Large-scale biomonitoring of trace element air pollution: local variance, data comparability and its relationships to human health

This paper addresses large-scale biomonitoring surveys on trace element air pollution. It discusses local variances, the comparability of data, obtained over a large geographical area, and the possibilities to discuss findings in the context of human health issues. The local variances are principally considered as basic properties of the survey, associated with local sites, and, together with survey variance, assumed necessary to judge the quality of the survey. Kriging is proposed as a means to get insights into numerical data on local variances: large-volume samples in elemental analysis may be an approach to avoid problems due to subsampling and homogenisation. The data comparability is discussed in terms of geography-related variability in biomonitor vitality: the discussion underlines that the comparability in vitality should procede any further data comparing. Biomonitoring data, reflecting air concentrations and metal deposition, are discussed in terms of relationships with human health issues: one of the main correlation studies to be performed may be the one focusing on relationships with human monitor tissues.