As environmental contaminants become increasingly prevalent, so does the importance of understanding our exposures to chemicals, their pathways, and trends in both the type and levels of toxins in our bodies. Biomonitoring is the measurement of contaminants in the body.  Sequoia Foundation's staff has taken a leadership role in designing and implementing biomonitoring programs that address these issues in California.

Working cooperatively with the Department of Toxic Substance Control, the Environmental Health Laboratory Branch, the Environmental Health Investigations Branch, and the Office of Environment of Health Hazard Assessment, the Sequoia Foundation assisted in establishing the California Biomonitoring Program.  The program will determine baseline levels of environmental contaminants in a representative sample of Californians, establish time trends in chemical levels, and assess the effectiveness of current regulatory programs.  Sequoia staff contribute program expertise in survey development, recruitment, sampling, data collection and management, health education, and evaluation.