INTERNAL EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES OF PERSONS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN - INVESTIGATIONS ON EXPOSURE TO LEAD, MERCURY, ARSENIC AND CADMIUM

Aim of the study The aim of this study was to investigate the concentr ation of metals of environmental-medical relevance in biological mater ials in persons seeking asylum with regard to their country of origin. Collective and method During medical examination after entry into Ger many of persons seeking asylum, samples were taken for determination o f the following biological monitoring parameters: lead in blood, and a rsenic, cadmium and mercury in urine. A total of 103 males were invest igated (13 from former Yugoslavia, 29 from the former USSR, 33 African s and 28 Asians) ranging from 16 to 53 years of age (median 27 years). 34 male Germans without occupational exposure to these substances and a similar age structure (age 25-36 years; median 26 years) served as a control group. Results The countries of origin had a significant inf luence on all the biological monitoring parameters investigated. The m ean blood lead concentration in the Asians of 75.4 mu g/L was the high est level found, while the lowest concentration of 38.0 mu g/L was mea sured in the German controls. Also the level of arsenic excreted in th e urine was on average much higher in the persons seeking asylum than in the German controls. In the Africans a mean level of 9.7 mu g/g cre atinine was reached. The Germans had the lowest arsenic concentrations in urine of 5.3 mu g/g creatinine. There were, however, considerable interindividual fluctuations, which are probably due to oral uptake of arsenic compounds as a result of eating seafoods. The highest mean co ncentration of mercury excreted in urine was found in the German contr ols. Values of 0.9 mu g/g creatinine were determined. The men seeking asylum from former Yugoslavia had significantly higher values than oth er groups for cadmium excreted in urine. The median of 0.6 mu g/g crea tinine was nearly three times as high as found in the Germans. Conclus ions For all parameters investigated, with the exception of mercury, h igher internal exposure was found in the persons seeking asylum than i n the German controls. This may be due to individual life style, dieta ry habits or environmental conditions in the country of origin. For cl inical environmental medicine, the 95th percentile, as the upper limit of the reference range, can only be regarded as an orientation aid fo r classifying the exposure to hazardous substances of an individual co mpared to other persons from the same environment.