Human biomonitoring for evidence-based policy on environmental influences

Policy support Data & AI Health Environment

People come into contact with a wide range of natural and man-made chemicals and other environmental factors. To protect our health effectively, we need to understand the extent to which these factors affect the body.

VITO supports governments and health organisations with human biomonitoring. The results provide the scientific basis for risk assessment and effective policy.

Scientific insights into exposure and health

Human biomonitoring (HBM) assesses the extent to which chemicals enter the body via various sources and routes of exposure. In combination with biological markers, such as hormones and signals from the immune system, this helps to better understand how exposure affects our health. These insights contribute to research into the exposome: the interaction between environment, diet, behaviour, lifestyle and health.

Human biomonitoring also provides a strong basis for effective and evidence-based policy on chemicals and other environmental influences. The results help governments and health authorities to identify risks and take targeted measures to protect our health.

25 years of experience in Flanders and Europe

VITO has built up this expertise through large-scale studies, European collaborations, and practice-oriented research.

25 years of experience as scientific coordinator of the Flemish Human Biomonitoring Programme
European expertise through projects such as DEMOCOPHES, HBM4EU and PARC
VITO gathers biomonitoring data from across Europe in a standardised manner within the Personal Exposure and Health Data Platform for reuse
Experience with research in hotspot areas such as Hoboken and Zwijndrecht, with the active involvement of citizens and participants
Expertise in longitudinal research, such as the 3xG study, in which participants are followed over several years

Support at every stage of the research

VITO supports the entire process of human biomonitoring studies. For specific aspects, we collaborate with external partners to ensure the right expertise is available at every stage.

Research design
Preparation and submission of the ethics dossier
Recruiting participants
Developing and administering questionnaires
Collecting and storing samples
Measuring and analysing biomarkers
Harmonising, processing, storing, and reusing data (in compliance with the GDPR and in accordance with the FAIR principles: findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable)
Data visualisation
Data interpretation using statistics
Preparing reports
Communication

Infrastructure and analytical expertise

Long-term storage of biological samples

VITO’s registered Biobank stores more than 85,000 samples from 11,000 participants in large, secure freezers. Thanks to this careful storage, we can re-analyse samples at a later date, for example using improved measurement techniques or to test for newly emerging substances.

Accessible and reusable biomonitoring data

Through the Personal Exposure and Health Data Platform, VITO is making human biomonitoring data accessible and reusable for further research in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).

PARC, the European Partnership for the Risk Assessment of Chemicals, uses the platform to collate data from European studies and make it available to researchers. In addition, the platform forms part of EIRENE, the European research infrastructure for exposome research.

Tailored chemical analyses

VITO offers organic and inorganic chemical analyses, ranging from rapid screening to in-depth characterisation. Using techniques such as DART MS and non-targeted analysis (NTA), clients gain rapid insight into (unknown) chemical compositions and analyses can be efficiently tailored to their needs.

Advanced proteome analyses using Olink technology

VITO performs Olink Target/Flex panels for highly sensitive and reliable quantification of selected proteins, and Olink Reveal analyses for high-throughput broad proteome profiling.

Thanks to its expertise in sample handling, data processing and bioinformatics, VITO supports clients from study design through to interpretation of the results.