Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

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Assessing the Human Health Risks of Trichloroethylene: Key Scientific Issues (2006)

New Source Review for Stationary Sources of Air Pollution (2006)

Health Risks from Dioxin and Related Compounds: Evaluation of the EPA Reassessment (2006)

Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards (2006)

State and Federal Standards for Mobile-Source Emissions (2006)

Superfund and Mining Megasites—Lessons from the Coeur d’Alene River Basin (2005)

Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion (2005)

Air Quality Management in the United States (2004)

Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River (2004)

Atlantic Salmon in Maine (2004)

Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River Basin (2004)

Cumulative Environmental Effects of Alaska North Slope Oil and Gas Development (2003)

Estimating the Public Health Benefits of Proposed Air Pollution Regulations (2002)

Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices (2002)

The Airliner Cabin Environment and Health of Passengers and Crew (2002)

Arsenic in Drinking Water: 2001 Update (2001)

Evaluating Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs (2001)

Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act (2001)

A Risk-Management Strategy for PCB-Contaminated Sediments (2001)

Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals (4 volumes, 2000-2004)

Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury (2000)

Strengthening Science at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2000)

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment (2000)

Ecological Indicators for the Nation (2000)

Waste Incineration and Public Health (1999)

Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment (1999)

Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter (4 volumes, 1998-2004)

The National Research Council’s Committee on Toxicology: The First 50 Years (1997)

Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet (1996)

Upstream: Salmon and Society in the Pacific Northwest (1996)

Science and the Endangered Species Act (1995)

Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundaries (1995)

Biologic Markers (5 volumes, 1989-1995)

Review of EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (3 volumes, 1994-1995)

Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment (1994)

Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children (1993)

Dolphins and the Tuna Industry (1992)

Science and the National Parks (1992)

Human Exposure Assessment for Airborne Pollutants (1991)

Rethinking the Ozone Problem in Urban and Regional Air Pollution (1991)

Decline of the Sea Turtles (1990)

Copies of these reports may be ordered from the National Academies Press

(800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313

www.nap.edu

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Biomonitoring has various applications; the focus in this report is on the role of biomonitoring as an exposure-assessment tool, which is central to public-health efforts. Repeatedly throughout recent history, biomonitoring data have helped to confirm health effects of environmental exposures and have validated public-health policies. Population-based biomonitoring studies have identified new chemicals found in the environment and in human tissues, monitored changes in exposures, and established the distribution of exposures among the general population. Biomonitoring data— when used in conjunction with available epidemiology, toxicology, and pharmacokinetic modeling data—can estimate how much of a chemical has been absorbed into the body and provide a measure of potential health risk. The ultimate objective of biomonitoring is to link information on exposures, susceptibility, and effects to understand the public health implications of exposure to environmental chemicals.

In spite of its potential, tremendous challenges surround the use of biomonitoring, and our ability to generate biomonitoring data has exceeded our ability to interpret what the data mean to public health. The challenges include improving the design of biomonitoring studies, interpreting what biomonitoring data mean, and understanding ethical and communication issues that are essential to the continued advancement of this field. To address the challenges, Congress asked the National Academies to assess key uncertainties related to the use and interpretation of biomonitoring data.

In this report, the Committee on Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Toxicants reviews current practices and makes recommendations for

improving the interpretation and uses of human biomonitoring data. The committee also develops a research agenda that addresses the key uncertainties in the field and provides guidance for collecting and interpreting biomonitoring data in the future.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following for their review of this report: Asa Bradman, University of California, Berkeley; Ludwine Casteleyn, Ministry of the Flemish Community; Harvey Clewell, CIIT Centers for Health Research; Kannan Krishnan, University of Montreal; Philip Landrigan, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Michael Morgan, University of Washington; Joseph Rodricks, ENVIRON International Corporation; Kenneth Rothman, Harvard School of Public Health; Susan Santos, FOCUS Group; Paul Schulte, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; H. Catherine Skinner, Yale University; Karel Van Damme, University of Leuven; and Jean-Philippe Weber, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by the review coordinator Steven Tannenbaum, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the review monitor, Johanna Dwyer, Tufts University. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the committee and the institution.

The committee gratefully acknowledges the following for making presentations and for providing information: Harold Zenick, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Larry Needham, Jim Pirkle, John Osterloh, Susan Schober, Thomas Sinks, and Edward Thompson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Paul Schulte, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Richard Jackson, University of California, Berkeley; James VanDerslice, Washington State Department of Health; Richard Becker, American Chemistry Council; Steven Robison, Procter and Gamble Company; Lauren DiSano, Association of Public Health Laboratories; Angelina

Duggan, CropLife America; Lorne Garretson, Environmental Defense; and Nancy Kass, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The committee is also grateful for the assistance of the National Research Council staff in preparing this report. Staff members who contributed to this effort are Eileen Abt, project director; James Reisa, director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology; Jennifer Saunders, associate program officer; Norman Grossblatt, senior editor; Mirsada Karalic-Loncarevic, research associate; Lucy Fusco, program associate; Morgan Motto, senior project assistant; and Kemi Yai, project assistant.

I would especially like to thank the members of the committee for their efforts throughout the development of this report.

Thomas Burke, Chair

Committee on Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Toxicants

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HUMAN BIOMONITORING FORENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS

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