Evaluation of hydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and biomarkers of early kidney damage in indigenous children from Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental persistent chemicals, produced by the incomplete combustion of solid fuels, found in smoke. PAHs are considered carcinogenic, teratogenic, and genotoxic. Children are susceptible to environmental pollutants, particularly those living in high-exposure settings. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the exposure to PAHs through hydroxylated metabolites of PAHs (OH-PAHs), 1-hydroxynaphtalene (1-OH-NAP), and 2-hydroxynaphtalene (2-OH-NAP); 2-,3-, and 9-hydroxyfluorene (2-OH-FLU, 3-OH-FLU, 9-OH-FLU); 1-,2-,3-, and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-OH-PHE, 2-OH-PHE, 3-OH-PHE, 4-OH-PHE); and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-PYR), as well as kidney health through biomarkers of early kidney damage (osteopontin (OPN), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), α1-microglobulin (α1-MG), and cystatin C (Cys-C)) in children from an indigenous community dedicated to footwear manufacturing and pottery in Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico. The results show a high exposure to PAHs from the found concentrations of OH-PAHs in urine in 80.5% of the children in median concentrations of 18.4 (5.1-71.0) μg/L of total OH-PAHs, as well as concentrations of kidney damage proteins in 100% of the study population in concentrations of 4.8 (3-12.2) and 7.9 (6.5-13.7) μg/g creatinine of NGAL and Cys-C respectively, and 97.5% of the population with concentrations of OPN and α1-MG at mean concentrations of 207.3 (119.8-399.8) and 92.2 (68.5-165.5) μg/g creatinine. The information provided should be considered and addressed by the health authorities to establish continuous biomonitoring and programs to reduce para-occupational exposure in the vulnerable population, particularly children, based on their fundamental human right to health.

[Frequent consumption of industrialized food and its perception among overweight and obese indigenous Mayan adolescents]

The scope of this paper was to identify what kind and which type of modern industrialized foods that overweight and obese adolescents consume and the perception they have of them. The study was of the qualitative-quantitative, descriptive and interpretative type and was conducted with adolescent students from four high schools in the municipality of Abalá, Yucatán, Mexico. It consisted of three stages, the first of which involved recording anthropometric measurements of 292 high school students to obtain their Body Mass Index. In the second stage, 58 students who were overweight and obese were randomly selected and a food consumption frequency questionnaire was applied. In the third stage, four focus groups were held to ascertain the perception with respect to food consumption. A high intake of modern industrialized foods was observed at breakfast, school break and dinner, though traditional dishes are still consumed at mealtimes. The conclusion drawn is that there is a transculturation of food among adolescents.