Heavy Metals in the Blood, Urine and Hair of a Representative Population Sample in the Federal Republic of Germany 1985/86

In connection with the national Cardiovascular Prevention Study in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), which includes adults between 2 5 and 69 years of age, it was decided to take advantage of the availability of a representative population to know more about the relationship between health and the environment. Thus, in 1985/86, the nationwide representative survey “Environment and Health” was conducted. While in one part of the study questionnaires were used to acquire a better knowledge of the personal opinion of German citizens on their health status and the environment, the study was mainly directed at getting objective information by passing the participants through a medical examination and assessing their exposure to environmental pollutants. The final population sample included some 2700 persons and was representative for the West German population with regard to age, sex and community size.