Coordinating human biomonitoring data Human biomonitoring (HBM) refers to the integration of environmental monitoring with human health, evaluating the types and amounts of chemicals to which people are exposed and the amounts that actually get into their bodies. EU-funded researchers made significant progress in developing recommendations and tools to facilitate the coordination of research efforts on a European scale that promises to protect the health of EU citizens through targeted policymaking and regulation. Health © Thinkstock The effects of chemicals on children is of particular concern, not only from an emotional standpoint but from a biological one: growing and developing bodies that are highly metabolically active and undergoing rapid changes often have more potential to absorb various chemicals and more potential to be harmed by them. It is of critical importance that countries define acceptable levels of exposure for the chemicals to which children are exposed, in other words to coordinate experimental data with policy and regulation. The ‘Development of a coherent approach to human biomonitoring in Europe’ (ESBIO) project was undertaken to facilitate a coordinated approach to European HBM, particularly as related to children. The research team created an extended inventory of European HBM activities, past and present, incorporating self-registration and including information relevant to researchers and stakeholders alike. Data includes people and labs involved in certain projects and entities with expertise in specific analytical areas. In addition, the investigators focused on rules and practices related to ethical conduct, providing recommendations regarding protocols, biobanking issues, special concerns with respect to the participation of children and harmonisation of overall procedures on a European level. Finally, the team provided an Excel tool for socioeconomic optimisation of future HBM projects providing the total necessary project budget based on user inputs. In summary, the ESBIO project made significant progress in developing protocols and tools for coordinating HBM research efforts on a European level, in particular as related to children. Better coordination among EU countries has the potential to elucidate important findings that might otherwise be buried without shared data and shared methods, resulting in better health for EU citizens via more effective policies and regulations.
