Reference Range study

Data on background levels in the general population

In order to interpret the significance of human biomonitoring data there is a need for information on the background levels of chemicals in blood and other tissues of the general population. This research is being addressed in what we refer to as the "Reference Range Study" at the Medical Toxicology Centre (MTC - a collaboration between HPA and the University of Newcastle).

This works aims to investigate levels of a number of key chemicals (Table 1) initially in blood, but later also in urine, in the general population.

Table 1 -Medical Toxicology Centre Reference Range Study Chemicals
Metals (Whole blood)	Phyto & Xeno estrogens (Plasma)	Organochlorines (Plasma)
Beryllium (BE)	Daidzein	alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)
Chromium (Cr)	Genistein	gamma-HCH
Manganese (Mn)	Enterodiol	beta-HCH
Cobalt (CO)	Enterolactone	delta-HCH
Arsenic (As)	Equol	Heptachlor
Molybdenum (Mo)	Bisphenol A*	Aldrin
Cadmium (Cd)	4-t-Octylphenol*	4,4-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDE)
Caesium (Cs)	Alkyl esters of parabenzoic acid*	Dieldrin
Barium (Ba)	Dichlorophenols*	Endrin
Platinum (Pt)	Polychlorinated biphenyls	4,4-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)
Mercury (Hg)		Endrin Ald
Thallium (TI)		Mirex
Lead (Pb)		Endrin Ket
Uranium (U)

*These analytes have been qualitatively detected but have yet to be quantified

Last reviewed: 13 January 2011