Policy recommendations and cost implications for a more sustainable framework for European human biomonitoring surveys.

The potential of Human Biomonitoring (HBM) in exposure characterisation and risk assessment is well established in the scientific HBM community and regulatory arena by many publications. The European Environment and Health Strategy as well as the Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 of the European Commission recognised the value of HBM and the relevance and importance of coordination of HBM programmes in Europe. Based on existing and planned HBM projects and programmes of work and capabilities in Europe the Seventh Framework Programme (FP 7) funded COPHES (COnsortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale) to advance and improve comparability of HBM data across Europe.

Communication in a Human biomonitoring study: Focus group work, public engagement and lessons learnt in 17 European countries.

A communication strategy was developed by The Consortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale (COPHES), as part of its objectives to develop a framework and protocols to enable the collection of comparable human biomonitoring data throughout Europe. The framework and protocols were tested in the pilot study DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale). The aims of the communication strategy were to raise awareness of human biomonitoring, encourage participation in the study and to communicate the study results and their public health significance.

First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale.

Background: For Europe as a whole, data on internal exposure to environmental chemicals do not yet exist. Characterization of the internal individual chemical environment is expected to enhance understanding of the environmental threats to health.

Objectives: We developed and applied a harmonized protocol to collect comparable human biomonitoring data all over Europe.

Lessons learnt on recruitment and fieldwork from a pilot European human biomonitoring survey.

Within the European Environment and Health Action Plan an initiative to establish a coherent human biomonitoring approach in Europe was started. The project COPHES (COnsortium to Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale ) developed recommendations for a harmonized conduct of a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey which came into action as the pilot study DEMOCOPHES (DEMOnstration of a study to COordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale). Seventeen European countries conducted a survey with harmonized instruments for, inter alia, recruitment, fieldwork and sampling, in autumn/winter 2011/2012.

The ex-vivo intestinal absorption rate of uranium is a two-phase function of supply.

The concentration-dependent absorption behaviour of uranium was investigated with surviving intestinal segments of rat jejunums, using an ex-vivo model. The results showed a monotonic slightly nonlinear increase in absorption as uranium concentrations increased. This trend was observed over the entire concentration range tested.

A systematic approach for designing a HBM pilot study for Europe.

The objective of COPHES (Consortium to Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale) was to develop a harmonised approach to conduct human biomonitoring on a European scale. COPHES developed a systematic approach for designing and conducting a pilot study for an EU-wide cross-sectional human biomonitoring (HBM) study and for the implementation of the fieldwork procedures. The approach gave the basis for discussion of the main aspects of study design and conduct, and provided a decision making tool which can be applied to many other studies.

Reference values for lead, cadmium and mercury in the blood of adults from the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Human biomonitoring is an important tool for the evaluation of environmental exposure to contaminants. The data that are obtained from these studies might be compared to appropriate reference values (RVs) in a specific population. The RVs were derived from the rounded values of the upper limit of the 95th confidence interval of the 95th percentile for lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) in blood from adults in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo (MASP), Brazil to investigate the association between blood metals and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Levels and predictors of urinary nickel concentrations of children in Germany: results from the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV).

Human biomonitoring of nickel has gained interest in environmental medicine due to its wide distribution in the environment and its allergenic potential. There are indications that the prevalence of nickel sensitization in children is increased by nickel exposure and that oral uptake of nickel can exacerbate nickel dermatitis in nickel-sensitive individuals. Urinary nickel measurement is a good indicator of exposure.

The German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV): reference values and distributions for time-location patterns of German children.

Children's time-location patterns are important determinants of environmental exposure and other health-relevant factors. Building on data of the German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV), our study aimed at deriving reference values and distributions for time-location patterns of 3-14-year-old German children. We also investigated if GerES IV data are appropriate for evaluating associations with children's health determinants by linking them to data of the National Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS).

Overview of the study design, participation and field work of the German Environmental Survey on Children 2003-2006 (GerES IV).

The German Federal Environment Agency carried out its fourth German Environmental Survey (GerES IV), which is the first survey on children only and the environment-related module of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (German acronym: KiGGS), conducted by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The German Environmental Surveys are nationwide population studies conducted to determine the exposure to environmental pollutants, to explore exposure pathways and to identify sub-groups with higher exposure. GerES IV was conducted on randomly selected 1790 children aged 3-14 years from the cross-sectional sample of KiGGS.

Environmental surveys, specimen bank and health related environmental monitoring in Germany.

Production of chemicals, use of products and consumer goods, contamination of food as well as today's living conditions are related to a substantial exposure of humans to chemicals. Safety of human beings and the environment has to be safeguarded by producers and government. Human biomonitoring (HBM) has proven to be a useful and powerful tool to control human exposure and facilitate risk assessment.

German environmental survey IV: children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

Different aspects of the environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure of children in Germany have been investigated in the German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV). The field work of GerES IV was conducted from 2003 to 2006 using questionnaires, indoor air monitoring and human biomonitoring. About half of Germany's 3- to 14-year-old children lived in households with at least one smoker.

GerES IV: phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A in urine of German children.

Urine samples from GerES IV were analysed for concentrations of the metabolites of DEHP (MEHP, 5OH-MEHP, 5oxo-MEHP, 5cx-MEPP, and 2cx-MMHP), DnBP and DiBP (MnBP and MiBP), BBzP (MBzP), DiNP (7OH-MMeOP, 7oxo-MMeOP and 7cx-MMeHP), and bisphenol A (BPA) to assess the exposure of German children on a representative basis. 600 morning urine samples had been randomly chosen from stored 1800 GerES IV samples originating from 3 to 14 year old children living in Germany. All metabolites could be detected in nearly all urine samples (N=599).

Blood pressure of 8-14 year old children in relation to traffic noise at home--results of the German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV).

Objectives: The German Environment Agency carried out its fourth German Environmental Survey (GerES IV) from 2003 to 2006, which was especially for children. 1048 children, 8-14 years of age, were randomly selected from all over Germany. The sample is representative of children in this age group living in Germany with respect to gender, community size, and region.

German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV)--first results.

German Environmental Surveys (GerESs) are large scale population studies which have been carried out on adults in 1985/86, 1990/92 and 1998 and on children aged 6-14 years in 1990/92. GerES IV is the first survey focussing exclusively on children [Becker, K., Schulz, C.

Di-n-butylphthalate and butylbenzylphthalate - urinary metabolite levels and estimated daily intakes: pilot study for the German Environmental Survey on children.

We analysed urine samples from the 2001/2002 pilot study of the German Environmental Survey on Children (GerES IV) for the concentrations of the di-n-butylphthalate (DnBP) metabolite mono-n-butylphthalate (MnBP) and the butlybenzylphthalate (BBzP) metabolite mono-benzyl-phthalate (MBzP). The study population consisted of 239 children (106 boys, 133 girls) aged between 2 and 14 years (median 8.5 years).

GerES IV pilot study: assessment of the exposure of German children to organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticides.

Organophosphorus pesticides and pyrethroids are widely used in German agriculture and residential settings. Their occurrence in human biological samples can be used as an indicator for the exposure of children to these compounds. Using multivariate evaluation the routes of exposure can be identified.

Assessing contamination paths of the German adult population with gold and platinum. The German Environmental Survey 1998 (GerES III).

Background: Even though increased environmental platinum levels were found since the introduction of automobile catalytic converters, little is known about the pathways of corporal uptake and the bioavailability of platinum in the general adult population. The aim of this study is to identify and quantify the main exposure pathways of gold and platinum in the general adult population.

Methods: The German Environmental Survey 1998 (GerES III) collected population-based data on the corporal gold and platinum burden from a large sample of 1080 persons, 18-69 years of age.

DEHP metabolites in urine of children and DEHP in house dust.

Urine samples from the 2001/2002 pilot study for the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV) were analysed for concentrations of the primary DEHP metabolite MEHP (mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) and two secondary DEHP metabolites SOH-MEHP (2-ethyl-5-hydroxy-hexylphthalate) and 5oxo-MEHP (2-ethyl-5-oxo-hexylphthalate). Urine samples had been taken from 254 children aged 3 to 14. In addition, DEHP was analysed in house dust samples.

Nicotine and cotinine in adults' urine: The German Environmental Survey 1998.

In 1998, the German Environmental Survey (GerES III) recruited approximately 5000 adults between the ages of 18 and 69 years. The study population for these analyses consisted of 1580 smokers (34% of the total population) and 3126 nonsmokers. Nicotine and cotinine concentrations in urine were determined by HPLC methods with UV-detection and corrected for creatinine.

German Environmental Survey 1998 (GerES III): environmental pollutants in the urine of the German population.

The German Environmental Survey (GerES) is a cross-sectional probability study to determine the exposure of the general population to environmental contaminants. The study was repeated for the third time in 1998 (GerES III). Again, a stratified random procedure was used to select the study population taking into account the parameters gender, age, community size and place of residence (West- or East-Germany).

German Environmental Survey 1998 (GerES III): environmental pollutants in blood of the German population.

The German Environmental Survey was conducted for the third time in 1998 (GerES III). The probability sample of about 4800 subjects was selected to be representative for the German population with regard to region (East-/West-Germany), community size, age (18 to 69 years) and gender. Blood samples were taken from each study participant and questionnaires were used to get exposure-related information.