[Is a generalized amalgam ban justified? Studies of mothers and their newborn infants]. / Ist ein generelles Amalgam-Verbot gerechtfertigt? Untersuchungen an Müttern und ihren Neugeborenen.

To measure the Hg-contamination from amalgam as well as other exposures to mothers and their newborns 185 women with tooth filling surfaces from 0 to 780 mm2 were examined. The Hg-values of mother and child at a time showed a highly significant correlation with a median value from 0.4 resp. 0.5 microgram/Hg/l. Obviously, the placenta has a retention capability with up to 10 times higher Hg-values and a low positive correlation to the amalgam surfaces. There was no relationship between the blood values of the women and the children and the size of the surfaces of the amalgam fillings. Opposite to this a high consumption of fish led to higher Hg-values in the umbilical cord blood, this even in children with mothers without amalgam fillings. Other exposures through working conditions (i.e. dental assistant) or living environment did not lead to higher values. Symptoms of diseases such as headaches, allergies, eczemas appeared with those patients who had amalgam fillings as well as those in the group without amalgam fillings. All women gave birth to healthy children. With all necessary caution concerning contamination with heavy metals during pregnancy some of today's panic inducing portrayals do not seem justified.

[Effects of new dental amalgam fillings in pregnancy on Hg concentration in mother and child. With consideration for possible interactions between amalgam and precious metals]. / Auswirkungen von in der Schwangerschaft neu gelegten Amalgam-Zahnfüllungen auf die Hg-Konzentration bei Mutter und Kind. Berücksichtigung möglicher Wechselwirkungen zwischen Amalgam und Edelmetallen.

Amalgam-tooth fillings are suspected to be cause of many different diseases. With special consideration of the problem of newly made fillings, blood samples were taken from 45 affected pregnant women. After birth, newborns and placenta tissue were tested for Hg-contamination. One hundred and twenty one women with older amalgam-fillings were compared to 19 women without amalgam-fillings. The surfaces of the amalgam-fillings were measured in each case in mm2. In 58 women the tooth fillings contained additional precious metal. While in the placentas a retaining function were found of up to ten times higher Hg-values but low correlations to the amalgam surfaces, the Hg-concentrations in the blood samples of mother and child did not correlate to the amalgam-fillings. Newly made fillings during pregnancy had no influence on the Hg-concentration, neither had the contact to precious metals in the approximal and the antagonistic range. The wide-spreading of Hg-values without correlation to the filling-surfaces speaks for a great influence of other environmental factors.

[Responsibilities of UV facilities and monitoring of UV disinfection from the viewpoint of the public health authority]. / Anforderungen an UV-Anlagen und die Uberwachung der UV-Desinfektion aus der Sicht der Gesundheitsbehörde.

Extensive studies carried out for long years have shown that UV disinfection of drinking water is fundamentally a well-founded alternative to chlorination. The article states the prerequisites for installing a UV disinfection plant. Authorities responsible for checking on such plant must insists on the need for ascertaining whether the appropriate type has been selected and they must also insists on periodic controls of built-in reactors. In consequence there of Public Health authorities must shoulder advisory and controlling responsibilities. Other possible uses of UV disinfection plant are pointed out.

[Problems of excretors on the future of public health]. / Probleme von Ausscheidern aus der Sicht des öffentlichen Gesundheitswesens.

Analyses of 216.000 fecal specimens performed in the LGA Baden-Württemberg in 1991 showed results that allow a survey of salmonella carriers in the FRG. Following facts could be obtained: 0.36% Salmonella positive findings in persons who intended to start their occupation in a food processing plant. The proportion of carriers increased in summer up to 0.67%. There was a change from S. typhymurium to S. enteritidis since 1980. The trend of increasing isolation rates of S. enteritidis is obvious: 1985 2.600 new isolates 1991 11.000 new isolates (322%) Taking the above mentioned findings into account, about 3 million persons are carriers during several days or weeks per year. The following consequences should be drawn, especially with regard to the dramatic increase of outbreaks during the last year: 1. A more consistent report relating to the demands of the BSeuchG section 3 is mandatory. 2. Increasing research efforts relating to cause and route of infection carried out by government health authorities (epidemiology of infection). 3. Specific examination of the family and other contacts. 4. Cration of working capacities by dropping the medical check-ups relating to sections 17/18 BSeuchG. 5. Intensifying initiative to prevent infections is required of all food processing plants by means of hygiene order supervised by competent authorities. 6. Increasing microbiologic controls of food of animal origin. 7. Consistent microbiologic controls of feeding stuff to avoid transmission as cause of infection. 8. Increasing instruction and information of the general population and the personnel in food processing plants.

[Waste water pollutants due to the use of disinfectants in the hospital]. / Abwasserbelastung durch Desinfektionsmittelanwendung im Krankenhaus.

It is assumed that the antiseptic effect of disinfectants in effluents from hospitals can severely disturb the growth of microorganisms in the different stages of aeration of sewage plants. Regular biological catabolism could therefore be damaged. The impact of substances on the waste water depends on the concentration of disinfectants they contain. Consequently this essay first examines the expected quantities of antiseptic substances in the effluent of a medium-sized hospital (440 Beds). The effluents treated here however showed a low concentration of disinfectants and it could be proved that these quantities do not have any harmful effects on the examined parameters such as BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and pH-value.

[Hospital inspection by the public health department]. / Krankenhausbesichtigung durch das Gesundheitsamt.

Practical pointers are given regarding hospital inspections carried out by the Public Health Service. Specific points deserving attention are recorded by means of check lists. Inspections should not only take functional and structural factors into account but also problems of organisation and prophylaxis of nosocomial infections in diagnosis, therapy, and care.

[Hygiene problems with mineral and table waters]. / Hygieneprobleme bei Mineral- und Tafelwasser.

The article describes the definitions of mineral water, water from natural sources, and table water as laid down by Federal German legislation. The microbiological limit or guiding values are discussed and compared with the results obtained by the Land Bureau of Medical Testing in Baden-Württemberg. Results of the examinations show not only the chemical hazards but also the microbiological ones to which mineral water sources are exposed--which, by the way, are not surrounded by protected areas (a few rare cases excepted) and are thus greatly in danger of noxious contamination. To this are added microbiological contaminations due to inadequate hygiene during recovery and filling. The weak points are pinpointed. The problems facing the controlling authorities are pointed out, and so are instances where limit values have been exceeded. Attention is drawn to the urgent need for protecting natural mineral water sources.

Comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis in drug analysis.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) are compared with respect to their usefulness in drug analysis. Factors discussed include efficiency, performance, sensitivity, optimization parameters, method development time, sample preparation, technical difficulties, orthogonality of the information obtained and the possible application to various substance groups. It is concluded that HPLC can be applied successfully in virtually all areas of pharmaceutical analysis. CZE has a promising future in the analysis of drugs and in the field of biotechnological analysis, where a high number of plates is required together with a short analysis time. Nevertheless improvements in detection are still necessary for most applications. SFC is particularly suitable for moderately polar compounds or substances for which mass-sensitive detection is required. SFC and CZE can be considered as complementary to HPLC owing to the orthogonality of the acquired data, and as a result more information can be obtained from the analysis.

[Experiences in the control of the food industry. Standards and warning values]. / Erfahrungen bei der Kontrolle von Lebensmittelbetrieben. Richtwerte und Warnwerte.

Findings of one year under review concerning food investigations carried out by the official food control of Baden-Wüttemberg are presented. This study is to demonstrate that, taking more samples, does not consistently mean improvement concerning the microbiological situation of food. A high percentage of the taken samples had to be confiscated because of the detection of pathogenic and facultative pathogenic germs being microbiologically inadmissible contaminants. The necessity of having a uniform judgement on microbiological food investigations is demonstrated. The study group "Food Hygiene" of the DGHM worked out examples related to instant products, raw dehydrated farinaceous pastes, cooking products, dehydrated soups, dehydrated one-dish meals, dehydrated sauces and spices. These examples are demonstrated. The problematic nature of a critical judgement is discussed.

[Prevention of infection and hygiene in the hospital and in medical practice]. / Infektionsprophylaxe und Hygiene im Krankenhaus und der ärztlichen Praxis.

This paper describes the obligation of the clinical staff and the practice staff to observe the directions for detection, prevention and control of clinical infections as well as the prescriptions for the prevention of accidents and possibly existing governmental laws. These directions are legally binding as some type of DIN standard for hospital hygiene. Undoubtedly these directions and their annexes are of considerable importance for the daily work in a hospital or practice. This is illustrated by some examples.

[Air-borne microbes in the vicinity of sewage treatment plants]. / Aerogene Belastung in der Umgebung von Kläranlagen.

Measurements of air-borne germs were conducted over one year at several sewage treatment plants with different loads and sewage treatment methods. The investigations were intended to show possible air-borne loads in the sewage treatment plants and their immediate vicinity, taking into account different climatic conditions. The results lead to the conclusion that neighboring residential areas or factories in the vicinity of sewage treatment plants are not exposed to air-borne hazards.

[Bacteriologic studies on the preservation of bone implants]. / Bakteriologische Untersuchungen zur Konservierung von Knochenimplantaten.

High demands on freedom from germs are made on auditory ossicles to be used as implants. Postoperative infections often result from the existence of germ-contaminated ossicles. That is why we undertook microbiological examinations, using three frequently applied preserving methods for auditory ossicles kept for tympanoplasties. The results of the examinations were: Disinfection by Cialit (often used in clinical practice) produced unsatisfactory results. Disinfection by ethyl alcohol (70 per cent) and a subsequent treatment with thiomersal-Ringer's solution (0.4 per cent) yielded satisfactory results. Disinfection by preservation with an aqueous solution of formalin and subsequent treatment with Cialit proved most effective. None of the applicated germs could be regrown.