A harmonized occupational biomonitoring approach.

Publisher: Elsevier Science Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 7807270 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-6750 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01604120 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Environ Int Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: : Amsterdam : Elsevier Science
Original Publication: Oxford; Elmsford, N. Y., Pergamon Press.

Biological Monitoring*/methods ; Biomarkers*/urine ; Occupational Exposure*/analysis; Humans ; Environmental Monitoring/methods ; Risk Assessment/methods

Biomonitoring has been widely used in assessing exposures in both occupational and public health complementing chemical risk assessments because it measures the concentrations of chemical substances in human body fluids (e.g., urine and blood). Biomonitoring considers all routes and sources of exposure. An occupational biomonitoring guidance document has been elaborated (OECD Occupational Biomonitoring Guidance) within the OECD framework and specifically, the Working Parties on Exposure and Hazard Assessment by scientific experts from 40 institutes and organizations representing 15 countries. The guidance provides practical information for assessing chemical exposures in occupational settings including the three common routes of exposure: inhalation, skin absorption and ingestion due to hand to mouth contact. The elaborated stepwise approach for conducting biomonitoring is tailored for occupational health professionals, scientists, risk assessors, and regulators. It includes methods for selecting appropriate biomarkers, devising sampling strategies, and assessing laboratories for validated analytical methods for the biomarker of interest, and ensuring timely feedback of results. Furthermore, it describes procedures for setting up efficient biomonitoring programs based on the Similar Exposure Group (SEG) approaches. Derived health-based human exposure biomarker assessment values called Occupational Biomonitoring Levels (OBLs) are proposed for use in occupational exposure and risk assessment. It also helps with the interpretation of biomonitoring results routinely collected and procedures for communicating biomonitoring results at individual, collective, and workplace levels. Ethical considerations associated with biomonitoring are also discussed. The ultimate goal of this biomonitoring approach is to promote harmonized application and interpretation of biomarkers as well as evidence-based occupational risk management measures.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Keywords: Biological monitoring; Effect biomarkers; Exposure biomarkers; Risk assessment; Risk management; Toxicokinetics

0 (Biomarkers)

Date Created: 20240908 Date Completed: 20240920 Latest Revision: 20241012

20241013

10.1016/j.envint.2024.108990

39244955