Biomonitoring pesticides: A national need? The word 'biomarker' is being used more frequently during the last decade. Currently, a great amount of research is directed to find toxicological biomarkers for several different chemical substances, since persons are more exposed now than decades before. For this reason, it is important to perform a biomonitoring of such substances in order to assess the possibility that low quantities could cause health problems. Obtaining toxicological values through biomonitoring is also useful to control the exposure. The markers of poisoning by chemicals available worldwide are numerous, but unfortunately in Chile only a few are being used. It is essential to have more toxicology and environmental laboratories to test the levels of exposure of our population.

(Rev Méd Chile 2009; 137: 1395-9