The Experts below are selected from a list of 282 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Christine Schulz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Levels and predictors of urinary nickel concentrations of children in Germany: results from the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV).
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2012Co-Authors: Michael Wilhelm, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, André Conrad, Jürgen Wittsiepe, Andreas Hünken, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. However, data on nickel levels in urine of children are rare. For the first time, the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV) 2003–2006 provided representative data to describe the internal nickel exposure of children aged 3–14 years in Germany. Nickel was measured after enrichment in the organic phase of urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction. Nickel levels (n = 1576) ranged from
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Overview of the study design, participation and field work of the German Environmental Survey on Children 2003–2006 (GerES IV)
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2012Co-Authors: Christine Schulz, Kerstin Becker, Wolfgang Babisch, Margarete Seiwert, Regine Szewzyk, André Conrad, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. The participants of GerES IV lived in 150 sampling locations all over Germany. Field work was carried out from May 2003 to May 2006. The response rate in GerES IV was 77.3%. Due to the fact that participation in GerES IV was limited to children that had previously participated in the KiGGS study, the total response rate in GerES IV resulted in 52.6%. Response rates did neither differ significantly between West and East Germany, nor between different community sizes, age groups and gender. The basic study programme included blood samples, morning urine, tap water and house dust as well as comprehensive questionnaire-based interviews. In addition, subgroups were studied with regard to “noise, hearing capacity and stress hormones”, “chemical contamination of indoor air” and “biogenic indoor contamination”. A key element of the field work in GerES IV was a home visit to carry out interviews, conduct measurements and collect samples. An exception was blood sampling which was carried out within KiGGS. The quality of field work, data collection, evaluation, and chemical, biological and physical analyses was successfully evaluated by internal and external quality assurance. This comprehensive overview aims at giving other research groups the opportunity to compare different study designs or to adapt their own design to get comparable results.
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Chapter 2A:Health-related Environmental Monitoring in Germany: German Environmental Survey (GerES) and Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB)
Biomarkers and Human Biomonitoring, 2011Co-Authors: Marike Kolossa-gehring, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, André Conrad, Christa Schröter-kermani, Margarete SeiwertAbstract:The German human biomonitoring system on a national level consists of two main instruments: the German Environmental Survey and the Environmental Specimen Bank. The German Environmental Survey (GerES) is a nationwide population study which has been carried out repeatedly in Germany since the mid-1980s. Human biomonitoring data are representative for people living in Germany with regard to age, gender and community size. The GerES I for adults was carried out in 1985/1986 (West Germany), followed by GerES IIa in 1990/91 (West Germany) and GerES IIb in 1991/92 (East Germany). In GerES II, the children of participating parents were also included. In 1998, GerES III for adults was conducted in the reunified Germany. GerES IV (2003/2006) focused exclusively on children. To elucidate exposure pathways and thus support the development of measures to reduce exposure, GerES uses three main instruments: human biomonitoring, ambient monitoring, and questionnaires. GerES I–IV have been conducted in close co-operation with the concurrent National Health Interview and Examination Surveys performed by the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin.The Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) started routine operation in 1985. Human specimens are taken annually from students at four German university towns, archived as individual samples, and stored at temperatures below –150 °C. After more than two decades of operation the ESB now provides a continuous historical record of the state of exposure of humans and the environment in Germany for this period, thus supplying samples for retrospective monitoring of emerging pollutants, and the identification of temporal trends and spatial load differences.
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revised and new reference values for Environmental pollutants in urine or blood of children in germany derived from the german Environmental Survey on children 2003 2006 geres iv
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2009Co-Authors: Christine Schulz, Jurgen Angerer, U Ewers, Ursel Heudorf, Michael WilhelmAbstract:Abstract Based on the representative data collection of the German Environmental Survey on Children 2003-2006 (GerES IV) the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Federal Environment Agency has updated the reference values for a comprehensive number of Environmental pollutants in blood and urine of children in Germany. Reference values are statistically derived values that indicate the upper margin of background exposure to a given pollutant in a given population at a given time. They can be used as criteria to classify the measured values of individuals or population groups as being “elevated” or “not elevated”. Since Environmental conditions are changing, reference values are continuously checked and updated if new information becomes available. Therefore, the previously derived reference values for metabolites of pyrethroids (cis-, trans-Cl2Ca and 3-PBA: 1, 2, and 2 μg/l), of PAH (1-hydroxypyrene: 0.5 μg/l), for arsenic in urine (15 μg/l), and for PCB 138, PCB 153, PCB 180 in whole blood (0.3, 0.4, 0.3 μg/l) and for DDE (western Germany) in whole blood (0.7 μg/l) were confirmed. The following reference values were lowered: lead in blood from 50 to 35 μg/l, cadmium in urine from 0.5 to 0.2 μg/l, mercury in whole blood from 1.0 to 0.8 μg/l, mercury in urine from 0.7 to 0.4 μg/l, s-HCH in whole blood from 0.3 to 0.1 μg/l, HCB in whole blood from 0.3 to 0.2 μg/l, and DMP in urine from 135 to 75 μg/l, and DMTP in urine from 160 to 100 μg/l. Based on the extended data set of the GerES IV, the reference value for the sum of PCB 138+153+180 in whole blood of children aged 7 to 14 was raised from 0.9 to 1.0 μg/l. The reference value for DEP in urine of children aged 3 to 14 was raised from 16 to 30 μg/l. New reference values in urine of children aged 3 to 14 living in Germany were derived for antimony (0.3 μg/l), nickel (4.5 μg/l), thallium (0.6 μg/l), uranium (0.04 μg/l), metabolites of organophosphorous compounds (DMDTP, DETP: 10 μg/l, 10 μg/l) and metabolites of PAH (1-hydroxyphenanthrene: 0.6 μg/l; 2/9-hydroxyphenanthrene: 0.4 μg/l; 3-hydroxyphenanthrene: 0.5 μg/l; 4-hydroxyphenanthrene: 0.2 μg/l; ∑ hydroxyphenanthrene (1, 2/9, 3, 4): 1.5 μg/l) in urine and for DDE in blood of children aged 7 to 14 years living in eastern Germany (1.4 μg/l). If reliable and repeated measurements show a value above the reference value, an Environmental hygiene-based search for the causes and sources of this exposure is recommended. After that, it should be checked whether the exposure can be decreased within reasonable bounds.
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German Environmental Survey IV: children's exposure to Environmental tobacco smoke.
Toxicology Letters, 2009Co-Authors: André Conrad, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, Detlef Ullrich, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. The number of smokers in the household had a significant influence on the concentrations of several indoor air contaminants (VOC and aldehydes). Human biomonitoring data on cotinine were used to identify the levels of exposure to ETS. Urinary cotinine is correlated with several predictors of ETS and is also associated with other toxicants in non-smoking children, e.g. cadmium. Temporal comparison indicated that in the last 15 years no decrease of children's ETS exposure has been achieved in Germany.
Kerstin Becker - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Levels and predictors of urinary nickel concentrations of children in Germany: results from the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV).
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2012Co-Authors: Michael Wilhelm, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, André Conrad, Jürgen Wittsiepe, Andreas Hünken, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. However, data on nickel levels in urine of children are rare. For the first time, the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV) 2003–2006 provided representative data to describe the internal nickel exposure of children aged 3–14 years in Germany. Nickel was measured after enrichment in the organic phase of urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction. Nickel levels (n = 1576) ranged from
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Overview of the study design, participation and field work of the German Environmental Survey on Children 2003–2006 (GerES IV)
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2012Co-Authors: Christine Schulz, Kerstin Becker, Wolfgang Babisch, Margarete Seiwert, Regine Szewzyk, André Conrad, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. The participants of GerES IV lived in 150 sampling locations all over Germany. Field work was carried out from May 2003 to May 2006. The response rate in GerES IV was 77.3%. Due to the fact that participation in GerES IV was limited to children that had previously participated in the KiGGS study, the total response rate in GerES IV resulted in 52.6%. Response rates did neither differ significantly between West and East Germany, nor between different community sizes, age groups and gender. The basic study programme included blood samples, morning urine, tap water and house dust as well as comprehensive questionnaire-based interviews. In addition, subgroups were studied with regard to “noise, hearing capacity and stress hormones”, “chemical contamination of indoor air” and “biogenic indoor contamination”. A key element of the field work in GerES IV was a home visit to carry out interviews, conduct measurements and collect samples. An exception was blood sampling which was carried out within KiGGS. The quality of field work, data collection, evaluation, and chemical, biological and physical analyses was successfully evaluated by internal and external quality assurance. This comprehensive overview aims at giving other research groups the opportunity to compare different study designs or to adapt their own design to get comparable results.
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Chapter 2A:Health-related Environmental Monitoring in Germany: German Environmental Survey (GerES) and Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB)
Biomarkers and Human Biomonitoring, 2011Co-Authors: Marike Kolossa-gehring, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, André Conrad, Christa Schröter-kermani, Margarete SeiwertAbstract:The German human biomonitoring system on a national level consists of two main instruments: the German Environmental Survey and the Environmental Specimen Bank. The German Environmental Survey (GerES) is a nationwide population study which has been carried out repeatedly in Germany since the mid-1980s. Human biomonitoring data are representative for people living in Germany with regard to age, gender and community size. The GerES I for adults was carried out in 1985/1986 (West Germany), followed by GerES IIa in 1990/91 (West Germany) and GerES IIb in 1991/92 (East Germany). In GerES II, the children of participating parents were also included. In 1998, GerES III for adults was conducted in the reunified Germany. GerES IV (2003/2006) focused exclusively on children. To elucidate exposure pathways and thus support the development of measures to reduce exposure, GerES uses three main instruments: human biomonitoring, ambient monitoring, and questionnaires. GerES I–IV have been conducted in close co-operation with the concurrent National Health Interview and Examination Surveys performed by the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin.The Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) started routine operation in 1985. Human specimens are taken annually from students at four German university towns, archived as individual samples, and stored at temperatures below –150 °C. After more than two decades of operation the ESB now provides a continuous historical record of the state of exposure of humans and the environment in Germany for this period, thus supplying samples for retrospective monitoring of emerging pollutants, and the identification of temporal trends and spatial load differences.
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German Environmental Survey IV: children's exposure to Environmental tobacco smoke.
Toxicology Letters, 2009Co-Authors: André Conrad, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, Detlef Ullrich, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. The number of smokers in the household had a significant influence on the concentrations of several indoor air contaminants (VOC and aldehydes). Human biomonitoring data on cotinine were used to identify the levels of exposure to ETS. Urinary cotinine is correlated with several predictors of ETS and is also associated with other toxicants in non-smoking children, e.g. cadmium. Temporal comparison indicated that in the last 15 years no decrease of children's ETS exposure has been achieved in Germany.
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German Environmental Survey IV: Environmental tobacco smoke exposure of German children
International Journal of Environment and Health, 2008Co-Authors: André Conrad, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, Detlef Ullrich, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:As the current extent of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) exposure of children in Germany is unknown, it was investigated in the German Environmental Survey (GerES IV) for Children from 2003 to 2006 using questionnaires and analyses of cotinine in urine and benzene and formaldehyde in indoor air. About half of the 3- to 14-year-old children in Germany live in households with at least one smoker. Smoking at home is one of the most important predictors for benzene concentrations in indoor air. Cotinine concentrations in urine can be used to identify the levels of exposure to ETS. Multivariate analysis yields several relevant predictors for ETS exposure of children in Germany.
Margarete Seiwert - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Levels and predictors of urinary nickel concentrations of children in Germany: results from the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV).
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2012Co-Authors: Michael Wilhelm, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, André Conrad, Jürgen Wittsiepe, Andreas Hünken, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. However, data on nickel levels in urine of children are rare. For the first time, the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV) 2003–2006 provided representative data to describe the internal nickel exposure of children aged 3–14 years in Germany. Nickel was measured after enrichment in the organic phase of urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction. Nickel levels (n = 1576) ranged from
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Overview of the study design, participation and field work of the German Environmental Survey on Children 2003–2006 (GerES IV)
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2012Co-Authors: Christine Schulz, Kerstin Becker, Wolfgang Babisch, Margarete Seiwert, Regine Szewzyk, André Conrad, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. The participants of GerES IV lived in 150 sampling locations all over Germany. Field work was carried out from May 2003 to May 2006. The response rate in GerES IV was 77.3%. Due to the fact that participation in GerES IV was limited to children that had previously participated in the KiGGS study, the total response rate in GerES IV resulted in 52.6%. Response rates did neither differ significantly between West and East Germany, nor between different community sizes, age groups and gender. The basic study programme included blood samples, morning urine, tap water and house dust as well as comprehensive questionnaire-based interviews. In addition, subgroups were studied with regard to “noise, hearing capacity and stress hormones”, “chemical contamination of indoor air” and “biogenic indoor contamination”. A key element of the field work in GerES IV was a home visit to carry out interviews, conduct measurements and collect samples. An exception was blood sampling which was carried out within KiGGS. The quality of field work, data collection, evaluation, and chemical, biological and physical analyses was successfully evaluated by internal and external quality assurance. This comprehensive overview aims at giving other research groups the opportunity to compare different study designs or to adapt their own design to get comparable results.
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Chapter 2A:Health-related Environmental Monitoring in Germany: German Environmental Survey (GerES) and Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB)
Biomarkers and Human Biomonitoring, 2011Co-Authors: Marike Kolossa-gehring, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, André Conrad, Christa Schröter-kermani, Margarete SeiwertAbstract:The German human biomonitoring system on a national level consists of two main instruments: the German Environmental Survey and the Environmental Specimen Bank. The German Environmental Survey (GerES) is a nationwide population study which has been carried out repeatedly in Germany since the mid-1980s. Human biomonitoring data are representative for people living in Germany with regard to age, gender and community size. The GerES I for adults was carried out in 1985/1986 (West Germany), followed by GerES IIa in 1990/91 (West Germany) and GerES IIb in 1991/92 (East Germany). In GerES II, the children of participating parents were also included. In 1998, GerES III for adults was conducted in the reunified Germany. GerES IV (2003/2006) focused exclusively on children. To elucidate exposure pathways and thus support the development of measures to reduce exposure, GerES uses three main instruments: human biomonitoring, ambient monitoring, and questionnaires. GerES I–IV have been conducted in close co-operation with the concurrent National Health Interview and Examination Surveys performed by the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin.The Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) started routine operation in 1985. Human specimens are taken annually from students at four German university towns, archived as individual samples, and stored at temperatures below –150 °C. After more than two decades of operation the ESB now provides a continuous historical record of the state of exposure of humans and the environment in Germany for this period, thus supplying samples for retrospective monitoring of emerging pollutants, and the identification of temporal trends and spatial load differences.
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German Environmental Survey IV: children's exposure to Environmental tobacco smoke.
Toxicology Letters, 2009Co-Authors: André Conrad, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, Detlef Ullrich, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:Abstract 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. The number of smokers in the household had a significant influence on the concentrations of several indoor air contaminants (VOC and aldehydes). Human biomonitoring data on cotinine were used to identify the levels of exposure to ETS. Urinary cotinine is correlated with several predictors of ETS and is also associated with other toxicants in non-smoking children, e.g. cadmium. Temporal comparison indicated that in the last 15 years no decrease of children's ETS exposure has been achieved in Germany.
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German Environmental Survey IV: Environmental tobacco smoke exposure of German children
International Journal of Environment and Health, 2008Co-Authors: André Conrad, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, Detlef Ullrich, Marike Kolossa-gehringAbstract:As the current extent of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) exposure of children in Germany is unknown, it was investigated in the German Environmental Survey (GerES IV) for Children from 2003 to 2006 using questionnaires and analyses of cotinine in urine and benzene and formaldehyde in indoor air. About half of the 3- to 14-year-old children in Germany live in households with at least one smoker. Smoking at home is one of the most important predictors for benzene concentrations in indoor air. Cotinine concentrations in urine can be used to identify the levels of exposure to ETS. Multivariate analysis yields several relevant predictors for ETS exposure of children in Germany.
Bernd Seifert - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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german Environmental Survey 1998 geres iii Environmental pollutants in blood of the german population
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2002Co-Authors: Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Margarete Seiwert, Susanne Kaus, Christian Krause, Peter Lepom, Bernd SeifertAbstract: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). A total of 4822 persons between 18 and 69 years of age from 120 localities participated in GerES III. Human biomonitoring comprised the determination of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), pentachlorophenol (PCP), other chlorophenols, precious metals (gold, platinum, iridium), nicotine, and cotinine in urine.
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the german Environmental Survey 1990 1992 geres ii reference concentrations of selected Environmental pollutants in blood urine hair house dust drinking water and indoor air
Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 2000Co-Authors: Bernd Seifert, Kerstin Becker, Christine Schulz, Christian Krause, Dieter Helm, Margarete SeiwertAbstract:The German Environmental Survey (GerES) is a large-scale, representative population study that has been carried out three times up to now with a time interval of about 7 years. GerES I was performed in 1985/1986, GerES IIa in 1990/1991 in West Germany, and GerES IIb in 1991/1992 in East Germany, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). In GerES II, blood, urine, and scalp hair samples of 4021 adults aged 25–69 years and of 736 children aged 6–14 years were analysed as well as Environmental samples (house dust, drinking water, indoor and personal air, diet). Characteristics of the frequency distributions of the substances analysed in the different media were calculated. The geometric mean (GM) for lead, cadmium, and mercury in the blood of adults amounted to 45.3, 0.36, and 0.51 µg/l, respectively. The corresponding values of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in urine were 6.3, 0.29, and 0.54 µg/l, respectively. The concentrations of lead in blood, cadmium in blood and urine, and mercury in blood are lower in children than in adults. The GM of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in urine of adults was 2.67 µg/l and in urine of children, 4.15 µg/l. These results of GerES II were compared with the so-called HBM values which represent health-based exposure guidelines and have been defined by the Human Biomonitoring Commission (HBC) of the Federal Environmental Agency, inter alia for lead in blood, cadmium in urine, mercury in blood and urine, and PCP in urine. They also provided a sound basis for the setting of reference values to describe the status of the German population. A total of 1.8% and 0.6% of the German females in child-bearing age had a level of lead in blood higher than HBM-I (100 µg/l) and HBM-II (150 µg/l), respectively. One percent of the children had a blood lead level above HBM-I. House dust and drinking water were analysed to characterise exposure in the domestic environment. Arsenic, cadmium, and lead deposition in homes amounted to 5.4 ng/(m2 day), 11.7 ng/(m2 day), and 0.29 µg/(m2 day), respectively. In the content of vacuum cleaner bags, concentrations were 2.1, 0.9, and 5.9 µg/g. PCP, lindane and permethrin could be detected in the house dust of most German households. The pollutant load of the drinking water is significantly influenced by the corrosion of pipe materials and fittings. The new EC limit value of 10 µg/l for lead was exceeded in 7.7% of the first draw samples. The relatively high percentage (14%) of samples from East Germany that exceeded the current German guideline value for formaldehyde of 0.1 ppm in indoor air may be explained by the widespread use of contaminated particleboard in the former GDR.
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The German Environmental Survey 1990/1992 (GerES II): a representative population study
Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2000Co-Authors: Bernd Seifert, Kerstin Becker, Christian Krause, Kurt Hoffmann, Christine SchulzAbstract:The German Environmental Survey (GerES) is a large-scale population study which has repeatedly been carried out in Germany. GerES I was conducted in 1985/1986 followed by GerES IIa in 1990/1991 (West Germany) and GerES IIb in 1991/1992 (East Germany). GerES III is currently run in both parts of Germany. The main goal of the Surveys is to analyse and document the extent, distribution and determinants of the exposure to Environmental pollutants of the German general population. Field work is conducted using a combination of several tools, including questionnaires, interviews, human biomonitoring, and indoor and outdoor Environmental samplings. This paper describes the design of GerES II, and gives a general outline of the field work and the analytical procedures used. In GerES II, about 4000 adults were representatively selected from the German population with regard to age, gender and community size. Approximately 700 children were also included. Arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, and mercury were determined in blood, morning urine and/or scalp hair. In addition, samples were taken and analysed to characterise exposure in the domestic environment (indoor air, house dust, drinking water). The contribution to exposure of food was also studied. Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was determined by personal sampling.
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The German Environmental Survey 1990/92 (GerES II): Sources of personal exposure to volatile organic compounds
Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2000Co-Authors: Kurt Hoffmann, Bernd Seifert, Christian Krause, Detlef UllrichAbstract:In the framework of the second German Environmental Survey carried out in the Western part of Germany in 1990/91 (GerES IIa) 113 adults aged 25–69 years were selected at random from the total study population of about 2500 to investigate personal exposure to about 70 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each subject wore a diffusive badge-type sampler for 1 week. The VOCs determined included alkanes, aromatics, aliphatic halocarbons, terpenes, and oxygen-containing compounds. Multivariate regression analysis was carried out to determine and quantify the major sources of personal exposure to various VOCs. In this paper, results are given for benzene, and C8- and C9-aromatics. Being subject to Environmental tobacco smoke was found to be the most important determinant of benzene exposure, but automobile-related activities such as driving a car or refuelling, were also associated with significantly increased levels of benzene. The major determinant of C8- and C9-aromatics concentrations was occupational exposure. Emissions from paints, lacquers, newspapers, magazines and print-works were also important contributors to C8-aromatics exposure. Renovation, painting and smoking were associated with a significant increase of the exposure to C9-aromatics.
Alessandro Boselli - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE).VI. Environmental quenching on HII region scales.
arXiv: Astrophysics of Galaxies, 2020Co-Authors: Alessandro Boselli, Matteo Fossati, A. Longobardi, Samuel Boissier, Médéric Boquien, Jonathan Braine, Patrick Côté, Jean-charles Cuillandre, Benoit Epinat, Laura FerrareseAbstract:The Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE) is a blind narrow-band Halpha+[NII] imaging Survey of the Virgo cluster carried out with MegaCam at the Canada-French-Hawaii telescope (CFHT). We use a new set of data extracted from VESTIGE to study the impact of the hostile cluster environment on the star formation process down to the scale of HII regions (~ 50 pc). HII regions are identified and their parameters measured using the HIIphot code on a sample of 114 late-type galaxies spanning a wide range in morphological type (Sa-Sd, Im, BCD), stellar mass (10^6.5 = 10^37 erg s^-1. We show that the typical number of HII regions in gas-stripped objects is significantly lower than in healthy late-types of similar stellar mass. We also show that in these gas-stripped galaxies the number of HII regions significantly drops outside the effective radius, suggesting that the quenching process occurs outside-in, in agreement with other multifrequency observations. These new results consistently confirm that the main mechanism responsible for the decrease of the star formation activity observed in cluster galaxies is ram pressure, allowing us to discard other milder processes such as starvation or strangulation unable to reproduce the observed radially truncated profiles.
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a virgo Environmental Survey tracing ionised gas emission vestige v properties of the ionised gas filament of m87
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2019Co-Authors: Alessandro Boselli, Matteo Fossati, A. Longobardi, Médéric Boquien, Jonathan Braine, G Consolandi, P Amram, P Andreani, F Combes, Patrick CôtéAbstract:We have observed the giant elliptical galaxy M87 during the Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Galaxy Evolution (VESTIGE), a blind narrow-band Halpha+[NII] imaging Survey of the Virgo cluster carried out with MegaCam at the Canada French Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). The deep narrow-band image confirmed the presence of a filament of ionised gas extending up to ~ 3 kpc in the north-western direction and ~ 8 kpc to the south-east, with a couple of plumes of ionised gas, the weakest of which, at ~ 18 kpc from the nucleus, was previously unknown. The analysis of deep optical images taken from the NGVS Survey confirms that this gas filament is associated with dust seen in absorption which is now detected up to ~ 2.4 kpc from the nucleus. We have also analysed the physical and kinematical properties of the ionised gas filament using deep IFU MUSE data covering the central 4.8 x 4.8 kpc^2 of the galaxy. The spectroscopic data confirms a perturbed kinematics of the ionised gas, with differences in velocity of ~ 700-800 km s^-1 on scales of < 1 kpc. The analysis of 2D diagnostic diagrams and the observed relationship between the shock-sensitive [OI]/Halpha line ratio and the velocity dispersion of the gas suggest that the gas is shock-ionised.
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A Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE).III. Star formation in the stripped gas of NGC 4254
Astronomy and Astrophysics - A&A, 2018Co-Authors: Alessandro Boselli, Matteo Fossati, Samuel Boissier, Médéric Boquien, Jean-charles Cuillandre, G Consolandi, V. Buat, D. Burgarella, L. Cortese, Patrick CôtéAbstract:During pilot observations of the Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Galaxy Evolution (VESTIGE), a blind narrow-band Halpha+[NII] imaging Survey of the Virgo cluster carried out with MegaCam at the CFHT, we have observed the spiral galaxy NGC 4254 (M99). Deep Halpha+[NII] narrow-band and GALEX UV images revealed the presence of 60 compact (70-500 pc radius) star forming regions up to ~ 20 kpc outside the optical disc of the galaxy. These regions are located along a tail of HI gas stripped from the disc of the galaxy after a rapid gravitational encounter with another Virgo cluster member that simulations indicate occurred 280-750 Myr ago. We have combined the VESTIGE data with multifrequency data from the UV to the far-infrared to characterise the stellar populations of these regions and study the star formation process in an extreme environment such as the tails of stripped gas embedded in the hot intracluster medium. The colour, spectral energy distribution (SED), and linear size consistently indicate that these regions are coeval and have been formed after a single burst of star formation that occurred ~< 100 Myr ago. These regions might become free floating objects within the cluster potential well, and be the local analogues of compact sources produced after the interaction of gas-rich systems that occurred during the early formation of clusters.
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A Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE). III. Star formation in the stripped gas of NGC 4254
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2018Co-Authors: Alessandro Boselli, Matteo Fossati, Samuel Boissier, Médéric Boquien, Jean-charles Cuillandre, G Consolandi, V. Buat, D. Burgarella, L. Cortese, Patrick CôtéAbstract:During pilot observations of the Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Galaxy Evolution (VESTIGE), a blind narrow-band H alpha + [NII] imaging Survey of the Virgo cluster carried out with MegaCam at the CFHT, we have observed the spiral galaxy NGC 4254 (M99). Deep H alpha + [NIT] narrow-band and GALEX UV images reveal the presence of 60 compact (70-500 pc radius) star-forming regions up to similar or equal to 20 kpc outside the optical disc of the galaxy. These regions are located along a tail of HI gas stripped from the disc of the galaxy after a rapid gravitational encounter with another Virgo cluster member that simulations indicate occurred 280-750 Myr ago. We have combined the VESTIGE data with multifrequency data from the UV to the far-infrared to characterise the stellar populations of these regions and study the star formation process in an extreme environment such as the tails of stripped gas embedded in the hot intracluster medium. The colour, spectral energy distribution (SED), and linear size consistently indicate that these regions are coeval and have been formed after a single burst of star formation that occurred less than or similar to 100 Myr ago. These regions might become free floating objects within the cluster potential well, and be the local analogues of compact sources produced after the interaction of gas-rich systems that occurred during the early formation of clusters.
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a virgo Environmental Survey tracing ionised gas emission vestige ii constraining the quenching time in the stripped galaxy ngc 4330
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2018Co-Authors: Matteo Fossati, Alessandro Boselli, Samuel Boissier, Jean-charles Cuillandre, Laura Ferrarese, G Consolandi, J T Mendel, B Vollmer, Stephen Gwyn, P AmramAbstract:The Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE) is a blind narrow-band Hα + [NII] imaging Survey carried out with MegaCam at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. During pilot observations taken in the spring of 2016 we observed NGC 4330, an intermediate mass (M* ≃ 109.8 M⊙) edge-on star forming spiral currently falling into the core of the Virgo cluster. While previous Hα observations showed a clumpy complex of ionised gas knots outside the galaxy disc, new deep observations revealed a low surface brightness ~10 kpc tail exhibiting a peculiar filamentary structure. The filaments are remarkably parallel to one another and clearly indicate the direction of motion of the galaxy in the Virgo potential. Motivated by the detection of these features which indicate ongoing gas stripping, we collected literature photometry in 15 bands from the far-UV to the far-IR and deep optical long-slit spectroscopy using the FORS2 instrument at the ESO Very Large Telescope. Using a newly developed Monte Carlo code that jointly fits spectroscopy and photometry, we reconstructed the star formation histories in apertures along the major axis of the galaxy. Our results have been validated against the output of CIGALE, a fitting code which has been previously used for similar studies. We found a clear outside-in gradient with radius of the time when the quenching event started: the outermost radii were stripped ~500 Myr ago, while the stripping reached the inner 5 kpc from the centre in the last 100 Myr. Regions at even smaller radii are currently still forming stars fueled by the presence of HI and H2 gas. When compared to statistical studies of the quenching timescales in the local Universe we find that ram pressure stripping of the cold gas is an effective mechanism to reduce the transformation times for galaxies falling into massive clusters. Future systematic studies of all the active galaxies observed by VESTIGE in the Virgo cluster will extend these results to a robust statistical framework.