Every day, people and animals come into contact with thousands of naturally occurring and man-made compounds through food, drinking water, air, consumer products, medications, occupations, and the surrounding environment. While many of these exposures are harmless or quickly eliminated by the body, others may be absorbed, metabolized, or temporarily retained.
Body burden refers to the chemicals, contaminants, or biological compounds that are present in the body at a given point in time. Rather than estimating what someone might have been exposed to based on where they live or what they eat, body burden testing measures what is actually present in a biological sample.
This distinction is important. Environmental monitoring can identify chemicals in soil, water, food, or air, but it cannot determine how much of those compounds have entered an individual or animal. Laboratory testing of biological samples—including urine, hair, saliva, or plasma/serum—provides direct measurements that help researchers, healthcare providers, veterinarians, and individuals better understand real-world exposures.
Body burden testing does not, by itself, determine whether a measured level is harmful or diagnose disease. Instead, it provides objective scientific data that can support exposure assessment, research, health monitoring, and informed decision-making.
Body burden testing can evaluate a wide range of chemicals, contaminants, veterinary pharmaceuticals, and biological markers in both people and animals, depending on the question being asked and the type of sample collected. Different laboratory methods are designed to detect different groups of compounds, each providing unique information about environmental exposures, veterinary medications, or biological processes.
Modern agriculture relies on herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides to protect crops and improve yields. Because these chemicals are widely used, people and animals may be exposed to them through food, drinking water, occupational activities, or the surrounding environment. While exposure does not necessarily indicate a health risk, some individuals choose testing to better understand their personal or occupational exposure.
HRI offers several testing options, including:
These tests are commonly used in environmental exposure studies, occupational monitoring, research studies and individual exposure assessments.
Modern pesticide exposure doesn't always come from a single source. Depending on lifestyle and occupation, exposure may occur through food, drinking water, residential pest control, gardening, or agricultural work. Multi-residue testing can help evaluate exposure to a broad range of pesticides rather than focusing on a single compound.
Not all environmental exposures come from pesticides. Heavy metals and industrial chemicals can enter the body through drinking water, food, consumer products, hobbies, occupations, or naturally occurring environmental sources.
Testing may be appropriate for individuals or animals with known or suspected exposures, those living near industrial or agricultural areas, or researchers studying environmental health.
HRI currently offers:
Body burden testing isn't limited to environmental chemicals. Laboratory testing can also identify veterinary medications that may be present in biological samples from pets or livestock.
These analyses may be used to investigate accidental ingestion, confirm exposure to medications, evaluate treatment history, monitor drug residues, or support veterinary research. They can also provide valuable information when the cause of illness is uncertain or when exposure to medications is suspected.
Available testing includes:
These tests can provide valuable information for veterinarians, livestock producers, researchers, and pet owners seeking objective laboratory data about medication exposure.
Sometimes the most important question isn't "What was I exposed to?" but "How is my body responding?"
Health biomarkers measure naturally occurring compounds rather than environmental contaminants. These tests can provide insight into biological processes that may be influenced by lifestyle, physiology, environmental exposures, or disease processes.
Examples include:
Together, these testing options provide a comprehensive approach to evaluating environmental exposures, veterinary pharmaceutical residues, and biological responses, helping researchers, healthcare providers, veterinarians, and individuals better understand what is happening inside the body.
No single biological sample can answer every exposure question. Different chemicals behave differently in the body—some are rapidly eliminated in urine, others may circulate briefly in the bloodstream, while some become incorporated into growing hair. The most appropriate sample depends on the compound being measured, the timing of exposure, and the question being asked.
By selecting the appropriate sample type, laboratory testing can provide information about recent exposure, longer-term exposure patterns, or biological responses.
Urine is one of the most commonly used sample types for body burden testing because many chemicals and their metabolites are eliminated through the kidneys. It is particularly useful for evaluating recent exposures, although the detection window varies from hours to several days—and sometimes longer—depending on the compound. For example, glyphosate is typically excreted within a few days of exposure, whereas some heavy metals may continue to be excreted in urine for longer periods, particularly following ongoing or accumulated exposure. Urine results generally represent what the body is actively eliminating at the time of collection.
As hair grows, certain compounds circulating in the body can become incorporated into the hair shaft. Hair testing is often used to evaluate longer-term exposure patterns, with each centimeter (about ½ inch) of scalp hair representing approximately one month of growth. Depending on the substance being measured and the length of hair collected, testing may provide insight into exposures that occurred over several weeks or months.
Saliva offers a simple, non-invasive way to measure certain biological compounds. Because saliva reflects compounds that are present in the body at the time of collection, it is most commonly used to evaluate current physiological activity rather than past environmental exposures. It is frequently used for hormones such as cortisol and selected biomarkers.
Plasma and serum are the liquid portions of blood and are often used when compounds circulate in the bloodstream or when evaluating biological markers. Blood testing generally reflects compounds that are currently circulating or were present following relatively recent exposure, although the timeframe varies considerably depending on the analyte. Plasma and serum are commonly used to measure nutrients, hormones, proteins, antibodies, and selected environmental contaminants.
The same environmental exposure can sometimes be evaluated using different sample types, each providing different information. For example, urine glyphosate testing is most useful for evaluating recent exposure because glyphosate is eliminated relatively quickly. In contrast, hair testing for certain heavy metals may provide insight into longer-term exposure patterns as hair grows over time. Choosing the appropriate sample helps ensure laboratory results answer the specific question being asked.
Body burden testing does not diagnose disease or predict future health outcomes. Instead, it provides objective laboratory measurements of chemicals, contaminants, veterinary medications, or biological markers that are present in a biological sample at the time of collection. Depending on the testing performed, these data can help evaluate exposures, monitor changes over time, and support research and informed decision-making.
Common reasons for body burden testing include:
Environmental monitoring can identify chemicals in food, water, air, soil, or consumer products, but it cannot determine what has actually entered the body. Body burden testing measures compounds or their metabolites in biological samples, providing objective data about actual exposure in people or animals.
Repeated testing can help identify changes in exposure patterns over time. For example, testing before and after changes in diet, workplace practices, home environment, or agricultural activities may help evaluate whether exposure levels have changed. In research settings, serial testing can also be used to monitor population trends or evaluate the effectiveness of exposure reduction strategies.
This approach is being used in HRI's Iowa Exposure Study, where participants are providing samples over multiple seasons to help researchers better understand how environmental exposures may change over time.
Individuals working in agriculture, landscaping, manufacturing, veterinary medicine, healthcare, or other industries may experience different exposure patterns than the general population. Likewise, companion animals, livestock, and wildlife may encounter environmental contaminants through their surroundings. Laboratory testing can provide objective data to support exposure assessments when occupational or environmental exposure is suspected.
Body burden testing is widely used in environmental health, agricultural, veterinary, and public health research. Objective laboratory measurements allow researchers to investigate exposure patterns, evaluate interventions, and better understand relationships between environmental factors and biological responses.
Rather than relying solely on assumptions or exposure estimates, body burden testing provides measurable laboratory results that can support conversations with healthcare providers, veterinarians, researchers, or occupational health professionals. When interpreted alongside clinical history, environmental information, and other relevant findings, these data contribute to a more complete understanding of potential exposures and biological responses.
HRI offers accredited laboratory testing for environmental contaminants, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, and health biomarkers using validated analytical methods. Our panels help researchers, healthcare practitioners, veterinarians, and individuals better understand environmental and biological exposures.
