(in German)

Biomonitoring should only be carried out when standards are available (values to assess) against which the individual biomonitoring results can be compared. The evaluation or assessment is more than just a comparison of numbers. In order to establish whether an excess or shortfall of the value to assess is present, the accuracy of the measurements must be taken into consideration. In order to reduce the inaccuracy it is meaningful to include mean values of several measurements for the assessment and not individual values. Biological limit values (Biologische Grenzwerte - BGW) are designed for a comparison with mean values from individual persons; however, the information does not serve to reduce the uncertainty of the measurement results to be assessed but for compensation of deviations of the internal burden within a suitable reference time period. Individual measurement values have to be asessed from occupational medicine and toxicological aspects as long as they lie above the biological thresholds. Suitable benchmarks for such an assessment are so far lacking. It is suggested that a short-term assessment concept should be developed analogous to the regulation for air thresholds. For determination of whether a biological limit value is complied with, suitable testing protocols are currently lacking. Such protocols should include a safety margin to the biological limit value.

Please download the article "Assessment of biomonitoring results" (in German only).