Urinary Metabolite Levels in California Schoolchildren, 2021

A 2021 pilot study collected 69 urine samples from 18 schoolchildren in Stockton, California. The data, published by Susan Hurley, compares metabolite levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds to national NHANES benchmarks. It shows naphthalene metabolite levels were nearly three-fold higher than in the reference data.

Use Cases

• Assessing disparities in chemical exposure based on demographic factors like age and ethnicity mentioned in the description.
• Monitoring temporal trends in naphthalene exposure by comparing results to older national survey data.
• Identifying potential exposure sources in heavily polluted communities, as suggested by the study's location.
• Evaluating the vulnerability of pediatric populations to specific air pollutants like PAHs and VOCs.

Strengths

• Data includes a direct comparison to a national reference dataset (NHANES).
• Sample demographics are specified, with 78% of participants identified as Hispanic.
• The study focuses on a vulnerable population (children aged 5-13) in a high-pollution community.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small (19.0 KB), indicating limited scope and sample size.

Provenance

Source

Susan Hurley via figshare.

Collection Method

Urine samples were collected and analyzed for PAH and VOC metabolites.

Time Range

2021

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 05:59:13; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Stockton, California, USA.