What is biomonitoring?
Biomonitoring is the general determination of the exposure of pollutants in organisms with the aid of biomarkers. The quantification of biomarkers in organisms, which can be either the unchanged pollutants or their metabolites, up to the determination of their effects on organisms, ultimately also makes an important contribution to the risk assessment of such pollutants for humans.

Human biomonitoring after exposure to PAH (PAH)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are natural components of coal and crude oil, but can also be of anthropogenic origin. For example, PAHs are mainly introduced into the environment through smouldering processes or incomplete combustion of organic materials and therefore occur ubiquitously. Human exposure to PAHs results primarily from possible occupational exposure in certain workplaces, from the daily intake of certain foods that may be contaminated with PAHs, or from breathing air contaminated by PAHs in urban agglomerations.
PAHs are always present in the environment as complex mixtures, which can consist of several hundred individual components. The most important and best studied representative of the PAH is benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). BaP alone is classified as a human carcinogen, while other representatives are assessed as likely or potentially carcinogenic for humans.

In the context of human biomonitoring of PAH exposure, the determination of different metabolites is used. The best established biomarker of PAH exposure is 1-hydroxypyrene, which can be easily measured in urine using various analytical methods. In addition to 1-hydroxypyrene, other metabolites, conjugates or adducts can also be used as biomarkers.