Introducing the 5th German Environmental Survey 2014-2016 Focusing on Emerging Chemicals of Concern

摘要

The German Environmental Surveys (GerES) are large scale population studies repeatedly been carried out since the mid-1980s. GerES Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ focus mainly on adults, GerES Ⅳ and GerES Ⅴ (2014/2016) on children and adolescents. GerES evaluates pollutant body burdens in population-representative samples, analyses the contribution of different media (air, water, food) to the overall exposure, and links human biomonitoring (HBM) to health data. GerES is conducted in cooperation with the National Health Interview and Examination Surveys (NHIES) performed by the Robert Koch-Institute. The GerES Ⅴ pilot study was conducted in 2013 to validate instruments and field work procedures. GerES Ⅴ comprises HBM, indoor and drinking water monitoring, and standardized interviews, tailored to exposure situation in Germany. GerES Ⅴ focuses on emerging substances with potential health relevance and/or assumed exposure of the general population (e.g. plasticizer alternatives like Hexamoll? DINCH and di-2-propylheptyl phthalate (DPHP) or 4-tert-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, the solvents N-methyl- and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP/NEP), parabenes, and the vulcanization accelerator 2-mercaptobenzothiazole). Exposure data on chemicals of concern already measured in GerES IV like phthalates and other pollutants (i.a. metals, pesticides, PCB, cotinine) will be updated. The GerES Ⅴ concept demonstrates current strategies for elucidating environmental exposures. The pilot study indicates comparatively low exposure to Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).The highest sum of the DEHP metabolites 5OH- and 5oxo-MEHP measured in morning urine was 160 μg/L which is well below the health-based guidance value. The main study will answer the question whether a) plasticizer alternatives are nearly as omnipresent in children as in a first small sample of non-occupationally exposed adults and b) screenings on emerging chemicals in adults can advocate same analyses in studies on children and adolescents.