Biological Exposure Monitoring

If you have personnel who are exposed to harmful substances at work then you may require a biological monitoring program.

Biological monitoring involves the collection of a body sample, usually blood or urine, from exposed workers which is then tested to see how much of that substance has ended up in the body. Testing often requires the collection of both pre-exposure and post-exposure samples.  The results of the post-exposure biological sampling are compared to the New Zealand Biological Exposure Indices along with the pre-exposure levels to ascertain whether the results are within acceptable limits. These tests are helpful, and in some cases, may be legally required for demonstrating that your hazard and risk management controls are effective.

Below is a list of some of the more common substances we test for along with examples of where exposures to these toxic substances may occur. If you or your staff work with any of the below listed substances or processes then please contact us today to discuss whether biological exposure monitoring is something you need. 

  • arsenic - urine (timber treatments)
  • antimony - urine (petrochemical plants)
  • aluminium - urine (welders, foundry workers)
  • cholinesterase - blood (organophosphate pesticides)
  • carbon monoxide - blood (diesel exhaust fumes)
  • cyanide - blood or urine (pesticides, timber treatments, fumigants, metal polishes)
  • nickel - urine (stainless steel welders & gas cutters)
  • chromium - urine sample (timber treatments, leather tanning, welders & stainless alloy workers)
  • xylene - urine (paints & resins)
  • lead - blood test (batteries, weighs & measures, arts, brass, paint removal, engine/muffler/radiator repair)
  • barium - urine (drilling mud)
  • cadmium - urine or blood (welding flux, batteries, welding/cutting of anticorrosion coated steel)
  • toluene - urine (paints & resins)
  • vanadium - urine (boiler maintenance, welding of steel alloys, printing)
  • INR - blood (brodifacoum pesticides)
  • cobalt - urine (saw doctor & knife sharpeners)
  • fluoride - urine (aluminium foundry)
  • manganese - blood (mild steel welding, battery production)
  • mercury - urine (dental industry)
  • methanol - urine (methanol production, resins)
  • methyl bromide - blood (fumigants)
  • methyl ethyl ketone MEK - urine (paints & resins)
  • selenium - urine (fertilisers & cattle feed)
  • styrene - urine (resins)
  • thallium - urine (rodenticide)
  • tin - urine (timber treatments)
  • zinc - blood (galvanising, brass & bronze, welding)

Other biological testing available.