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MAKING SENSE OF HUMAN BIOMONITORING DATA: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF A WORKSHOP
Citation:
BAHADORI, T., R. PHILLIPS, C. MONEY, J. J. QUACKENBOSS, H. J. CLEWELL, J. BUS, S. ROBISON, C. HUMPHRIS, A. PAREKH, K. OSBORN, AND R. KAUFFMAN. MAKING SENSE OF HUMAN BIOMONITORING DATA: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF A WORKSHOP. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology . Nature Publishing Group, London, Uk, 17(4):308-313, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
Objectives for this task include the following:
o Investigate the current research on biomarkers of exposure for humans (ILSI documents).
o Develop better measurement methods and procedures for collecting biomarkers of exposure in human research studies.
o Conduct advanced statistical analyses on existing urinary biomarker data generated from EPA funded studies.
o Identify and provide valuable data inputs for modelers in their toxicokinetic and exposure models.
o Use modeling tools to understand the exposures of humans to chemicals related to biomarkers of exposure.
o Form a collaborative partnership with CDC to develop analytical methods for chemicals used as biomarkers of exposure in humans.
o Develop statistical methods and models to assess human exposures to chemicals of concern.
Description:
The ability to measure chemicals in humans (often termed biomonitoring) is far outpacing the ability to reliably interpret these data for public health purposes, creating a major knowledge gap. Until this gap is filled, the great promise of routinely using biomonitoring data to support decisions to protect public health cannot be realized. Research is needed to link biomonitoring data quantitatively to the potential for adverse health risks, either through association with health outcomes or using information on the concentration and duration of exposure, which can then be linked to health guidelines. Developing such linkages in the risk assessment paradigm is one of the primary goals of the International Council of Chemical Associations' (ICCA) Long-Range Research Initiative (LRI) program in the area of biomonitoring. Therefore, ICCA sponsored a workshop to facilitate development of a coordinated agenda for research to enable an improved interpretation of human biomonitoring data. Discussions addressed three main topics: (1) exploration of the link between exposure, dose, and human biomonitoring data, (2) the use of computational tools to interpret biomonitoring data, and (3) the relevance of human biomonitoring data to the design of toxicological studies.