The Rationale of Biological Monitoring of Chemicals—With Special Reference Metals

Biological monitoring may be a very useful way to evaluate exposure and risks to certain chemicals. It can be used for several of the toxic metals people are exposed to both in the workplace and in the general environment. These include Cd, As, Pb, and Hg. Such monitoring can, therefore, be very valuable in a preventive program, provided that certain criteria are met. It is important to point out, however, that biological monitoring provides only one aspect of the preventive program. It should not be looked upon in isolation. When planning for a monitoring program, the purpose of the program has to be considered in detail. Often some form of integrated monitoring will be the method of choice, where biological monitoring should be looked upon as a supplement to the conventional monitoring of different environmental media, e.g. air, food and water.