Harmonization of Human Biomonitoring Measurements in the National Biomonitoring Network (United States): Learning from the Experiences of Others

摘要

The assessment of community environmental exposures, evaluation of public health interventions and the development of effective environmental health policy are all reliant on high quality biomonitoring data. The newly formed National Biomonitoring Network (NBN) aims to harmonize biomonitoring measurements determined in local, state and federal government laboratories with the goal of data comparability and sharing to inform public health practice. The NBN is a performance based network affording flexibility in the use of analytical methods and platforms but increasing the need for robust quality management programs and demonstrations of technical proficiency. By researching the approaches to measurement harmonization used in other biomonitoring networks and assessing the strengths and challenges presented by each, the NBN Steering Committee will refine the harmonization protocols developed for study design, specimen collection, analytical testing, data analysis and data management.