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Health and Environmental Hygiene

German Environmental Survey 1990/92 (GerES II)

Last changed: 14/07/2005

Urine

Figure 3: Main determinants of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in urine of the German population (aged 25 to 69, 1990/92)

Main determinants of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in urine of the German population (aged 25 to 69, 1990/92)

Source:
German Environmental Survey 1990/92

Figure 4: Mercury in urine of German children (aged 6 to 14) and number of teeth with amalgam fillings (GM, CI GM, 1990/92)

Mercury in urine of German children (aged 6 to 14) and number of teeth with amalgam fillings (GM, CI GM, 1990/92)

Source:
German Environmental Survey 1990/92

Figure 5: PCP in urine of German children (aged 6 to 14) and adults (aged 25 to 69) - spatial and regional differences (GM, CI GM), 1985/86, 1990/92)

PCP in urine of German children (aged 6 to 14) and adults (aged 25 to 69) - spatial and regional differences (GM, CI GM), 1985/86, 1990/92)

Figure 6: Nicotine in urine and scalp hair (GM) of non smoking adults (aged 25 to 69) and children (aged 6 to 14) with different levels of ETS exposure, 1990/92

Nicotine in urine and scalp hair (GM) of non smoking adults (aged 25 to 69) and children (aged 6 to 14) with different levels of ETS exposure, 1990/92

Table 5: Elements and compounds in urine of the German population (aged 25 to 69, 1990/92)

	LOQ	N	n<LOQ	10	50	90	95	98	MAX	AM	GM	CI GM
Arsenic (µg/l)	0.6	4001	210	1.8	7.1	19.8	29.9	56.7	205.5	10.52	6.29	6.08	-	6.51
Arsenic (µg/gCrea)		4001		1.4	4.9	15.3	24.1	40.0	147.6	7.64	4.60	4.46	-	4.76
Cadmium (µg/l)	0.05	4002	150	0.09	0.30	0.92	1.27	1.74	6.94	0.432	0.287	0.279	-	0.295
Cadmium (µg/gCrea)		4002		0.06	0.22	0.66	0.92	1.27	6.05	0.320	0.210	0.204	-	0.216
Chromium (µg/l)	0.15	4002	1716	<0.15	0.17	0.45	0.62	0.99	21.20	0.253	0.165	0.161	-	0.170
Chromium (µg/gCrea)		4002		0.04	0.12	0.34	0.50	0.85	10.60	0.188	0.121	0.118	-	0.124
Copper (µg/l)	1.1	4002	20	4.5	9.7	18.7	22.9	28.7	444.2	11.64	9.47	9.29	-	9.65
Copper (µg/gCrea)		4002		3.5	6.7	13.1	17.7	28.5	420.7	8.88	6.93	6.80	-	7.06
Mercury (µg/l)	0.2	4002	785	<0.2	0.5	2.6	3.9	6.0	53.9	1.11	0.54	0.52	-	0.56
Mercury (µg/gCrea)		4002		0.1	0.4	1.6	2.2	3.2	73.5	0.71	0.39	0.38	-	0.41
PCP (µg/l)	1	1295	237	<1.0	3.0	9.4	12.8	17.5	92.2	4.37	2.67	2.50	-	2.85
PCP (µg/gCrea)		1294		0.6	2.0	6.0	8.5	11.8	53.2	2.89	1.90	1.79	-	2.01
Nicotine (µg/l)	5	3750	1566	<5	9	1438	2431	3567	10984	421.7	24.9	23.0	-	27.1
Nicotine (µg/gCrea)		3748		1	7	1003	1636	2431	10478	292.4	18.4	17.0	-	20.0
Cotinine (µg/l)	5	3800	1813	<5	6	2037	2681	3483	6573	536.6	26.6	24.3	-	29.1
Cotinine (µg/gCrea)		3798		1	5	1396	1940	2788	8111	388.4	19.6	17.9	-	21.4
Creatinine (g/l)	0.01	4002		0.67	1.45	2.53	2.87	3.20	5.73	1.543	1.367	1.345	-	1.389

Notes:
LOQ=quantification limit; N=sample size; n<LOQ=number of values below LOQ; values below LOQ were set at LOQ/2 for calculation purposes; 10, 50, 90, 95, 98=percentiles; MAX=maximum value; AM=arithmetic mean; GM=geometric mean;
CI GM=approximate 95% confidence interval for GM; Crea = Creatinine

Source:
German Environmental Survey 1990/92

Table 6: Elements and compounds in urine of German children (aged 6 to 14, 1990/92)

	LOQ	N	n<LOQ	10	50	90	95	98	MAX	AM	GM	CI GM
Arsenic (µg/l)	0.6	731	36	1.6	7.0	19.2	27.6	43.2	103.5	9.50	6.01	5.56	-	6.51
Arsenic (µg/gCrea)		730		1.1	4.9	14.1	19.6	30.9	138.7	7.08	4.28	3.96	-	4.64
Cadmium (µg/l)	0.05	732	139	<0.05	0.10	0.21	0.27	0.38	10.65	0.123	0.087	0.082	-	0.092
Cadmium (µg/gCrea)		731		0.02	0.06	0.15	0.19	0.27	7.85	0.090	0.062	0.059	-	0.065
Chromium (µg/l)	0.15	732	216	<0.15	0.20	0.46	0.61	0.79	2.28	0.249	0.191	0.181	-	0.201
Chromium (µg/gCrea)		731		0.05	0.14	0.33	0.43	0.60	1.53	0.180	0.136	0.129	-	0.143
Copper (µg/l)	1.1	732	0	7.1	14.1	23.4	27.5	31.1	146.3	15.01	13.40	12.94	-	13.87
Copper (µg/gCrea)		731		5.5	9.5	15.5	18.7	26.1	183.2	10.99	9.52	9.21	-	9.85
Mercury (µg/l)	0.2	732	138	<0.2	0.5	2.8	3.9	6.0	60.1	1.24	0.54	0.50	-	0.59
Mercury (µg/gCrea)		731		0.1	0.4	1.9	3.0	4.4	22.0	0.83	0.39	0.35	-	0.42
PCP (µg/l)	1	695	60	1.2	4.6	11.7	14.9	19.4	26.5	5.78	4.15	3.84	-	4.54
PCP (µg/gCrea)		695		1.0	3.1	7.7	9.3	12.6	34.4	3.95	2.94	2.68	-	3.21
Nicotine (µg/l)	5	664	505	<5	<5	16	38	234	2040	25.3	4.1	3.8	-	4.5
Nicotine (µg/gCrea)		663		1	1	11	27	203	2319	20.6	2.9	2.6	-	3.2
Cotinine (µg/l)	5	668	553	<5	<5	11	26	615	2680	39.3	3.7	3.4	-	4.0
Cotinine (µg/gCrea)		667		1	2	8	19	387	3947	32.2	2.6	2.4	-	2.9
Creatinine (g/l)	0.01	731		0.84	1.46	2.33	2.63	2.93	3.98	1.532	1.406	1.362	-	1.452

Notes:
LOQ=limit of quantification; N=sample size; n<LOQ=number of values below LOQ; values below LOQ were set at LOQ/2 for calculation purposes 10, 50, 90, 95, 98=percentiles; MAX=maximum value; AM=arithmetic mean; GM=geometric mean;
CI GM=approximate 95%-confidence interval for GM; Crea = Creatinine

Source:
German Environmental Survey 1990/92

Table 7: Percentage of the German population (adults and children) with elevated arsenic, cadmium, mercury, or PCP concentration in urine, 1990/92

Parameter	Guideline value	Group	Categories	Percentage
Arsenic	WaBoLu categories	children (aged 6-14)	< 15 µg/l 15-40 µg/l > 40 µg/l	85.1 % 12.7 % 2.2 %
		adults (aged 25-69)	< 15 µg/l 15-40 µg/l > 40 µg/l	84.1 % 12.4 % 3.5 %
Cadmium	HBM values	children (aged 6-14)	< 1 µg/l 1-3 µg/l > 3 µg/l	99.7 % 0.2 % 0.1 %
		adults (aged 25-69)	< 2 µg/l 2-5 µg/l > 5 µg/l	99.4 % 0.6 % 0 %
Mercury	HBM values	children (aged 6-14)	< 5 µg/l 5-20 µg/l > 20 µg/l	98.6 % 1.2 % 0.2 %
		adults (aged 25-69)	< 5 µg/l 5-20 µg/l > 20 µg/l	99.4 % 0.6 % 0 %
PCP	HBM values	children (aged 6-14)	< 20 µg/l 20-30 µg/l > 30 µg/l	99.5 % 0.3 % 0.2 %
		adults (aged 25-69)	< 20 µg/l 20-30 µg/l > 30 µg/l	99.5 % 0.3 % 0.2 %

Source:
German Environmental Survey 1990/92

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