Conrad, AndréKolossa-Gehring, MarikeMurawski, AlineRucic, EnricoSchmied-Tobies, Maria Irene HildeSchwedler, Gerda2024-06-162024-06-162020https://doi.org/10.60810/openumwelt-433https://openumwelt.de/handle/123456789/42372-Mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT) is widely used as a vulcanisation accelerator and is contained in many products made from natural rubber, e.g. car tires. Additionally, it is used as a fungicide in paint or fibre. Systemically human exposure to 2-MBT can occur via dermal and oral uptake or inhalation. Locally, 2-MBT can cause skin sensitisation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified 2-MBT as probably carcinogenic to humans. 516 urine samples of 3- to 17-year-old children and adolescents living in Germany were analysed for the concentration of 2-MBT in the population representative German Environmental Survey for Children and Adolescents 2014-2017 (GerES V). 2-MBT was quantified above the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 1.0 my g/L in 50% of the 516 samples analysed. The geometric mean of urinary 2-MBT concentration was 1.018 my g/L and 0.892 my g/gcreatinine, the arithmetic mean was 1.576 my g/L (1.351 myg/gcrea). The median concentration was below the LOQ. Analyses of subgroups revealed higher 2-MBT concentrations in children aged 3-5 years compared to 14- to 17-year-old adolescents. All urinary 2-MBT concentrations were well below the health-based guidance value HBM-I for children of 4.5 my g/L. Therefore, current exposure levels are - according to current knowledge - not of concern. For the first time, reference values can be derived for 2-MBT for children and adolescents in Germany. This will facilitate to recognise changing exposure levels in this population group in Germany and identification of unusually high exposures. © 2020 The Authors.1 Onlineresource (5 pages)online resourceenghttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ExpositionWissenschaftlicher Artikel