Human organ specimen banking--15 years of experience.

As a reaction to the lack of information concerning ranges of a 'normal xenobiotic burden' within the population and also the aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric environments, the sampling and storage of environmental materials in Germany in 1974 as a possible tool for environmental observation and early recognizing of hazards was proposed. During subsequent years the collection of human specimens was undertaken in Münster. In a pilot phase (1978-1983) conditions of optimized storage were investigated, including reliable storage temperature and container materials. Since 1985 the Environmental Specimen Bank for Human Tissue in Münster has been institutionalized under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety as well as the Federal Environmental Agency in Berlin. Up to 1991 about 300,000 samples had been collected and stored at -85 degrees C in a walk-in deep-freezer of 34 m3 comprising autopsy material as well as 'available' organs form living persons (e.g. blood, urine, hair, human milk, saliva, seminal plasma, sweat). Having fulfilled the tasks within the scope of environmental banking the Münster institution has proved to be an adequate scientific tool. It has been integrated into the logistic system of the Environmental Specimen Bank in Germany having the following main tasks (a) the development of Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) for sampling and sample handling, (b) evaluation of reliable analytical methods for inorganic and organic sample characterization, (c) collection of a sufficient data pool for reference ranges of xenobiotics, which are essential for environmental risk assessment, and (d) the evaluation of the efficacy of legislative xenobiotic restrictions: this could be proved for lead and some organochlorine pesticides.