The major purpose of human biomonitoring is the mapping and assessment of human exposure to chemicals. The European initiative HBM4EU has prioritized seven substance groups and two metals relevant for human exposure: Phthalates and substitutes (1,2-
cyclohexane dicarboxylic
acid diisononyl
ester, DINCH), bisphenols,
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), halogenated and organophosphorous
flame retardants (
HFRs and OPFRs),
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arylamines,
cadmium and
chromium. As a first step towards comparable European-wide data, the most suitable
biomarkers, human matrices and analytical methods for each substance group or
metal were selected from the scientific literature, based on a set of selection criteria. The
biomarkers included parent compounds of PFASs and
HFRs in serum, of bisphenols and arylamines in urine, metabolites of phthalates, DINCH, OPFRs and PAHs in urine as well as metals in blood and urine, with a preference to measure Cr in erythrocytes representing
Cr (VI) exposure. High performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was the method of choice for bisphenols, PFASs, the HFR
hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), phenolic
HFRs as well as the metabolites of phthalates, DINCH, OPFRs and PAHs in urine. Gas chromatographic (GC) methods were selected for the remaining compounds, e.g. GC-low resolution MS with electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) for
HFRs. Both GC-MS and LC-MS/MS were suitable for arylamines. New developments towards increased applications of GC-MS/MS may offer alternatives to GC-MS or LC-MS/MS approaches, e.g. for bisphenols. The metals were best determined by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS, with the particular challenge of avoiding interferences in the Cd determination in urine. The evaluation process revealed research needs towards higher sensitivity and non-invasive sampling as well as a need for more stringent quality assurance/quality control applications and assessments.