Biomonitoring

In analytical chemistry, biomonitoring is the measurement of the body burden of toxic chemical compounds, elements, or their metabolites, in biological substances.[1][2] Often, these measurements are done in blood and urine.[3] Biomonitoring is performed in both environmental health, and in occupational safety and health as a means of exposure assessment and workplace health surveillance.

The two best established environmental biomonitoring programs in representative samples of the general population are those of the United States and Germany, although population-based programs exist in a few other countries.[4] In 2001, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began to publish its biennial National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, which reports a statistically representative sample of the U.S. population.[5]

  1. ^ "Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals" (PDF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – National Center for Environmental Health. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
  2. ^ "What is Biomonitoring?" (PDF). American Chemistry Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-23. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  3. ^ Angerer J, Ewers U, Wilhelm M (2007). "Human biomonitoring: State of the art". International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 210 (3–4): 201–28. Bibcode:2007IJHEH.210..201A. doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2007.01.024. PMID 17376741.
  4. ^ Porta M, et al. (2008). "Monitoring concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in the general population: the international experience". Environment International. 34 (4): 546–561. Bibcode:2008EnInt..34..546P. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2007.10.004. PMID 18054079.
  5. ^ "About the Program". cdc.gov. Centers for Disease Control. 3 April 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2009.