Table. Examples of biomonitoring parameters.
| Selection of biomonitoring parameters (exposure markers) | Matrix | BGW/EKA | Reference value (source) | BLW/HMB-II/BAT Carcinogenesis category | Units |
| Metals | |||||
| Aluminium | (U) | 200 | 15 (b) | 60 µg/g creatinine (BAT) | µg/L |
| Lead | (B) | 400 (300, w<45y) | 90 (70, w<45y) (a) | 400 (100, w<45y) (blw), 250 (hbm-ii), cancer cat.2 | µg/L |
| Nickel | (U) | EKA*1 | 3 (a) | Cancer cat. 1 | µg/L |
| Mercury | (U) | 100 | 1.4 (a) | Cancer cat. 3B 20 µg/g creatinine (HBM-II) | µg/L |
| Organic solvents and their metabolic products | |||||
| Benzene | (B) | EKA*2 | 0.001 (b) | Cancer cat. 1 | mg/L |
| o-Cresol (parameter for toluene) | (U) | 3 | Cancer cat. 3A | mg/L | |
| Mandelic acid/phenylglyoxylic acid(parameters for styrene) | (U) | 600 | mg/g creatinine | ||
| Methanol | (U) | 30 | mg/L | ||
| Methylhippuric (toluric) acid (parameter for xylene) | (U) | 2000 | mg/L | ||
| t-t-muconic acid (parameter for benzene) | (U) | EKA*2 | mg/L | ||
| Toluene | (B) | 1 | 0.005 (b) | mg/L | |
| Xylenes | (B) | 1.5 | 0.003 (b) | mg/L | |
| Pesticides | |||||
| γ-Hexachlorcyclohexane (lindane) | (B) | 25 | 0.1 (a) | Cancer cat. 4 | µg/L |
| Hexachlorobenzene | (S) | 150 (BAT), | µg/L | ||
| (B) | 0.5 (a) | Cancer cat. 4 | |||
| PCB153 | (B) | 0.8 (a) | µg/L | ||
| Pentachlorophenol | (S) | EKA*3 | 12 (a) | 70 (HBM-II), Cancer cat. 2 | µg/L |
| Other hazardous substances | |||||
| Isocyanate: 4,4'-MDI, 1,5-NDI, 2,4-TDI, 2,6-TDI, 1,6-HDI, IPDI | (U) | 10 (for 4,4'-MDI) | 4,4'-MDI: Cancer cat 4; | µg/L | |
| 1,5-NDI: Cancer cat 3B; | |||||
| 2,4-TDI: Cancer cat 3A; | |||||
| 2,6-TDI: Cancer cat 3A | µg/g creatinine | ||||
IBAT, BLW, HBM-II, and EKA values are only given when there is no BGW value and/or these values differ from the BGW: Reference values: m, 20-29 Y. Abbreviations: U: urine; B: whole blood;
S: serum; Source for limit values: BGW: biological limit value (14c, www.baua.de); BLW: biological guidance value; EKA: exposure equivalents for carcinogenic substances (16); reference values:
a) www.uni-duesseldorf.de/awmf/II/002-024;
c) www.cdc.gov; more biomonitoring parameters: www.uke.uni-hamburg.de/Institute/Arbeitsmedizin
*1, EKA for nickel (nickel as metal oxide, carbonate or sulfide): 15 µg/L (U) is equivalent for 0.10 mg/m3 nickel (air)
*2, EKA for 0.005mg/L benzene (B) and 2 mg/L t-t-muconic acid (U) is equivalent for 1 ppb (3.3 mg/m3) benzene (air)
*3, EKA for pentachlorophenol: 17 µg/L (S) is equivalent for 0.001 mg/m3 (air)