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  • Original Article
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Relation between dietary acrylamide exposure and biomarkers of internal dose in Canadian teenagers

Abstract

Acrylamide (AA) is a probable human carcinogen found in several foods. Little information is available regarding exposure of adolescents, a subgroup potentially consuming more AA-rich foods. We investigated the relationship between dietary AA intake and levels of biomarkers of exposure (urinary metabolites and hemoglobin adducts) in 195 non-smoking teenagers of Montreal Island aged 10–17 years. Dietary habits and personal characteristics were documented by questionnaire. AA and its metabolites were quantified in 12-h urine collections by LC-MS/MS. Hemoglobin adducts from 165 blood samples were also analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Most prevalent urinary metabolites were NACP and NACP-S, with respective geometric mean concentrations of 31.2 and 14.2 μmol/mol creatinine. Geometric mean concentrations of AAVal and GAVal (hemoglobin adducts of AA and glycidamide (GA) with N-terminal valine residues) were 45.4 and 45.6 pmol/g globin, respectively. AA intake during the 2 days before urine collection was a significant predictor of NACP+NACP-S urinary concentrations (P<0.0001). AA intakes during the month before blood collection (P<0.0001) and passive smoking (P<0.05) were associated with adduct levels. Levels of hemoglobin adducts were above biomonitoring equivalent values corresponding to a 1 × 10−4 excess cancer risk, which may indicate the need to reduce AA exposure in the population.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by Health Canada’s Chemical Management Plan. The support of FRSQ’s Environmental Research Network to the biomarker platform at INSPQ is gratefully acknowledged. Some of the personnel salary was also partly assumed by the Chair in Toxicological Risk Assessment and Management of the University of Montreal. We thank Jean-Yves Sancéau from the Organic Synthesis Service at CHUQ Research Center (http://pfchem.crchul.ulaval.ca/en/index.html) for the synthesis of isotopically labeled acrylamide metabolites.

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Correspondence to Michèle Bouchard.

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Brisson, B., Ayotte, P., Normandin, L. et al. Relation between dietary acrylamide exposure and biomarkers of internal dose in Canadian teenagers. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 24, 215–221 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2013.34

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