How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers
In epidemiologic and exposure research, biomonitoring is often used as the basis for assessing human exposure to environmental chemicals. Studies frequently rely on a single urinary measurement per participant to assess exposure to non-persistent chemicals. However, there is a growing consensus that...
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doaj-09a2b88f079544f0960359fec4bcb0b12020-12-07T00:00:30ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012020-12-01179102910210.3390/ijerph17239102How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk ManagersMarc-André Verner0Hassan Salame1Conrad Housand2Linda S. Birnbaum3Maryse F. Bouchard4Jonathan Chevrier5Lesa L. Aylward6Daniel Q. Naiman7Judy S. LaKind8Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, CanadaDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, CanadaIndependent Consultant, Winter Springs, FL 32708, USAScientist Emeritus and Former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC 27514, USADepartment of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, CanadaDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, CanadaSummit Toxicology, LLP, Falls Church, VA 22044, USADepartment of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USALaKind Associates, LLC, Catonsville, MD 21228, USAIn epidemiologic and exposure research, biomonitoring is often used as the basis for assessing human exposure to environmental chemicals. Studies frequently rely on a single urinary measurement per participant to assess exposure to non-persistent chemicals. However, there is a growing consensus that single urine samples may be insufficient for adequately estimating exposure. The question then arises: how many samples would be needed for optimal characterization of exposure? To help researchers answer this question, we developed a tool called the Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT). The BRAT is based on pharmacokinetic modeling simulations, is freely available, and is designed to help researchers determine the approximate number of urine samples needed to optimize exposure assessment. The BRAT performs Monte Carlo simulations of exposure to estimate internal levels and resulting urinary concentrations in individuals from a population based on user-specified inputs (e.g., biological half-life, within- and between-person variability in exposure). The BRAT evaluates—through linear regression and quantile classification—the precision/accuracy of the estimation of internal levels depending on the number of urine samples. This tool should guide researchers towards more robust biomonitoring and improved exposure classification in epidemiologic and exposure research, which should in turn improve the translation of that research into decision-making.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/9102biomonitoringnon-persistent chemicalsexposure assessmentwithin- and between-person variabilityenvironmental epidemiologyurine sampling |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Marc-André Verner Hassan Salame Conrad Housand Linda S. Birnbaum Maryse F. Bouchard Jonathan Chevrier Lesa L. Aylward Daniel Q. Naiman Judy S. LaKind |
spellingShingle |
Marc-André Verner Hassan Salame Conrad Housand Linda S. Birnbaum Maryse F. Bouchard Jonathan Chevrier Lesa L. Aylward Daniel Q. Naiman Judy S. LaKind How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health biomonitoring non-persistent chemicals exposure assessment within- and between-person variability environmental epidemiology urine sampling |
author_facet |
Marc-André Verner Hassan Salame Conrad Housand Linda S. Birnbaum Maryse F. Bouchard Jonathan Chevrier Lesa L. Aylward Daniel Q. Naiman Judy S. LaKind |
author_sort |
Marc-André Verner |
title |
How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers |
title_short |
How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers |
title_full |
How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers |
title_fullStr |
How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers |
title_full_unstemmed |
How Many Urine Samples are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers |
title_sort |
how many urine samples are needed to accurately assess exposure to non-persistent chemicals? the biomarker reliability assessment tool (brat) for scientists, research sponsors, and risk managers |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2020-12-01 |
description |
In epidemiologic and exposure research, biomonitoring is often used as the basis for assessing human exposure to environmental chemicals. Studies frequently rely on a single urinary measurement per participant to assess exposure to non-persistent chemicals. However, there is a growing consensus that single urine samples may be insufficient for adequately estimating exposure. The question then arises: how many samples would be needed for optimal characterization of exposure? To help researchers answer this question, we developed a tool called the Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT). The BRAT is based on pharmacokinetic modeling simulations, is freely available, and is designed to help researchers determine the approximate number of urine samples needed to optimize exposure assessment. The BRAT performs Monte Carlo simulations of exposure to estimate internal levels and resulting urinary concentrations in individuals from a population based on user-specified inputs (e.g., biological half-life, within- and between-person variability in exposure). The BRAT evaluates—through linear regression and quantile classification—the precision/accuracy of the estimation of internal levels depending on the number of urine samples. This tool should guide researchers towards more robust biomonitoring and improved exposure classification in epidemiologic and exposure research, which should in turn improve the translation of that research into decision-making. |
topic |
biomonitoring non-persistent chemicals exposure assessment within- and between-person variability environmental epidemiology urine sampling |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/9102 |
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