Principle considerations
The role of the ‘HBM Commission’ of the German Environment Agency is to advise the President and staff of the Agency on all matters relating to HBM.
The members of the HBM Commission are scientists and experts from Federal Government and German States (Länder) authorities, universities, public health institutes and clinical institutions, who are appointed by the president of the German Environment Agency for a term of 3 years (most recently in 2023) on the basis of their expertise. In addition to its members, the HBM Commission has permanent guests, representatives of the Working Group of the Health Ministries of the States (AOLG), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the Environment Agency. Furthermore, subject-matter experts may be invited to participate as advisory guests of the HBM Commission.
The HBM Commission comments on current issues relating to HBM that are being discussed in the public sphere or among experts. Among other things, it has outlined the possibilities and prerequisites of HBM. These prerequisites include not only reliable chemical analytical methods but also minimum requirements for sampling, as well as for the socio-demographic and anthropometric information of the study participants. To ensure that human exposure to chemical substances can be assessed in a consistent manner, the HBM Commission establishes assessment values (reference and HBM values, dose descriptors for carcinogenic substances) for selected substances in accordance with defined criteria.
The methodology used to derive the assessment values is published in statements by the HBM Commission in the “Bundesgesundheitsblatt” or in English-language journals. The substance monographs on selected chemicals also contain information on the use, occurrence and distribution of the substance in the environment, the routes of exposure, metabolism and excretion in humans, as well as human exposure and its health implications. A summary and, where necessary, an update of the respective derivation method for the HBM values can be found in the fact sheets.
