Sampling sites (humans)
4 university cities as sampling areas.
Sampling in the human field is not designed to mirror the sampling areas selected for environmental specimens on the basis of ecosystems, because although human beings today are still part of their environment they are difficult to attribute to representative ecosystems due to their mobility, widely varying conditions at home and at work, and differentiated patterns of food distribution and consumption.
Clearly, therefore, only the selected sampling sites are of any regional relevance.
With individuals and groups moving home in a mobile society, almost the entire country is represented, although there has been a preference for covering rural and industrial areas.
Recommended analysis examples
Places
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Important university city, as well as service and administration centre in Northrhine-Westphalia.
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Small university town in a sparsely populated area of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
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The biggest town in Saxony-Anhalt and an old industrial centre of the former GDR with considerable structural changes since 1990.
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Small university city in southern Germany at the river Danube.
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The sampling areas have been selected to represent adequately the major types of ecosystems in Germany and taking into account the varying intensities of anthropogenic impact and land use.
Specimen
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Student groups with an even number of female and male students at the age of 20 to 29.
Analytes
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Eighty percent of all elements on earth are metals
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Only eighteen elements in the periodic table
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Group of organic compounds with at least one covalently bonded chlorine atom
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Group of organic compounds with at least three condensed six-membered rings
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General-purpose plasticizers for PVC and other polymers
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Commercially important precursor of polymers like polycarbonates and epoxy resins
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Chemical agents against harmful organisms and for plant protection
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Organic compounds which are fully (per-) or partially (poly-) fluorinated
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Class of non-ionic surfactants and their degradation products
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Flame retardants reduce the flammability of objects
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Preservatives in food and cosmetics
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Proctection for humans and products
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Fragrances are used in many different products
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Additional information for the interpretation of contamination data
Sampling period
1981 - 2021