[On the problem of passive smoking (author's transl)]. / Zum Problem des Passivrauchens

There is no evidence to date that passive smoking leads in the long run to typical smokers' diseases or to an increased health risk in an average healthy person. There are no plausible reasons to justify the assumption that such disturbances develop in passive smokers in the short term. Exposure to tobacco smoke can, under unfavourable conditions, lead to temporary irritation and impair the feeling of well-being which some persons may experience as a considerable nuisance. There are groups of persons of increased sensitivity and predisposition towards health risks, such as asthmatics and small children. These persons should not be exposed to tobacco smoke. There is the problem of individually determined smell interference by tobacco smoke. Admittedly, numerous questions await still an answer, but there is enough time to clarify them at leisure since passive smoking entails no acute danger of poisoning (cf. Lit. No. 15). In this field the most important task is to study in detail the problem of nuisance caused by smoking, with regard to both the prevailing law and to the demands of air hygiene. A detailed comment on the verdict passed by the Administrative Court of Schleswig closes with the phrase: "The prevention of the detrimental effects to health caused by tobacco smoke constitutes a preeminent task for the public health service and health policy".

[The importance of lead pollution for pregnant women and the newborn in the Ruhr area. II. Communication (author's transl)]. / Die Bedeutung der Bleiimmissionsbelastung für Schwangere und Neugeborene im Ruhrgebiet. II. Mitteilung

Systematic measurements of blood lead levels in 315 mature and immature neonates and 198 mothers show that at least 40% of statistical variance in blood lead levels depends on lead immission at the mother's place of residence. Almost identical blood lead levels are found in identical and non-identical twins. These investigations demonstrate the value of a biological lead monitoring system. On this basis blood lead levels in areas not covered by the present study can be prognosticated.

[Excretion of lead in the gastric and duodenal juice of persons with occupational lead poisoning and normal subjects]. / Uber die Bleiausscheidung im Magen- und Duodenalsaft bei Personen mit gewerblicher Bleivergiftung und Normalpersonen.

Lead was measured in the gastric and duodenal juice of three patients with lead poisoning (blood concentrations of lead: 4.30; 5.16; 5.50 mumol/l). The lead excretion into the gastric juice was 94.6; 29.9 and 18.3 nmol Pb X h-1 for the poisoned persons and 57.9 +/- 38.1 nmol Pb X h-1 for healthy persons (n = 20). Pentagastrin (6 microgram/kg, i.m.) stimulated lead excretion in both groups (normal + 109%, lead poisoned persons: + 180%; + 187%; + 311%). The lead excretion was correlated with an increase of HCl-secretion and volume in healthy persons. The lead excretion into the duodenal juice after secretion (1 unit/kg) amounted to 14.2 +/- 8.8 nmol Ph X h-1 in healthy persons, whereas after secretion plus caerulein 18.8 +/- 7.2 nmol Pb X h-1 were found. In the duodenal juice of the lead poisoned persons 27.5 and 474.9 nmol Ph X h-1 respec. were found after secretion and 58.9 and 491.8 nmol Pb X h-1 respec. after secretion plus caerulein. Lead excretion was correlated with enzyme secretion (trypsin and chymotrypsin).

[Significance of lead immission for pregnant women and neonates in the Ruhr area]. / Die Bedeutung der Blei-Immissionsbelastung für Schwangere und Neugeborene im Ruhrgebiet

Systematic measurements of blood lead levels in samples from 176 mature and premature neonates and 59 mothers in the western Ruhr-Rhine area demonstrated that at least 30% of statistical variance in blood lead levels depended on lead immission at the mother's place of residence. The close correlation between neonatal and maternal blood lead levels was confirmed. Identical and non-identical twins had almost the same blood lead levels. Using a biological system for determining lead immission, blood lead levels in areas not covered by the present study can be prognosticated.

High-performance liquid chromatography of adult human bronchoalveolar lavage: assay for phospholipid lung profile.

High-performance liquid chromatography has been used to separate pulmonary phospholipids from adult human bronchoalveolar lavage. A solvent system consisting of acetonitrile-water (80:20) as solvent A and pure acetonitrile as solvent B was used with a silica column (Bio-Sil HP 10) coupled to an Si-100 Polyol precolumn. A linear gradient from 87.5 to 25% of solvent B was found to separate all biologically relevant surfactant phospholipids in the following sequence and composition: phosphatidic acid (1.1%), phosphatidylglycerol (10.6%), phosphatidylinositol (9.9%), phosphatidylethanolamine (3.6%), phosphatidylserine (4.5%), phosphatidylcholine (60.8%), sphingomyelin (8.1%) and lysophosphatidylcholine (1.6%). These results were very similar to the phospholipid pattern obtained by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. It is concluded that high-performance liquid chromatography is a useful and rapid method for the separation of phospholipids in biological fluids containing pulmonary surfactant.

Toxicological investigations on silicon carbide. 1. Inhalation studies.

The question of lung damage as a result of exposure to silicon carbide (SiC) was investigated by inhalation experiments to obtain information on the qualitative response of lung tissue to the test substance (SiC). For comparison, quartz, kaolinite, and tempered clay dusts were used. The indices for the effects of the dusts studied were organ weights, numbers of bronchoalveolar cells, lung surfactant phospholipid concentrations including subfractions, and lung clearance. Exposure to the test samples was carried out according to the Essen inhalation model in two independent series. The results of the two series were similar: Compared with sham controls, exposure to SiC did not affect the indices studied. Even at a low dose (a quarter of the SiC dose) quartz gave pronounced deviations in all indices. In particular, an increase in granulocytes indicated toxic properties of the dust. The long term elimination of quartz from the lung was worse than that of SiC. The kaolinite and tempered clay dusts were intermediate between SiC and quartz based on several of the indices studied. It is concluded that SiC is deposited practically inert in the lung.

Toxicological investigations on silicon carbide. 2. In vitro cell tests and long term injection tests.

Silicon carbide (SiC) dust and other dusts for comparison were injected intratracheally at a high dose (50 mg) into rats and the response of the lungs and the lymph nodes was studied after an appropriate experimental period. The indices studied were: histological changes in the lung and lymph nodes, organ weights, the formation of collagenous fibres, and the appearance of quartz typical areas. According to several epidemiological investigations and previous experimental animal studies, SiC produces silicogenic (fibrogenic) effects. No changes in the tissues studied in terms of damaging fibrogenic effects could be found after eight months (first series) and three and 12 months (second series). In particular, the histological findings and the absence of quartz typical areas as well as the quantitative determination of collagen fibres show that SiC had no harmful effects on tissues. Based on these results, the extent to which other exposures during the production of SiC can be responsible for the established radiological alterations is discussed. Without doubt the following may be confounders: SiC fibres, crystalline SiO2 (quartz, cristobalite, tridymite), and possibly gaslike emissions (SO2). From the hygienic medical point of view the workplaces during SiC manufacture should be examined carefully. The substance SiC dust as such can be considered as inert from the experimental results based on qualitative and extremely sensitive procedures. A revision of the present threshold value for SiC in ther German MAK list is called for.