and newborns who may be especially vulnerable to developmental and immune effects. Ongoing biomonitoring is critical for understanding changing exposure patterns across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 3","pages":"459-468"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-025-00833-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145764940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indoor dust, immune activation, and household exposure risk after Hurricane Maria: a two-year pilot prospective cohort study in Puerto Rico","authors":"Felix E. Rivera-Mariani, Hayat Srour, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino, Benjamín Bolaños-Rosero, Lorraine N. Vélez-Torres, Juan P. Maestre, Kerry Kinney, Humberto Cavallin","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00835-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00835-6","url":null,"abstract":"Hurricane Maria left many homes in Puerto Rico with prolonged flooding, structural damage, and indoor microbial growth, conditions that can drive respiratory illness and immune dysregulation. To assess the pro-inflammatory potential of post-flooding indoor dust and track two-year shifts in household risk profiles by integrating pro-inflammatory biomarkers, fungal exposure, and self-reported structural damage, mental health, and respiratory outcomes. Dust samples were collected from 50 households in a San Juan community one year and again from 35 of those same households two years after the hurricane. Dust sample extracts (DSEs) were prepared and incubated with pooled peripheral blood from volunteers residing outside Puerto Rico. Pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-8 were quantified using ELISA; airborne fungal abundance was assessed on malt extract and G25N agars. Survey data captured self-reported respiratory and mental-health scores using the SF-12v2 Health Survey, structural water damage, and remediation efforts. Principal component analysis (PCA) and k-means clustering were applied to identify household clusters, while Sankey plots were used to visualize the transitions of household risk. IL-1β emerged as the most responsive cytokine, showing the greatest median reduction from Year 1 to Year 2 and across household water-damage categories. Three clusters emerged in Year 1, driven by structural damage, IL-1β, and fungal load. By Year 2, only two clusters remained, shaped more by self-reported respiratory and psychological distress than by structural damage. Sankey analysis revealed that some households transitioned into higher-risk profiles over time despite apparent household structural recovery.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 3","pages":"521-530"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145759101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Joint impact of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, anxiety and depression exposure on birth outcomes across pre-pregnancy BMI categories","authors":"Yunfei Jia, Hualong Zhen, Shuilan Liu, Beibei Zhu, Fengying Hu, Hengshun Cheng, Wei Jv, Yiran Li, Mengjuan Lu, Haiyan Li, Yue Gu, Fangbiao Tao, Minmin Jiang","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00829-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00829-4","url":null,"abstract":"While polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and maternal psychological distress (anxiety/depression) are risk factors for adverse birth outcomes, their joint effects remain poorly understood, particularly across different pre-pregnancy BMI categories. To examine the individual and combined effects of prenatal PAHs exposure and maternal psychological distress on birth outcomes, with emphasis on effect modification by pre-pregnancy BMI. In this prospective cohort study, we enrolled 699 pregnant women from two primary hospitals in Hefei, China, from April 2020 through October 2022. Urinary PAHs were assessed using gas chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed via Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), respectively. Logistic regression and BKMR models were used to explore the individual and combined effects of prenatal PAHs exposure and psychological distress on birth outcomes. Logistic regression revealed significant associations between PAHs and anxiety symptoms with adverse birth outcomes. In the overall population, 1-OHPHe is significantly associated with low birth weight (LBW) (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.25, 4.03), 2-OHDBF and 2-OHPHe were significantly associated with preterm birth (PTB), respectively (1.43, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.98; 1.38, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.90). GAD-7 score in the third tertile was positively linked to macrosomia (OR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.28, 10.06). BKMR demonstrated that among pre-pregnancy overweight/obese women (BMI ≧ 24.0), combined exposure to PAHs, depression, and anxiety was positively associated with LBW. Meanwhile, among the women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI (18.5–23.9), combined exposure was positively associated with macrosomia and PTB. Study results indicate that combined exposure to PAHs, anxiety, and depression increases the risk of adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 3","pages":"594-602"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145752414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing microenvironment classification models for personal exposure assessment based on global positioning system tracking data","authors":"Jiwoong Yu, Hyunwoo Jeon, Kiyoung Lee, Woojoo Lee","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00832-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00832-9","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate personal exposure assessment to air pollution is crucial in environmental epidemiological studies, but it remains challenging due to substantial differences in pollutant concentrations between indoor and outdoor environments. Indirect assessment methods estimate personal exposure by incorporating microenvironment-specific pollutant concentrations and personal time-activity patterns, while requiring participants to record detailed time-location diaries. This study aims to develop microenvironment classification models using global positioning system (GPS) tracking data. We used data from the Korean Air pollutant EXposure (KAPEX) model project, which reflects seasonal and daily activity patterns of the Korean urban population. Three microenvironment categorizations were defined: Two-level (indoor and outdoor), Three-level (indoor, walk, and transit), and Four-level (home and workplace, other indoor, walk, and transit), where the outdoor category is subdivided into walk and transit in Three- and Four-level. Classification models were developed for each categorization using various machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods, incorporating both individual mobility patterns and GPS signal quality information. Important variables contributing to classification accuracy were identified using interpretable ML or DL methods. Random forest achieved the highest test AUROC of 0.963 and 0.958 for the Two-level and Three-level categorization, respectively, while boosting achieved the highest test AUROC of 0.918 for the Four-level categorization. Variables related to both mobility patterns and GPS signal quality were found to enhance classification accuracy. These findings highlight that incorporating both mobility patterns and signal quality into ML models significantly improves classification accuracy.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 3","pages":"450-458"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145728085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiologically-relevant light exposure and light behaviour in Switzerland and Malaysia","authors":"Anna M. Biller, Johannes Zauner, Christian Cajochen, Marisa A. Gerle, Vineetha Kalavally, Anas Mohamed, Lukas Rottländer, Ming-Yi Seah, Oliver Stefani, Manuel Spitschan","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00825-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00825-8","url":null,"abstract":"Light synchronises the internal clock with the external light-dark cycle. Keeping this alignment benefits health and prevents diseases. Quantifying light exposure is, therefore, vital for effective prevention. Since light exposure depends on photoperiod, culture, and behaviour, we investigated objective light exposure and individual light-related behaviour in Switzerland and Malaysia. In this observational field study, participants (N = 39) wore a calibrated melanopic light logger at chest level for 30 consecutive days. At baseline and study end, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was assessed, and every 3 to 4 days, the Light Exposure Behaviour Assessment (LEBA) was filled. Our pre-registered analyses reveal that participants in Switzerland experienced brighter days (+3.16 times the average mel EDI) and spent more time (x1.9 times the duration) in daylight levels per hour of daylight, had ~1.5 h later bright light exposure in the afternoon, and stayed over 1 h longer in dim light conditions before bedtime. LEBA scores did not differ between Malaysia and Switzerland, and LEBA items were stable over time. LEBA items also correlated with objective light exposure variables in Switzerland but not Malaysia, with a medium effect size (range of absolute r = 0.32–0.48). Our results highlight cultural and geographical differences in light exposure. We showed that subjective assessment of light-exposure behaviour can be related to actual light exposure and is ecologically informative, but this varies by culture.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 2","pages":"409-422"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-025-00825-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145673390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using colorimetric wipes to characterize lead surface levels in lead-exposed construction workers’ homes and vehicles","authors":"Diana M. Ceballos, Yuxin Wu, Maria Bermudez, Jonathan I. Levy, Noah A. Buncher, Nicholas T. Basta, M. Pilar Botana Martinez, Junenette L. Peters","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00818-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00818-7","url":null,"abstract":"Lead home investigations following the confirmation of a lead-poisoned child in the home require a lead-certified technician using an X-ray-fluorescence (XRF) portable analyzer, but XRFs are not always available. Colorimetric surface wipes that immediately change color on a gradient from yellow-to-red with lead could address this gap, but they have not been tested or utilized extensively in non-occupational settings. To understand the usability of colorimetric wipes in lead home investigations with different potential sources of lead. We collected 104 colorimetric wipes to assess lead levels on surfaces from nine homes and seven vehicles from lead-exposed construction workers living with children. Colorimetric wipe results (n = 81) were compared with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy laboratory analysis. Lead was detected on 46(58%) of home surface wipes, with highest percentage of red wipes from surfaces in kitchen, followed by entrance, living room, bedroom, and laundry room samples. For vehicle surface wipes, 17 (71%) detected lead, with the highest percent of red wipes in the trunk, followed by back and front seat areas. Wipe color readings were significantly and positively correlated with laboratory analysis (Kendall’s τ = 0.42). At the 18 μg/sample threshold (i.e., level at which the wipe is expected to turn pink/red), the method showed high specificity (87%), moderate accuracy (78%), high negative predictive value (87%), and low false positive rate (13%). Of the wipes above 10 µg/sample public-health lead guideline, 80% changed color, suggesting high sensitivity.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 2","pages":"300-310"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental factors influencing hormone receptor positive breast cancer incidence: integrating chemical signatures from dust wipes with self-reported sources of exposure","authors":"Lauren E. Koval, Yun-Chung Hsiao, Ellie Jiang, Lauren Eaves, Dale P. Sandler, Hazel B. Nichols, Kun Lu, Alexandra J. White, Julia E. Rager","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00819-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00819-6","url":null,"abstract":"Breast cancer is a highly prevalent disease. Chemical exposures may contribute to breast cancer risk, though most chemicals to which humans are exposed remain understudied in breast cancer research. This study tested the hypothesis that environmental chemicals present in households of women who do and do not develop breast cancer will have differential abundance, and that chemical profiles relate to self-reported sources of exposures. Household dust wipe samples were collected at enrollment in the Sister Study cohort in 2003–2009. We evaluated a subsample of Sister Study participants who developed hormone receptor positive breast cancer within 10 years after enrollment (N = 40, “cases”) and who remained breast cancer free during the same period (N = 40, “controls”). Dust wipes were analyzed via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry coupled with database mining approaches. Participants self-reported personal care product usage and proximity to environmental pollution sources. Frequent itemset mining (FIM) was used to evaluate chemical occurrence and associations with questionnaire data. In the dust wipe samples, there were 189 features annotated to potential chemicals that significantly differed (adjusted p < 0.1) in abundance between cases and controls. Example chemicals included suspected endocrine disruptors 23-(Nonylphenoxy)-3,6,9,12,15,18,21-heptaoxatricosan-1-ol, triethanolamine, and thiabendazole. Analysis of questionnaire data identified the chemical 6-benzyl-2-[bis[(2S)-2-aminopropanoyl]amino]-3-methylphenyl] (2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-(3-hydroxyhexanoylamino)-3-methylbutanoyl]amino]-3-methylbutanoate to be of high interest due to its link, derived through FIM, to 45 exposure scenarios, largely described by elevated personal care product usage habits. Overall, this study builds the evidence base for understudied chemicals in everyday household environments that may alter breast cancer risk. Coupling chemical analysis results with participant survey data highlighted behaviors and environmental factors that may influence exposures to these chemicals, informing the design of future investigations to better understand sources of breast cancer risk in women.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 2","pages":"288-299"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145575182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Uncovering the connection: ethylene exposure and endogenous ethylene oxide levels in humans","authors":"Yu-Sheng Lin, Kristina A. Thayer, Paul White, Viktor Morozov, Amanda S. Persad","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00826-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00826-7","url":null,"abstract":"Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a known carcinogen, with general population exposure primarily from air pollution and smoking. EtO can also form internally via ethylene (ET) oxidation, which originates from both environmental sources and endogenous processes like lipid peroxidation. This has raised questions about ET exposure as a primary source of endogenous EtO, though quantitative evidence remains limited. To investigate the impact of total ET exposure—external and internal—on endogenous EtO in non-smoking and non-occupational populations (“non-exposed”). Literature and pharmacokinetic analyses were conducted to assess the evidence on ET exposure and associated EtO levels. Since most ET is exhaled unmetabolized, breath analysis provides the best estimate of total ET exposure. Two pharmacokinetic approaches were utilized to link ET exposure and EtO body burden. Circulating EtO was evaluated by its hemoglobin adducts, [N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine or HEV], a method commonly applied in high-exposure contexts, but its application is less certain for background exposure. The literature review indicated that exhaled ET concentrations varied among identified studies with a median of 12 ppb (range: 0.2–740 ppb). Across studies of purified air conditions, exhaled ET concentrations were lower (0.2–1.2 ppb), suggesting limited internal ET contribution. In an ET- and EtO-free environment, the pharmacokinetic models predict that <1–2 ppb exhaled ET can arise from internal ET sources in 70-kg adults. With a nominal ambient ET exposure (15 ppb), predicted exhaled ET reaches 16 ppb, aligned with the literature. In the same exposure conditions, less than 3.5 pmol HEV/g globin—under 20% of background HEV (approximately 20 pmol/g globin) observed in non-exposed populations—can be attributed to ET-derived EtO, suggesting unidentified HEV sources. This analysis shows that endogenous EtO arising from ET exposures appears much lower than previously suggested in “non-exposed” populations. Given EtO’s carcinogenic potential, further research, including methodology enhancement, is warranted.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 2","pages":"361-374"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145566954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A characterization of infants’ and children’s time-activity patterns for use in soil and dust exposure estimation","authors":"Sara N. Lupolt, Lacey Etzkorn, Christina Huynh, Lesliam Quirós-Alcala, Erin DeMicco, Tracey J. Woodruff, Kristin Voegtline, Keeve E. Nachman","doi":"10.1038/s41370-025-00824-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41370-025-00824-9","url":null,"abstract":"Time-activity pattern data are components of EPA’s efforts to develop soil and dust ingestion rate recommendations for use in risk assessment. The existing database of activity pattern data used for this purpose is comprised mostly of studies designed to estimate exposure to air pollution that are decades old, limiting their applicability to estimating soil and dust ingestion. We aimed to generate novel time-activity pattern data germane to soil and dust ingestion for children aged 6 months to 6 years. We explore potential differences in key exposure factors by child age, sex, motor development, season, and day of the week, and we compare our estimates to the USEPA’s Exposure Factors Handbook (EFH) recommendations. Caregivers completed hourly time-activity surveys on one weekday and one weekend day in each season across one calendar year. We collected data on four microenvironments, seven activities, and several play-related parameters specific to soil and dust exposure. We assessed differences in time spent and engaged in these microenvironments and activities across day of the week, season, and calendar and developmental lifestage using clustered bootstrapping. We collected 1010 participant-days of time-activity pattern data representing 242 children <6 years. Children spent most of their day indoors either sleeping (51%) or playing (17%), and we observed notable differences in activity patterns across days and ages. On 97% of participant-days, children played with mean = 45 hard toys/day, while on 83% of participant-days, children played with a mean 13 soft toys/day. Comfort object use was more prevalent than pacifier use across all age groups and highest (mean = 136 minutes/day) among 2 to < 3-year-olds. Pacifier use was rarely observed among children >3 years.","PeriodicalId":15684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"36 2","pages":"276-287"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}