Biological Environmental Exposure Limit

Biological effluent treatment, 9 436-437 Biological Environmental Exposure Limits EEL), 27 838... 

American Industrial Hygiene Association (2008). Draft documentation for the Biological Environmental Exposure Limits (BEELs). 4,4 -Methylene Dianiline and Creatinine, AIHA Press, Fairfax, VA. 

Extremely sensitive analytical methods have been developed for the detection of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide in various environmental and biological samples (detection limits as low as 10 ng/L). Although most methods were developed for detecting heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide in environmental media, the technology is readily adaptable to biological materials including breast milk, adipose tissue, and serum. These methods can be used to determine whether exposure has occurred. The presence of heptachlor may reflect an exposure to heptachlor or chlordane because it is a metabolite of chlordane. The presence of heptachlor epoxide may reflect an exposure to heptachlor or to chlordane since it is a metabolite of both these pesticides. However, in the absence of stable chlordane residues (e.g., nonachlor and oxychlordane), the heptachlor epoxide would most likely have been derived from heptachlor. 

Paustenbach DJ, Panko JM, Fredrick MM, et al. 1997. Urinary chromium as a biological marker of environmental exposure What are the limitations Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 26 S23-S34. 

Within this guidance the term occupational exposure limit(s) refers to limits in the air of the workplace or biological limit values. In addition, for the purposes of this document exposure control means the full range of specific protection and prevention measures to be taken during use in order to minimize worker and environmental exposure. Engineering control measures that are needed to minimize exposure to, and risks associated with the hazards of, the substance or mixture should be included in this section. 

The eight-hour time-weighted average concentration specified for workroom air selected from the 1986-1987 Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices as adopted by the American Conference of Governmental Indnstrial Hygienists the Recommended Standards for Occnpational Exposme set forth in the July 1985 summary of the National Institnte for Occnpational Safety and Health Recommendations for Occupational Health Standards or the 1986 Workplace Environmental Exposure Levels set forth by the American Indnstrial Hygiene Association. 

The Chemical Substances Threshold Limit Values Committee classifies certain substances found in the occupational environment as either confirmed or suspected human carcinogens. The present listing of substances that have been identified as carcinogens takes two forms those for which a TLV has b n assigned and those for which environmental and exposure conditions have not been sufficiently defined to assign a TLV. Where a TLV has been assigned, it does not necessarily imply the existence of a biological threshold however, if exposures are controlled to this level, we would not expect to see a measurable increase in cancer incidence or mortality. 

The American Conference on Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is a member-based organization that advances occupational and environmental health (ACGIH 2007). An example of this includes the annual publication of the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEls) recommended for chemical substances. 

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