Approaches to environmental exposure assessment in children.
Approaches to environmental exposure assessment in children.
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DOI：
10.1289/ehp.98106827
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发表时间：
1998-06
影响因子：
10.4
通讯作者：
Groopman JD
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Weaver VM;Buckley TJ;Groopman JD
鉴于目前哮喘和癌症等儿童疾病发病率不断上升，更好地了解环境暴露对儿童疾病负担的影响至关重要。儿童必须定期参与环境研究。外部（例如空气、水）和内部剂量（例如生物标志物）的暴露评估是此类研究的一个组成部分。生物标志物测量具有一些儿童独有的优势。这些包括评估由于与成人不同的行为（即手到嘴的活动）而可能增加的吸收；代谢物测量，有助于识别与年龄相关的易感性差异；并改进了对皮肤暴露的评估，这是儿童的重要暴露途径。儿童环境暴露评估需要采用目前成人研究中应用的技术，以及开发儿童特有的工具和验证策略。专注于亲子学习单元的设计提供成人比较数据，并允许家长协助进行更复杂的研究设计。使用尺寸适合儿童的设备（例如小型气泵和徽章监视器）也很重要。当使用生物标志物时，优选可以非侵入性获得的生物样本。尽管目前主要需要小型集中研究来解决特定问题并优化研究工具，但未来将需要建立大型前瞻性队列。城市儿童是一个重要的研究群体，因为在城市环境中观察到的发病率相对较高。最后，讨论了针对特定暴露（例如苯、环境烟草烟雾、黄曲霉毒素、挥发性有机化合物和多环芳烃）的已完成或未来可能使用这些技术的研究的示例。
An improved understanding of the contribution made by environmental exposures to disease burden in children is essential, given current increasing rates of childhood illnesses such asthma and cancer. Children must be routinely included in environmental research. Exposure assessment, both external (e.g., air, water) and internal dose (e.g., biomarkers), is an integral component of such research. Biomarker measurement has some advantages that are unique in children. These include assessment of potentially increased absorption because of behaviors that differ from adults (i.e., hand-to-mouth activity); metabolite measurement, which can help identify age-related susceptibility differences; and improved assessment of dermal exposure, an important exposure route in children. Environmental exposure assessment in children will require adaption of techniques that are currently applied in adult studies as well as development of tools and validation of strategies that are unique for children. Designs that focus on parent-child study units provide adult comparison data and allow the parent to assist with more complex study designs. Use of equipment that is sized appropriately for children, such as small air pumps and badge monitors, is also important. When biomarkers are used, biologic specimens that can be obtained noninvasively are preferable. Although the current need is primarily for small focused studies to address specific questions and optimize research tools, the future will require establishment of large prospective cohorts. Urban children are an important study cohort because of relatively high morbidity observed in the urban environment. Finally, examples of completed or possible future studies utilizing these techniques are discussed for specific exposures such as benzene, environmental tobacco smoke, aflatoxin, volatile organic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.