Human biomonitoring and biobanking for identifying time trends of human exposure

Abstract

For the last 40 years human biomonitoring is an essential tool for protecting health and monitoring<BR>environmental chemicals in Germany. Since 1985 four German Environmental Surveys (GerES)<BR>have been conducted. These surveys are cross sectional representative population studies aiming<BR>to determine the contamination with environmental pollutants of the general population living in<BR>Germany. Up to now more than 14,000 subjects were questioned with a standardized<BR>questionnaire and tested for the concentrations of environmental chemicals in blood and urine in<BR>GerES. Additionally contaminants in indoor air, house dust, and tap water were analyzed to identify<BR>routes of exposure and to interpret human biomonitoring data on concentrations of xenobiotics.<BR>Additionally the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) archives human samples of blood,<BR>blood plasma, and urine. Since 1985 annually 400 to 500 students from four major university cities<BR>donate specimen that stored at ultra low temperature. The resulting archive allows for retrospective<BR>analysis. The main purpose of the archive is reviewing earlier data with new analytical procedures<BR>as well as determining the extent to which older samples are contaminated with pollutants that<BR>have only just been discovered.<BR>Both instruments show that in Germany the concentration long known persistent chemicals like<BR>heavy metals and POPs have declined over the last decade. Without doubt this is the effect of a<BR>stringent and successful environmental legislation on chemicals. On the other hand new<BR>substances have emerged like polyfluorinated compounds, phthalates and bisphenol A. Analysis of<BR>phthalate metabolites in urine samples show that some of the traditional phthalates like DEHP have<BR>exhibited declining trends while others like DINP become more and more prominent as substitutes<BR>of banned or restricted softeners. A combined risk analysis shows that a considerable part of the<BR>German children are still at risk of facing negative health outcomes due to phthalate exposure.<BR>Data from the German Environmental Survey and the Environmental Specimen Bank are powerful<BR>tools to control exposure, identify time trends that may be problematic for human health. Risk<BR>assessment conducted on the basis of measured exposure data can complement assessments incourse of chemicals legislation that are mainly based on model assumption.<BR>Quelle: Human biomonitoring and biobanking for identifying time trends of human exposure [Elektronische Ressource] / Andreas Gies ... - Boston, 2013. - 27 Vortragsfolien : Ill., graph. Darst.