ABSTRACT
Biological monitoring can make a substantial contribution to the process. Biomonitoring develops quantitative data about the magnitude of exposure and knowledge of the occurrence of chemicals in living things or the environment. The information is important to product development and stewardship as well as regulatory risk assessment and risk management. In the vast majority of cases, investigators infer exposures from environmental monitoring data derived from sensitive quantitative analysis. Biological half-life and route of clearance are important practical considerations that frequently determine feasibility of biomonitoring. Such studies contribute to knowledge of environmental fate and transport of residual chemicals. The ubiquitous occurrence of trace levels of chemicals used as pesticides in food, air, water, and on surfaces and the ever-increasing sensitivity of analytical methods account for findings of trace levels of some substances in blood and urine. Biological monitoring requires a broad database concerning pesticide use, exposure, and physiologic disposition to allow reliable estimation of absorbed daily dosage.
