{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T09:30:41Z","timestamp":1777109441445,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Occup Environ Med"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2000,4,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>OBJECTIVES<\/jats:title><jats:p>To assess occupational exposure to inorganic germanium (Ge) in workers from a producing plant, and to assess the health of these workers, with a special focus on respiratory, kidney, and liver functions.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec sec-type=\"methods\"><jats:title>METHODS<\/jats:title><jats:p>Cross sectional study of 75 workers exposed to Ge and 79 matched referents. Exposure was characterised by measuring air and urine concentrations of the element during a typical working week, and health was assessed by a questionnaire, clinical examination, lung function testing, chest radiography, and clinical chemistry in serum and urine, including high and low molecular weight urinary proteins.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>RESULTS<\/jats:title><jats:p>Airborne concentrations of Ge (inhalable fraction) ranged from 0.03 to 300 \u03bcg\/m, which was reflected by increased urinary excretion of Ge (0.12\u2013200 \u03bcg\/g creatinine, after the shift at the end of the working week). Lung, liver, and haematological variables were not significantly different between referents and workers exposed to Ge. A slightly higher urinary concentration of high molecular weight proteins (albumin and transferrin) was found in workers exposed to Ge, possibly reflecting subclinical glomerular changes. No relation was found between the intensity or duration of exposure and the urinary concentration of albumin. No difference between referents and workers exposed to Ge was found for other renal variables.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>CONCLUSIONS<\/jats:title><jats:p>Measurement of urinary Ge can detect occupational exposure to inorganic Ge and its compounds. It is prudent to recommend the monitoring of renal variables in workers exposed to Ge.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/oem.57.4.242","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2002,7,27]],"date-time":"2002-07-27T10:38:40Z","timestamp":1027766320000},"page":"242-248","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Epidemiological survey of workers exposed to inorganic germanium compounds"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"57","author":[{"given":"B","family":"Swennen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Mallants","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"H A","family":"Roels","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"J P","family":"Buchet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Bernard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"R R","family":"Lauwerys","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"D","family":"Lison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2000,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.1","unstructured":"Vouk V (1986) Germanium. in Handbook on the toxicology of metals. eds Friberg L Nordberg GF Vouk V (Elsevier, Amsterdam), p 11, 255\u00e2\u0080\u009366.."},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03032683","article-title":"Nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity in humans from organogermanium compounds and germanium dioxide.","volume":"29","author":"Schauss","year":"1991","journal-title":"Biol Trace Elem Res"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1006\/rtph.1997.1098"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0140-6736(90)91632-K"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"882","DOI":"10.1038\/ki.1991.289","article-title":"Chronic tubulointerstitial changes induced by germanium dioxide in comparison with carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide.","volume":"40","author":"Sanai","year":"1991","journal-title":"Kidney Int"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00294665"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02785386","article-title":"Effects of germanium and silicon on bone mineralization.","volume":"42","author":"Seaborn","year":"1994","journal-title":"Biol Trace Elem Res"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0278-6915(94)90144-9"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0278-6915(90)90158-J"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1177\/074823378700300107","article-title":"Biological testing of germanium.","volume":"3","author":"Furst","year":"1987","journal-title":"Toxicol Ind Health"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/annhyg\/41.2.135"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1391","DOI":"10.1093\/clinchem\/40.7.1391","article-title":"Cadmium: exposure markers as predictors of nephrotoxic effects.","volume":"40","author":"Lauwerys","year":"1994","journal-title":"Clin Chem"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"812","DOI":"10.1161\/01.RES.35.6.812","article-title":"Urinary kallikrein excretion in normal man. Relationships to sodium intake and sodium-retaining steroids.","volume":"35","author":"Margolius","year":"1974","journal-title":"Circ Res"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/009841097159755"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.1021\/ac00225a037","article-title":"Determination of germanium in natural waters by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation.","volume":"53","author":"Andreae","year":"1981","journal-title":"Anal Chem"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00487505"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1299","DOI":"10.1039\/JA9920701299","article-title":"Long-term stability of a mixed palladium-iridium trapping reagent for in situ hydride trapping with in a graphite electrothermal atomiser.","volume":"7","author":"Shuttler","year":"1992","journal-title":"J Anal Atomic Spectrometry"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.18","first-page":"341","article-title":"Germanium-induced nephropathy: report of two cases and review of the literature.","volume":"30","author":"Matsusaka","year":"1988","journal-title":"Clin Nephrol"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.19","first-page":"219","article-title":"Renal failure caused by long-term use of a germanium preparation as an elixir.","volume":"31","author":"Okada","year":"1989","journal-title":"Clin Nephrol"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0041-008X(90)90234-L"},{"key":"2024052310305780000_57.4.242.21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0009-8981(90)90178-U"}],"container-title":["Occupational and Environmental Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/oem.57.4.242","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,23]],"date-time":"2024-05-23T17:38:36Z","timestamp":1716485916000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/oem.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/oem.57.4.242"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2000,4,1]]},"references-count":21,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2000,4,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2000,4,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/oem.57.4.242"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/oem.57.4.242","relation":{},"ISSN":["1351-0711","1470-7926"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1351-0711","type":"print"},{"value":"1470-7926","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2000,4,1]]}}}