Biomaterial Database

Biological exposure index as a complement to the TLV. 1986

L K Lowry

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has recognized the value of biological monitoring for assessing worker exposure to chemicals. The ACGIH has established a Biological Exposure Indices Committee to review literature, prepare documentation analogous to the widely used TLVs, and recommend biological exposure indices (BEIs) for selected workplace chemicals. The BEIs represent an in-depth review of the literature and address such important issues as routes of exposure, absorption, metabolism, uptake, pharmacokinetics, sampling, methods of analysis, interferences (both chemical and metabolic), and interpretation of results. The recommended BEIs represent levels of some biological parameter that would be found in a worker following an 8-hour exposure (at moderate work) to the current TLV. To date, ten documentations and an introduction have been published by the ACGIH. They include toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, carbon monoxide, styrene, benzene, n-hexane, lead, phenol, and trichloroethylene. Others are in preparation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008452	Maximum Allowable Concentration	The maximum exposure to a biologically active physical or chemical agent that is allowed during an 8-hour period (a workday) in a population of workers, or during a 24-hour period in the general population, which does not appear to cause appreciable harm, whether immediate or delayed for any period, in the target population. (From Lewis Dictionary of Toxicology, 1st ed)	Maximum Permissible Exposure Level,MPEL,Maximum Permissible Exposure Concentration,Allowable Concentration, Maximum,Allowable Concentrations, Maximum,Concentration, Maximum Allowable,Concentrations, Maximum Allowable,MPELs,Maximum Allowable Concentrations
D009784	Occupational Diseases	Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment.	Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D004784	Environmental Monitoring	The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment.	Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000395	Air Pollutants, Occupational	Toxic air-borne matter related to work performed They are usually produced by the specific nature of the occupation.	Occupational Air Pollutants,Pollutants, Occupational Air