human biomonitoring
A direct measurement of the level of toxic chemical compounds present in the body. Often, these measurements are made using blood and urine
Human biomonitoring (HBM) is the measurement of chemicals or their breakdown products in human tissues or fluids, like blood, urine, or breast milk. It shows how much of a substance people are actually exposed to through food, the environment, or other sources.
EFSA uses HBM to improve food safety assessments by providing real-world data on chemical exposure in the population. This helps them estimate health risks from contaminants, additives, or environmental pollutants more accurately. HBM also allows EFSA to track changes in exposure over time, evaluate the effectiveness of EU policies, and detect emerging risks from new or increasing chemical exposures.