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Health and Environmental Hygiene

German Environmental Survey 1998 (GerES III)

Last changed: 11/01/2006

Biocides and other substances in house dust

In the framework of GerES III (1998) house dust samples were analysed using the content of the study participant's vacuum cleaner bags as available at the time. 750 randomly selected dust samples were analysed for biocides including pyrethroids and a subset of 200 samples was analysed for flame proofing agents, plasicisers and polychlorinated sulfonamid diphenylethers.

In Germany the use of PCP, DDT and PCBs is prohibited, the use of lindane is restricted. Polychlorinated sulfonamid diphenylethers have been used in moth repellents. Propoxur, methoxychlor, chlorpyrifos and pyrethroids are active agents in a lot of pesticides. Flame proofing agents are important chemicals used in industry and can be detected in all environmental compartments. Some of these substances are suspected to be endocrine substances and have shown a carcinogenic potential to animals.

Included in the programme of GerES III:

pyrethroides
cyfluthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, empenthrin d-phenothrin, permethrin and their synergist PBO

phthalates
DEP (diethylphthalate), DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate), DMP (dimethylphthalate), DiBP (diisobutylphthalate), DnBP (di-n-Butylphthalate), BBP (butylbenzylphthalate), DnOP (di-n-octylphthalate).

organo-phosphates
TBEP (tris-(2-butoxyethyl)-phosphate), TCEP (tris-(2-chlorethyl)-phosphate), TEHP (tris-(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphate), TCP (trikresylphosphate), TPP (triphenylphosphate).

The following Table 11 does not show the pyrethroides cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, d-phenothrin and lambda-cyhalothrin, which were detected in less than 3 % of the samples.

Table 11: Biocides, PCBs, phthalates and organo-phosphates in house dust (mg/kg, 2 mm fraction, 18 to 69 year old population, 1998)

Substance	LOQ	N	%>LOQ	P10	P50	P90	P95	Max
Biocides
PCP	0.1	741	70	<0.1	0.2	1.6	2.9	32.3
Lindane	0.05	741	26	<0.05	<0.05	0.28	0.75	10.6
DDT	0.05	741	38	<0.05	<0.05	0.72	1.2	41.8
Propoxur	0.1	741	7	<0.1	<0.1	<0.1	0.6	158
Methoxychlor	0.05	741	47	<0.05	<0.05	2.2	5.8	98.2
Chlorpyrifos	0.05	741	16	<0.05	<0.05	0.08	0.70	19.3
PSDE	0.5	199	29	<0.5	<0.5	9.0	17.0	186
PBO and permethrine
PBO	0.02	740	67	<0.02	0.04	1.2	3.7	200
Permethrine	0.02	738	91	0.02	0.17	4.8	14.5	171
PCB
PCB 28	0.02	741	2	<0.02	<0.02	<0.02	<0.02	0.51
PCB 52	0.02	741	7	<0.02	<0.02	<0.02	0.03	0.78
PCB 101	0.01	741	42	<0.01	<0.01	0.06	0.11	3.7
PCB 138	0.01	741	51	<0.01	0.01	0.13	0.24	9.7
PCB 153	0.02	741	43	<0.02	<0.02	0.12	0.24	9.6
PCB 180	0.02	741	34	<0.02	<0.02	0.09	0.17	7.0
Σ PCB (138,153,180)				0.03	0.03	0.33	0.64	24.6
Σ PCB (28,52,101,138,153,180)				0.05	0.07	0.43	0.80	27.9
Phthalates, organo-phosphates
DEP	0.1	199	97	0.3	3.3	58.6	89.7	1233
DEHP	0.2	199	100	137	416	978	1190	7530
DMP	0.1	199	73	<0.1	0.2	1.5	3.7	75.8
DiBP	0.2	199	100	6.6	22.4	85.3	130	192
DnBP	0.2	199	100	9.5	41.5	114	160	502
BBP	0.2	199	100	3.1	14.7	132	207	745
DnOP	0.1	199	92	0.3	1.6	9.4	21.4	151
TBEP	0.1	199	91	1.1	5.8	22.6	58.0	854
TCEP	0.1	199	44	<0.1	<0.1	0.5	1.0	6.0
TEHP	0.1	199	50	<0.1	<0.1	1.1	1.6	4.6
TCP	0.1	199	6	<0.1	<0.1	<0.1	0.4	80.7
TPP	0.1	199	84	<0.1	0.3	1.0	1.8	7.2

Notes:
PSDE = polychlorinated sulfonamide diphenylether, LOQ = limit of quantification; N = sample size; n<LOQ = number of values above LOQ; values below LOQ are set at LOQ/2 for calculation purposes; P10, P50, P90, P95, P98 = percentiles; MAX = maximum value;

Source:
German Environmental Survey 1998

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