Biological monitoring can be used to assess human exposure by measuring the internal dose of a substance (dose monitoring), to assess the biochemical effects of the exposure (biochemical effects monitoring), and to assess the biological effects resulting from the exposure (biological effects monitoring). The early chapters of this monograph deal primarily with dose monitoring, which requires the availability of sensitive and specific analytical procedures. The authors trace the evolution of the analytical techniques and equipment that have enabled assessment of exposure to practically all relevant metals as well as many organic chemicals. The dose of organic chemicals is assessed by analyzing biological specimens for the chemicals themselves, their metabolites, or their reaction products, such as adducts with protein or DNA. The second chapter provides examples of measuring the metabolite concentrations of solvents in urine specimens. The third chapter describes biological monitoring of aromatic amines and nitro aromatics, once again pointing out the evolution of the techniques.
The monograph then moves into a description of the interface of exposure assessment and genetic susceptibility and how, by identifying the individuals most susceptible to a disease as a result of exposure, prevention can be enhanced. The authors give a summary of the analytical techniques used for determining DNA adducts and their detection limits. Additional examples of improvements in methods for genotyping and phenotyping are given. Later chapters discuss biological monitoring with cytogenetic methods and the possibilities and limitations of chromosome painting for population monitoring. The advantages and disadvantages of the comet assay for the quantification of DNA damage are described.
One of the key issues in environmental and occupational health is allergic diseases. The authors describe this process and the importance of the immune system. Although immunologic findings are difficult to fully explain because of the nonspecificity of the cause, the authors describe the process well and list future prospects. In the concluding section, the authors give examples of how environmental occupational epidemiologists have used biomonitoring as an effective tool for assessing human exposure.
Overall, this monograph provides an excellent tutorial on the use of biological monitoring in occupational and environmental medicine. It describes current techniques, techniques used in the past, and looks ahead to future possibilities. This monograph should be read by everyone involved with exposure analysis.
- © 2004 The American Association for Clinical Chemistry
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