Chemrisk.Com Area of Expertise

Over the past several decades, biomonitoring has been increasingly utilized by a variety of industrial and manufacturing businesses as well as governmental agencies to assist in evaluating potential exposures of individuals or populations to a wide range of chemicals. However, the benefits of biomonitoring as an exposure assessment tool are severely restricted if the collected data cannot be properly interpreted. To fully understand the relevance of body burden in terms of exposure, it is necessary to relate measured concentrations in a given population or individual to a comparable or reference population.

ChemRisk^® scientists have experience in the design, data collection and analysis of human biomonitoring studies and also the interpretation of biomonitoring data. Our staff has evaluated body burden data for a wide range of potentially exposed populations, including:

hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in serum of workers at a primary magnesium production facility;
blood dioxin levels in individuals living near wood-treatment facilities;
blood lead concentrations in children living in homes with lead-containing paint; and
urinary levels of antimony, barium, cesium, and molybdenum in the general U.S. population.

In particular, we have utilized statistical software programs such as SAS^® and SUDAAN^® to estimate referent levels of chemical body burden using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Our scientists have participated in NHANES data and software training programs sponsored by government agencies and software manufacturers and have become highly proficient in using the NHANES data to estimate referent levels of body burden for the general population. ChemRisk^® staff published the first detailed analysis of levels of dioxin-like compounds in the general U.S. population using the 2001-2002 NHANES serum concentration data. Estimation of referent levels of other substances has included HCB, lead, mercury, bisphenol A, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).

We offer a comprehensive array of services for collecting, analyzing and interpreting biological monitoring data of potentially exposed populations using standard epidemological and statistical methods, quality assurance assessments, and population-based biomonitoring data.

ChemRisk^® Publications

Fillos, D., L.M. Nguyen, W.J. Luksemburg, D.J. Paustenbach, and L.L.F. Scott. 2009. Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Seafood Products from the U.S. Retail Market. Organohalogen Compounds. In press.

Ferriby, L.L., J.S. Knutsen, M. Harris, K.M. Unice, P. Scott, P. Nony, L.C. Haws, and D. Paustenbach. 2007. Evaluation of PCDD/F and Dioxin-like PCB Serum Concentration Data from the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of the United States Population. J Exp Sci Env Epidemiol. 17:358-371.

Ferriby, L.L., K. Franke, K.M. Unice, P. Scott, L.C. Haws, M. Harris, and D.J. Paustenbach. 2006. Serum Reference Levels of PCDD/Fs and Dioxin-like PCBs Stratified by Race/Ethnicity, Gender and Age for the General U.S. Population. Presented at the American Public Health Association’s 134th Annual Meeting and Exposition. November 4-8, 2006. Boston, MA.

Haws, L.C., L.L.F. Scott, D.F. Staskal, M.A. Harris, and B.L. Finley. 2007. Dioxin-like Compounds in Workers at a Primary Magnesium Production Facility. Organohalogen Compounds. 69:2098-2101.

Nguyen, L.M., L. Scott, M. Harris. Urinary Levels of Occupational Contaminants in the General U.S. Population: Cobalt, Thallium, Tungsten and Uranium. 2008. Presented at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology’s and International Society of Exposure Analysis’ Joint Annual Conference, Pasadena, CA, October 12-16, 2008.

Nguyen, L.M., L.L.F. Scott, M. Harris, and L.C. Haws. 2007. Factors Contributing to Blood Lead Levels in U.S. Children Based on NHANES Data. Presented at the American College of Epidemiology’s 25th Annual Meeting. September 15-18, 2007. Fort Lauderdale, FL

Paustenbach D., D. Galbraith. 2006. Biomonitoring and Biomarkers: Exposure Assessment Will Never Be the Same. Environ Health Perspect. 114:1143–1149.

Paustenbach, D., D. Galbraith. 2006. Biomonitoring: is body burden relevant to public health? Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 44:249–261.

Paustenbach, D.J., M.A. Harris, L.L. Ferriby, E.S. Williams, L.C. Haws, K.M. Unice, and P.K. Scott. 2006. Development of PCDD/F TEQ Serum Reference Values for the U.S. Population for Use in Evaluating Biomonitoring Results. Organohalogen Compounds. 68:480-483.

Scott, L., L.M. Nguyen, and M. Harris. Referent Levels of Urinary Antimony, Barium, Cesium, and Molybdenum Concentrations in the U.S. Population. Presented at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology’s and International Society of Exposure Analysis’ Joint Annual Conference, Pasadena, CA, October 12-16, 2008.

Scott, L., L.M. Nguyen, and M. Harris. The Association Between Blood Cadmium, Lead and Mercury Levels in the U.S. Population and Various Demographic Factors. Presented at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology’s and International Society of Exposure Analysis’ Joint Annual Conference, Pasadena, CA, October 12-16, 2008.

Scott, L.L.F., M. Harris, K.M. Unice, P. Scott, L.M. Nguyen, L.C. Haws, and D. Paustenbach. 2008. Addendum to: Evaluation of PCDD/F and Dioxin-like PCB Serum Concentration Data from the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of the United States Population. J Exp Sci Env Epidemiol. 18:524-532.

Scott, P., L. Haws, L. Scott, and M. Harris. 2007. Evaluation of Background 2,3,7,8-PCDD/F Congener Profiles in Human Serum Collected During NHANES 2001-2002 Using Principal Components Analysis. Organohalogen Compounds. 69:2010-2013.

Urban, J.D., L.C. Haws, D.F. Staskal, L.F. Scott, P.S. Scott, J.A. Tachovsky, K.M. Unice, and M.A. Harris. 2008. A Framework for Evaluating Serum Dioxin Data Derived from Biomonitoring Studies. Organohalogen Compounds. 70:1208-1211.

For Additional information, please contact Dimitri Fillos at dfillos@chemrisk.com; (415)618-3239