Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 4, June 1997: Article by Barrett et al.

12th Meeting of the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals: Susceptibility to Environmental Hazards

J. Carl Barrett,¹ Harri Vainio,² David Peakall,³ and Bernard D. Goldstein⁴

¹National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
²Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
³Monitoring and Research Assessment Center, Kings College, London, England
⁴Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Piscataway, New Jersey

Abstract
The 12th meeting of the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals (SGOMSEC) considered the topic of methodologies for determining human and ecosystem susceptibility to environmental hazards. The report prepared at the meeting describes measurement of susceptibility through the use of biological markers of exposure, biological markers of effect, and biomarkers directly indicative of susceptibility of humans or of ecosystems. The utility and validity of these biological markers for the study of susceptibility are evaluated, as are opportunities for developing newer approaches for the study of humans or of ecosystems. For the first time a SGOMSEC workshop also formally considered the issue of ethics in relation to methodology, an issue of particular concern for studies of susceptibility. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 4):699-737 (1997)

Key words: susceptibility, biomarkers, exposure assessment, ethics, ecosystems, human health, genes, environment, biological monitoring, methods

This joint report was developed at the Workshop on Susceptibility to Environmental Hazards convened by the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals (SGOMSEC) held 17-22 March 1996 in Espoo, Finland. Manuscript received at EHP 5 November 1996; accepted 18 November 1996.

Address correspondence to Dr. B.D. Goldstein, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, 681 Frelinghuysen Road, PO Box 1179, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855-1179. Telephone: (908) 445-0205. Fax: (908) 445-0131. E-mail: bgold@eohsi.rutgers.edu

Abbreviations used: AAS, atomic absorption spectrophotometry; AHH, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase; -ALA, -aminolevulinic acid; 1-HP, 1-hydroxypyrene; CA, chromosome aberration; CDGE, constant gradient gel electrophoresis; CYP, cytochrome P450; DGGE, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; EDTA, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid; EROD, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase; FISH, fluorescent in situ hybridization; GPA, glycophorin A; GSTM1, glutathione S-transferase M1; GSTT1, glutathione S-transferase T1; HPLC, high performance liquid chromatography; HPRT, hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl-transferase; HUGO, Human Genome Project; ICSU, International Council of Scientific Unions; MN, micronuclei; ILO, International Labor Organization; IPCS, International Programme on Chemical Safety; MFO, mixed-function oxidase; MXR, multixenobiotic resistance mechanism; OP, organophosphate; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; PCB, polychlorinated biphenyl; PCDF, polychlorinated dibenzofuran; PCDD, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PSA, prostate-specific antigen; QC, quality control; QA, quality assurance; RFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism; RBP, retinal binding protein; RT, reverse transcription; SGOMSEC, Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals; SCOPE, Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment; SSCP, single-strand conformation polymorphism; SCEs, sister chromatid exchange; TCB, tetrachlorobiphenyl; TCDD, tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; TEF, toxic equivalent factor; WHO, World Health Organization; XRF, X-ray fluorescence; ZPP, zinc protoporphyrin.

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Last Update: June 10, 1997