Characterization of the human kinetic adjustment factor for the health risk assessment of environmental contaminants

Health Risk Assessment in Children Occupationally and Para-Occupationally Exposed to Benzene Using a Reverse-Translation PBPK Model

Benzene is a known human carcinogen and one of the ten chemicals of major public health concern identified by the World Health Organization. Our objective was to evaluate benzene's carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks (current and projected) in highly exposed children in Yucatan, Mexico. Benzene exposure was estimated through a reverse-translation, four-compartment, physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK) based on previously performed urine trans, trans-muconic acid (benzene metabolite) determinations. Using a risk assessment methodology, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of benzene were estimated for 6-12-year-old children from a family of shoemakers. The children's hazard quotients for decreased lymphocyte count were 27 and 53 for 4 and 8 h/day exposure, respectively, and 37 for the projected 8 h/day exposure in adults. The risks of developing leukemia were 2-6 cases in 1000 children exposed 4 h/day; 4-10 cases in 1000 children exposed 8 h/day, and 2-9 cases in 1000 adults with an 8 h/day lifetime exposure. Children in Yucatan working in shoe-manufacturing workshops, or living next to them, are exposed to benzene concentrations above the reference concentration and have unacceptably high risks of presenting with non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic hematologic symptoms, now and in the future. Interventions to prevent further exposure and mitigate health risks are necessary.

An overview of current practices for regulatory risk assessment with lessons learnt from cosmetics in the European Union

Risk assessments of various types of chemical compounds are carried out in the European Union (EU) foremost to comply with legislation and to support regulatory decision-making with respect to their safety. Historically, risk assessment has relied heavily on animal experiments. However, the EU is committed to reduce animal experimentation and has implemented several legislative changes, which have triggered a paradigm shift towards human-relevant animal-free testing in the field of toxicology, in particular for risk assessment. For some specific endpoints, such as skin corrosion and irritation, validated alternatives are available whilst for other endpoints, including repeated dose systemic toxicity, the use of animal data is still central to meet the information requirements stipulated in the different legislations. The present review aims to provide an overview of established and more recently introduced methods for hazard assessment and risk characterisation for human health, in particular in the context of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC No 1223/2009) as well as the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation (EC 1907/2006).

Model qualification of the PK-Sim® pediatric module for pediatric exposure assessment of CYP450 metabolized compounds

Pediatric physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models facilitate the estimation of pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters in children under specific exposure conditions. In human health risk assessment, PBPK modeling has been used to determine a chemical-specific human kinetic adjustment factor (HKAF). Due to increased demands in regulatory assessment, model evaluation and qualification have gained growing attention. The aim of this study was to undertake model qualification of pediatric PBPK models for compounds that are primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. The objectives were to determine the appropriateness of the virtual individual creating algorithm in PK-Sim® in predicting PK parameters and their variability in children and identify critical system-specific inputs. PBPK models in adults were constructed for several pharmaceuticals (grouped by major clearance process such as CYP3A4). Several age groups of virtual individuals were created to represent children in pediatric clinical studies. The mean and variance of clearance (CL) from virtual populations were compared to observed values. Sensitivity analysis on area under the curve (AUC) was performed. System-specific parameters of virtual children that contribute to inter-individual PK properties were assessed. Eighty-one percent of the comparisons between simulated and observed clearance values were within twofold error. The mean fold errors were 1.1, 1, 0.7 and 1.8 in adolescents, children, infants and neonates, respectively. CL variability was reasonably predicted for 70% of the comparisons with comparable coefficients of variation between observed and predicted. The sensitivity analysis revealed that fraction unbound in plasma, parameters related to CYP enzyme-mediated metabolism and liver volumewere most important in the estimation of pediatric exposure. A comparison of variabilities in weight, height and liver volume in virtual children showed reliable agreement with observed data. The presented results of predictive performance and properties of virtual populations provide confidence in the use of PK-Sim for pediatric PBPK modeling in toxicological applications including PBPK-based-HKAF derivation.

Challenges Associated With Applying Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Public Health Decision-Making

The development and application of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models in chemical toxicology have grown steadily since their emergence in the 1980s. However, critical evaluation of PBPK models to support public health decision-making across federal agencies has thus far occurred for only a few environmental chemicals. In order to encourage decision-makers to embrace the critical role of PBPK modeling in risk assessment, several important challenges require immediate attention from the modeling community. The objective of this contemporary review is to highlight 3 of these challenges, including: (1) difficulties in recruiting peer reviewers with appropriate modeling expertise and experience; (2) lack of confidence in PBPK models for which no tissue/plasma concentration data exist for model evaluation; and (3) lack of transferability across modeling platforms. Several recommendations for addressing these 3 issues are provided to initiate dialog among members of the PBPK modeling community, as these issues must be overcome for the field of PBPK modeling to advance and for PBPK models to be more routinely applied in support of public health decision-making.

Reverse dosimetry modeling of toluene exposure concentrations based on biomonitoring levels from the Canadian health measures survey

Biomonitoring might provide useful estimates of population exposure to environmental chemicals. However, data uncertainties stemming from interindividual variability are common in large population biomonitoring surveys. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models might be used to account for age- and gender-related variability in internal dose. The objective of this study was to reconstruct air concentrations consistent with blood toluene measures reported in the third Canadian Health Measures Survey using reverse dosimetry PBPK modeling techniques. Population distributions of model's physiological parameters were described based upon age, weight, and size for four subpopulations (12-19, 20-39, 40-59, and 60-79 years old). Monte Carlo simulations applied to PBPK modeling allowed converting the distributions of venous blood measures of toluene obtained from CHMS into related air levels. Based upon blood levels observed at the 50^th, 90^th and 95^th percentiles, corresponding air toluene concentrations were estimated for teenagers aged 12-19 years as being, respectively, 0.009, 0.04 and 0.06 ppm. Similarly, values were computed for adults aged 20-39 years (0.007, 0.036, and 0.06 ppm), 40-59 years (0.007, 0.036 and 0.06 ppm) and 60-79 years (0.006, 0.022 and 0.04 ppm). These estimations are well below Health Canada's maximum recommended chronic air guidelines for toluene. In conclusion, PBPK modeling and reverse dosimetry may be combined to help interpret biomonitoring data for chemical exposure in large population surveys and estimate the associated toxicological health risk.

Diagnosis, monitoring and prevention of exposure-related non-communicable diseases in the living and working environment: DiMoPEx-project is designed to determine the impacts of environmental exposure on human health

The WHO has ranked environmental hazardous exposures in the living and working environment among the top risk factors for chronic disease mortality. Worldwide, about 40 million people die each year from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including cancer, diabetes, and chronic cardiovascular, neurological and lung diseases. The exposure to ambient pollution in the living and working environment is exacerbated by individual susceptibilities and lifestyle-driven factors to produce complex and complicated NCD etiologies. Research addressing the links between environmental exposure and disease prevalence is key for prevention of the pandemic increase in NCD morbidity and mortality. However, the long latency, the chronic course of some diseases and the necessity to address cumulative exposures over very long periods does mean that it is often difficult to identify causal environmental exposures. EU-funded COST Action DiMoPEx is developing new concepts for a better understanding of health-environment (including gene-environment) interactions in the etiology of NCDs. The overarching idea is to teach and train scientists and physicians to learn how to include efficient and valid exposure assessments in their research and in their clinical practice in current and future cooperative projects. DiMoPEx partners have identified some of the emerging research needs, which include the lack of evidence-based exposure data and the need for human-equivalent animal models mirroring human lifespan and low-dose cumulative exposures. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach incorporating seven working groups, DiMoPEx will focus on aspects of air pollution with particulate matter including dust and fibers and on exposure to low doses of solvents and sensitizing agents. Biomarkers of early exposure and their associated effects as indicators of disease-derived information will be tested and standardized within individual projects. Risks arising from some NCDs, like pneumoconioses, cancers and allergies, are predictable and preventable. Consequently, preventative action could lead to decreasing disease morbidity and mortality for many of the NCDs that are of major public concern. DiMoPEx plans to catalyze and stimulate interaction of scientists with policy-makers in attacking these exposure-related diseases.