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Health and Environmental Hygiene

German Environmental Survey (GerES)

Last changed: 01/11/2006

photo-mounting: kids and map of Germany The German Environmental Survey (GerES) is a representative population study to determine the exposure of Germany's general population to environmental contaminants.

The first GerES (GerES I) was conducted in 1985/86.
A new GerES was conducted in 1990/91 and in 1991/92 extended to the former GDR (GerES II).
GerES III was performed in 1998.
GerES IV for children started in May 2003. GerES IV fieldwork was completed in May 2006.

Objectives

One of GerESs main objectives is to generate, update, and evaluate representative data in order to facilitate an environmental health related observation and reporting of information at the national level.

Up to 5000 subjects are questionned and analysed in every survey. The resulting data can also serve:

as a basis for establishing reference values,
to indicate trends over time and regional differences in contaminant levels,
to identify and quantify contamination routes.

GerES thus makes it possible to design and evaluate preventive, interventive and control strategies within the framework of policy measures related to health and environment.

GerES IV is conducted in cooperation with the National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) that is conducted by the Robert Koch-Institute. Using data of both surveys (the Environmental and the Health Survey) it is possible to evaluate relations between environmental conditions and health of the children, e.g., between the occurrence of mould fungi in homes and allergic sensitisation.

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