1 00:00:04,00 --> 00:00:07,00 Biomonitoring helps us understand the chemicals in our environment 2 00:00:07,00 --> 00:00:09,00 and how they affect our health. 3 00:00:09,00 --> 00:00:12,00 It鈥檚 the most reliable way to find out what chemicals, 4 00:00:12,00 --> 00:00:15,00 and how much of those chemicals, we have in our bodies. 5 00:00:16,00 --> 00:00:19,00 And public health officials use that information to make 6 00:00:19,00 --> 00:00:21,00 important decisions that affect our health. 7 00:00:21,00 --> 00:00:25,00 Biomonitoring shapes our public health policies and nutrition guidelines. 8 00:00:25,00 --> 00:00:28,00 It also helps us respond to chemical-related emergencies 9 00:00:28,00 --> 00:00:30,00 faster and more effectively. 10 00:00:31,00 --> 00:00:35,00 Biomonitoring is a useful tool, but like any tool, 11 00:00:35,00 --> 00:00:39,00 it鈥檚 important to understand its limitations and use it responsibly. 12 00:00:39,00 --> 00:00:43,00 Biomonitoring can only tell us whether someone has chemicals in their body. 13 00:00:43,00 --> 00:00:47,00 It can鈥檛 predict whether that person will have health problems in the future. 14 00:00:47,00 --> 00:00:51,00 Just because people have a chemical in their blood or urine does not mean 15 00:00:51,00 --> 00:00:53,00 that the chemical causes health problems. 16 00:00:53,00 --> 00:00:57,00 And some chemicals, like radon, may be safe in small amounts, 17 00:00:57,00 --> 00:00:59,00 but cause health problems in larger amounts. 18 00:01:00,00 --> 00:01:04,00 There are some chemicals, like lead, that we know cause health problems. 19 00:01:04,00 --> 00:01:07,00 But for most chemicals, we still have questions about 20 00:01:07,00 --> 00:01:10,00 exposure levels that may cause health problems. 21 00:01:11,00 --> 00:01:13,00 That鈥檚 why CDC scientists are doing research that can help us 22 00:01:13,00 --> 00:01:18,00 to learn more about the relationship between chemical exposure and health problems. 23 00:01:18,00 --> 00:01:22,00 This research will help us understand which chemicals may cause health problems 24 00:01:22,00 --> 00:01:26,00 and which chemicals don鈥檛, so we can use biomonitoring data more 25 00:01:26,00 --> 00:01:28,00 effectively in the future. 26 00:01:29,00 --> 00:01:33,00 If you鈥檇 like to learn more about biomonitoring, take a look at the resources on this page.