A Review on the Practical Application of Human Biomonitoring in Integrated Environmental Health Impact Assessment

Abstract

Environmental health sciences focus on the link between the presence of contaminants in the environment and their relation with possible adverse health effects. Within this context, human biomonitoring (HBM) data have proven to be a valuable addition to, or have even surpassed, estimates of exposure based on environmental measures. Probably the main achievement of HBM data is that it provides an integrated overview of the pollutant dose any constituent is exposed to and incorporates bioaccumulation, excretion, half-life, and other potentially critical toxicokinetic parameters. In an integrated environmental health impact assessment framework, HBM serves as a pivotal point between environment and health, on the one hand leaning on environmental data to provide information on sources and pathways of exposure, and on the other hand clarifying hypotheses on the relationship between internal dose and prevalence of disease clusters. This study reflects the work performed in the INTARESE project (Integrated Assessment of Health Risk of Environmental Stressors in Europe). Because it was perceived that there was an overall lack of knowledge on the general methodology and potential application of HBM data in integrated environmental health impact assessment, an extensive review of literature was performed on past and current developments, potential, and applicability of HBM within the context of integrated environmental health impact assessment. This study covers three main topics that provide guidance for improved interpretation and application of HBM data: (1) sample collection and storage, (2) sample measurement, and (3) data interpretation. These main issues were discussed for 15 of the most common or relevant (classes of) chemicals. For more detailed information, the reader is pointed to the unabridged review (INTARESE, 2007), and consultation is available through the INTARESE web site (www.intarese.org).

INTARESE is a 5-year Integrated Project funded under the EU 6th Framework Programme—priority 6.3 Global change and Ecosystems.

Notes

¹HBM includes (1) biomarkers that allow assessment of exposure to a chemical on the basis of its measurement in a biological matrix (biomarker of exposure), (2) changes that have occurred in the biochemical or physiological makeup of an individual because of this exposure (biomarker of effect), or (3) biomarkers that assess a person's susceptibility to alter the progression along the exposure-effect continuum (biomarker of susceptibility) (National Research Council, 2006).