Biomarker research in occupational health.

Abstract

A variety of biomarkers have been used to study worker populations, and these studies have achieved different levels of success in the improvement of occupational health. Successful application of biomarker research is dependent upon several important factors: ability to identify hazardous substances from the exposure to a variety of substances, relevance to the development of disease, and usefulness for health risk assessment. Besides the traditional biomarkers for exposure, biological effects, and health risk, new biomarkers for susceptibility and genome-wide responses are being used to improve our understanding of occupational health at a higher and, perhaps, more precise level. In addition, there is a continued need to develop and apply biomarkers that can be used to provide real-time detection of excessive exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, especially from unexpected fugitive emissions. These topics are discussed in the review.