Czech Human Biomonitoring Program
From a large number of biomonitoring studies, it is increasingly clear that not only Czech, but the majority of the world population is exposed to a diverse mixture of toxic chemicals. The NIPHs´ Centre for Health and the Environment have been performing Human biomonitoring program in the Czech Republic since 1994. It is focused on general population: adults, children and nursing mothers.
The National Institute of Public Health in Prague has joined the European-wide effort to harmonise human biomonitoring from COPHES-DEMOCOPHES project (2009-2012) through European Human Biomonitoring Initiative HBM4EU (2016-2022) to Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals PARC (2022-2029) supported by the European Commission under the HORIZON Europe programme. Under this project we have been conducting harmonized studies on younger adult and child population groups. The levels of toxic substances, such as heavy metals, phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and PFAS have been analysed. Similar studies are currently performed in a number of European countries. Thus will be collected large database of data together with possible exposure sources and health outcomes. The outputs will support European chemicals policy and help regulate the entry of at least the most emerging chemicals into the environment and human body.
A study investigating children’s exposure to toxic chemicals from the environment was conducted in 2024 in cooperation with elementary schools across the country: in the Pilsen region, Liberec, Prague, Jihlava, South Moravia and Karviná in North Moravian Region. Parents willing to participate with their children were detailed informed about the study and data protection. They provided information about the child’s diet, lifestyle and health status so that potential sources of exposure to toxic chemicals and their possible effects could be traced. We obtained samples of first morning urine and hair, which have been analyzed in specialized laboratories for bisphenols, phthalate metabolites and their substitutes, pesticides, cotinine, cadmium and mercury. Preliminary results show that the exposure of cadmium and mercury in the Czech child population is low and does not pose a health risk. Laboratory analyses of other substances are still ongoing.
In 2025, the PARC project-harmonised HBM study on adult population aged 18 – 39 years have been conducted in the same regions as the children study. The similar questionnaire has been used supplemented with occupational data. The composition of participants corresponds to the Czech population in respective age group in terms of gender and socio-economic status. Bisphenols, phthalate metabolites and their substitutes, pesticides, PFASs, cotinine, cadmium, mercury and lead will be analyzed in the urine and blood samples.