Introducing the 5th German Environmental Survey 2014-2017 focusing on emerging chemicals of concern (GerES)

Abstract

The German Environmental Surveys (GerES) are large scale population studies repeatedly beencarried 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 humanbiomonitoring (HBM) to health data. GerES is conducted in cooperation with the National Health Interview andExamination Surveys (NHIES) performed by the Robert Koch-Institute. The GerES V pilot study was conductedin 2013 to validate instruments and field work procedures. GerES V comprises HBM, indoor and drinking watermonitoring, and standardized interviews, tailored to exposure situation in Germany. GerES V focuses onemerging 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 vulcanizationaccelerator 2-mercaptobenzothiazole). Exposure data on chemicals of concern already measured in GerES IVlike phthalates and other pollutants (i.a. metals, pesticides, PCB, cotinine) will be updated. The GerES Vconcept demonstrates current strategies for elucidating environmental exposures. The pilot study indicatescomparatively low exposure to Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).The highest sum of the DEHP metabolites5OH- and 5oxo-MEHP measured in morning urine was 160 ìg/L which is well below the health-based guidancevalue. The main study will answer the question whether a) plasticizer alternatives are nearly as omnipresent inchildren as in a first small sample of non-occupationally exposed adults and b) screenings on emergingchemicals in adults can advocate same analyses in studies on children and adolescents.<BR>Quelle: 24th Annual Meeting ofThe International Society of Exposure Science: Exposure Science Integration to Protect Ecological Systems,Human Well-Being, and Occupational Health; Abstract Book ISES 2014 / International Society of Exposure Science, Cincinnati: 2014, S.239