The following parameters should be examined as part of environmental analysis:
- Basic diagnostics
- Small blood count and differential blood count
- Gamma-GT (γ-GT)
- Creatinine in serum – cystatin C or creatinine clearance, if applicable.
- Extended standard diagnostics
- Total IgE, IgE rest
- Immune status
- Diagnostics related to the following diseases:
- Alveolitis, exogenous-allergic – “Hypersensitivity pneumonitis” (HP).
- Allergies
- Minerals and trace elements
- Aluminum
- Arsenic
- Lead
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Cobalt
- Iron
- Fluride
- Iodine
- Copper
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Nickel
- Mercury
- Selenium
- Thallium
- Zinc
- Asbestos
- Classical parameters of environmental pollution
- Wood preservatives (screening: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), endosulfan, furmecyclox, hexachlorocyclohexane, lindane, methoxychlor, pentachlorophenol (PCP); only if suspected: permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, ethyl parathion, TBTO, chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid, tolylfluanid).
- Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
- Pesticides
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
The following test materials are used for environmental analytical diagnostics:
- Whole blood, requiring 2 to 10 ml of NaF or EDTA blood, depending on the method.
- However, many drugs can also be detected from pure serum (2 to 5 ml).
- For urine, 10 ml of a 24-hour collection urine or spontaneous urine is suitable.
- For volatile substances in the blood must be used sealed collection system, so as not to cause a reduction in concentration and thus a measurement error until transport to the laboratory.
- For samples such as lindane, plastic tubes are unsuitable. Here, only glass tubes may be used!
- In a hair analysis, it must be remembered that the portions near the roots indicate an endogenous intoxication, at the ends of the hair to an exogenous deposition of the substances.
In addition to laboratory diagnostics, exposure prophylaxis is one of the most important diagnostic measures, which is also the most important therapeutic measure: In the so-called omission test, the affected persons are deprived of the apartment for a certain period of time (vacation) and then checked whether the symptoms have improved during the absence. Cross-ventilation several times a day – in the morning and in the afternoon 2-3 times each – is an “alternative” to vacation as an omission attempt.
