National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in USA

TS5-05 Abstract: In modern societies, humans may be exposed to a wide spectrum of environmental chemicals. Although for many chemicals, the health significance of this exposure is unknown, studies to investigate the prevalence of exposure are warranted because of the chemicals’ potential harmful health effects as often indicated in animal studies. Biomonitoring programs are useful for investigating human exposure to environmental chemicals. One of these programs, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted annually in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is designed to collect data on the health and nutritional status of the noninstitutionalized, civilian U.S. population. Beginning with NHANES 1999, levels of selected chemicals in urine and blood of NHANES participants have been reported in the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. A summary of data included in CDC's National Reports for selected chemicals is presented and compared with data available from other countries, including Germany.