[Biological monitoring in the area around a steel mill]. / Biologisches Monitoring im Einzugsbereich eines Stahlwerkes.

On the basis of measurements of dust sediment samples, carried out from 1984 to 1988 in the environment of trace element emitting plants and industrial centers of the former GDR, the exposure of the people in the region of the ferrometallurgical plant Brandenburg (with 12 Siemens Martin furnaces) had been investigated. Samples of hair, urine and blood of 170 men and children had been taken for this investigation. For a correct assessment of the exposition we have also measured the dust in flats. In comparison to persons from clean regions higher concentration level of Cu and Mn in hair, Cd in urine and Pb in blood were found in the population group living near to the emittent. But these concentration levels have not yet reached an acute danger of inhabitants of the investigated industrial centre. The limited increase of heavy metal concentration is also a consequence of the information of the inhabitants.

[The emission of heavy metals with dust suspensions at 33 selected measuring points in the former East Germany (time period 1983-1988)]. / Untersuchung der Immission von Schwermetallen mit dem Schwebstaub an 33 ausgewählten Messpunkten in der ehemaligen DDR (Zeitraum 1983-1988).

2200 weekly samples of airborne particulate matter from 33 measuring sites have been obtained by 12 district institutes of hygiene (Gera, Chemnitz, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt, Frankfurt, Magdeburg, Neubrandenburg, Rostock, Cottbus, and Berlin). After pressure digestion of the impacted membrane filters the concentrations of 15 elements (Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, Be, Fe, Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, V, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) were analysed by ICP-Spectrometry. The Immissions were calculated using the air sample volumes. Measuring points with very high immissions are: steel plant Riesa, district Dresden (nonferrous and ferrous metals), Drübeck, near to the copper plant Ilsenburg (nonferrous metals), Lead paint plant Ohrdruf, district Erfurt (highest Pb-Immission: 3137 ng/m3), Special glass plant Weisswasser, district Cottbus (Ba, Pb and Cd), Leipzig (dust and all other elements). Four groups of measuring site with different characteristic types of immissions could be distinguished by means of factor and cluster analysis. The separation of these groups by discriminant analysis was significant (P greater than 0.95). The seasonal trends showed maximal values in winter and minimal values in summer.

[Concentrations of heavy metals in dust precipitation and estimate of the load status in the GDR. Results of a nation-wide study of 144 measuring points (1983-1988)]. / Konzentrationen von Schwermetallen im Staubniederschlag und Einschätzung der Belastungssituation der DDR. Ergebnisse einer landesweiten Untersuchung an 144 Messpunkten (1983-1988).

The concentration of 17 elements in dust sediments from impacted and background regions of the GDR had been analysed by ICP. Measuring points with concentrations of Cadmium, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Chromium, or Vanadium above the 84.1-percentile of all measuring points are listed and ranked under public health aspects.

[Study of heavy metal immission with dust sedimentation in various regions of the GDR. Results of a nationwide study of 144 measuring points (1983-1988)]. / Untersuchung der Immission von Schwermetallen mit dem Staubniederschlag in verschiedenen Regionen der DDR. Ergebnisse einer landesweiten Untersuchung an 144 Messpunkten (1983-1988).

Dust sediment samples had been taken continuously from 1983 to 1988 in the environment of trace element emitting industrial plants, in industrial centers, in urban regions without specific deposits, and in background regions of the GDR. After wet digestion the concentrations of 17 elements (Ca, Fe, Al, Mg, Na, P, Zn, Mn, Ti, Ba, Pb, Sr, Cu, Cr, Cd, V, Be) have been determined by atomic emission spectrometry (ICP) and calculated as element fallout (mg/m2 x 30 d). More than 60,000 data underlie statistical analysis. Measuring points with geometrical averaged immissions of significant elements (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Be, Cr, V) above the 84-percentile of all measuring points are listed separately. Very heavy sources of all analysed elements are steel plants more than nonferrous metal plants. The northern territories of the GDR are comparatively slightly impacted.