Human biological monitoring of occupational genotoxic exposures

Human biological monitoring is a valuable tool for exposure assessment in groups of persons occupationally exposed to genotoxic agents. If the monitoring activity covers genetic material the term genetic monitoring is used. The methods used for genetic monitoring are either substance specific, e.g. the quantitation of identified DNA-adducts or substance unspecific as is the measurement of DNA-repair. The sample material used for analysis must be well characterized and subject to uniform processing for comparison of the results. Confounding factors of smoking, age and sex must be well controlled for and the biomonitoring results should preferentially be linked with accurate ambient air monitoring. In persons occupationally exposed to styrene the endpoints of DNA-damage and DNA-repair in genetic monitoring are methods of choice in exposure situations above the current Danish (25 ppm) or Finnish (20 ppm) occupational exposure limit value of styrene in ambient air. The consideration of ethical issues in human genetic monitoring is an important but often overlooked aspect. This includes the scientific and preventional relevance of performing a test on individuals, pre- and post study information of donors and confidentiality as well as ownership of the results.