Development, validation and application of a harmonised barge bioaccessibility method

The Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe is a European network bringing together international institutes to study human bioaccessibility of priority contaminants in soils such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) via the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. A primary objective is to provide robust and defensible bioaccessibility data that can be used in human health risk assessments and policy making. The correct estimation of bioaccessibility has the potential to make a significant impact on current risk assessment practices. To this end BARGE has been involved in comparing and evaluating physico-chemical processes within the many models that have been developed to measure bioaccessibility and contaminant exposure (Wragg et al., 2011). Because variable results from method comparison studies (Oomen et al., 2002) have hindered the adoption of bioaccessibility methods by some in the regulatory community, BARGE initiated the development of a harmonised in vitro bioaccessibility test: the Unified BARGE Method (UBM).