title: Recent policy and technical developments in biological monitoring in the United Kingdom.
abstract: In 1996 the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive introduced biological monitoring guidance values for six substances, butoxyethanol, N,N-dimethylacetamide, lindane, methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline), mercury and methylenedianiline. These guidance values were set as either health-based values or hygiene-based values calculate according to the 90th percentile (benchmark concept). Recent technical developments from the Health and Safety Laboratory are described in this paper and include: (i) the use of breath analysis as a useful non-invasive routine monitoring technique; (ii) flow cytometry as a means for measuring different patterns of immune cell activation from workers exposed to respiratory sensitisers when compared with those exposed to chemical irritants; (iii) the use of molecular techniques to explore the possible role of individual susceptibility in the development and severity of glomerulonephritis; (iv) the development of expert systems for predicting the skin permeability of chemicals, and respiratory and skin sensitisation.
authors.affiliation: Health and Safety Laboratory, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D001944:Breath Tests; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005103:Expert Systems; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D006113:United Kingdom