Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 105, Number 8, August 1997
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Activities of an Environmental Analysis Van in the German Federal State Schleswig-Holstein
Anke Pröhl,
1
Klaus-Peter Böge,
2
and Carsten Alsen-Hinrichs
1
1
Institute of Toxicology, Medical Faculty, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
2
Umweltambulanz, Lübeck, Germany
Abstract
A cooperation was started between the Union of Physicians of Schleswig-Holstein (Bad Segeberg, Germany) and an environmental engineer in 1992. A mobile unit for environmental analysis was set up, the Environmental Analysis Van (EAV) or mobile umweltambulanz. Inspection of sites and collection of air and dust/material samples for analysis of xenobiotics were performed on request. The results of this cooperation were evaluated to show which sources of indoor pollutants could be particularly relevant to human health impairment. During a 30-month period from July 1993 to December 1995, 1793 site inspections were conducted. Xenobiotic analysis and subsequent advising was performed in 1318 cases; enhanced concentrations of one or more toxic substances (mainly biocides such as pentachlorophenol, permethrin, and/or hexachlorocyclohexane) were found in 71% of the sites analyzed. Formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, and contamination by molds were also documented. A follow-up was done on 80 clients of the Environmental Analysis Van, which had detected elevated concentrations of permethrin because of pyrethroid-treated carpeting. The effect of removing all contaminated carpeting on health improvement in comparison with nonremoval was statistically significant (
p
<0.0001). Pyrethroid-treated carpeting, which was already 5, 7, and 10 years old, revealed permethrin concentrations of 115, 100, and 150 mg/kg dust. This result indicates that indoor contamination of permethrin is highly persistent and may be the cause of adverse health effects.
Key words
: environmental analysis van, environmental medicine, formaldehyde, health effects, hexachlorocyclohexane, indoor air pollution, molds, pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, pyrethroids.
Environ Health Perspect
105:844-849 (1997)
Address correspondence to A. Pröhl, Institut für Toxikologie, Medical Faculty, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Brunswikerstr. 10, D-24105 Kiel, Germany.
The authors appreciate the assistance of H. Brokof and P. Gramann for their help in assembling and processing the data. This work was supported by the Society for Promoting Environmental Medicine of the Union of Physicians in the German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein.
Received 5 February 1997; accepted 22 April 1997.
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Last Update: August 27, 1997
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