Department of Public Health

 Department of Public Health Research Research areas Disease Etiology and Research Methodology Arctic Health and Molecular Epidemiology

Arctic Health and Molecular Epidemiology

The Research Unit for Arctic Health & Molecular Epidemiology focuses on environmental risk factors for Arctic and non-Arctic populations. We use epidemiology and mechanistic toxicology to study chemical exposures and effects on the reproductive-, immune-, neuro-, and endocrine system.

Everyday life causes exposure to many chemicals simultaneously. We focus on understanding the effects of chemical mixtures with unique experimental methods, assessing biological effects of chemical mixtures extracted from human blood samples.

Chemicals from the industrialised world, transported to the Arctic via atmosphere and ocean, accumulate through the food chain, thus affecting the lifestyle and health of Arctic populations. And the diet is shifting from traditional marine food to more imported food items, increasing the risk of some types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes.

We also monitor lifestyle, chemical exposure and health risk of mothers, fathers and their children, from pregnancy to grownup, including gene–environment interactions and genetic susceptibility. These long-term data elucidate whether exposure during gestation can lead to diseases later in life.

Methods

The Research Unit for Arctic Health & Molecular Epidemiology has expertise and experience in a variety of methods and technologies used for studying populations, measuring hormone disruption, and measuring cellular oxidative stress and DNA changes:

  • Monitoring the accumulation of environmental chemicals and metals in populations
  • Determining biological effects of serum POP mixtures using SPE-HPLC fractioning. Examples of POPs: PCB, DDT/DDE, and Perfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS).
  • Epidemiological studies focusing on environmental exposure, lifestyle, diet and health, including reproduction, fetal and child development, cancer, obesity, and allergies
  • Measuring DNA changes (methylation and broken/damaged DNA)
  • Comparing genotypes among Inuits and Europeans  
  • Comparative Arctic exposure studies among Inuit, fauna, and the atmosphere.

We compare findings across the Arctic and internationally, examining them at the molecular, cellular and genetic level.

Recent publications

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Olesen, C. B., Hjelmborg, P. S. & Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E. C. (2012). Isolation of Lipophilic Persistent Organic Pollutants from Human Breast Milk. Analytical Letters, 45(11), 1412-1425. https://doi.org/10.1080/00032719.2012.675488
Vinggaard, A. M., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E. C., Andersen, H. R., Hass, U., Nellemann, C. L., Kjærstad, M. B., Jarfelt, K., Dalgaard, M., Lam, H. R. & Jacobsen, H. (2004). In vitro og in vivo hormonforstyrrende effekter af kombinationer af aktive komponenter af pesticider: Report to the Danish Environmental Agency. Bekæmpelsesmiddelforskning fra Miljøstyrelsen Vol. 88
Taxvig, C., Hadrup, N., Boberg, J., Axelstad, M., Bossi, R., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E. C. & Vinggaard, A. M. (2013). In vitro-in vivo correlations for endocrine activity of a mixture of currently used pesticides. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 272(3), 757-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.07.028
Axelsen, J. A., Munk, L., Ørum, J. E., Sigsgaard, L., Streibig, J. C., Pedersen, A. B., Christensen, T., Elkjær, K., Korsgaard, M., Navntoft, S., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E. C. & Sørensen, P. B. (2011). Investigation on forecasting and warning systems, experience from a project in Denmark. In NJF-Seminar 446 Risk assessment/risk management, forecasting pests and diseases of field crops in a changing climate: Control strategies for pests, diseases and weeds (Vol. 7, pp. 11-15)
Bach, C. C., Liew, Z., Matthiesen, N. B., Henriksen, T. B., Bech, B. H., Nohr, E. A., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E. C. & Olsen, J. (2022). In utero exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and attention and executive function in the offspring: A study in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Environmental Research, 212(Part B), Article 113262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113262
Bonde, J. P., Toft, G., Rylander, L., Rigell-Hydbom, A., Giwercman, A., Spano, M., Manicardi, G. C., Bizzaro, D., Ludwixky, J. K., Zvyezday, V., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E. C., Sloth Pedersen, H., Jönsson, B. A. G. & Thulstrup, A. M. (2006). Inuendo; Final project report to the EU Commision.
Jonsson, B. A., Rylander, L., Lindh, C., Rignell-Hydbom, A., Giwercman, A., Toft, G., Pedersen, H. S., Ludwicki, J. K., Goralczyk, K., Zvyezday, V., Spano, M., Bizzaro, D., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E., Manicardi, G. C., Bonde, J. P., Hagmar, L. & INUENDO. (2005). Inter-population variations in concentrations, determinants of and correlations between 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE): a cross-sectional study of 3161 men and women from Inuit and European populations. Environ Health, 4(1), 27.

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Research Centre


Centre for Arctic Health and Molecular Epidemiology

We focus on environmental and occupational risk factors for human health, both in the Arctic and non-Arctic areas.

Contact

Revised 11.09.2025
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Web team at Health