Basic concepts of monitoring human exposure. 1984

R Lauwerys

Environmental and biological monitoring are two complementary approaches for evaluating human exposure to genotoxic agents. Environmental monitoring involves, usually, measurement of chemicals either by physico-chemical techniques or via biological activities (e.g., mutagenic activity of airborne pollutants). Biological monitoring relies on two groups of tests: those based on determination of the substances or their biotransformation products in various biological media and those based on detection and, possibly, quantification of those biological changes that result from the reaction of the organism to exposure. The application of tests for exposure and the interpretation of the results require a careful evaluation of several issues, mainly the sensitivity, specificity and health significance of the selected monitoring parameters, the precision and accuracy of the analytical technique and the ethical aspects.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009153 Mutagens Chemical agents that increase the rate of genetic mutation by interfering with the function of nucleic acids. A clastogen is a specific mutagen that causes breaks in chromosomes. Clastogen,Clastogens,Genotoxin,Genotoxins,Mutagen
D002273 Carcinogens Substances that increase the risk of NEOPLASMS in humans or animals. Both genotoxic chemicals, which affect DNA directly, and nongenotoxic chemicals, which induce neoplasms by other mechanism, are included. Carcinogen,Oncogen,Oncogens,Tumor Initiator,Tumor Initiators,Tumor Promoter,Tumor Promoters,Initiator, Tumor,Initiators, Tumor,Promoter, Tumor,Promoters, Tumor
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
D004785 Environmental Pollutants Substances or energies, for example heat or light, which when introduced into the air, water, or land threaten life or health of individuals or ECOSYSTEMS. Environmental Pollutant,Pollutant,Pollutants,Pollutants, Environmental,Pollutant, Environmental
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001711 Biotransformation The chemical alteration of an exogenous substance by or in a biological system. The alteration may inactivate the compound or it may result in the production of an active metabolite of an inactive parent compound. The alterations may be divided into METABOLIC DETOXICATION, PHASE I and METABOLIC DETOXICATION, PHASE II.

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