Development of Human Biomonitoring Program for Latvia (HBM4LV)

The project 'Development of Human Biomonitoring Program for Latvia' (HBM4LV) plans to develop new knowledge and obtain evidence, perform analysis of secondary data and available laboratory capacity which will be used for drafting guidelines for selecting a suitable cohort size for the general population and to elaborate on the most appropriate and feasible sampling strategy for biological samples. The Project will also ensure sampling of the selected cohort for establishing the Latvian HBM biobank and allow analysis of samples for most critical chemicals and their metabolites using national and, if, necessary international laboratories. The data of the Project will provide information on the most critical sources and exposure routes for pesticides, metals and persistent organic pollutants and their concentrations in biological samples of Latvian citizens which will serve as background for further recommendations for the development and implementation of the national HBM4LV programme.

Media coverage

Study shows most Latvians have some plastics or pesticides in their system, LSM, 22 April 2026

Data sets

Human Biomonitoring Data from Latvia – HBM4LV Study (2025)

Project-related activities

• 13th International Symposium on Biological Monitoring, Milan, Italy: Dietary patterns and pesticide exposure: results from a human biomonitoring study from Latvia, speaker: Akūlova, L. (10 September 2025)
  Presentation
• Joint Annual Meeting of the International Society of Exposure Science and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology 2025, Atlanta, United States, participant: Akūlova, L. (17–21 August 2025)
• Public Perception of Human Biomonitoring and Pesticide Exposure in Latvia: Implications for Policy and Risk Communication, Atlanta, United States, speaker: Akūlova, L. (17–20 August 2025)
  Poster
• Proximity of place of residence to Agricultural and Natural Areas as factors of Pesticide Detection in Latvian Population, Rīga, Latvia, speaker: Anna Raita (28 March 2025)
• Which pesticides should be monitored in Latvian citizens? Hanlon method adaptation for chemical prioritization in HBM4LV study, Barcelona, Spain, speaker: Akūlova, L. (4–5 November 2024)
• HBM4LV: stepping towards a national human biomonitoring program in Latvia, Bangkok, Thailand, speaker: Akūlova L. (15 August 2024)
• The 10th International Conference on Public Health – ICOPH 2024, Bangkok, Thailand, participant: Akūlova L. (15–16 August 2024)