Biomonitoring enables the identification of individual stresses, and contributes to the assessment of working conditions and the checking of the effectiveness of occupational safety measures. Its goal is to prevent damage to health due to chemical substances.

Biomonitoring: Accurate Determination of Workplace Lead Exposure

In Project F 2510, BAuA investigated new biomonitoring approaches that allow ongoing occupational exposures to lead to be determined with greater precision. Since the classic method of measuring lead levels in the blood only registers short-term fluctuations in exposure to a limited extent, alternative parameters and inhalation and dermal pathways were analysed. The baua: Report on the project shows that looking at lead in urine and specific quotients calculated from the measurements taken offer highly promising approaches to the problem, but the data basis still needs to be broadened before these can be assessed conclusively. The results will encourage important interventions to enhance occupational safety and health, preventive action, and the implementation of new EU limit values.

Part of occupational medicine

The use of biomonitoring requires specific knowledge of hazardous substances and detailed insights into the work situation of the person under examination. It is also necessary to take individual factors which can influence the absorption and the resulting stresses and hazards into account. Company doctors are responsible for the biomonitoring of employees.

What is Biomonitoring?

The term biomonitoring is used in both occupational and environmental health and the fields of environmental monitoring and ecology. In the following, biomonitoring is defined in the context of occupational medicine and differentiated from the term human biomonitoring.

Here are some definitions of biomonitoring:

On the basis of the in the, the Occupational Medicine Committee (AfAMed) in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) provides the following definition:

"Biomonitoring is the examination of biological materials of employees for the determination of hazardous substances, their metabolites or their biochemical and/or biological effect parameters. In this respect, the goal is to assess the exposure and health risk posed to employees, to compare the analysis values obtained with appropriate assessment values [...] and to propose suitable measures for reducing the levels of exposure and the risks posed to health. The findings from biomonitoring can be an important source of information for the assessment of existing protective measures."

In its guidelines on occupational medicine, the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine e.V. (DGAUM) defines the term "Biomonitoring" (2013) as follows:

"In the area of occupational medicine, biomonitoring is to be understood as the examination of biological materials of employees for the quantitative determination of hazardous substances, their metabolites or their biochemical and/or biological parameters. In this respect, the goal is to assess the exposure and health risk posed to employees, to compare the analysis values obtained with appropriate biological assessment values and to propose possible suitable measures (improvement of technical, organisational and personal prevention) for reducing the risks posed to health. For many hazardous substances, the individual levels of exposure can only be quantified and assessed with the use of biomonitoring."

According to § 6 para. 2 of the Ordinance on Occupational Healthcare (ArbMedVV), biomonitoring is considered as a "component of occupational healthcare insofar as processes of analysis recognised by occupational healthcare and suitable values are available for assessment purposes."

The "Biomonitoring" occupational medicine rule specifies the ArbmedVV:

"The indication and method of biomonitoring is decided by the officiating doctor according to § 7 ArbMedVV. The doctor has to evaluate the biomonitoring's findings. While maintaining medical confidentiality, the findings can be included in the employers' risk assessment."

What is human biomonitoring?

The methods used in the area of human biomonitoring are similar to those used in occupational medicine biomonitoring. In this respect, individuals' exposures to chemicals are determined and the biological effects caused by chemical substances are also measured. The areas of use and the goals differ, however.

The Human Biomonitoring Commission of the Federal Environment Agency defines three areas in which human biomonitoring is used:

1. the targeted examination of individuals who are subject to exposure by hazardous substances or biological or physical influences, or among whom such exposure is to be suspected;
2. the quantitative determination of the internal exposure to pollution by selected persons or population groups in the scope of epidemiological studies;
3. research into the identification of developmental trends and/or the exposure of people to harmful substances or biological and physical factors in certain regions.

The harmful substances examined here, however, do not originate from occupational exposure on the part of those under examination, but exposure in the living environment.

The application and development of biomonitoring processes at BAuA

BAuA uses biomonitoring to research current issues surrounding the employees' exposure to substances. In this respect, it develops new methods of analysis and makes contributions about the use of biomonitoring in occupational practice.

Can You Help Us?
Organisations needed to take part in study!

Moulds can release the toxic metabolic products known as mycotoxins in workplaces and livestock facilities where organic materials such as hay or cereals are present. These toxins find their way into the body via airborne routes and can have health-damaging effects, even in small quantities. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, BAuA) is currently undertaking the first comprehensive investigation of these hazardous substances’ prevalence and effects with the research project "Detection of Mycotoxin Exposure of Employees at the Workplace and its Effects on the Respiratory Tract" (F 2575).

Mycotoxins in the workplace - an underestimated risk? 

Organisations needed for study of mould contamination at feed business establishments and livestock facilities

We are currently looking for organisations to help us conduct this study, in particular organisations that keep livestock and store animal feed. By participating in the project, you will make an important contribution to the improvement of occupational safety and health in your industry.

Interested? You can find further information for potential participants in our study flyer (German). You can also contact us directly at mykotoxine@baua.bund.de .