Acrylamide as environmental noxious agent: a health risk assessment for the general population based on the internal acrylamide burden.

The present population-based cross-sectional study in 1008 volunteers was aimed at quantifying the internal burden of acrylamide (AM) in the general population using hemoglobin adduct levels as biomarker of exposure. Based on these adduct levels the risk of (AM) related hazardous health effects in the general population is assessed. Hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide were detected in 999 out of 1008 analyzed blood samples (99.1%). Smoking can be regarded as a main source of overall acrylamide intake in persons without occupational exposure to acrylamide but a second main influence factor, i.e. food intake, is of environmental importance. Due to the sizable study population the 95th percentile differentiated in smokers and non-smokers are actually the best available reference values for an internal environmental acrylamide burden. Based on our data neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity due to acrylamide are not likely to occur in the general population except very high consumers. However, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity are possible hazardous health effects for the general population.