Human monitoring data formats codebook

In PARC, a data format for human biomonitoring data is being developed by VITO. To upload HBM data to the MCRA platform, the data needs to be harmonised according to this format. A guidance document on how to prepare harmonized HBM data for PARC is available at request. The harmonised format developed in PARC differs from the data format used in MCRA. However, the MCRA system aims to follow this data format. Therfore, internally, the ExampleData_BasicCodebook_v2.0.xlsx (VITO, 2022), is converted to the MCRA data format. Users of the MCRA system only need to upload their HBM data in the harmonised data format.

Because both formats are different, please note the following:

  • Not all variables recorded are used by MCRA, e.g. specific information on samplingyear, samplingmonth etc is largely ignored or summarized to a simplified indicator, e.g. DateAnalysis.

  • The matrix code is translated to a biological matrix and sampling type, e.g. US translates to Urine and Spot, BP to Blood and Plasma.

  • id_timepoint refers to the sampling time and is translated to DayOfSurvey .

  • Repeated recordings for each subject’s weight are averaged to one value: BodyWeight.

  • Repeated recordings for each subject’s height are averaged to one value: Height.

  • Repeated recordings for each subject’s sg are averaged to one value: SpecificGrafity.

  • From the repeated recordings for smoking only the last recording is taken: Smoking_status.

  • Additional individual properties can be added at request.

  • Only the last recording of country is taken: survey Location.

  • Survey StartDate refers to the first sampling date of all repeated samples.

  • Survey EndDate refers to the last sampling date of all repeated samples.

  • MCRA uses an AnalyticalMethod which is constructed from the matrix code and a counter for the number of samples.

  • Concentrations without value (blanks) are recorded as missing value (MV).

  • Concentrations recorded as -1 are interpreted as a censored value, LOD.

  • Concentrations recorded as -2 or -3 are interpreted as a censored value, LOQ.

Note, the proposed harmonised data format as well as the MCRA data format are under developement and may be changed in the future.