Biomonitoring action levels in Finland

Abstract

In Finland, biomonitoring action levels (BAL) have been set since the 1970s. There are different ways of setting these BALs. The value for blood lead is based on legislation. Exposure limits have been set on the basis of the indicative values for carbon disulfide, ethylene benzene, toluene, and phenol. The number of BALs set by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) has increased year by year, and we now have BAL values for more than 36 different chemicals or chemical groups. The Institute annually publishes a booklet with the latest information about the biomonitoring tests, sample collection, and limit values. The booklet is also available in English as a web version (http://www.occuphealth.fi/tt/bio/guide346.htm).