Optimal Exposure Biomarkers for Nonpersistent Chemicals in Environmental Epidemiology

Optimal Exposure Biomarkers for Nonpersistent Chemicals in Environmental Epidemiology

We discuss considerations that are essential when evaluating exposure to nonpersistent, semivolatile environmental chemicals such as phthalates and phenols (e.g., bisphenol A). A biomarker should be chosen to best represent usual personal exposures and not recent, adventitious, or extraneous exposures. Biomarkers should be selected to minimize contamination arising from collection, sampling, or...

Response to “Comment on ‘Optimal Exposure Biomarkers for Nonpersistent Chemicals in Environmental Epidemiology’”

In a recent Brief Communication, Calafat et al. expressed concern that epidemiological studies inappropriately assess exposure to nonpersistent chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates by measuring chemical concentrations in serum and tissues. They assert that urine is the most scientifically valid matrix and that accurate measurement of other matrices is difficult due to contaminatio...

Comment on “Optimal Exposure Biomarkers for Nonpersistent Chemicals in Environmental Epidemiology”

In a recent Brief Communication, Calafat et al. expressed concern that epidemiological studies inappropriately assess exposure to nonpersistent chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates by measuring chemical concentrations in serum and tissues. They assert that urine is the most scientifically valid matrix and that accurate measurement of other matrices is difficult due to contaminatio...

Environmental Exposure Modeling for Risk Assessment of Ionizable Organic Chemicals Environmental Exposure Modeling for Risk Assessment of Ionizable Organic Chemicals

Roles for epidemiology: the impact of environmental chemicals.

Aside from the well-recognized role of documenting the extent of any health impact from exposure to environmental chemicals, epidemiology has other potential roles. Arguing by analogy from the function of epidemiology in the infectious disease field, two practical public health functions are mentioned. The first is rumor abatement: simply characterizing the population exposed and documenting th...