The Potential of Exposure Biomarkers in Epidemiologic Studies of Reproductive Health

Evaluation of Health Risks for Contaminated Aquifers

“…The characterization of health risk variability for homogeneous and heterogeneous populations is very important information that is needed to develop and evaluate fully the effectiveness and performance of remediation technologies to reduce health risks for the least cost. In this regard, greater use of biological indicators of exposure and disease in epidemiological studies may be an important research activity to continue and to expand (152)(153)(154)(155)(156).…”

Application of biologic markers to studies of environmental risks in children and the developing fetus.

“…To date, biologic markers have not been widely used in developmental epidemiology of environmental exposures (16,17); however, they offer the potential to provide quantitative dosimeters of biologic dose and/or indices of biologic effect associated with fetal and childhood exposures to environmental carcinogens and other toxicants. Further, they can facilitate quantification of differences in the magnitude of response in the young relative to that in adults.…”

Biomarkers of Pesticide Exposure

“…1984;Vainio 1985;Hemminki et al 1979;Brewster 1988;Hogue and Brewster 1991). This approach has been automated (Falck et al 1985) and has much potential for application to complex pesticide environments.…”

“…Sinclair et al (1971Sinclair et al ( , 1986) demonstrated accumulation of porphyrins in cultured chick embryo liver cells exposed to lindane, parathion, and other (nonpesticidal) chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons. Hogue and Brewster (1991) suggest a combination of these three urinary assays with a urine mutagenicity test as a broad nonspecific exposure "screen" to a wide variety of chemicals.…”

“…Thioether excretion of workers in a wastewater facility receiving pesticide waste water (chlorinated cyclodiene pesticides) and flame retardants was not found to be increased (Que Hee et al 1986). Assay of thioethers in urine appears to be an excellent marker of ongoing exposure to alkylating agents (parent compound or biotransformed products); smoking elevates thioether excretion approximately two-fold and commonly has a synergistic effect with other alkylating exposures (Henderson et al 1984;Vainio 1985;Brewster 1988;Hogue and Brewster 1991).…”