Biomarkers of environmental exposures in blood

Exposure to environmental pollution is recognized as a significant contributor to the burden of disease in the general population. Biomonitoring of chemical concentrations in human tissues and matrices is a powerful tool for measuring exposure to chemicals in a population. Blood and blood components such as serum or plasma are useful matrices for biomonitoring for a number of chemical classes and groups, providing insight into internal chemical exposures that may result in adverse effects on organs throughout the body. Accurate measurement and interpretation of chemical concentrations in blood as markers of exposure require understanding of the physical/chemical properties and pharmacokinetics of the chemical of interest. Biomonitoring over time for lead, serum cotinine, many persistent organic pollutants, and other compounds in blood demonstrates temporal trends and the effect of efforts to reduce exposure. Future directions of biomonitoring using blood include measurement and interpretation of multiple targeted and nontargeted analytes over time in individuals and the population to characterize the “exposome” to provide further data for understanding the relationships among environmental exposures, individual characteristics, and health