STRATEGY OF BIOLOGICAL MONITORING AND SETTING OF BIOLOGICAL THRESHOLDLIMITS (BAT VALUES) IN GERMANY

Biological monitoring is of fundamental importance in Germany. The suc cessful strategy of biological monitoring is based on four factors. Re commendations for the pre-analytical phase have been issued by officia l societies. For the analyses in blood and urine specimens around 100 methods have been recommended and standardized. All measurements must be carried out under a quality control scheme issued by the German Min istry of Labor and organized by the German Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The occupational medical judgement of the bio logical monitoring results rake place by ''Biological Tolerance Values for Working Materials'' (BAT values) and ''Exposure Equivalents for C arcinogenic Working Materials'' (EKA values). A BAT value is, by defin ition, the maximum allowable concentration for an individual which sho uld not be exceeded; 53 BAT values for 37 agents or groups of agents a nd 18 EKA values for 10 compounds have been defined. These values have been published since 1982 in an annual list of occupational standards . Every BAT or EKA value is based on extensive scientific documentatio n.