As part of an environmentally oriented study, 800 women from two Berlin boroughs, between 30 and 45 years of age, were examined of their exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons, lead, and cadmium. The aim of this investigation was to determine the actual exposure of a representative population of Berlin to these xenobiotics and to evaluate the influence of other factors on the parameters measured in the blood. The geometric average values obtained in the analysis of the blood of the women included in the study, were 30 micrograms/l (144.9 nmol/l) for lead and 0.34 microgram/l (3.04 nmol/l) for cadmium (those who had never smoked 0.25 microgram/l; smokers 0.69 microgram/l). Compared to the 'eighties, blood lead concentration declined and to date only 1% of our study population had values > 100 micrograms/l. Smoking was confirmed to be a major influence factor. There is also a relation between lead in the blood and the use of alcoholic beverages and the presence of lead pipes in drinking water systems of the houses. The geometric means obtained were 0.41 microgram/l for benzene and 0.73 microgram/l for toluene and therefore higher than previously described in the literature. A statistical connection of benzene in blood to the indoor air concentration or the to the average daily traffic density could not be seen, but there is a relation to smoking habits.