Biomonitoring: Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomonitoring?
Human exposure to environmental chemicals can occur from multiple sources, such as air, water, soil, food and consumer products. Biomonitoring is the assessment of individual and population exposures to environmental contaminants by measuring the concentration of chemical and/or their metabolites in human specimens, such as blood, urine, hair, or saliva.
Who is conducting biomonitoring research in New Jersey?
NJ Biomonitoring projects are being conducted by the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH), Environmental and Chemical Laboratory Services (ECLS). Collaborative efforts between chemists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, medical doctors, toxicologists, and stakeholders ensure that individual biomonitoring project is completed and/or being conducted with the utmost accuracy, scientific integrity, and confidentiality.
Why is biomonitoring important?
Biomonitoring tells us if an individual or population is over-exposed to toxic chemicals. Unusually high levels of chemicals in human body may indicate that a person’s home, workplace, or community is contaminated with those substances. Biomonitoring identifies and quantifies those harmful chemicals in the human body to provide scientific evidence of the degree of exposure to a particular product or chemical. This information, when combined with subsequent trend analysis, improves our understanding of the relationship between exposure to environmental chemicals and their impact on health.
Which chemicals are biomonitored in New Jersey?
Currently there are 61 chemicals being monitored within the state of New Jersey. Through the current biomonitoring grant in 2019-2024, the monitored number of chemicals will be expanded into 131. Detailed list can be found below.
Analyte Group |
Matrix |
Analytes |
Abbreviation |
CAS # |
Molecular Weight |
Molecular Formula |
Metals (5/3*) |
Blood |
Cadmium |
Cd |
7440-43-9 |
112.41 |
Cd |
Lead |
Pb |
7439-92-1 |
207.2 |
Pb |
||
Mercury |
Hg |
7439-97-6 |
200.59 |
Hg |
||
Manganese |
Mn |
7439-96-5 |
54.94 |
Mn |
||
Selenium |
Se |
7782-49-2 |
78.96 |
Se |
||
Inorganic Mercury |
Hg(II) |
14302-87-5 |
200.59 |
Hg2+ |
||
Methyl Mercury |
MeHg |
22967-92-6 |
215.63 |
CH3Hg+ |
||
Ethyl Mercury |
EtHg |
21687-36-5 |
229.65 |
C2H5Hg+ |
||
Metals (7/1/7*) |
Urine |
Arsenic |
As |
7440-38-2 |
74.92 |
As |
Barium |
Ba |
7440-39-3 |
137.33 |
Ba |
||
Beryllium |
Be |
7440-41-7 |
9.01 |
Be |
||
Cadmium |
Cd |
7440-43-9 |
112.41 |
Cd |
||
Lead |
Pb |
7439-92-1 |
207.2 |
Pb |
||
|
|
Mercury |
Hg |
7439-97-6 |
200.59 |
Hg |
Thallium |
Tl |
7440-28-0 |
204.38 |
Tl |
||
Uranium |
U |
7440-61-1 |
238.03 |
U |
||
Arsenobetaine |
AB |
64436-13-1 |
178.06 |
C5H11AsO2 |
||
Arsenocholine |
AC |
39895-81-3 |
165.09 |
C5H14AsO+ |
||
Monomethylarsonic Acid |
MMA |
124-58-3 |
139.97 |
CH5AsO3 |
||
Dimethylarsinic Acid |
DMA |
15132-04-4 |
138 |
C2H7AsO2 |
||
Trimethylarsine Oxide |
TMAO |
4964-14-1 |
136.03 |
C3H9AsO |
||
Arsenous (III) Acid |
As(III) |
15502-74-6 |
125.94 |
AsH3O3 |
||
Arsenic (V) Acid |
As(VI) |
15584-04-0 |
141.94 |
AsH3O4 |
||
PFAS (12) |
Serum |
2-(N-methyl-PFOSA) acetic acid |
Me-PFOSA-AcOH |
2355-31-9 |
571.21 |
C11H6F17NO4S |
Perfluorodecanoic acid |
PFDA |
335-76-2 |
514.08 |
C10HF19O2 |
||
Perfluorododecanoic acid |
PFDoA |
307-55-1 |
614.09 |
C12HF23O2 |
||
Perfluorohexane sulfonoic acid |
PFHxS |
355-46-4 |
400.12 |
C6HF13O3S |
||
Perfluorononanoic acid |
PFNA |
375-95-1 |
464.07 |
C9HF17O2 |
||
Perfluorooctanoic acid |
PFOA |
335-67-1 |
414.06 |
C8HF15O2 |
||
Perfluorooctane sulfonoic acid |
PFOS |
1763-23-1 |
500.13 |
C8HF17O3S |
||
Perfluoroundecanoic acid |
PFUnA |
2058-94-8 |
564.09 |
C11HF21O2 |
||
Perfluoro-2-proproxypropanoic acid |
GenX |
13252-13-6 |
330.05 |
C6HF11O3 |
||
4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid |
ADONA |
919005-14-4 |
378.07 |
C7H2F12O4 |
||
9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid |
9Cl-PF3ONS |
756426-58-1 |
532 |
C8F16ClO4S |
||
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid |
PFHpS |
375-92-8 |
450.12 |
C7HF15O3S |
||
PCBs (40) |
Serum |
2,2',5-trichlorobiphenyl |
PCB18 |
37680-65-2 |
257.54 |
C12H7Cl3 |
2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl |
PCB28 |
7012-37-5 |
257.54 |
C12H7Cl3 |
||
2,3',3,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl |
PCB44 |
41464-39-5 |
291.98 |
C12H6Cl4 |
||
2,2',4,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl |
PCB49 |
41464-40-8 |
291.98 |
C12H6Cl4 |
||
2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl |
PCB52 |
35693-99-3 |
291.98 |
C12H6Cl4 |
||
2,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl |
PCB66 |
32598-10-0 |
291.98 |
C12H6Cl4 |
||
2,4,4',5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl |
PCB74 |
32690-93-0 |
291.98 |
C12H6Cl4 |
||
2,2',3,4,5'-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB87 |
38380-02-8 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,2',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB99 |
38380-01-7 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,2',4,5,5'-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB101 |
37680-73-2 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,3,3',4,4'-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB105 |
32598-14-4 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,3,3',4',6'-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB110 |
38380-03-9 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,3,4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB114 |
74472-37-0 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB118 |
31508-00-6 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,3',4,4',5'-pentachlorobiphenyl |
PCB123 |
65510-44-3 |
326.42 |
C12H5Cl5 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,4'-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB128 |
38380-07-3 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,2',3,4,4',5-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB138 |
35065-28-2 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,3,3',4,4',6-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB158 |
74472-42-7 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,2',3,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB146 |
51908-16-8 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,2',3,4',5',6-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB149 |
38380-04-0 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,2',3,5,5',6-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB151 |
52663-63-5 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,2',4,4',5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB153 |
35065-27-1 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,3,3,4,4',5-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB156 |
38380-08-4 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,3,3',4,4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB157 |
69782-90-7 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,3',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl |
PCB167 |
52663-72-6 |
360.86 |
C12H4Cl6 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,4',5-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB170 |
35065-30-6 |
395.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,5,5'-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB172 |
52663-74-8 |
396.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,5',6'-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB177 |
52663-70-4 |
397.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,2',3,3',5,5',6-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB178 |
52663-67-9 |
398.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB180 |
35065-29-3 |
399.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB183 |
52663-69-1 |
400.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,2',3,4',5,5',6-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB187 |
52663-68-0 |
401.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,3,3',4,4',5,5'-heptachlorobiphenyl |
PCB189 |
39635-31-9 |
402.31 |
C12H3Cl7 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5'-octachlorobiphenyl |
PCB194 |
35694-08-7 |
429.75 |
C12H2Cl8 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,6-octachlorobiphenyl |
PCB195 |
52663-78-2 |
430.75 |
C12H2Cl8 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,6'-octachlorobiphenyl |
PCB196 |
42740-50-1 |
431.75 |
C12H2Cl8 |
||
2,2',3,4,4',5,5',6-octachlorobiphenyl |
PCB203 |
52663-76-0 |
432.75 |
C12H2Cl8 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,5,5',6'-octachlorobiphenyl |
PCB199 |
52663-75-9 |
433.75 |
C12H2Cl8 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5',6-nonachlorobiphenyl |
PCB206 |
40186-72-9 |
464.19 |
C12HCl9 |
||
2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5',6,6'-decachlorobiphenyl |
PCB209 |
2051-24-3 |
498.63 |
C12Cl10 |
||
PBDEs (12) |
Serum |
2,2',4-tribromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE17 |
147217-75-2 |
406.9 |
C12H7Br3O |
2,4,4'-tribromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE28 |
41318-75-6 |
406.9 |
C12H7Br3O |
||
2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE47 |
5436-43-1 |
485.8 |
C12H6Br4O |
||
2,3',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE66 |
189084-61-5 |
485.8 |
C12H6Br4O |
||
2,2',3,4,4'-pentabromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE85 |
182346-21-0 |
564.69 |
C12H5Br5O |
||
2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE99 |
60348-60-9 |
564.69 |
C12H5Br5O |
||
2,2',4,4',6-pentabromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE100 |
189084-64-8 |
564.69 |
C12H5Br5O |
||
2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE153 |
68631-49-2 |
643.59 |
C12H4Br6O |
||
2,2',4,4',5,6'-hexabromodiphenyl ether |
PBDE154 |
207122-15-4 |
643.59 |
C12H4Br6O |
||
2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptabomodiphenyl ether |
PBDE183 |
207122-16-5 |
722.48 |
C12H3Br7O |
||
2,2',3,4,4',5,5',6-octabomodiphenyl ether |
PBDE203 |
337513-72-1 |
801.38 |
C12H2Br8O |
||
3,3',4,4',5',5',6,6'-decabomodiphenyl ether |
PBDE209 |
1163-19-5 |
959.17 |
C12Br10O |
||
OCPs (13) |
Serum |
Hexachlorobenzene |
HCB |
118-74-1 |
284.77 |
C6Cl6 |
β-Hexachlorocyclohexane |
β-HCH |
319-85-7 |
290.83 |
C6H6Cl6 |
||
γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane |
γ-HCH |
58-89-9 |
290.83 |
C6H6Cl6 |
||
Aldrin |
N/A |
309-00-2 |
364.9 |
C12H8Cl6 |
||
Heptachlor epoxide |
N/A |
1024-57-3 |
389.3 |
C10H5Cl7O |
||
Oxychlordane |
N/A |
26940-75-0 |
423.74 |
C10H4Cl8O |
||
trans-Nonachlor |
N/A |
5103-73-1 |
444.2 |
C10H5CL9 |
||
Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene |
p,p'-DDE |
72-55-9 |
318.02 |
C14H8Cl4 |
||
Dieldrin |
N/A |
60-57-1 |
380.9 |
C12H8Cl6O |
||
Endrin |
N/A |
72-20-8 |
380.9 |
C12H8Cl6O |
||
1,1,1-trichloro-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethane |
o,p'-DDT |
789-02-6 |
354.48 |
C14H9Cl5 |
||
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane |
p,p'-DDT |
50-29-3 |
354.48 |
C14H9Cl5 |
||
Perchloropentacyclodecane |
Mirex |
2385-85-5 |
545.51 |
C10Cl12 |
||
PAH Metabolites (8) |
Urine |
1-hydroxynaphthalene |
1-NAP |
90-15-3 |
144.17 |
C10H8O |
2-hydroxynaphthalene |
2-NAP |
135-19-3 |
144.17 |
C10H8O |
||
2-hydroxyfluorene |
2-FLU |
2443-58-5 |
182.22 |
C13H10O |
||
3-hydroxyfluorene |
3-FLU |
6344-67-8 |
182.22 |
C13H10O |
||
1-hydroxyphenanthrene |
1-PHE |
2433-56-9 |
194.23 |
C14H10O |
||
2-hydroxyphenanthrene |
2-PHE |
605-55-0 |
194.23 |
C14H10O |
||
3-hydroxyphenanthrene |
3-PHE |
605-87-8 |
194.23 |
C14H10O |
||
1-hydroxypyrene |
1-PYR |
5315-79-7 |
218.26 |
C16H10O |
||
VOC Metabolites (22) |
Urine |
N-Acetyl-S- (2-carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine |
CEMA |
51868-61-2 |
235.25 |
C8H13NO5S |
N-Acetyl-S- (3-hydroxypropyl)-L-cysteine |
3HPMA |
23127-40-4 |
221.27 |
C8H15NO4S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-L-cysteine |
AAMA |
81690-92-8 |
234.27 |
C8H14N2O4S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine |
CYMA |
74514-75-3 |
216.26 |
C8H12N2O3S |
||
N-Acetyl-S- (2-hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine |
HEMA |
14510-10-2 |
283.34 |
C13H17NO4S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(phenyl)-L-cysteine |
PMA |
N/A |
239.29 |
C11H13NO3S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(n-propyl)-L-cysteine |
BPMA |
1424-26-6 |
221.27 |
C8H15NO4S |
||
N-Acetyl-S- (3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-L-cysteine |
DHBMA |
144889-50-9 |
251.3 |
C9H17NO5S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(4-hydroxy-2-buten-1-yl)-L-cysteine |
MHBMA3 |
N/A |
233.28 |
C9H15NO4S |
||
2-Thioxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid |
TTCA |
98169-56-3 |
163.21 |
C4H5NO2S2 |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(3-hydroxypropyl-1-methyl)-L-cysteine |
HPMMA |
N/A |
235.3 |
C9H17NO4S |
||
2-Aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid |
ATCA |
2150-55-2 |
146.16 |
C4H6N2O2S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(N-methylcarbamoyl)-L-cysteine |
AMCC |
103974-29-4 |
220.24 |
C7H12N2O4S |
||
Phenylglyoxylic acid |
PGA |
611-73-4 |
150.13 |
C8H6O3 |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(2-hydroxypropyl)-L-cysteine |
2HPMA |
923-43-3 |
221.27 |
C8H15NO4S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(1-phenyl-2-hydroxyethyl-L-cysteine |
PHEMA |
69278-53-1 |
283.34 |
C13H17NO4S |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(2-phenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine |
PHEMA |
14510-10-2 |
283.34 |
C13H17NO4S |
||
Mandelic acid |
MA |
90-64-2 |
152.15 |
C8H8O3 |
||
N-Acetyl-S-(benzyl)-L-cysteine |
BMA |
19542-77-9 |
253.32 |
C12H15NO3S |
||
2-Methylhippuric acid |
2MHA |
42013-20-7 |
193.2 |
C10H11NO3 |
||
3-Methylhippuric acid |
3MHA |
27115-49-7 |
193.2 |
C10H11NO3 |
||
4-Methylhippuric acid |
4MHA |
27115-50-0 |
193.2 |
C10H11NO3 |
||
Nicotine Metabolites (2) |
Serum |
Cotinine |
COT |
486-56-6 |
176.22 |
C10H12N2O |
Hydroxycotinine |
HC |
108450-02-8 |
192.22 |
C10H12N2O2 |