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  • The use of biomonitoring data in exposure and human health risk assessment: benzene case study.

The use of biomonitoring data in exposure and human health risk assessment: benzene case study.

Critical reviews in toxicology (2013-01-26)
Scott M Arnold, Juergen Angerer, Peter J Boogaard, Michael F Hughes, Raegan B O'Lone, Steven H Robison, A Robert Schnatter
ABSTRACT

Abstract A framework of "Common Criteria" (i.e. a series of questions) has been developed to inform the use and evaluation of biomonitoring data in the context of human exposure and risk assessment. The data-rich chemical benzene was selected for use in a case study to assess whether refinement of the Common Criteria framework was necessary, and to gain additional perspective on approaches for integrating biomonitoring data into a risk-based context. The available data for benzene satisfied most of the Common Criteria and allowed for a risk-based evaluation of the benzene biomonitoring data. In general, biomarker (blood benzene, urinary benzene and urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid) central tendency (i.e. mean, median and geometric mean) concentrations for non-smokers are at or below the predicted blood or urine concentrations that would correspond to exposure at the US Environmental Protection Agency reference concentration (30 µg/m(3)), but greater than blood or urine concentrations relating to the air concentration at the 1 × 10(-5) excess cancer risk (2.9 µg/m(3)). Smokers clearly have higher levels of benzene exposure, and biomarker levels of benzene for non-smokers are generally consistent with ambient air monitoring results. While some biomarkers of benzene are specific indicators of exposure, the interpretation of benzene biomonitoring levels in a health-risk context are complicated by issues associated with short half-lives and gaps in knowledge regarding the relationship between the biomarkers and subsequent toxic effects.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Supelco
Benzene, analytical standard
Supelco
Benzene solution, certified reference material, TraceCERT®, 200 μg/mL in methanol
Supelco
Benzene, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
Sigma-Aldrich
Benzene, suitable for HPLC, ≥99.9%
Sigma-Aldrich
Benzene, anhydrous, 99.8%
Sigma-Aldrich
Benzene, ACS reagent, ≥99.0%
Sigma-Aldrich
Benzene, puriss. p.a., reag. Ph. Eur., ≥99.7%