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Committee to develop scientific assessment framework for biological limit values

Other | 22-03-2023

Occupational biomonitoring (OB) and occupational biomonitoring levels (OBL) increasingly play a role in the European context in relation to the assessment of workers' exposure to hazardous substances and healthy working conditions. OB involves measuring tissue levels of substances to which workers can be exposed. In the past decades, steady scientific progress was made to allow broader application of biological monitoring which was seen in private industry, academic research and the international stage. Therefore, the Minister of SZW (Social Affairs and Employment) has asked the Health Council to develop a scientific assessment framework to determine when biological limit values add value in addition to air monitoring in protecting the health of workers. The minister also requested to illustrate this framework with a number of substances for which biological limit values have already been derived and to give recommendations for its application.

The temporary committee Biological Limit Values was formed to address this request in form of an advisory report. The committee was installed on 22 March 2023.

The Health Council expects to start a public consultation period at the end of 2023 to gather public feedback on the scientific assessment framework.

Members committee Biological Limit Values

  • Prof. F.G.M. Russel, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, chairperson
  • Dr J. Bessems, Senior scientist, VITO, Mol, Belgium
  • Dr A. Krom, Senior lecturer/scientist, Department of Health care ethics & Health law, LUMC, Leiden
  • Prof. G.B.G.J. van Rooy, Professor of Early detection and Prevention of Occupational diseases, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) of the faculties Veterinary sciences and Medical sciences, Utrecht University
  • Dr P.T.J. Scheepers, Associate Professor Molecular Epidemiology and Risk Assessment, Radboud University, Nijmegen
  • B.J.W. Scholten, Scientist, Exposure Assessment and Risk Management (RAPID group), TNO, Utrecht
  • Prof. P.J. Boogaard, Special Professor of Environmental Health and Human Biomonitoring, Wageningen, structurally consulted expert
  • Dr N.G.M. Palmen, Senior Scientist, RIVM, Bilthoven structurally consulted expert

Observer

  • Dr R. Renirie, SZW, The Hague

Scientific secretaries:

  • J.P. Schimming, Scientific Staff, Health Council of the Netherlands
  • Dr S. R. Vink, Scientific Staff, Health Council of the Netherlands