biomonitorointi

Biomonitorointi, or biomonitoring, is the measurement of biological indicators in living organisms to assess exposure to environmental chemicals or to evaluate biological effects. The term covers two main approaches: human biomonitorointi, which analyzes biological samples from people to estimate internal exposure, and ecological biomonitorointi, which uses living organisms or their tissues to assess environmental health and pollutant levels.

In human biomonitorointi, samples such as blood, urine, hair or nails are analyzed for chemicals or their metabolites. Common biomarkers include cotinine for tobacco smoke exposure, metals like lead or mercury, and organic pollutants such as PCBs or PFAS. Ecological biomonitorointi uses organisms or their tissues, or community-level metrics, to indicate pollutant presence and ecological impact. Bioindicators may include mussels, fish, mosses or lichens, as well as resident community structure.

Applications include informing public health and environmental agencies about population exposure, tracking long-term trends, evaluating regulatory measures, and identifying vulnerable groups. It also supports occupational health by monitoring workers' exposure. Data from biomonitoring contribute to risk assessment, policy development, and risk communication.

Methods rely on analytical chemistry, often employing mass spectrometry or immunoassays, along with careful sampling and quality control. Challenges include biological variability, timing of exposure, metabolic differences, ethical and privacy considerations, and the need for standardization and comparable reference values across populations and time.

Biomonitorointi programs exist worldwide and continue to evolve with advances in analytics and omics technologies, aiming to link internal exposure data with health outcomes and environmental quality.