Biological Monitoring: Its Role, Methods and Interpretation of Results

Tuesday Afternoon, April 15, 2008

Location:
Michigan Safety Conference
Lansing, Michigan

Sponsored by:

- University of Michigan Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering
- Michigan Safety Conference Industrial Hygiene Division
- Wayne State University Division of Occupational and Environmental Health
- College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University

In 1996, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) unveiled the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA is a framework to guide occupational safety and health research in the United States. In 2006, NIOSH adopted an industry sector-based approach for NORA to set research goals. Biological monitoring is an issue of cross-sector importance.

Assessing human exposures to chemicals in the workplace or the general environment is an ongoing challenge. Monitoring of airborne concentrations is a common and important first step, but airborne monitoring has limitations in predicting the actual absorbed dose. The airborne concentrations can vary, individuals are mobile and individual factors can greatly influence the actual absorbed dose (e.g. respiratory rate, metabolism, excretion, genetic factors, etc.). Additionally, some chemicals can be absorbed via the skin and/or gastrointestinal tract which further limits the utility of measuring airborne chemical concentrations. Biological monitoring (measurement of a chemical and/or metabolite in a body fluid or tissue) is an approach that can overcome some of the limitations of airborne monitoring for chemicals. However, biological monitoring presents an array of technical challenges that must be addressed for the results to be valid, reliable and interpretable. This session will provide an overview of the role and some of the unique challenges of biological monitoring for chemical exposures.

The distinguished speakers and their planned presentations are:

Larry L. Needham, Ph.D.
Chief, Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Biological Monitoring of the General Population: Implications for the Occupational Setting

Thomas D. Klingner
Colormetric Labs Inc., Des Plaines, Illinois
Integration of Biological and Dermal Monitoring Strategies

Shane Que Hee, Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Biological Monitoring, BEIs, BEELs:  What is Going On?

Biological Monitoring: Its Role, Methods and Interpretation of Results is being presented as a part of the 78th Annual Michigan Safety Conference being held in Lansing, Michigan.  5,000 attendees are expected to participate in more than 120 seminars covering all aspects of safety, health and security.  Over 200 exhibitors will be displaying the latest in safety products in the exhibit hall.  You must be a registrant of the Michigan Safety Conference to attend, but there is no additional fee required for this session.  Conference registration information can be accessed after February 1, 2008 on the web at:  www.michsafetyconference.org.

Funding for this program is provided in part by the University of Michigan Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, which is a NIOSH sponsored Education and Research Center.