Under the roof of the Department of Epidemiological Methods and Etiologic Research the Occupation and Environment Unit is contributes to identifying causal relationships between occupational and environmental factors and the occurrence of various diseases.
In particular, cancers such as lung tumors, tumors of the upper aero-digestive tract, or male germ cell cancer are currently investigated by the unit. In addition, diseases which likely share common risks with these cancers have been the unit's research focus. Of interest are, e. g., diseases that belong to the so-called Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome (cryptorchidism, hypospadias, testicular cancer, and sub-/ or infertility). Furthermore, the unit investigates the etiology of cancers not directly related to environmental or occupational exposures. The unit also investigates other types of cancer even if they do not have a relationship to particular occupational or environmental exposures. It therefore establishes close connections to the Unit 'Lifestyle Related Diseases' with which it cooperates in certain projects.
The retrospective evaluation and quantification of occupationally and environmentally-related factors has been a primary focus of the department and has been continually developed. In cancer-related case-control studies (e.g. lung and rare cancers) various questionnaires have been developed to asses occupational exposures.
The unit gained particular experience assessing exposures occurring in the metal industry or exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. Next to chemical exposures, the unit deals with physical exposures such as electromagnetic fields and other influences such as chronodisruption by shift-work. The instruments that have been developed over the years allow to answer research questions in the course of large epidemiological studies in a quality-assured manner.
In addition, the research unit uses epidemiological data for quantitative risk assessment of potentially carcinogenic substances at the workplace. The unit has cooperated, e. g. with the 'Arbeitskreis Risikoableitung' of the 'Unterausschuss III' of the German Ministry of Work and Social Affaires. The unit therefore actively participated in the transfer of knowledge into politics. Further support will be provided by the unit to evaluate occupational exposure risks for the definition of workplace-related threshold limit values.
Only currently running projects or those that ended less than a year ago will be shown. The entries are sorted alphabetically.