Scientists measure the type and quantity of chemicals in the human body using a process called “biomonitoring.” The resulting data improve understanding of the relationship between exposure to environmental toxicants and adverse effects, such as asthma. APHL is working to build biomonitoring capacity in public health laboratories (PHLs).
What we eat and drink and where we live can potentially have long-lasting effects on our health. Poor air quality has been linked to asthma, pathogens such as cryptosporidium can cause gastrointestinal disease when ingested, and many toxic land wastes appear to be linked to cancer.
Laboratory scientists measure the type and quantity of chemicals in the human body using a process called “biomonitoring.” Many health and environmental agencies use biomonitoring measures and trend data to improve understanding of the relationship between exposure to environmental toxicants and health. For example, are chemicals from nail polish present in our blood? If so, how long do they stay in our bodies?
CDC and Biomonitoring
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is using biomonitoring data to assess environmental pollutant exposures in the US population. CDC measures hundreds of chemicals in the blood of US citizens every few years to determine what happens to chemicals we use every day. Biomonitoring data are currently available for metals, cotinine (a measure of environmental tobacco smoke), volatile organic chemicals, certain pesticides and other complex chemicals.
CDC also works to connect concentrations of chemicals in our environment (such as pollution in air) to levels of chemicals in our bodies in order to evaluate whether such exposures lead to adverse health effects (such as asthma). CDC’s fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals is the most extensive evaluation of exposure of the US population to environmental chemicals. Future biomonitoring efforts will look at data over time to determine whether levels of pollutants are increasing or decreasing in the population.
APHL Collaboration
APHL works with the National Center for Environmental Health at CDC to build biomonitoring capacity in public health laboratories. In October 2009, the association released Moving Forward: Biomonitoring Stories from the States, an update to the May 2004 report Biomonitoring: Measuring Chemicals in People. The 2009 report describes the importance of biomonitoring and provides stories from state public health laboratories. APHL continues implementing the five-year plan and leading biomonitoring efforts in public health.
After convening the National Biomonitoring Meeting in October 2009, APHL worked with ASTHO and CSTE to develop recommendations and biomonitoring guidance for environmental health programs and epidemiologists. APHL is also working with the Biomonitoring Subcommittee to develop guidance for laboratorians. The guidance is designed as a desktop reference for laboratorians interested in expanding or enhancing an existing biomonitoring program. It covers major topics laboratorians need to consider when doing biomonitoring.
APHL understands biomonitoring cannot be accomplished by a laboratory alone. In future drafts of the guidance, APHL hopes to combine this guidance with CSTE's guidance document for a one-stop biomonitoring guidance for both laboratories and epidemiologists. Email us at EH@aphl.org if you are interested in collaborating or learning more about APHL's biomonitoring efforts.