Determinants of mobile phone output power in a multinational study: implications for exposure assessment.

OBJECTIVES: The output power of a mobile phone is directly related to its radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field strength, and may theoretically vary substantially in different networks and phone use circumstances due to power control technologies. To improve indices of RF exposure for epidemiological studies, we assessed determinants of mobile phone output power in a multinational study. METHODS: More than 500 volunteers in 12 countries used Global System for Mobile communications software-modified phones (GSM SMPs) for approximately 1 month each. The SMPs recorded date, time, and duration of each call, and the frequency band and output power at fixed sampling intervals throughout each call. Questionnaires provided information on the typical circumstances of an individual's phone use. Linear regression models were used to analyse the influence of possible explanatory variables on the average output power and the percentage call time at maximum power for each call. RESULTS: Measurements of over 60,000 phone calls showed that the average output power was approximately 50% of the maximum, and that output power varied by a factor of up to 2 to 3 between study centres and network operators. Maximum power was used during a considerable proportion of call time (39% on average). Output power decreased with increasing call duration, but showed little variation in relation to reported frequency of use while in a moving vehicle or inside buildings. Higher output powers for rural compared with urban use of the SMP were observed principally in Sweden where the study covered very sparsely populated areas. CONCLUSIONS: Average power levels are substantially higher than the minimum levels theoretically achievable in GSM networks. Exposure indices could be improved by accounting for average power levels of different telecommunications systems. There appears to be little value in gathering information on circumstances of phone use other than use in very sparsely populated regions.

A compartmental model of uranium in human hair for protracted ingestion of natural uranium in drinking water.

To predict uranium in human hair due to chronic exposure through drinking water, a compartment representing human hair was added into the uranium biokinetic model developed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The hair compartmental model was used to predict uranium excretion in human hair as a bioassay indicator due to elevated uranium intakes. Two excretion pathways, one starting from the compartment of plasma and the other from the compartment of intermediate turnover soft tissue, are assumed to transfer uranium to the compartment of hair. The transfer rate was determined from reported uranium contents in urine and in hair, taking into account the hair growth rate of 0.1 g d(-1). The fractional absorption in the gastrointestinal tract of 0.6% was found to fit best to describe the measured uranium levels among the users of drilled wells in Finland. The ingestion dose coefficient for (238)U, which includes its progeny of (234)Th, (234m)Pa, and (234)Pa, was calculated equal to 1.3 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) according to the hair compartmental model. This estimate is smaller than the value of 4.5 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) published by ICRP for the members of the public. In this new model, excretion of uranium through urine is better represented when excretion to the hair compartment is accounted for and hair analysis can provide a means for assessing the internal body burden of uranium. The model is applicable for chronic exposure as well as for an acute exposure incident. In the latter case, the hair sample can be collected and analyzed even several days after the incident, whereas urinalysis requires sample collection shortly after the exposure. The model developed in this study applies to ingestion intakes of uranium.

Validation of short term recall of mobile phone use for the Interphone study.

AIM: To validate short term recall of mobile phone use within Interphone, an international collaborative case control study of tumours of the brain, acoustic nerve, and salivary glands related to mobile telephone use. METHODS: Mobile phone use of 672 volunteers in 11 countries was recorded by operators or through the use of software modified phones, and compared to use recalled six months later using the Interphone study questionnaire. Agreement between recalled and actual phone use was analysed using both categorical and continuous measures of number and duration of phone calls. RESULTS: Correlations between recalled and actual phone use were moderate to high (ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 across countries) and of the same order for number and duration of calls. The kappa statistic demonstrated fair to moderate agreement for both number and duration of calls (weighted kappa ranging from 0.20 to 0.60 across countries). On average, subjects underestimated the number of calls per month (geometric mean ratio of recalled to actual = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.99), whereas duration of calls was overestimated (geometric mean ratio = 1.42, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.56). The ratio of recalled to actual use increased with level of use, showing underestimation in light users and overestimation in heavy users. There was substantial heterogeneity in this ratio between countries. Inter-individual variation was also large, and increased with level of use. CONCLUSIONS: Volunteer subjects recalled their recent phone use with moderate systematic error and substantial random error. This large random error can be expected to reduce the power of the Interphone study to detect an increase in risk of brain, acoustic nerve, and parotid gland tumours with increasing mobile phone use, if one exists.

Determination of 234U/238U ratio: comparison of multi-collector ICPMS and ICP-QMS for water, hair and nails samples, and comparison with alpha-spectrometry for water samples.

The (234)U/(238)U ratio in water, hair and nails samples was determined by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) and inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) and by alpha-spectrometry for the water samples only. A correlation of 0.99 was found between the two ICPMS methods and of 0.98 with alpha-spectrometry. The range of activity ratios was between 0.9 and 2.6 according to the MC-ICPMS measurements. The reproducibility of both ICPMS techniques was better than 4% for water samples containing 1 mug l(-1) of uranium and a (234)U/(238)U atom ratio of 54.9 x 10(-6). Sample preparation for the ICPMS consisted of dilution of water samples containing >10 microg l(-1) of uranium and measurement time was approximately 1 min, while alpha-spectrometry involved pre-concentration and separation of the uranium and counting times of 1,000 min.

Measurement of the 234U/238U ratio by MC-ICPMS in drinking water, hair, nails, and urine as an indicator of uranium exposure source.

The isotopic ratio (234)U/(238)U in drinking water and in hair, toenail, and urine samples from 45 individuals who consumed 0.2-2775 microg d(-1) of uranium in their drinking water was determined using a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICPMS). The U/U atom ratio in the water samples varied from 51 x 10(-6) to 252 x 10(-6) whereas in secular equilibrium (i.e., unity activity ratio) the ratio is 54.9 x 10(-6). The correlation of the (234)U/(238)U ratio between hair and nail samples was 0.98, and between hair and nails and urine the ratio was 0.91 and 0.89, respectively. The correlation of the ratio between water and the hair or nails was 0.97 but only 0.72 for water and urine, possibly due to spectral interferences. These results conclusively demonstrated that the uranium found in the bioassays can be traced to the drinking water, thus providing a direct link to the source of exposure. Hair may serve as an excellent indicator of occupational or environmental exposure to uranium and provide information regarding its source. Bioassay of hair is attractive as it is an effective bio-concentrator, samples can be easily stored, the concentration reflects an integrated value, and, finally, the measurement of the (234)U/(238)U isotopic ratio in digested hair samples by MC-ICPMS is feasible and highly informative. Hair bioassay can also be used to assess exposure to depleted uranium long after the subjects have left the area suspected of contamination.

Urine, hair, and nails as indicators for ingestion of uranium in drinking water.

The concentration of uranium in urine, hair, and nails due to continuous exposure through ingestion of drinking water was studied. The study population consisted of 205 individuals living in 134 different households in southern Finland where drinking water is supplied from private drilled wells. The population was selected to include a broad range of uranium daily intake from drinking water (0.03-2,775 microg d). The uranium content in drinking water, urine (overnight collection), hair and nails was determined by ICPMS. Uranium in urine was corrected for the matrix effects by use of thallium as an internal standard and adjusted by creatinine normalization. Hair and toenail samples were rinsed to remove external contamination prior to acid digestion and analysis. The uranium content in all excretion pathways was correlated with the uranium intake, particularly at elevated levels (> or =10 microg d) where drinking water was the major source of exposure to uranium. The median of the individual uranium absorption factors for urine, hair, and toenails were fu=0.003, fh=0.003, and fn=4 x 10, respectively. The association between the different bioassays was examined. The absorption factor, f1, was calculated for the population with an intake above 10 microg d and was below 0.01 for 72% of the study persons (range 0.0002 to 0.070). No statistically significant difference in f1 values was found between women and men. However, the absorption factor was higher among younger (< 60 y) than older (> or =60 y) subjects and among people with a lower exposure (below 100 microg d) than among those that ingest over 100 microg d.

Exposure to natural fluoride in well water and hip fracture: a cohort analysis in Finland.

In the retrospective cohort study based on record linkage, the authors studied a cohort of persons born in 1900-1930 (n = 144,627), who had lived in the same rural location at least from 1967 to 1980. Estimates for fluoride concentrations (median, 0.1 mg/liter; maximum, 2.4 mg/liter) in well water in each member of the cohort were obtained by a weighted median smoothing method based on ground water measurements. Information on hip fractures was obtained from the Hospital Discharge Registry for 1981-1994. No association was observed between hip fractures and estimated fluoride concentration in the well water in either men or women when all age groups were analyzed together. However, the association was modified by age and sex so that among younger women, those aged 50-64 years, higher fluoride levels increased the risk of hip fractures. Among older men and women and younger men, no consistent association was seen. The adjusted rate ratio was 2.09 (95% confidence interval: 1.16, 3.76) for younger women who were the most exposed (>1.5 mg/liter) when compared with those who were the least exposed (< or =0.1 mg/liter). The results suggest that fluoride increases the risk of hip fractures only among women.

Arsenic concentrations in well water and risk of bladder and kidney cancer in Finland.

We assessed the levels of arsenic in drilled wells in Finland and studied the association of arsenic exposure with the risk of bladder and kidney cancers. The study persons were selected from a register-based cohort of all Finns who had lived at an address outside the municipal drinking-water system during 1967-1980 (n = 144,627). The final study population consisted of 61 bladder cancer cases and 49 kidney cancer cases diagnosed between 1981 and 1995, as well as an age- and sex-balanced random sample of 275 subjects (reference cohort). Water samples were obtained from the wells used by the study population at least during 1967-1980. The total arsenic concentrations in the wells of the reference cohort were low (median = 0.1 microg/L; maximum = 64 microg/L), and 1% exceeded 10 microg/L. Arsenic exposure was estimated as arsenic concentration in the well, daily dose, and cumulative dose of arsenic. None of the exposure indicators was statistically significantly associated with the risk of kidney cancer. Bladder cancer tended to be associated with arsenic concentration and daily dose during the third to ninth years prior to the cancer diagnosis; the risk ratios for arsenic concentration categories 0.1-0.5 and [Greater/equal to] 0.5 microg/L relative to the category with < 0.1 microg/L were 1.53 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75-3.09] and 2.44 (CI, 1.11-5.37), respectively. In spite of very low exposure levels, we found some evidence of an association between arsenic and bladder cancer risk. More studies are needed to confirm the possible association between arsenic and bladder cancer risk at such low exposure levels.

Increased mercury exposure in inhabitants living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator: a 10-year follow-up.

A hazardous-waste-treatment plant that housed an incinerator began operation in 1984, before which a baseline survey of the surrounding population and environment was conducted; 10 y later, investigators studied the same subjects. Researchers focused on mercury exposure because mercury concentrations were present in the stack emissions, and environmental monitoring revealed mercury concentrations near the plant. In 1984 and 1994 the median hair mercury concentrations were 0.5 mg/kg and 0.8 mg/kg, respectively. During the 10-y period, median hair total mercury concentrations increased by 0.35 mg/kg in workers (n = 11); by 0.16 mg/kg, 0.13 mg/kg, and 0.03 mg/kg in individuals who lived 2 km (n = 45), 2-4 km (n = 38), and 5 km (n = 30) from the plant, respectively; and by 0.02 mg/kg in the reference group (n = 55). In summary, mercury exposure increased as distance from the plant decreased; however, the increase in exposure was minimal and, on the basis of current knowledge, did not pose a health risk.

Urinary excretion of arsenic species after exposure to arsenic present in drinking water.

The water from some drilled wells in southwest Finland contains high arsenic concentrations (min-max: 17-980 microg/L). We analyzed inorganic arsenic (As-i) and organic arsenic (monomethylarsonate [MMA] and dimethylarsinate [DMA]) species in urine and conducted a clinical examination of current users (n = 35) and ex-users (n = 12) of such wells. Ex-users had ceased to use the water from the wells 2-4 months previously. Urinary arsenic species were also analyzed from persons whose drinking water contained less than 1 microg/L of arsenic (controls, n = 9). The geometric means of the concentrations of total arsenic in urine were 58 microg/L for current users, 17 microg/L for ex-users, and 5 microg/L for controls. The excreted arsenic was associated with the calculated arsenic doses, and on average 63% of the ingested arsenic dose was excreted in urine. The ratios of MMA/DMA and As-i/As-tot (As-tot = As-i + MMA + DMA) in urine tended to be lower among the current users and in the higher exposure levels than in controls, suggesting that As-i was better methylated in current users. However, the differences were mainly explained by age; older persons were better methylators of inorganic arsenic than younger individuals. The arsenic content of hair correlated well with the past and chronic arsenic exposure; an increase of 10 microg/L in the arsenic concentration of the drinking water or an increase of 10-20 microg/day of the arsenic exposure corresponded to a 0.1 mg/kg increase in hair arsenic. The individuals were interviewed and complained of muscle cramps, mainly in the legs, and this was associated with elevated arsenic exposure. The present study demonstrates that arsenic methylation has no threshold at these exposure levels.

Association between the clastogenic effect in peripheral lymphocytes and human exposure to arsenic through drinking water.

We describe the association between structural chromosome aberrations (CAs) and parameters of exposure to arsenic among 42 individuals exposed to arsenic through well waters in Finland. The median concentration of arsenic in the wells was 410 microg/l, the total arsenic concentrations in urine (As-tot) was 180 microg/l, and in hair 1.3 microg/g, for current users (n = 32) of contaminated wells. Urinary arsenic species and CAs were also analyzed in eight control individuals from the same village who consumed water which contained arsenic <1.0 microg/l (detection limit). Increased arsenic exposure, indicated best by increased concentrations of arsenic species (inorganic arsenic, methylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)) in urine, was associated with increased frequency of CAs. The increased urinary ratio of MMA/As-tot and the decreased ratio of DMA/As-tot were associated with increased CAs when all aberration types, including gaps, were considered. Associations between CAs and arsenic exposure indicators were stronger among current users than among persons who had stopped using the contaminated well water for 2-4 months before sampling (ex-users, n = 10). Furthermore, there was a positive but not statistically significant association between CAs and arsenic in hair among the current users, but not among the ex-users, who still had relatively high arsenic concentrations in hair. The results suggest that the effect observed in the present study reflects relatively recent arsenic exposure.

Chromosome aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes of workers employed in the plywood industry.

Workers employed in sawmills and in the manufacture of plywood are exposed to potentially mutagenic chemical aromatic emissions from wood. However, very little is known about the exposure to these natural wood components. In an attempt to determine whether such exposure could have clastogenic effects, a group of 13 male nonsmoking employees mainly from the beginning of the wood-processing line of three plywood mills and 15 matched nonsmoking referents were studied for chromosome aberrations in blood lymphocytes. A statistically significant elevation of the frequency of cells with chromatid-type breaks (mean 2.1%), as compared with the corresponding frequency of the referents (mean 1.0%), was observed for the lymphocytes of the wood workers. These results lend support to previous studies which suggested that wood-drying fumes may be carcinogenic.

Measurement of ethylenethiourea using thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Reliable measurement of ethylenethiourea (ETU) is important because ETU is a potent thyroid carcinogen. A method for the separation and identification of ethylenethiourea (ETU) by applying reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by thermospray (TSP) mass spectrometry (MS) detection is described. Single ion recording detection applying HPLC-MS of ETU appeared to be highly selective and equally sensitive as an HPLC method applying UV detection reported in our earlier study (1). The detection limit for ETU was 100 pg per injection.

Urinary excretion of ethylenethiourea and kidney morphology in rats after continuous oral exposure to nabam or ethylenethiourea.

Nabam, an ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (EBDC), is an agricultural fungicide. Ethylenethiourea (ETU), widely used in the rubber industry, is a degradation and byproduct of metabolism and of storage and production of EBDCs. Kidney function and morphology, and urinary excretion of ETU, were studied in rats exposed to nabam or ETU in drinking water for 28 days. The concentrations of nabam in drinking water were 0, 50, 100 or 200 mg/l, and of ETU 0, 100, 200 or 300 mg/l. Both compounds decreased body weight gain but did not significantly affect urinary sodium, potassium, glucose, or protein excretion, or urinary osmolality. Urinary vasopressin was also unaltered after exposure to nabam or ETU. High doses of ETU resulted in ultrastructural alterations in epithelial cells of renal proximal tubuli. ETU was excreted in urine after exposure to both nabam and ETU. There seemed to be a threshold dose of ETU below which no ultrastructural alterations in kidney occurred.

Mutagenic compounds in wood-chip drying fumes.

The mutagenicity of fumes from the heating of freshly cut spruce and birch chips was measured with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100 and TA102. The bacteria were exposed directly and indirectly to the fumes. Wood chips were also extracted with solvents. No mutagenicity was found in wood extracts or the fume samples measured indirectly. The results from the direct exposure experiments indicate, however, that drying spruce and birch at 170 degrees C emits mutagenic compounds, which are short-lived and/or volatile. One of the mutagenic compounds of the fumes is probably 3-carene. These results are consistent with previous epidemiological findings, which suggest that these fumes are carcinogenic.

Ethylenethiourea in air and in urine as an indicator of exposure to ethylenebisdithiocarbamate fungicides.

Ethylenethiourea (ETU) is a ubiquitous impurity of the ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) fungicides widely used in agriculture and forestry. In the present study, ETU was used as a measure of the exposure to EBDC on potato farms and in pine nurseries during the application of EBDC fungicides and the weeding of the sprayed vegetation. Biological and hygienic monitoring was carried out through the analysis of ETU in the breathing zone and the urine of exposed workers. Even if the concentrations of ETU in the ambient air of pine nurseries exceeded those of potato farms, the concentrations of ETU in the urine of potato farmers exceeded those of pine nursery workers. This result may have been due better protective equipment in the pine nurseries. The excretion rate was 6-10 ng/h during the first 60 h after the cessation of exposure, and it diminished thereafter to 0.2 ng/h over a 22-d observation period.

Environmental and biological monitoring of exposure to ethylenebisdithiocarbamate fungicides and ethylenethiourea.

Exposure of workers to ethylenebisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs; maneb or mancozeb) in 29 potato farms was evaluated during the control of potato late blight. Concentrations of EBDCs and ethylenethiourea (ETU), an impurity and degradation product in EBDC formulations, in ambient air were evaluated during pesticide application. Biological monitoring of exposure to EBDCs was carried out by measuring the concentrations of ETU, a metabolite of EBDCs, in urine for 22 days after the end of the exposure. The estimated inhaled doses of ETU and EBDCs during the average four hour application period were 0.07 and 1.8 micrograms/kg, respectively. Only 1-10% of ETU on the clothes reached the skin. The creatinine corrected concentrations of ETU in urine were 0.1-2.5 micrograms/mmol creatinine 24 hours after exposure ended. The estimated half life for eliminating ETU through the kidneys was close to 100 hours. These results indicate that the measurement of ETU in urine is suitable for biological monitoring of exposure to EBDCs.

Ethylenethiourea and nabam induced alterations of function and morphology of thyroid gland in rats.

Male Wistar rats were given 0-200 mg/l of nabam and 0-300 mg/l of ethylenethiourea (ETU) in drinking water ad libitum for 28 d to study their effect on thyroid gland function and morphology. Blood samples for RIA hormone assays (T3, T4, TSH) were taken and thyroids of each rat were dissected out for routine light and electron microscopic analysis after sacrifice performed under CO2 anesthesia. Nabam (8.4-30.5 mg/kg bw/d) inhibited dose-dependently T4-secretion and increased T3-secretion, but had no effect on basal TSH-secretion. ETU (10.6-23.4 mg/kg bw/d) inhibited dose-dependently T4- and T3-secretion. ETU also increased basal TSH-secretion tenfold, obviously due to the lack of negative feedback by T4 and T3. Light microscopic analysis revealed neither nabam nor ETU induced morphological alterations in thyroids. Both but especially ETU induced, ultrastructural changes, namely increased number of myelin bodies, dilatation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and increased vacuolization in the epithelial cells of thyroid follicles. The functional alterations are obviously connected with, and preceed slight ultrastructural degenerative changes in thyroid follicle epithelial cells even at low doses of nabam, and ETU, after a short-term oral administration.