[German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV) in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). First results]. / Kinder-Umwelt-Survey (KUS) im Rahmen des Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys (KiGGS). Erste Ergebnisse.

The German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV) is the environment-related module of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) of the Robert Koch Institute and the fourth GerES of the Federal Environment Agency. The main objective of GerESs is to analyse and document the extent, distribution and determinants of exposure to environmental pollutants of the German general population. GerES IV was performed from 2003 to 2006. A total of 1.790 children aged 3-14 years from 150 sampling locations participated in GerES IV. Samples of blood, urine, tap water, house dust and indoor air were analysed. Hearing tests, measurements of traffic noise and interviews to get exposure-related information were conducted. First results indicate a clear decrease of the exposure to arsenic, lead and mercury. Cotinine concentrations in urine can be used to classify the exposure of children to environmental tobacco smoke. The examination of the tap water used in the subjects' households indicates that in some households the guideline values of the German Drinking Water Ordinance were not always met. This is the case for nickel, copper and lead which are used as pipe material for domestic plumbing.

Occurrence and potential importance of angiotensin-converting enzyme in semen of boars.

The activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and leucinaminopeptidase (LAP) are positively correlated with corresponding concentrations of sperm cells in semen of boars kept under normal conditions. The spermatozoa bound ACE activity, in general, does not reflect differences in the quality of semen (bull and boars). On the other hand, the ACE activity directly bound on the sperm cells is significantly elevated, if 'exogenic noxes' (by feeding or keeping) influence the fertility of boars in a drastic manner. These results are discussed with regard to the differential diagnostic importance for estimating the semen quality and to the causal relations between increased enzyme binding and injury of sperm cells.

[Isothiocyanate and vinyl thio-oxazolidone contents of rape seeds and rape seed oil]. / Uber den Gehalt an Isothiocyanaten und Vinylthiooxazolidon in Rapssaat und Rapsöl

Comparative studies on the isothiocyanate content of rape-seeds and rape-seed oil show that, apart from nearly 300 mg/100 g of vinyl thio-oxazolidone, rape-seeds contain almost 200--300 mg/100 g of isothiocyanates of which 3-butenyl isothiocyanate and 4-pentenyl isothiocyanate (ratio of 4:1) are the main components as evidenced thin-layer and gaschromatographically. Only about 1 mg/100 g of isothiocyanates are found in pressed rape-seed oil; and but circa 10 mg/100 g, in extracted rape-seed oil. 3-Butenyl isothiocyanate and 4-pentenyl isothiocyanate (ratio of 4:1) are once more the main components. Thioglycerides are not detected in the oil. Vinyl thio-oxazolidone is found only in extracted rape-seed oil (about 2 mg/100 g).