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 researchers to develop hypotheses about and quantify aggregate exposure to such chemicals. By measuring exposure biomarkers in human samples (e.g. blood serum, urine, etc.) HBM can reveal exposure trends, identify at-risk populations, and inform relevant policy interventions. However, traditional HBM methodologies which rely on the collection and analysis of individual biological specimens from consenting volunteers, are often time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to scale. To address these challenges, over the last 20 years QAEHS researchers have established a worldwide unique approach, leveraging deidentified surplus pathology samples collected for routine medical tests that would otherwise be discarded. These samples are grouped by demographic variables (e.g. age, sex, postcode) to reveal population-level trends rather than individual results. This method is quicker, cost-effective, ethically sound, scalable, and capable of providing a powerful snapshot of general and subpopulation exposure.
Despite its strengths, key questions associated with this approach concern the fitness for purpose of surplus pathology samples for deriving reliable estimates of general population exposure (i.e. due to sampling bias towards a sick population or contamination introduced during routine pathology procedures), and the distribution of underlying individual data, which is important for determining population reference values of exposure and defining optimum pooling strategies. To address these, we aim to compare contaminant measurements in QAEHS HBM samples with individual specimens derived independently from a nationally representative HBM program. This research will allow us to validate the fitness for purpose of a robust HBM framework for monitoring chemical exposures across Australia, establish population reference values of exposure (i.e. 95th percentile), optimise pooling strategies, and explore potential research applications of these samples. This will provide policymakers with timely, evidence-based insights to safeguard public health and position Australia at the forefront of innovative environmental health surveillance.
Research Outputs
Prizes/Awards
- 2024 QAEHS Annual Research Forum, Winner of Best Student Poster Presentation
