may remain in the human system much longer than the toxicant which initiated their development.
Biological Matrices.
The most common matrices used for biological monitoring are exhaled air, blood, and urine.
1. Monitoring exhaled air is limited to volatile chemicals. Exhaled air monitoring is not suitable for chemicals inhaled as aerosols or for gases and vapors, which decompose upon contact with body fluids or tissues, or which are highly soluble in water, such as ketones and alcohols [3].
2. Blood is the medium which transports chemicals and their metabolites in the body. Therefore, most biomarkers present in the body can be found in the blood during some period of time after exposure [4].
a. A chemical in the blood is in dynamic equilibrium with various parts of the body: the site of entry, tissues in which the chemical is stored, and organs in which it is metabolized or from which it is excreted. Thus, the concentration of a biomarker in the blood may differ between regions of the circulatory system. This would be the case during pulmonary uptake or elimination of a solvent, which would cause differences in concentration between capillary blood (mainly arterial blood) and venous blood.
b. Two advantages of blood monitoring are: (1) The gross composition of blood is relatively constant between individuals. This eliminates the need to correct measured biomarker levels for individual differences. (2) Obtaining specimens is straightforward and with proper care can be accomplished with relatively little risk of contamination.
c. An important consideration in blood monitoring is that obtaining blood specimens requires an invasive procedure and should be performed only by trained persons.
3. Urine is more suitable for monitoring hydrophilic chemicals, metals, and metabolites than for monitoring chemicals poorly soluble in water. The concentration of the biomarker in urine usually is correlated to its mean plasma level during the period the urine dwells in the bladder [5].
a. In some instances the urine concentration is affected by the amount of the biomarker stored in the kidneys. Examples are cadmium and chromium.
b. The accuracy of the exposure estimate, using urine monitoring, depends upon the sampling strategy. The most influential factors are time of collection and urine output.
c. Measurements from 24-hour specimens are more representative than from spot samples and usually correlate better with intensity of exposure. However, collection, stabilization, and transportation of 24-hour specimens in the field are difficult and often not feasible.
3. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Selection of Methods. The occupational health professional and the laboratory scientist should decide on appropriate methods so that the test results are interpretable to the exposure situation. The following issues should be addressed:
1. The goal of the biological monitoring method should be consistent with the goal of the industrial hygiene investigation. Is the goal to measure exposure or a health effect related to the exposure?
Manual of Analytical Methods
