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Assessment of human exposure to copper: A case study using the NHEXAS database

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 16, pages 397–409 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Copper is an essential trace element and adverse health effects can potentially be associated with both very low and very high intakes. Accurate estimates of inhalation and ingestion (food and drinking water) exposures are therefore needed in order to realistically assess any effects of the distribution of copper intakes within the general population. The work presented here demonstrates an application of a customized subset of the MENTOR/SHEDS-4M computational system (Modeling ENvironment for TOtal Risk studies, employing the Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation approach, for Multimedia, Multipathway, Multiroute exposures to Multiple co-occurring contaminants. The application utilized data from the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) for USEPA Region V as well as from a variety of other available databases. The case study, using a statistical population-based modeling framework, was performed for Eaton County, MI. The results of the simulations, aggregated for six age subgroups of the general population, suggest that food intake is the major pathway for total copper exposure, while drinking water can have significant contributions at the tail of the distribution of intakes. Specifically, it was estimated that over 80% of the county population received potential doses of copper from food that were lower than the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) value of 900 μg/day. Furthermore, the total combined potential dose from food and water was only about two times greater than the recommended value only for individuals with intakes in the range above the 99th percentile of both food and water intakes. The values were well below the upper tolerable intake value of 10,000 μg/day. The inhalation route consistently acted as only a minor contributor to the total exposure.

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Acknowledgements

Support for this work has been provided by the International Copper Association (Project TPT0619A/BB-00), and the results presented here have been derived from and expanded upon the information presented in ICA Publication “Environmental Dynamics of Copper and Human Exposure to Copper — Volume 2” (Georgopoulos et al., 2002b). The methods and computational tools used for the implementation of the study described here have been developed by the US EPA funded Center for Exposure and Risk Modeling (CERM) at EOHSI (EPA CR-827033), and the NIEHS Center Grant at EOHSI (P30ES05022). We extend our appreciation to our project officers, Dr. Scott Baker and Mr. Michael Hennelly, of the International Copper Association, for valuable data and other information they have provided in relation to this work as well as for their helpful comments and insights and to Linda Everett of the Computational Chemodynamics Laboratory for preparation of manuscript and graphics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exposure Measurement and Assessment Division, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) (a Joint Institute of UMDNJ- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers University), 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, 08854, NJ, USA

    Panos G Georgopoulos, Sheng Wei Wang & Paul J Lioy

  2. Nu Horizon Enterprises, Inc., Cranford, 07016, NJ, USA

    Ioannis G Georgopoulos & Mary Jean Yonone-Lioy

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  1. Panos G Georgopoulos
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Correspondence to Panos G Georgopoulos.

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Georgopoulos, P., Wang, S., Georgopoulos, I. et al. Assessment of human exposure to copper: A case study using the NHEXAS database. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 16, 397–409 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500462

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