Human biological monitoring of suspected endocrine-disrupting compounds

Abstract

Endocrine-disrupting compounds are exogenous agents that interfere with the natural hormones of the body. Human biological monitoring is a powerful method for monitoring exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds. In this review, we describe human biological monitoring systems for different groups of endocrine disrupting compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, brominated flame retardants, phthalates, alkylphenols, pesticides, metals, perfluronated compounds, parabens, ultraviolet filters, and organic solvents. The aspects discussed are origin to exposure, metabolism, matrices to analyse, analytical determination methods, determinants, and time trends.

Keywords

• biomarkers of exposure; biomonitoring; blood; environmental contaminants; fetal; hormonal effects; mass spectrometry; quantitative analytical analysis; serum; urine