Added value of human biomonitoring in assessment of general population exposure to xenobiotics

Abstract

Human biomonitoring (HBM) has a wide range of applications and long tradition both in health care and the field of public health. Its major advantage is the integration of all exposure routes and sources. Since HBM information is an integrated exposure finding it offers the opportunity to trace and mimic a realistic exposure scenario. It reduces the number of assumptions that need to be made when estimating exposure and thus helps to reduce the uncertainties in exposure science. In spite of some challenges, such as further harmonization in the area of HBM, necessity of deriving equivalents of markers of external exposure and addressing the ethical and political aspects of its application, HBM is an efficient and cost-effective way to measure exposure levels of the human body to xenobiotics.