Australians are exposed to a vast array of environmental contaminants, many of which are associated with adverse health outcomes. Human biomonitoring (HBM) is the gold standard methodology for developing hypotheses about and monitoring exposure to such chemicals. By measuring exposure biomarkers in human samples (e.g. blood serum and urine) HBM data can reveal exposure trends, identify at-risk subpopulations, and inform relevant policy interventions. However, traditional HBM methodologies, which rely on the collection and analysis of individual specimens from volunteer participants, are often time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to scale. At present, Australia does not have a nationally coordinated HBM program, which has inhibited their national environmental health surveillance capacity, as well as their ability to respond to exposure-associated public health risks in a timely manner.
Nonetheless, since 2002, QAEHS researchers have conducted a biennial HBM program based pooled pathology samples (PPS); leveraging deidentified surplus specimens collected for routine diagnostic tests that would otherwise be discarded. This globally unique HBM framework has been useful for discerning baseline levels and trends of environmental pollutants in the Australian population in a manner that is efficient, cost-effective and scalable. However, key questions associated with this approach concern the fitness for purpose of PPS for estimating general population exposure (i.e. due to a sampling bias towards a “sick” population, non-uniformity of specimen handling, etc.), as well as the underlying distribution of individual data comprising a pooled sample, which is important for determining population reference values of exposure and for optimising pooling strategies. Such knowledge gaps have prevented this otherwise successful HBM program from being implemented as a nationally coordinated exposure surveillance tool.
This project aims to analyse specimens and compare exposure data from a nationally representative major HBM program with corresponding samples and data derived from a HBM program based on PPS. This research will allow us to validate the fitness for purpose of a robust HBM framework for monitoring Australian population and subpopulation exposure to pollutants, establish population reference values of exposure (i.e. 95th percentile), optimise pooling strategies, and explore potential research applications of PPS. This will provide policymakers with timely, evidence-based insights to safeguard public health and position Australia at the forefront of innovative environmental health surveillance.
Conference Abstracts
Served on the Local Organising Committee for the Plastics2026 conference, 1-3 March 2026.
Orr, J., Xu, L., Nilsson, S., Toms, L.M., Hobson, P., Smith, T. & Mueller, J. Serum PFAS concentrations in the Australian population: Comparison between data from the National Health Measure Survey (NHMS) and pooled deidentified serum from a pathology laboratory, Plastics2026, Brisbane, Australia, 1-4 March 2026.
Research Outputs
Prizes/Awards
- 2024 QAEHS Annual Research Forum, Winner of Best Student Poster Presentation
