Biomonitoring studies

In natural conditions, Ceratophyllum demersum and Potamogeton pectinatus L. have been found to be effective adsorbents of Cd(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II). The adsorption percentage of the metals onto plant surfaces followed the pattern Pb(II) > Cu(II) > Cd(II). P. pectinatus biomass adsorbed a higher content of heavy metals than C. demersum. According to the results, both species are of interest in the phytoremediation and biomonitoring studies of polluted waters.122... 

Similar biomonitoring studies in Belgium and China conducted with adolescents (14—16 years) and children and students (3-24 years), respectively, showed a high detection frequency of more than 90% [154, 156]. However, mean and median values were lower compared to the US data. In the Chinese study, females had a statistically higher least square geometric mean concentration than males. They also observed a decreasing tendency with age in the 7-24 age group [156]. 

Despite the uncertainty at which concentration BP A shows toxic effects, it is important to conclude that current human exposure, based on biomonitoring studies, is still far below the current TDI for the general population [224]. 

Vandenberg LN, Chahoud I, Heindel JJ, Padmanabhan V, Paumgartten FJR, Schoenfelder G (2010) Urinary, circulating, and tissue biomonitoring studies indicate widespread exposure to bisphenol A. Environ Health Perspect 118 1055-1070... 

No on - going biomonitoring studies or studies of toxic effects of isophorone in humans were identified. 

As the number of biomonitoring studies and the number of subjects and chemicals measured increases, there is a need for clarification of the appropriate uses and interpretation of biomonitoring data. The general public needs to know the meaning and limitations of the data, and public-health officials, who are often called on for interpretation of results, also need to be adequately informed. 

In Chapter 3 of this report, the committee presents a systematic framework or matrix to characterize the properties of biomarkers as a means to inform scientists and the general public about biomarkers and their significance in biomonitoring studies. The framework generally summarizes what is known about a biomarker and indicates potential research gaps that need to be addressed to meet the requirements for some specific uses. 

The National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, produced by CDC, is based on a representative sample of the population and a large number of chemicals, and uses well-documented analytic techniques. However, not all biomonitoring studies are conducted with the... 

Finding There has not been a coordinated and consistent public-health-based strategy for selecting how chemicals are included in or excluded from biomonitoring studies. There is a need for a consistent rationale for selecting chemicals for study based on exposure and public-health concerns. 

Recommendation Advance individual, community, and population-based strategies for reporting results of biomonitoring studies. 

This report presents a roadmap for approaching those challenges. It provides an overview of the state of the science, a profile of international applications, and guidance for the design of biomonitoring studies. It also presents a systematic approach to interpreting the public-health implica-... 

Data from biomonitoring studies are becoming widely available and are increasingly used to understand the presence of chemicals in the human body and their effects on human health. At the same time, scientists, public-health officials, and the public have questions about the quality and scope of the available data, what the data tell us about potential risks to human health, and how future research can address these questions. Responding to a congressional request, the National Research Council established the Committee on Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Toxicants to review current practices in and recommend ways to improve the interpretation and uses of human biomonitoring for environmental toxicants. 

Evaluating and informing the policy process Once results from biomonitoring studies are understood, how can data be best used to evaluate and inform public-health decisions ... 

WWF has conducted similar biomonitoring studies in a cross-section of the population in the UK. As reported in ContamiNation, WWF took samples from 155 volunteers in 13 locations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and monitored for 12 organochlorine pesticides, 45 PCB congeners, and 21 PBDEs (WWF 2003). 

Baker, B.A., B.H. Alexander, J.S. Mandel, J.F. Acquavella, R. Honeycutt, and P. Chapman. 2005. Farm Family Exposure Study Methods and recruitment practices for a biomonitoring study of pesticide exposure. J. Expo. Anal. Environ. Epidemiol. 15(6) 491-499. 

Biomonitoring study design should consider absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination in selection of appropriate biomarkers to address the goals of research and surveillance. 

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