Environmental Health Perspectives back issues from February 2003:
Ethical perspectives for public and environmental health: fostering autonomy and the right to know. (Commentary).
Feb 01, 2003; ... In this paper we develop an ethical perspective for public and environmental health practice in consideration of the "right to know" by contrasting consequential and &ontological perspectives with relational ethics grounded in the concept of fostering autonomy. From the consequential ...
Mechanisms of phthalate ester toxicity in the female reproductive system.
Feb 01, 2003; ... Phthalates are high-production-volume synthetic chemicals with ubiquitous human exposures because of their use in plastics and other common consumer products. Recent epidemiologic evidence suggests that women have a unique exposure profile to phthalates, which raises concern about the ...
Effects of concentrated ambient particles on heart rate and blood pressure in pulmonary hypertensive rats. (Research Articles).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Epidemiologic studies have shown that increased concentrations of ambient particles are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Recent studies have revealed that particulate air pollution exposure is associated with indicators ...
Urinary levels of trichloroacetic acid, a disinfection by-product in chlorinated drinking water, in a human reference population. (Research).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), a known mouse liver carcinogen and a possible human carcinogen, is found in chlorinated drinking water. We measured TCAA in archived urine samples from a reference population of 402 adults using isotope-dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem ...
Prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and related vascular diseases in southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonendemic areas in Taiwan. (Research).
Feb 01, 2003; ... There is evidence indicating that ingestion of arsenic may predispose the development of diabetes mellitus in arsenic-endemic areas in Taiwan. However, the prevalence of diabetes and related vascular diseases in the entire southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonendemic areas remains to be ...
Personal P[M.sub.2.5] exposure and markers of oxidative stress in blood. (Research).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Ambient particulate air pollution assessed as outdoor concentrations of particulate matter [less than or equal to] 2.5 [micro]m in diameter (P[M.sub.2.5]) in urban background has been associated with cardiovascular diseases at the population level. However, the significance of individual ...
Aggressive behavior and serum testosterone concentration during the maturation process of male mice: the effects of fetal exposure to bisphenol A: (Research).
Feb 01, 2003; ... The relationship between exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDs) and risk to reproductive organs is well documented, but the influence of EDs on behavioral development has not been studied. In this study we evaluated the effect of fetal exposure to bisphenol A, which mimics ...
Risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and prediagnostic serum organochlorines: [beta]-hexachlorocyclohexane, chlordane/heptachlor-related compounds, dieldrin, and hexachlorobenzene. (Research).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Increases in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) incidence and mortality rates during the past few decades remain largely unexplained. Studies suggest that organochlorine pesticides may contribute to an increased risk of NHL. In 1974, serum samples were obtained from 25,802 participants in the ...
The high cost of improper removal of lead-based paint from housing: a case report. (Commentary).
Feb 01, 2003; ... The costs of lead-based paint hazard control in housing are well documented, but the costs of cleanup after improper, inherently dangerous, methods of removing lead-based paint are not. In this article we report a case of childhood lead poisoning and document the costs of decontamination ...
Hair and toenail arsenic concentrations of residents living in areas with high environmental arsenic concentrations. (Environmental Medicine).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Surface soil and groundwater in Australia have been found to contain high concentrations of arsenic. The relative importance of long-term human exposure to these sources has not been established. Several studies have investigated long-term exposure to environmental arsenic concentrations ...
Maternal blood lead concentration, diet during pregnancy, and anthropometry predict neonatal blood lead in a socioeconomically disadvantaged population. (Children's Health).
Feb 01, 2003; ... To determine the influences of maternal diet and nutrition during pregnancy on the blood lead level of neonates, we conducted a study of mother-infant pairs from lower socioeconomic circumstances living in Albany County, New York. Maternal blood lead (MBPb), anthropometry, and diet were ...
Effects of transplacental exposure to environmental pollutants on birth outcomes in a multiethnic population. (Children's Health).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Inner-city, minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides. In a sample of 263 nonsmoking ...
Residential proximity to traffic and adverse birth outcomes in Los Angeles County, California, 1994-1996. (Children's Health).
Feb 01, 2003; ... We reported previously that increases in ambient air pollution in the Los Angeles basin increased the risk of low weight and premature birth. However, ambient concentrations measured at monitoring stations may not take into account differential exposure to pollutants found in elevated ...
Modification of immune function through exposure to dietary aflatoxin in Gambian children. (Children's Health).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Aflatoxins are immunotoxins that frequently contaminate staple foods in The Gambia and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in high exposure throughout life. Impaired infant immune system development may be a key predictor of mortality from infectious disease. In this study we ...
Animal models to detect allergenicity to foods and genetically modified products: workshop summary. (Mini-Monograph).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Environ Health Perspect 111:221-222 (2003). [Online 21 January 2003] Doi: 10.1289/ehp.5701 available via http://dx.doi.org/ ********** Respiratory allergy and allergy to foods continue to be important health issues. There is evidence to indicate that the ...
Food allergy: an overview. (Mini-Monograph).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Food allergy affects between 5% and 7.5% of children and between 1% and 2% of adults. The greater prevalence of food allergy in children reflects both the increased predisposition of children to develop food allergies and the development of immunologic tolerance to certain foods over time ....
Assessment of the inherent allergenic potential of proteins in mice. (Mini-Monograph).
Feb 01, 2003; ... There is considerable interest in the design of approaches that will permit the accurate identification and characterization of proteins that have the inherent potential to induce sensitization and cause food allergy. Among the methods used currently as part of such assessments are ...
Assessment of the allergic potential of food protein extracts and proteins on oral application using the Brown Norway rat model. (mini-monograph).
Feb 01, 2003; ... The need for widely accepted and validated animal models to test the potential allergenicity and potency of novel (biotechnology-derived) proteins has become an important issue for their safety evaluation. In this article, we summarize the results of the development of an oral ...
Nonmurine animal models of food allergy. (Mini-Monograph).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Food allergy can present as immediate hypersensitivity [manifestations mediated by immunoglobulin (Ig)E], delayed-type hypersensitivity (reactions associated with specific T lymphocytes), and inflammatory reactions caused by immune complexes. For reasons of ethics and efficacy, ...
Identification of antigenic epitopes on human allergens: studies with HLA transgenic mice. (Mini-Monograph).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Environmental factors play an important role in the rise and manifestation of allergic conditions in genetically predisposed subjects. Increased exposure to indoor/outdoor allergens is a significant factor in the development of allergic sensitization and asthma. Recently, strong ...
A human dendritic cell-based method to identify CD[4.sup.+] T-cell epitopes in potential protein allergens. (Mini-Monograph).
Feb 01, 2003; ... We developed an assay to determine the location of immunodominant CD[4.sup.+] T-cell epitopes in any protein. The method uses CD[4.sup.+] T cells from community donors in conjunction with dendritic cells derived in vitro. Synthetic peptides constructed to describe the sequence of the ...
Reversing urban decay: brownfield redevelopment and environmental health. (Guest Editorial).
Feb 01, 2003; ... While the United States government concentrates more of its political and financial resources on fighting terrorism, the continuing decay of older cities and industrial suburbs has fallen far down on the national political priority agenda. An exception is the redevelopment of so-called ...
Chronic Lyme disease: psychogenic fantasy or somatic infection? (Correspondence).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Sigal and Hassett published an article about Lyme disease in the EHP Supplements (Sigal and Hassett 2002), suggesting that chronic Lyme disease is "psychogenic." I do not think that Sigal and Hassett, nonpsychiatrists, are qualified to speak about psychiatric matters. I, however, actually ...
Chronic Lyme disease: it's not all in our heads. (Correspondence).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Those of us with chronic Lyme disease are not at all confused, as suggested by Sigal and Hassett (2002). We know from years of experience that we have real, specific symptoms that are usually painful and disabling and include severe headaches, crippling arthritis, and heart palpitations, ...
Chronic Lyme disease: Sigal and Hassett's response. (Correspondence).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Nowhere in our article (Sigal and Hassett 2002) do we minimize or devalue the pain or suffering of patients with chronic Lyme disease nor do we state that such patients are "crazy" or "delusional." Further, we do not dismiss the possibility that some such patients actually have infection ...
Cancer in Beluga from the St. Lawrence Estuary. (Correspondence).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Martineau et al. (2002) reported that St. Lawrence beluga (SLB) have high cancer rates. Unfortunately, errors in their interpretation of the data have led them to overstate the importance of cancer and its links to environmental sources. Martineau et al. (2002) compared ...
Cancer in Beluga: response. (Correspondence).
Feb 01, 2003; ... In their letter, Hammill et al. propose an analysis of mortality patterns for the St. Lawrence beluga (SLB) population without submitting data or methods. They state, however, that there is no difference in standing populations at 21-25 years of age between Alaskan beluga and SLB, ...
Correction.
Feb 01, 2003 ... In the editorial in the January issue of EHP [111:A14-A15 (2003)], David Michaels was described as the first recipient of the American Public Health Association's ...
Double jeopardy? (Environmental Justice).
Feb 01, 2003; ... The U.S. prison population grew from 1.1 million in 1990 to over 1.96 million in 2001, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, and more prisons have been built to meet the need for greater capacity. But societal and economic pressures often mean prisons are built on sites that may be ...
A luxury tax on energy. (Conservation).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Aspen, Colorado, already known for its ski slopes, is trying to become known as well for its efforts to conserve energy and decrease power plant carbon dioxide emissions. Under the joint city/county Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (REMP), people who build large new homes in Aspen are ...
U.S. drivers learn to share. (The Beat).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Car sharing programs are beginning to gain momentum in the United States, after several successful years in Europe and Canada. U.S. programs managed by Flexcar, a Seattle-based company founded in 1999, have grown to serve residents in the District of Columbia and in metropolitan areas of ...
Smoke-free dorms a success. (The Beat).
Feb 01, 2003; ... A study conducted at the University of Iowa has found that student smoking rates markedly declined--from 41% in 1997 to 28% in 2001--thanks to the 1998 institution of smoke-free floors in residence halls and the 2000 ban on smoking in campus residences altogether. The study is part of ...
U.K. FoneBak. (The Beat).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Each year 15 million mobile phones and phone accessories such as batteries and chargers are discarded in the United Kingdom, adding up to 1,500 tons of potentially toxic waste, including cadmium. To help keep this waste out of landfills, British company Shields Environmental, along with ...
Vampire appliances. (Energy).
Feb 01, 2003; ... You flip off the lights, but an eerie glow remains--the displays and clocks of your cable TV box, VCR, and stereo. These so-called vampire appliances stay awake all night, every night, sucking up an average of 5% of the monthly electric bill, according to Alan Meier, a staff scientist at ...
High-tech habitats. (Innovative Technologies).
Feb 01, 2003; ... A series of demonstration houses in Tennessee is pushing the envelope of energy efficiency--literally. By testing tighter building exteriors, or "envelopes," and other innovations, engineers in the Building America program at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ...
Habitat International Coalition. (ephnet).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Habitat International Coalition (HIC) was founded in 1976 as the nongovernmental-organization counterpart to the United Nations (UN) Commission on Human Settlements. Although HIC began with a truly international focus, its character has evolved, and it now concentrates on the developing ...
Drug use down on the farm. (The Beat).
Feb 01, 2003; ... An industry survey by the Animal Health Institute, a trade group representing agro-pharmaceutical companies, found that antibiotic use by U.S. livestock farmers declined in 2001 for the third straight year. Reporting the results of the survey in October 2002, the institute said 21.8 ...
Greenbacks for Brownfields. (The Beat).
Feb 01, 2003; ... As part of its Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Program, the U.S. EPA in May 2002 awarded $21.5 million in grants to 21 state and local agencies that will distribute the funds as no-or low-interest loans to tribes, states, and other political subdivisions. These loans, which ...
Shanghai says bye-bye to bikes. (The Beat).
Feb 01, 2003; ... As taxis, buses, and private cars congest roadways and contribute C[O.sub.2] and hydrocarbon emissions to the heavy haze hovering over Chinese cities, bicycles--once omnipresent throughout China--are being treated in Shanghai as traffic-snarling nuisances. Bicycles have been banned on 54 ...
Growing pains for environmental justice movement. (NIEHS News).
Feb 01, 2003; ... "No justice, no peace!" So went the thunderous chants that rang out from a few hundred youth who drowned out a key plenary session at the Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit. Held in late October 2002 in Washington, D.C., the summit was attended by ...
Dust busters gather. (NIEHS News).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Researchers have long known that occupational dust can pose health hazards--coal miners, construction workers, and others exposed regularly to dust on the job have a greater risk of developing respiratory disease than those who are not. But what about the dust-filled air the general public ...
Genetic susceptibility: a higher risk of congestive heart failure in blacks: genetics may be responsible. (Headliners: NIEHS-supported research).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Small KM, Wagoner LE, Levin AM, Kardia SLR, Liggett SB. 2002. Synergistic polymorphisms of [[beta].sub.1] and [[alpha].sub.2c]-adrenergic receptors and the risk of congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med 347(15):1135-1142. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is one of the leading ...
Give me shelter: the global housing crisis. (Focus).
Feb 01, 2003; ... The problem of inadequate or nonexistent housing has reached crisis proportions globally. The world population passed 6.1 billion in 2001 and is expected to reach 7.9-10.9 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations (UN) Population Fund. This sheer volume alone exerts enormous ...
Mold insurance: crafting coverage for a spreading problem. (Spheres of Influence).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Indoor mold is the culprit behind an epidemic of headaches in the United Stares. If these aren't literal headaches--residents in mold-contaminated buildings have complained of headaches and a rash of other ill effects, although an actual physical link is controversial--they certainly are ...
Solar flair. (Innovations).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Public enthusiasm for solar design is like the winter sun in Seattle--it shines brightly for brief periods of time, then all but disappears. After a long period of dormancy marked by low energy prices and abundant supply, solar energy appears to be staging a comeback in the United States ....
Size in the city: New York pollution may lower birth weight. (Science Selections).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Current levels of environmental pollutants in New York City can adversely affect fetal development, according to a new study by a team led by Frederica Perera of Columbia University's Center for Children's Environmental Health [EHP 111:201-205]. The study found a significant link between ...
Bisphenol aggression: effects shown in mice. (Science Selections).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Although many studies have documented the adverse effects of endocrine disruptors on reproductive organs, until recently little research has been done on the influence of these chemicals on behavioral development. A new study led by Keisuke Kawai of Kyushu University evaluates the effect ...
Life near the fast lane: an increased risk of birth problems. (Science Selections).
Feb 01, 2003; ... Several recent epidemiologic studies have suggested that exposure during pregnancy to ambient air pollution--including compounds released in motor vehicle exhaust--can increase the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. Now, investigations are beginning to examine the question of ...
Nursing and environmental health roundtable. (NIEHS Extramural Update).
Feb 01, 2003 ... Recognizing the important contributions that nurses make to improving public health and reducing health disparities, the NIEHS, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the National Institute for Nursing Research collaboratively organized and hosted a roundtable on nursing ...
Fellowships, grants, & awards. (Announcements).
Feb 01, 2003 ... Aggregate Exposure Assessment: Longitudinal Surveys of Human Exposure-Related Behavior The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results program, is seeking applications for longitudinal case studies to quantify the behavioral factors that ...
Calendar. (Announcements).
Feb 01, 2003 ... 2003 February 1-5 February, Sat-Wed. 50 Years On--From the Double Helix to Molecular Medicine: Nature Biotechnology Winter Symposium. Miami Beach, Florida. Information: MNBWS Office, PO Box 016129, M823, Miami, FL 33101-6129 USA, 305-243-3597, fax: 305-324-5665, ...
Sound Science, Junk Policy: Environmental Health Policy and the Decision-Making Process.
Feb 01, 2003; ... Michelle Morrone and Timothy W. Lohner Westport, CT:Auburn House, 2002. 208 pp. ISBN: 0-86569-308-0, $64.95 cloth. Sound Science, Junk Policy strives to examine the process whereby science is used or abused in public health and environmental policy. Its central theme is that the ...