Decrease of internal exposure to chlororganic compounds and heavy metals in children in Baden-Württemberg between 1996/1997 and 2008/2009.

From 1996/1997 to 2008/2009, blood and urine were sampled from 9- to 11-year-old pupils in the state of Baden-Württemberg, South-West Germany. In blood samples the chlororganics DDE, HCB, PCB-138, PCB-153 and PCB-180 were analysed by gas chromatography and ECD detection. PCDD/PCDF were measured in pooled blood samples using GC/MS. Lead concentrations in blood were quantified by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), mercury in urine by using cold vapour AAS. For all chlororganics and heavy metals a distinct decrease of the internal concentration could be shown within the 12-year investigation period. For DDE, the median decreased from 0.32 µg/l to 0.11 µg/l. The median of HCB fell from 0.19 µg/l to 0.07 µg/l. The median of the sum of the three PCB-congeners PCB-138, PCB-153 and PCB-180 decreased from 0.47 µg/l to 0.18 µg/l. The burden of PCDD/PCDF in pooled blood samples resulted in approximately half the concentration after the 12-year period. The internal concentrations of the chlororganics were distinctly higher in breastfed children than in non-breastfed children. In 2008/2009, these differences were strongest for PCB and DDE (2-fold), moderate for PCDD/PCDF (1.6-fold), and slight for HCB (1.2-fold). The median of lead concentrations in blood dropped from 23.6 µg/l to 15.9 µg/l. The median of mercury concentrations in urine decreased from 0.25 µg/l to a value below the limit of quantification of 0.2 µg/l; the 95th percentile was reduced from 3.1 µg/l to less than 0.2 µg/l. The decline of amalgam fillings in children during the investigation period had a strong influence on internal concentrations of mercury. The internal concentration of the persistent xenobiotics investigated here decreased to a low level not likely to be of concern for human health.

Type of kindergarten and other potential determinants of overweight in pre-school children.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the relationship of various types of kindergarten differing in length of care and food availability with the development of overweight in pre-school children. DESIGN, SETTING AND SUBJECTS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2002 in Stuttgart, Germany, as part of the school entrance examination. Height and weight of 2140 children (participation 70.2%) were measured and information on type of kindergarten and other potential determinants of overweight was collected by a parental questionnaire. Change in relative body mass index (BMI) position between the ages of 4 and 6 years was assessed using medical records. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight or change in relative BMI position did not differ according to the type of kindergarten. For the prevalence of overweight in German children, adjusted odds ratios (OR) comparing institutions that open only in the morning with those opening in the morning and afternoon or for the full day were 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40, 1.83) and 0.63 (95% CI 0.25, 1.58), respectively. Parental BMI and duration of television watching were positively associated, and maternal educational status and duration of breast-feeding were negatively associated, with overweight and/or change in relative BMI position. The prevalence of overweight was substantially higher among non-German than among German children (adjusted OR 2.17 (95% CI 1.53, 3.07)). CONCLUSIONS: These data show no association between different types of kindergarten and the development of overweight in early childhood. Duration of television watching and breast-feeding, as well as the relatively high prevalence of overweight in ethnic minorities, deserve further attention.

[Human biomonitoring investigations of organochlorine compounds -- PCB, DDE, HCB, beta- and gamma-HCH, PCDD/PCDF, Dioxin-like PCB's and polybrominated biphenyl ethers]. / Humanbiomonitoring-Untersuchungen von Organohalogenverbindungen -- PCB, DDE; HCB, beta- und gamma-HCH, PCDD/PCDF, koplanaren PCB sowie polybromierten Biphenylethern.

Although PCB and PCB-containing materials are not processed for a long time, PCB is under discussion again and again caused by the pollution of indoor environments. To objectify the discussion, the dates of the PCB-biomonitoring, the organochlorine-compounds (DDE, HCB, beta-/gamma -HCH, PCDD/PCDF) and the polybrominated biphenyl ethers concerning the investigations within the project "Sentinel Health Departments" in Baden-Wurttemberg are represented. Additionally results from children from Kazakhstan (Aral-Sea area) and from teachers which are working in PCB polluted schools as well as from a long term investigated test person are reported. Blood concentrations of the following compounds decreased from 1996/97 to 2002/03: the sum of the concentration of PCB 138,153 and 180 decreased from 0.46 microg/L to 0.20 microg/L, DDE from 0.32 microg/L to 0.17 microg/, HCB from 0.20 microg/L to 0.08 microg/L, beta-HCH below the level of detection, I-TEQ NATO to 4.8 pg/g blood fat, TEQ WHO (without PCB) to 5.5 pg/g blood fat, PCB 126 to 18,8,pg/g blood fat and PCB 169 to 12.8 pg/g blood fat. The influence of breast feeding and the gender on the level of the pollution is conspicious. No local correlations were found in Baden-Wurttemberg, but they were found in comparison with the results of Kazakhstan (Aral-Sea area). The difficulty to produce time series while the analyzing pollutants are more and more decreasing, as well as the change of the calculation base of the summation of parameters like I-TEQ NATO to TEQ WHO are discussed.

[Determination of mold concentrations in homes and schools in Baden-Württemberg]. / Bestimmung der Schimmelpilzkonzentration in Wohnungen und Schulen Baden-Württembergs.

So far there have been rather few reliable and comparable data available on indoor pollution with mould. Following the publication of the Federal Environmental Agency and the Health Agency Baden-Württemberg which supports the assessment of mould pollution of indoor air, it seemed advisable to investigate as to how far these criteria can be used for the assessing the mould pollution in daily practice. The results of investigations of 130 homes and 117 classrooms in Baden-Württemberg. will be represented.

[Exposition and sensitisation to indoor allergens, house dust mite allergen and cat allergens]. / Exposition und Sensibilisierung gegenüber Milben- und Katzenallergenen bei Kindern in Baden-Württemberg.

The study examined the exposure to biological indoor air agents and their possible role for allergies and respiratory tract illnesses of children. It was conducted as a case control study (atopic vs non-atopic children) at the four surveillance public health departments in Baden-Württemberg in the winter season 1999/2000 and included 379 children of the fourth class. The concentrations of the house dust mite antigens Der F1, Der p1, and Der Gr2 as well as cat allergen Fel d1 were determined in the children's bedrooms on the ground and in the mattress. Specific IgE-antibodies against allergens from house dust, mites and cat were determined in the serum of the children. For mite allergens the following medians ( micro g/g) were estimated in floor dust: Der p1 = 0.6, Der f1 = 2.3, Gr2 = 0.1; in mattresses: Der p1 = 1.2, Der f1 = 3.4, Gr2 = 0.3. The median of Fel d1 in floor dust was 0.2 microg/g, in mattresses 0.1 microg/g. Sensitisation to dust mite allergen was found to be more prevalent than sensitisation to cat. The distribution of sensitisation among the cases and controls is different. Among the cases, more subjects were sensitised to dust mites (32.9 %) and cat (13.1 %). Among the controls, 17.1 % were sensitised to dust mites and 4.1 % to cat. The results showed no direct association between the prevalence of allergies or respiratory tract illnesses and the indoor concentrations of the allergens. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.

[10 years of observation by public health offices in Baden-Württemberg--assessment of human biomonitoring for mercury due to dental amalgam fillings and other sources]. / 10 Jahre Beobachtungsgesundheitsämter in Baden-Württemberg--Beurteilung der Human-Biomonitoring-Untersuchungen bezüglich der Quecksilber-Belastung durch Amalgamfüllungen und andere Quellen.

Since 1992, in Baden-Württemberg, ten-year old children have been surveyed in the project "Sentinel Health Departments" to study their exposure to environmental pollutants and possible health effects. In the four study areas 1200 children have been investigated every year initially, since 1996 every second year. The data for mercury in body fluids are reported here. The decrease in the body burden of mercury as a result of the declining usage of dental amalgam fillings, was been verified. In 1992/93, of all the children who had been surveyed, the 95 percentile for the body burden of mercury was 3.1 microg/l and in 2000/01 1.35 microg/l. Also to be discussed is the reason why mercury-based cosmetic ointments seriously exceed the HBM-II-intervention-value. Because of using these ointments, concentrations of mercury in urine up to 1400 microg/l were found. A study within the project "Sentinel Health Departments" compared the concentrations of mercury in the urine of adults with those in blood and salvia. The results support the opinion that mercury in urine is appropriate for estimating the mercury uptake from dental amalgam fillings. It can be assumed that these results reflect the situation in the entire Federal Republic of Germany. The ten years' experience confirms that the concept of the "Sentinel Health Departments" is excellently suited to obtain data relevant for environmental health of children. Environmental health protection and the essential gathering of data for future health observation in Baden-Württemberg.

A time-saving system for irradiations of experimental tumors.

PURPOSE: Experimental in vivo radiotherapy frequently aims at the imitation of clinically applied fractionation schedules. However, the reliability of the anesthetic procedure and limited access to the treatment machines in clinical departments are major factors complicating the practical realisation of the experiment. Therefore, a reliable and time saving system for irradiations of xenografted tumors has been developed, which allows repeated irradiations, even in relatively short intervals available for experimental irradiations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The system presented here consists of an acrylic distributor for an anesthetic gas mixture employing enflurane (Ethrane) in the center of the set-up. Ten mice are positioned radially around the midpoint of the set-up so that they can be irradiated simultaneously. The xenotransplanted tumors growing on the right hind leg of mice are placed in a predefined position, which was found to be of advantage in order to position the tumors for fractionated treatments in identical setting. Tumor-bearing mice are irradiated with 15 MeV photons generated by a linear accelerator at a dose rate of 2.5 Gy/min. One of the significant feature of the setup is the ability to irradiate in acute hypoxia which is obtained by use of an integrated tourniquet. The dose modifying effects of different gases can be investigated by simply using them as carrier for the enflurane. RESULTS: With the use of the set-up several different experiments were performed so far. At most ten fractions were given, one fraction per day. Even after these repeated treatment the loss of animals due to narcosis was less than 2%. The dose variation within the treatment field was found to be less than 4% as measured with TLD dosimetry. The remaining body of the mice is shielded effectively from the direct beam as the whole body dose of mice is 8% of the total tumor absorbed dose. The efficacy of the tourniquet technique for acute hypoxic irradiations was illustrated with the use of 99mTc-labelled albumin showing a complete stop of blood flow in the clamped leg. The steep dose-response curve obtained for single dose irradiation of a neurogenic sarcoma is based on the physical and experimental precision which can be reached with the technique suggested here. CONCLUSION: Due to the high dose rate and the possibility to irradiate ten animals simultaneously the set-up introduced here is greatly time saving. The versatile applicability makes the new set-up a valuable tool for tumor radiobiology.

Multidetector endodosimetry probe with silicon-pn-junction-diodes for in-vivo-dosimetry.

In-vivo-dosimetry is necessary to prevent overdosage during radiation treatment techniques of great risk. New special dosemeter probes with up to five Si-pn-junction-diodes in a silicone tube were developed and tested for endodosimetry. They show high efficiency and good linearity of response, without dose-rate dependence. The steep increase of the sensitivity for low energies causes a phantom depth dependence of response. A low temperature dependence but a large anisotropy of response is found for the tested diodes. These multidetector probes proved to be sufficient for direct reading endodosimetric control of dose and dose-distribution during radiotherapy.

[Fully automatical control of patient positioning--a new technique leading to exact and safe radiation therapy (author's transl)]. / Vollautomatische Patientenlagerungsüberwachung--ein neuer Weg zur exakten und sicheren Strahlentherapie.

Any motion of the patient causing a displacement of the target volume or an immediate mechanical danger in the course of radiation therapy must be prevented. A new possibility for individual objective monitoring of patient movements, fully automatical, can be presented. Every significant displacement is releasing alarm and is detectable instantaneously. Normal respiratory movements or even the motion of the gantry do not cause a wrong alarm. Important displacements will interrupt the irradiation. Mechanical hazards to the patient thus are almost impossible. First experiences are reported.

[Homogenization of the dose to the target volume in case of irregular body-surface by means of compensation (author's transl)]. / Dosishomogenisierung im Zielvolumen bei irregulärer Körperoberfläche durch Kompensation.

Irregular body-surface contours in the treatment part of high-energetic photon fields are producing an inhomogeneous dose distribution within the target volume. Homogenization of the dose is necessary in order to avoid over- or underdosage. A technique of making compensators is described. These are individual compensation filters substituting tissue layers which are lacking, they are correctly scaled down and optimally corrected in view of absorption and scattering according to the actual irradiation conditions. A simple mechanical device makes possible the production of a mould for heavy-metal compensators immediately in the course of scanning of the body-surface. A universal semi-automatic version of this method is appropriate to clinical practice; it records optically, and therefore without contact and quickly, all body-contours desired. By means of the image of moiré contour-lines thus obtained can be made the mould for the compensator in a second operation using an electronically controlled copy-milling machine.