From April 2025 to March 2026, the German Environment Agency will collect data for the study from around 600 children and young people aged 6 to 17 at 15 different locations in Germany. The participants will be randomly selected via the residents' registration offices and are representative of this age group in Germany. In total, data will be collected for PARC from over 10,000 people throughout Europe.
The aim of the study is to find out how high the exposure of this population group in Germany and Europe is to certain pollutants and which factors influence the level of exposure. To this end, urine, blood, hair and drinking water samples are taken and analysed for around 100 environmental pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, plasticisers and pesticides). In addition, standardised surveys of the participants or their legal guardians on their living environment, behaviour, health status and other topics are used to obtain data that can indicate possible sources and uptake pathways of environmental pollutants.
Benefits for the participants
All participants can receive a results report together with an assessment from an environmental medicine point of view and recommendations for minimising abnormal contamination. Participation thus provides participants with valuable information on environmental pollutants and exposures that may affect their health.
This not only has an individual benefit for all participants themselves, but also a collective benefit for the other people living in the household (e.g. in the case of drinking water samples).
Benefits for the general public
The study results primarily serve as a basis for decisions on possible regulations and laws to protect people and the environment throughout Europe. Based on the results, recommendations for action are made to politicians and the general public and the effectiveness of existing regulations is reviewed.
Both the participants and their families and the entire population in Germany and Europe will benefit from the measures to improve environmental protection that result from the study findings. The data collected as part of the study will also be used for environmental research and health reporting.
By taking part, the children and young people are therefore making an important contribution to improving health in Germany and Europe.
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