Strategic Biomonitoring Initiatives: Moving the Science Forward

Abstract

Biomonitoring programs in the United States and Europe demonstrate the vast array of data that are publicly available for the evaluation of exposure trends, identification of susceptible populations, detection of emerging chemical risks, the conduct of epidemiology studies, and evaluation of risk reduction strategies. To cultivate international discussion on these issues, the ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute convened a scientific session at its annual meeting in January 2006 on "Integration of Biomonitoring Exposure Data into the Risk Assessment Process." This Forum paper presents perspectives from session speakers on the biomonitoring activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Research Council Committee on Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Toxicants, the German Commission on Human Biomonitoring, and the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Biomonitoring Technical Committee. Speakers noted that better estimates of biological concentrations of substances in the tissues of human populations can be combined with other exposure indices, as well as epidemiological and toxicologic data, to improve risk estimates. With this type of combined data, the potential also exists to define exposure levels at which hazard and risk are of minimal concern. Limitations in interpreting biomonitoring data were discussed, including the need for different criteria for applying biomonitoring data for exposure assessment, risk assessment, risk management, or disease prevention purposes. As efforts and resources are expended to improve the ability to apply biomonitoring exposure data in the risk assessment process, it is equally important to communicate the significance of such data to the public.

Assessing exposure to phthalates – The human biomonitoring approach

“…All in all, however, assessments based on biomonitoring data may provide a more accurate evaluation of the current and overall state of exposure. Urinary metabolite concentrations represent an integrative measure of exposure from all sources and routes and indicate not an hypothetical but actual internal exposure [73,74,129,156,181]. Furthermore, biomonitoring can determine the current state of exposure to phthalates and therefore immediately detect any changes in the exposure situation of the population caused by e.g.…”

The role of human biological monitoring in health risk assessment

“…The forward and reverse dosimetry approaches for evaluating human biomonitoring data within a population health risk assessment context Source: Figure modified from Angerer et al (2006) Like any other scientific approach, HBM has limitations that require special attention when interpreting biomonitoring data (Smolders et al, 2009). These limitations include:…”

Review of the state of the art of human biomonitoring for chemical substances and its application to human exposure assessment for food safety

“…In this context internal exposure can be determined by means of the direct measurement of the chemical substances or their metabolites, whereas biochemical effects are measures by means of protein adducts and DNA adducts and biological effects are measured by means of ALA, cytogenetic parameters or changes in enzyme activities (Angerer et al, 2006).…”