Guidance on minimum information requirements (MIR) from designing to reporting human biomonitoring (HBM)

Human biomonitoring (HBM) provides an integrated chemical exposures assessment considering all routes and sources of exposure. The accurate interpretation and comparability of biomarkers of exposure and effect depend on harmonized, quality-assured sampling, processing, and analysis. Currently, the lack of broadly accepted guidance on minimum information required for collecting and reporting HBM data, hinders comparability between studies. Furthermore, it prevents HBM from reaching its full potential as a reliable approach for assessing and managing the risks of human exposure to chemicals. The European Chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science HBM Working Group (ISES Europe HBM working group) has established a global human biomonitoring community network (HBM Global Network) to develop a guidance to define the minimum information to be collected and reported in HBM, called the "Minimum Information Requirements for Human Biomonitoring (MIR-HBM)". This work builds on previous efforts to harmonize HBM worldwide. The MIR-HBM guidance covers all phases of HBM from the design phase to the effective communication of results. By carefully defining MIR for all phases, researchers and health professionals can make their HBM studies and programs are robust, reproducible, and meaningful. Acceptance and implementation of MIR-HBM Guidelines in both the general population and occupational fields would improve the interpretability and regulatory utility of HBM data. While implementation challenges remain-such as varying local capacities, and ethical and legal differences at the national levels, this initiative represents an important step toward harmonizing HBM practice and supports an ongoing dialogue among policymakers, legal experts, and scientists to effectively address these challenges. Leveraging the data and insights from HBM, policymakers can develop more effective strategies to protect public health and ensure safer working environments.

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Publication Details

Journal
Environment International
Published
2025-06-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109601
Citations
11
Primary Topic
Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
13.20
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article

Guidance on minimum information requirements (MIR) from designing to reporting human biomonitoring (HBM)

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Environment International
Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
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article

Guidance on minimum information requirements (MIR) from designing to reporting human biomonitoring (HBM)

Wonho Yang, Henri Heussen, Jos Bessems, Erin N. Haynes, Yu Ait Bamai, Maryam Zare Jeddi, Radu Corneliu Duca, Devika Poddalgoda, Kate Jones, Manosij Ghosh, Argelia Castaño, Elizabeth Z. Lin, Ana Cañas, Silvia Fustinoni, Carla Viegas, Marta Esteban, Mariana F. Fernández, Lode Godderis, Jihyon Kil, Jillian Ashley‐Martin, Maisarah Nasution Waras, Andromachi Katsonouri, Vicente Mustieles, Tyler Pollock, Karen S. Galea, Emily Bird, João Paulo Teixeira, Courtney C. Carignan, Natalie von Goetz, Ming Kei Chung, Masud Yunesian, Yuki Ito, Alison Connolly, Po‐Chin Huang, Paul T.J. Scheepers, Tiina Santonen, Judy S. LaKind, Adrian Covaci, Samir El Jaâfari, Nancy B. Hopf, Julianne Nassif, Marc A. Nascarella, Henriqueta Louro, Holger M. Koch, Ovnair Sepai, Barbara Magagna, Jung‐Hwan Kwon, Lisa Jo Melnyk, Krystal J. Godri Pollitt, Konstantinos C. Makris, Mária Dušinská, Yuki Mizuno, Patrick J. Parsons, Hans Mol, Yankai Xia, Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá, Asif Qureshi, Karine Audouze, Alena Bartoňová, Steven Verpaele, Melissa Gonzales, Giovanna Tranfo, Ana Virgolino, Kyriaki Machera, Leo W. Y. Yeung, Robert Kaše, Thomas Göen, M. Bader, Aziza Menouni, Özlem Göksel, Konstantinos M. Kasiotis, Kaoutar Chbihi, Maria João Silva, Jueun Lee, Imran Ali, Gustavo Souza, Shoji F. Nakayama, An Van Nieuwenhuyse, Cristiano Martins Trindade, Hubert Dirven, Ana Maria Vekic
article en
11 citations

Abstract

Human biomonitoring (HBM) provides an integrated chemical exposures assessment considering all routes and sources of exposure. The accurate interpretation and comparability of biomarkers of exposure and effect depend on harmonized, quality-assured sampling, processing, and analysis. Currently, the lack of broadly accepted guidance on minimum information required for collecting and reporting HBM data, hinders comparability between studies. Furthermore, it prevents HBM from reaching its full potential as a reliable approach for assessing and managing the risks of human exposure to chemicals. The European Chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science HBM Working Group (ISES Europe HBM working group) has established a global human biomonitoring community network (HBM Global Network) to develop a guidance to define the minimum information to be collected and reported in HBM, called the "Minimum Information Requirements for Human Biomonitoring (MIR-HBM)". This work builds on previous efforts to harmonize HBM worldwide. The MIR-HBM guidance covers all phases of HBM from the design phase to the effective communication of results. By carefully defining MIR for all phases, researchers and health professionals can make their HBM studies and programs are robust, reproducible, and meaningful. Acceptance and implementation of MIR-HBM Guidelines in both the general population and occupational fields would improve the interpretability and regulatory utility of HBM data. While implementation challenges remain-such as varying local capacities, and ethical and legal differences at the national levels, this initiative represents an important step toward harmonizing HBM practice and supports an ongoing dialogue among policymakers, legal experts, and scientists to effectively address these challenges. Leveraging the data and insights from HBM, policymakers can develop more effective strategies to protect public health and ensure safer working environments.

Environment InternationalVol. 202
University College Dublin (IE), Délégation Paris 5 (FR), Tulane University (US), University of Maryland, Baltimore (US), Health Canada (CA), Association of Public Health Laboratories (US), New York State Department of Health (US), Health Effects Institute (US), Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO), Universiti Sains Malaysia (MY), University of Lisbon (PT), Johns Hopkins University (US), Radboud University Nijmegen (NL), University of Antwerp (BE), Inserm (FR), Cyprus University of Technology (CY), National Health Research Institutes (TW), Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (US), Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE), Environment Agency (GB), University of Milan (IT), Korea University (KR), National Institute for Environmental Studies (JP), Université Paris Cité (FR), Hokkaido University (JP), Örebro University (SE), HSE Science and Research Centre (GB), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES), Eurotransplant (NL), Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FI), Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (CH), Yale University (US), Nagoya City University (JP), Daegu Catholic University (KR), Ege University (TR), Sorbonne Paris Cité (FR), Provincial Institute for Hygiene (BE), BASF (Germany) (DE), National Center for Environmental Assessment (EPA) (US), Federal Office of Public Health (CH), Hewlett-Packard (Netherlands) (NL), Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ES), Yale New Haven Health System (US), Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro (IT), Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine (DE), Ministério da Saúde (BR), Benaki Phytopathological Institute (GR), Institute of Occupational Medicine (GB), Instituto de Saúde (BR), Ministry of Health (CY), SBU - Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SE), National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (PT), Kentucky Department for Public Health (US), Laboratoire National de Santé (LU), Centre universitaire de médecine générale et santé publique, Lausanne (CH), Université Moulay Ismail de Meknes (MA), Department of Public Health (MM), Ministry of Environment (KR), Department of Public Health (US), i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto (PT), Department of Health Services (US), National Institute of Environmental Research (KR), Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IN), NILU (NO), Flemish Institute for Technological Research (BE), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (IR), Shell (Netherlands) (NL), Nanjing Medical University (CN), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (PT), Michigan State University (US), Wageningen University & Research (NL)
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
13.20
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