Biological monitoring and risk assessment

Risk assessment in occupational medicine is the part of risk analysis where physicians also contribute. A risk is the probability of an adverse health effect and derives from the hazard posed by a given chemical and from exposure characteristics. Due to the complexity of this process, models are used in occupational medicine, where risk factors are identified and exposure estimated, combined with an understanding of the severity of possible effects. Theoretically, the advantages of biological monitoring are obvious. However, the paucity of available data on biological monitoring limits its uses. Moreover, the utilization of data on biological monitoring requires evaluation of their significance. Examples are discussed to highlight advantages and limitations of biological monitoring data in both hazard and risk assessments. They include exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, other carcinogens, paraquat and polychlorinated biphenyls.