Karin Broberg

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at Karolinska Institutet

Exposure to metals and microorganisms can pose health risks. Historical books often contain pigments with metals, and fungi. The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge about exposure to eight metals and microorganisms in a library in Denmark. Personal exposure of staff handling historical books (high-exposure group) and indoor and outdoor air sam...

Objective: Night shift work disrupts normal circadian rhythms, which is hypothesized to lead to negative impacts on cardiovascular health. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We examined the associations between night shift work and cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ra...

The green transition builds on a change to fossil-free energy and to a circular economy. In a European context, the major policy initiative is the Green Deal. While this transition needs to be rapid, gains and losses of jobs need to be considered. This may have profound positive and negative effects for different occupational groups as greening of...

Background: Telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) variations are linked to age-related diseases and are associated with environmental exposure and nutritional status. Limited data, however, exist on the associations with mercury exposure, particularly early in life. Objective: We examined the association between prenat...

Exposure to metals and microorganisms can pose health risks. Historical books often contain pigments with metals, and fungi. The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge about exposure to eight metals and microorganisms in a library in Denmark. Personal exposure of staff handling historical books (high-exposure group) and indoor and outdoor air sam...

Exposure to diesel exhaust is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and lung disease. Substituting petroleum diesel with renewable diesel can alter emission properties but the potential health effects remain unclear. This study aimed to explore toxicity and underlying mechanisms of diesel exhaust from renewable fuels. Using proximity ext...

Objectives This study aims to investigate (1) the microbial community composition by work characteristics and (2) the association between microbial genera level and inflammatory markers among recycling workers. Methods In this cross-sectional study, inhalable dust was collected with personal samplers from 49 production (86 samples) and 10 administ...

Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker linked to age-related diseases based on its sensitivity to oxidative DNA damage and inflammation. Methylmercury (MeHg) is a common pollutant in fish. It may induce oxidative stress leading to shorter TL. However, previous research showed contradictory results and dose-concentration dependencies and non-linear rel...

OBJECTIVES: We investigated associations between bioaerosol exposures and work-shift changes in lung function and inflammatory markers among recycling workers. METHODS: Inhalable dust was measured with personal samplers and analyzed for endotoxin, bacteria, and fungi (incubated at 25 °C and 37 °C) levels. Lung function (FEV1, FVC) was measured befo...

Objective Occupational exposure to welding fumes is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the threshold exposure level is unknown. Here, we aimed to identify changes in proteins associated with cardiovascular disease in relation to exposure to welding fumes. Methods Data were obtained from two timepoints six years apart for 3...

Introduction Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is a human carcinogen, but the current exposure to Cr(VI) at Swedish workplaces is unknown. Methods Recruitment of 113 workers with potential Cr(VI) exposure and 72 controls was combined with measurements of inhalable Cr(VI) (only exposed workers) and total Cr in urine and red blood cells (RBC), Bayesian ana...

Introduction Hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen and causes lung cancer. This study was to investigate associations between occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and lung cancer-related non-coding RNAs. Methods The study included 111 Cr(VI) exposed workers and 72 controls in Sweden, 91.4% non-smokers. Cr concentratio...

Introduction Domestic waste recycling and subsequent numbers of recycling workers are expected to increase. We aimed to investigate the exposure-response relations between bioaerosol exposures and 1) work-shift change in lung function and 2) inflammatory markers among recycling workers. Methods Inhalable dust was measured with personal samplers th...

A healthy working life is fundamental for individuals and society. To date, increasingly research connects the earlier, pre-working life to later working life experiences and beyond, recognizing that a worker’s health and exposure starts before the working life begins. The research, however, often lacks a fundamental understanding of (i) the underl...

Objective Within the scope of the Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research on applying the exposome concept to working life health, we aimed to provide a broad overview of the status of knowledge on occupational exposures and associated health effects across multiple noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) to help inform research priorities....

Background Transportation noise has been linked with breast cancer, but existing literature is conflicting. One proposed mechanism is that transportation noise disrupts sleep and the circadian rhythm. We investigated the relationships between road traffic noise, DNA methylation in circadian rhythm genes, and breast cancer. We selected 610 female pa...

The combustion of traditional fuels in low-income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, leads to extensive indoor particle exposure. Yet, the related health consequences in this context are understudied. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of combustion-derived particles relevant for Sub-Saharan household environments. Pa...

Elevated concentrations of arsenic, lithium and boron in drinking water have already been reported in Bolivia. Arsenic is known to cause genotoxicity but that caused by lithium and boron is less well known. The aim of the present cross‐sectional study was to evaluate potential genotoxic effects of exposure to arsenic, while considering exposure to...

The European Commission asked EFSA to update its 2009 risk assessment on arsenic in food carrying out a hazard assessment of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and using the revised exposure assessment issued by EFSA in 2021. Epidemiological studies show that the chronic intake of iAs via diet and/or drinking water is associated with increased risk of several...

Background: Metals have been postulated as environmental concerns in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD), but metal levels are typically measured after diagnosis, which might be subject to reverse causality. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between prediagnostic blood metal levels and PD risk. Methods: A...

During recent years, we are moving away from the ‘one exposure, one disease’-approach in occupational settings and towards a more comprehensive approach, taking into account the totality of exposures during a life course by using an exposome approach. Taking an exposome approach however is accompanied by many challenges, one of which, for example,...

Emotional and behavioral problems during childhood raise the risk of subsequent developmental of mental disorders. Our aim was to study the association between maternal metal and trace element concentrations during gestation and these problems in 9 year-old children. The study sample comprised Spanish mother-child pairs in the INMA project (n = 100...

Introduction: Recycling of domestic waste and a number of employees in the recycling industry is expected to increase. This study aims to quantify current exposure levels of inhalable dust, endotoxin, and microorganisms and to identify determinants of exposure among recycling workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 170 full-shift m...

Purpose of review: Methylmercury (MeHg) is neurotoxic at high levels and particularly affects the developing brain. One proposed mechanism of MeHg neurotoxicity is alteration of the epigenetic programming. In this review, we summarise the experimental and epidemiological literature on MeHg-associated epigenetic changes. Recent findings: Experime...

Background: Welders are exposed to gas and particle emissions that can cause severe lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is hard to detect COPD early and therefore mitigating measures may be delayed. The aim of this study was to investigate lung health in welde...

Introduction In the European Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research (EPHOR), a working life exposome toolbox is developed to support evidence-based and cost-effective prevention to improve health at work. Our narrative synthesis showed the potential of using non-invasive sampling for the occupational exposome. This pilot study aims t...

Introduction The amount and recycling of domestic waste and subsequent numbers of employees in the recycling industry is expected to increase. This study aims to quantify current exposure levels of dust, endotoxin, and microorganisms and to identify determinants of exposure among recycling workers. Material and Methods This study investigates empl...

Introduction The EPHOR project is constructing a mega cohort for pooled analysis of data from multiple European cohort studies of occupation and health. The objective is to provide new evidence of the impact of occupational exposures on the risk of major non-communicable diseases, through systematic and agnostic analyses across the life-course. Ma...

Objectives: Construction workers are exposed to respirable dust, including respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether exposure to particles among construction workers is associated with short- and long-term alterations in CVD-related serum pr...

Purpose of Review At elevated levels, the essential element manganese (Mn) is neurotoxic and increasing evidence indicates that environmental Mn exposure early in life negatively affects neurodevelopment. In this review, we describe how underlying genetics may confer susceptibility to elevated Mn concentrations and how the epigenetic effects of Mn...

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a developmental neurotoxicant, and one potential mechanism of MeHg toxicity is epigenetic dysregulation. In a recent meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS), associations between prenatal MeHg exposure and DNA methylation at several genomic sites were identified in blood from newborns and children. While E...

Purpose Underground diesel exhaust exposure is an occupational health risk. It is not known how recent intensified emission legislation and use of renewable fuels have reduced or altered occupational exposures. We characterized these effects on multipollutant personal exposure to diesel exhaust and underground ambient air concentrations in an under...

Objective Ambient particle matter is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, little is known about associations between particles in occupational settings and risk of CVD. We investigated associations between occupational dust exposure and biomarkers of CVD, and potential recovery effects after vacation. Methods Personal dust expo...

Background Cadmium (Cd) exposure during gestation has been associated with altered DNA methylation at birth, but it is not known if the changes in methylation persist into childhood. Objectives To evaluate whether gestational Cd-related changes of DNA methylation persist from birth to 9 years of age. Methods We studied mother–child dyads in a lon...

Background There is emerging evidence that exposure to prenatal methylmercury (MeHg) from maternal fish consumption during pregnancy can differ between individuals due to genetic variation. In previous studies, we have reported that maternal polymorphisms in ABC-transporter genes were associated with maternal hair MeHg concentrations, and with chil...

Humans living in the Andes Mountains have been historically exposed to arsenic from natural sources, including drinking water. Enzymatic methylation of arsenic allows it to be excreted more efficiently by the human body. Adaptation to high-arsenic environments via enhanced methylation and excretion of arsenic was first reported in indigenous women...

Background The filaggrin gene (FLG) plays a role in skin diseases, with the skin barrier function being impaired in FLG null carriers. The role of FLG status in relation to nickel penetration into the skin remains unclear. Objectives To elucidate the association between FLG status and nickel penetration into stratum corneum (SC) in individuals wit...

Background Women living in the Bolivian Andes are environmentally exposed to arsenic, yet there is scarce information about arsenic-related effects in this region. Several biomarkers for telomere length and oxidative stress (mitochondrial DNA copy number, mtDNAcn; 8-Oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine, 8-oxo-dG; and 4-hydroxy nonenal mercapturic acid, 4-HNE-MA)...

Humans are exposed to various metals through many different routes and each person's genetic background contributes to their susceptibility to metal toxicity. In addition, recent evidence points to a role for the genetics of the human microbiome in metal uptake and toxicity. DNA sequence variation in genes that regulate metal toxicokinetics and tox...

Approximately 11 million people work as welders worldwide and an additional 110 million are exposed to welding fumes at work (1). Several countries have an occupational exposure limit (OEL) for welding fumes of 5 mg/m^3 (1, 2) and similar OEL for respirable dust (2). Given the accumulating evidence on serious health effects from welding fumes

Welding fumes induce lung toxicity and are carcinogenic to humans but the molecular mechanisms have yet to be clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of stainless and mild steel particles generated via gas–metal arc welding using primary human small airway epithelial cells (hSAEC) and ToxTracker reporter murine stem cells, whi...

Atopic eczema, the most common atopic disease in infants, may pave the way for sensitization and allergy later in childhood. Fatty acids have immune-regulating properties and may regulate skin permeability. Here we examine whether the proportions of fatty acids among the infant and maternal plasma phospholipids at birth were associated with materna...

Introduction Working life exposures contribute significantly to non-communicable disease development. However, the challenge remains on how to map occupational exposures during the entire career and link exposures with health outcomes. In this context, the EU EPHOR project aims to characterize the internal exposome, by characterizing exposure bioma...

Objective: This study tested for an association between early cancer-related biomarkers and low-to-moderate exposure to fumes from welding mild steel. Methods: Male, non-smoking participants from southern Sweden were recruited and examined (N=338, 171 welders and 167 controls); of these, 78 welders and 96 controls were examined on two occasions...

Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous heavy metal that originates from both natural and anthropogenic sources and is transformed in the environment to its most toxicant form, methylmercury (MeHg). Recent studies suggest that MeHg exposure can alter epigenetic modifications during embryogenesis. In this study, we examined associations between prenatal MeHg e...

Hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) is a renewable diesel fuel used to replace petroleum diesel. The organic compounds in HVO are poorly characterized; therefore, toxicological properties could be different from petroleum diesel exhaust. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure and effective biomarkers in 18 individuals after short-term (3 h...

Background: Studies have shown that ambient air pollution is linked to preeclampsia (PE), possibly via generation of oxidative stress in the placenta. Telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) are sensitive to oxidative stress damage. Objective: To study the association between prenatal exposure to ambient nitrogen oxides (NO x ,...

PurposeLong-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) can be synthesised endogenously from linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) in a pathway involving the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) genes. Endogenous synthesis is inefficient; therefore, dietary intake of preformed LCPUFA from their richest source of fish is preferred. This study investi...

Background The excess of manganese (Mn) causes severe deleterious effects in the central nervous system, and the developing brain is especially sensitive to Mn overload. However, results of prospective studies regarding Mn neurodevelopmental effects remain inconclusive. The present study aims at studying the association of prenatal Mn exposure and...

Workplace-collected blood spots deposited on filter paper were analysed with multiplexed affinity-based protein assays and found to be suitable for proteomics analysis. The protein extension assay (PEA) was used to characterize 92 proteins using 1.2 mm punches in repeated samples collected from 20 workers. Overall, 97.8% of the samples and 91.3% of...

Optimal maternal long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) status is essential for the developing foetus. The fatty acid desaturase (FADS) genes are involved in the endogenous synthesis of LCPUFA. The minor allele of various FADS single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with increased maternal concentrations of the precursor...

Background Methylmercury (MeHg) is present in fish and is a neurotoxicant at sufficiently high levels. One potential mechanism of MeHg toxicity early in life is epigenetic dysregulation that may affect long-term neurodevelopment. Altered DNA methylation of nervous system-related genes has been associated with adult mental health outcomes. Objectiv...

Background: The filaggrin protein is important for skin barrier structure and function. Loss-of-function (null) mutations in the filaggrin gene FLG may increase dermal absorption of chemicals. Objective: The objective of the study was to clarify if dermal absorption of chemicals differs depending on FLG genotype. Method: We performed a quantit...

Background Fish is a primary source of protein and n-3 PUFA but also contains methylmercury (MeHg), a naturally occurring neurotoxicant to which, at sufficient exposure levels, the developing fetal brain is particularly sensitive. Objectives To examine the association between prenatal MeHg and maternal status of n-3 and n-6 PUFA with neurodevelopm...

Indigenous people living in the Bolivian Andes are exposed through their drinking water to inorganic arsenic, a potent carcinogen. However, the health consequences of arsenic exposure in this region are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between arsenic exposure and changes in cancer-related proteins in indigenous women (n...

Objective: In the province of Brescia, Italy, historical neurotoxic metal exposure has occurred for several decades. This study aimed to explore the role of metal exposure and genetics on Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Parkinsonism. Methods: Cases were enrolled from four local clinics for movement disorders. Randomly selected controls non-affected by...

Inorganic arsenic is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic substances in the environment, but many organisms, including humans, methylate inorganic arsenic to mono-, di-, and trimethylated arsenic metabolites, which the organism can excrete. In humans and other eukaryotic organisms, the arsenite methyltransferase (AS3MT) protein methylates arsenit...

Objective Metals have been suggested as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but only retrospective studies are available to date. We compared metal levels in prospectively collected blood samples from ALS patients and controls, to explore whether metals are associated with ALS mortality. Methods A nested ALS case–control study w...

Welders are exposed to high levels of metal particles, consisting mainly of iron and manganese (Mn) oxide. Metal particles, especially those containing Mn can be neurotoxic. In this exploratory study, we evaluated associations between welding and expression of 87 putative neurology-related proteins in serum in a longitudinal approach. The study coh...

Objective This study investigated whether low-to-moderate exposure to welding fumes is associated with adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Methods To test this, we performed a longitudinal analysis of 78 mild steel welders and 96 controls; these subjects were examined twice, six years apart (ie, timepoints 1 and 2). All subjects (male an...

Background: The uterine environment may be important for the chromosomal telomere length (TL) at birth, which, in turn, influences disease susceptibility throughout life. However, little is known about the importance of specific nutritional factors. Objectives: We assessed the impact of multiple maternal nutritional factors on TL in placenta and...

Preeclampsia is one of the most common causes of perinatal and maternal morbidity/mortality. One suggested environmental risk factor is exposure to endocrine-disrupting pollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The present case-control study in southern Sweden aims to investigate the hypothesized association between serum conce...

Optimal maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status is essential for foetal development. The desaturase enzymes, encoded by the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) genes, are involved in the endogenous synthesis of long chain (LC)PUFA and influence maternal LCPUFA concentrations. The minor allele of various FADS SNPs has been associated with increas...

Background: Maternal status of long-chain PUFAs (LC-PUFAs) may be related to fetal growth. Maternal fish consumption exposes the mother to the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg), which, in contrast, may restrict fetal growth. Objective: Our aim was to examine relations between maternal LC-PUFA status at 28 wk and birth outcomes (birth weight, le...

Objectives Exposure to high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may cause cancer in chimney sweeps and creosote-exposed workers, however, knowledge about exposure to low-molecular-weight PAHs in relation to cancer risk is limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate occupational exposure to the low-molecular-weight PAHs phen...

Introduction: Manganese (Mn) is an essential element, diet being its main source. Some epidemiological studies have found that a prenatal excess of Mn could negatively affect neuropsychological development during infancy, but the evidence is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between maternal serum Mn concentration...

Welding fumes were recently classified as carcinogenic to humans and worldwide millions work as welders or perform welding operations. The purpose of this study was to identify new biomarkers of welding-induced carcinogenesis. We evaluated a panel of 91 putative cancer-related proteins in serum in a cohort of welders working with mild steel (n = 77...

We assessed whether prenatal selenium (Se) exposure is associated with anthropometry at birth, placental weight and gestational age. Study subjects were 1249 mother-child pairs from the Valencia and Gipuzkoa cohorts of the Spanish Childhood and Environment Project (INMA, 2003–2008). Se was determined in serum samples taken at the first trimester of...