Water-related Data & Statistics

Biomonitoring Data

Biomonitoring is the direct measurement of people's exposure to toxic substances by measuring the substances or their metabolites in human specimens, such as blood or urine. Biomonitoring measurements provide health-relevant assessments of exposure because they indicate the combined amount of the chemical that actually gets into people from all environmental sources (e.g., air, soil, water, dust, food). Biomonitoring efforts help individuals determine the types of environmental chemicals that people have been exposed to, the amount of those chemicals that actually gets into their bodies, and the concentrations of chemicals in their bodies that may be related to adverse health effects. Water-related biomonitoring data and statistics are highlighted below.

Biomonitoring Programs or Databases

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Biomonitoring Program (NBP)

NBP collects national biomonitoring data on the US population and publishes the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

NHANES is a survey designed to collect information about the health and diet of people in the United States. NHANES is unique in that it combines a home interview with health tests and specimen collection (e.g., urine, blood).

National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals

CDC's National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals provides an ongoing assessment of the U.S. population's exposure to environmental chemicals using biomonitoring. Third Report 2005 presents first-time exposure information for the U.S. population for 38 of the 148 chemicals included in the report. It also summarizes NHANES biomonitoring data from 1999-2002. Data from earlier reports is also summarized in this report.

Publications and References

Alwis, KU; Blount, BC; Silva, LK, Smith, MM, Loose, KH. Method for quantifying nitromethane in blood as a potential biomarker of halonitromethane exposure. Environ Sci Technol 2008;42(7):2522-7.
Sanchez CA, Barraj LM, Blount BC, Scrafford CG, Valentin-Blasini L, Smith KM, Krieger RI. Perchlorate exposure from food crops produced in the lower Colorado River region. Journal Exposure Science Environ Epidemiol. 2008 May. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18506207?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Backer LC, Lan Q, Blount BC, Nuckols JR, Branch R, Lyu CW, Kieszak SM, Brinkman MC, Gordon SM, FlandersWD, Romkes M, Cantor KP. Exogenous and Endogenous Determinants of Blood Trihalomethane Levels after Showering. Environ Health Perspect 2008;116:57-63. Available at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18197300
Leavens TL, Blount BC, DeMarini DM, Madden MC, Valentine JL, Case MW, Silva LK, Warren SH, Hanley NM, Pegram RA. Disposition of Bromodichloromethane in Humans Following Oral and Dermal Exposure. Toxicol Sci 2007 Jul;99(2):432-445. Available at http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/99/2/432
Lantagne DS, Blount BC, Cardinali F, Quick R. Disinfection by-product formation and mitigation strategies in point-of-use chlorination of turbid and non-turbid waters in Western Kenya. Journal for Water and Health 2007; 6(1):67-82. Abstract at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17998608&log$=activity
Bowen AB, Kile JC, Otto C, Kazerouni N, Austin C, Blount BC, Wong HN, Beach MJ and Fry AM. Outbreaks of Short-Incubation Ocular and Respiratory Illness Following Exposure to Indoor Swimming Pools. Environ Health Perspect 2007 Feb;115(2):267–271. Available at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17384776
Silva LK, Bonin MA, McKague B and Blount BC. Quantification of Dichloroiodomethane and Bromochloroiodomethane in Human Blood by Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled with Gas Chromatography/Isotope Dilution High Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, November/December 2006;30(9):670-678. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17137527&log$=activity
Bonin MA, Silva LK, Smith MM, Ashley DL and Blount BC Measurement of trihalomethanes and methyl tert-butyl ether in whole blood using gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry. J Anal Toxicol 2005;29(2):81-9. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15902975?dopt=Abstract
Gordon SM, Brinkman MC, Ashley DL, Blount BC, Lyu C, Masters J, and Singer PC. Changes in Breath Trihalomethane Levels Resulting From Household Water Use Activities. Environ Health Perspect November 2005. Available at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16581538
Tan YM, Liao KH, Conolly RB, Blount BC, Mason AM, and Clewell HJ. Use of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model to Identify Exposures Consistent with Human Biomonitoring Data for Chloroform. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 2006;69:1727–1756. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16864423&log$=activity
Ashley DL, Blount B, Singer PC, DePaz E, Wilkes C, Lyu C and, Masters J.Changes in blood trihalomethane concentrations resulting from differences in water quality and water use activities. Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health 2005, 60(1):7-15. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16961003&log$=activity
Cardinali FL, Ashley DL, Morrow JC, Moll DM, and Blount BC. Measurement of Trihalomethanes and Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether in Tap Water Using Solid-Phase Microextraction GC/MS, Journal of Chromatographic Sciences 2004;42:200-206. Abstract available at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/pres/jcs/2004/00000042/00000004/art00006?crawler=true
Prah J, Ashley D, Blount B, Case M, Leavens T, Pleil J and Cardinali F. Dermal, Oral, and Inhalation Pharmacokinetics of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) in Human Volunteers. Toxicological Sciences 2004;77(2):195-205. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=14600279&log$=activity
Selenic D, Alvarado-Ramy F, Arduino M, Holt S, Cardinali F, Blount B, Jarrett J, Smith F, Altman N, Stahl C, Panlilio A, Pearson M, and Tokars J. Epidemic Parenteral Exposure to Volatile Sulfur-Containing Compounds at a Hemodialysis Center, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 2004; 25(3):256-26.
Vallejo L, Backer L, Werner M, Silva L, Cardinali F, Ashley D, and Blount B. Human Exposure Assessment of Low Levels of MTBE in Drinking Water. Proceedings of the National Ground Water Association conference on MTBE, 2003 June; 5–9.
Prah JD, Blount BC, Cardinali FL, Ashley DL, Leavens T, and Case MW. The development and testing of a dermal exposure system for pharmacokinetic studies of administered and ambient water contaminants. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods2002;47:189– 195. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12628310&log$=activity

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