Human biomonitoring in Israel: Recent results and lessons learned

Tamar Berman, Rebecca Goldsmith, Hagai Levine, Itamar Grotto

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

The use of human biomonitoring (HBM) as a tool for environmental health policy and research is developing rapidly in Israel. Despite challenges in securing political and financial support for HBM, the Ministry of Health has initiated national HBM studies and has utilized HBM data in environmental health policy decision making. Currently, the Ministry of Health is collecting urine samples from children and adults in the framework of the National Health and Nutrition Study (MABAT), with the goal of ongoing surveillance of population exposure to pesticides and environmental tobacco smoke, and of combining HBM data with data on diet and health behavior. In academic research studies in Israel, biomarkers are used increasingly in environmental epidemiology, including in three active birth cohort studies on adverse health effects of phthalates, brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate pesticides. Future Ministry of Health goals include establishing HBM analytical capabilities, developing a long term national HBM plan for Israel and participating in the proposed HBM4EU project in order to improve data harmonization. One of the lessons learned in Israel is that even in the absence of a formal HBM program, it is possible to collect meaningful HBM data and use it in an ad hoc fashion to support environmental health policy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6-12
Number of pages7
JournalInternational Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
Volume220
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Mar 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Environment
  • Exposure
  • Human biomonitoring
  • Israel
  • Population

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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