Insights from an invited expert panel using a World Café: Developing a national policy for a human biomonitoring programme

Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a powerful tool for quantifying internal chemical levels via biological samples such as blood and urine. Between 2000 and 2017, global synthetic chemical production doubled from approximately 1.15 billion tonnes to 2.3 billion tonnes, with this trend continuing to increase. There has been an extensive expansion of national HBM programmes to evaluate actual chemical exposures and safeguard their citizens. A key factor in the development of HBM is to include policymakers and to utilise HBM data for policy impact. This study, part of the HBM4IRE (Human Biomonitoring for Ireland) feasibility study, employed a World Café approach for engaging 25 stakeholders from government agencies, industry, and academia to co-create a national HBM roadmap. Using a critical realist approach and thematic analysis of qualitative data, four key themes emerged from the discussion: (1) targeted HBM for exposure hotspots, (2) mapping HBM to EU and National policy frameworks, (3) monitoring chemical exposures as an early warning system, and (4) aligning HBM with national legislative needs. Results highlight HBM's critical role in identifying at-risk groups (such as workers in high-exposure industries, children exposed to recycled materials like playground tyres) and validating policy effectiveness (e.g., lead restriction impacts). It also highlighted challenges such as data gaps, high costs, and limited baseline information. Study participants expressed a need for a governance framework, including a national HBM Steering Committee and inter-institutional collaboration, to bridge science-to-policy gaps, offering a scalable model for other nations to enhance chemical risk management, ensure regulatory compliance, and strengthen public health protection. Overall, stakeholders expressed a high interest and strong willingness in establishing a national HBM programme in Ireland, viewing this as an opportune time for Ireland to implement such a system. The approach adopted for this study could be utilised to engage different stakeholders across an array of relevant topics. Given its valuable outcomes, the HBM4IRE World Café approach has demonstrated that it can serve as a model for other countries to build consensus, identify gaps, and foster stakeholder ownership in establishing long-term and sustainable national HBM programmes.