Abstract

The use of grab sampling for measuring the urinary concentration of biomarkers is a common practice in the context of biological monitoring of occupational exposure. Urinary concentrations vary over time; they must therefore be standardized. Two means of adjustment are commonly used: creatinine correction or urine density correction. Some authors question these two methods because of their too large variability, or because they do not reliably reflect the excretion mechanisms for certain biological indicators.

The people in charge of this project want to review the studies published in this field and to propose the best means of adjustment in order to increase the reliability of the tests for each of the urinary biological parameters in the IRSST’s Guide de surveillance biologique (Biological monitoring guide).

The results of this study will document the variability, advantages and limitations of each means of correction proposed in the literature, in order to better take into account the degree of urine dilution during grab sampling. The results will also make it possible to determine the best means of adjustment, and to propose, for each of the biological parameters studied, reference values corresponding to the means of adjustment chosen.

Ultimately, the results of this study will lead to better support for Québec occupational health preventionists in interpreting biological monitoring data.