Contamination of humans with lead
Decreasing lead concentration in whole blood since the Lead-in Petrol Act became effective.
For the study groups from Münster the lead content in whole blood decreased from about 70 µg/L in 1981 to levels below 15 µg/L in 2008. Current concentrations are far below the maximum tolerable level of 150 µg/L for adults and are considerably lower than reference values established by the German Human Biomonitoring Commission (HBM) for the reference period 1997/1999, i.e. 90 µg/L for males and 70 µg/L for females, both aged 18-69 years. Previous published HBM values have been withdrawn by the Commission.
Comparison of East and West Germany
Comparison between East German and West German study groups reveals only minor difference in 2008 with slightly higher lead concentrations in students from Eastern Germany.
Recommended profiles
Specimen
| Whole blood | Ideal matrix for most chemicals because it is in contact with the whole organism and in equilibrium with the organs and tissues in those chemicals are being accumulated. |
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Analytes
| Lead | Naturally occurring poisonous heavy metal |
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Sampling area
| Sampling sites (humans) | 4 university cities as sampling areas. |
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