An indoor passive monitoring programme to complement biomonitoring of population-level chemical exposures

Abstract

Approaches to characterising human exposure to hazardous environmental pollutants generally fall into two broad categories: external exposure monitoring vs. internal exposure monitoring (human biomonitoring). Time lags exist between the first use of chemicals, their initial occurrence in the abiotic environment, their emergence in the human diet, and their eventual manifestation in human bodies. We suggest that the optimum time to become aware of potentially problematic chemical exposures is at the earliest possible opportunity. Therefore, we propose an indoor passive monitoring programme as a complementary strategy to existing dietary exposure monitoring and human biomonitoring efforts. Indoor passive monitoring combining targeted analysis and non-target screening of vacuum cleaner dust, silicone wristbands, and passive air samplers, facilitates timely detection of emerging contaminants and assessment of human health risks, which is cost-effective and ethically advantageous. This indoor passive monitoring framework effectively leverages citizen science, enabling proactive interventions and improved public health outcomes.

Keywords

External exposure / biomonitoring / indoor dust / silicone wristbands / passive samplers / citizen science

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