The advantages of using human biological monitoring (HBM) data to estimate exposure are numerous. Aggregate dose is defined by the exposure assessment community as that accumulated from multiple exposure pathways and media, whereas a cumulative dose is referred to as an aggregate dose that also accounts for the exposures to multiple chemicals having a common mechanism of toxicity. As discussed in Dong and Ross (in press), aggregate or cumulative doses derived from well-designed HBM studies can reduce the uncertainty with animal dermal absorption, or with other types of extrapolation (such as from patch residues to dermal residues for an entire body region, or from foliar residues to dermal residues, as discussed in the next lecture). These uncertainties have been addressed extensively in Ross et al. (2000).

Because HBM integrates the exposure by all routes of entry, this type of studies also reduces the concern about exposure events that may occur concurrently or those that cannot happen at the same time. As Bernard and Lauwerys (1987) put it, "Biological monitoring also takes into account all the physicochemical and biological variables that influence the uptake or the absorption, such as the ventilatory parameters, particle size distribution, and individual variability in absorption and metabolism."

As further implied in the work by Brouwer at al. (2001), HBM can be used to more effectively determine the efficiency of various protective measures such as gloves, masks, and coveralls, by comparing the overall exposures monitored with and without the use of any one of the protective measures.