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Any service/Amt in Berlin that can help figuring out a source of mercury exposure?
So, my parents have been both diagnosed with mercury poisoning. From their results it seems that: 1. It's a long-term and probably still ongoing exposure… I don't know even where to start with this...
So, my parents have been both diagnosed with mercury poisoning. From their results it seems that: 1. It's a long-term and probably still ongoing exposure 2. It's elemental mercury, as in it doesn't come from fish or seafood, but just from.... somewhere nearby. There are obviously no factories or mining sites where my parents live. They don't go out much. My only theory is that the source may be somewhere in their house where they spend like 90% of their time.
How can we figure out the source? Like, mercury IS toxic and dangerous, so maybe there is some Amt that cares about ppl being constantly poisoned with metals in a residential area, or a Firma that could help find out where the hell that mercury keeps coming from (send a specialist or at least provide some guidelines on what we should look for and how)? I tried googling, but have so far found no results applicable to our situation. We have to deal with it somehow, but i'm at a loss about what to do.
the berlin fire department (berliner feuerwehr) actually has a special unit for hazardous materials - you can call their non-emergency line at 030 387 0 and explain the situation, they might send someone to do a preliminary check if they think it's an acute risk. they're not a long-term investigation service but they can tell you if there's a dangerous concentration in the air right now
also check the basement for any old heating systems - some pre-war buildings in berlin used mercury switches in gas boilers or old thermostats that could leak over decades. the verbraucherzentrale berlin has a free environmental consultation hotline too, they're good at walking you through what to look for step by step without needing to bring in paid specialists right away
You should contact the Gesundheitsamt in the district where your parents live. They have an environmental health unit (Umweltmedizin) that specifically investigates exposure sources like this. They can send someone to do a room air test or surface wipe test for mercury, and they take it seriously because it's a public health issue.
Also check if there are any old mercury thermometers or barometers in the house. A broken one that wasn't cleaned up properly can keep releasing vapor for years, especially if it got into carpet or floor cracks. The Gesundheitsamt might even have a list of approved firms that do indoor air testing for heavy metals if you want to pay for a private inspection faster.
your best bet is actually the Umweltbundesamt (federal environment agency) not the gesundheitsamt for a home check call their hotline they have a list of certified firms that do indoor air testing for mercury vapor and can tell you exactly what to look for
also check old paint and flooring some older berlin buildings used mercury based fungicides in the plaster or paint if the house is pre-1960s especially in the kitchen or bathroom where dampness could release it over time your parents might have a hidden source they don't even realize
What is the correct spelling for a street name that appears differently on multiple signs in Charlottenburg?
Worth noting that Berlin street names have official umlaut and ß rules that trip people up, so a sign showing "Strasse" versus "Straße" is not actually a spelling error, just an older transcription. Same with "ue" versus "ü" (e.g. "Kantstrasse" vs "Kantstraße"), both are considered valid renderings and you'll see the ß version on the blue Schilder and the ss version on older plaques or in databases that predate Unicode. If the difference you're seeing is between those two forms, there's nothing to fix and both are technically correct.
if the signs u mean are the old enamel ones on the house facades those are often protected as Baudenkmal so nobody's allowed to correct them even if the spelling is outdated. the binding version is whatever is in the Berliner Strassenverzeichnis plus the entry in the Liegenschaftskataster, so if u tell me the street i can point u to the right Bezirksamt Mitte or Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf page. tbh the merged district thing is real but the facade signs are a separate story, theyre basically museum pieces at this point
honestly thats super common in Charlottenburg, the district offices were merged from older Bezirke and nobody ever fixed all the Schilder. if its a real street you can check the official strassenverzeichnis on berlin.de, that list is what the Burgeramt actually goes by. which street is it? some of the Kaiserdamm / Kantstrasse signs are notorious for this.
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