Environmental Health Perspectives back issues from January 2006:
Environmental health and Hurricane Katrina.(Guest Editorial)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Hurricane Katrina caused enormous physical destruction, environmental degradation, and human misery (Travis 2005). Full remediation will take years, and many decisions that are fundamental to the restoration and rejuvenation of the Gulf Coast are yet to be made. The challenges for New ...
Looking forward.(Note from the editor)
Jan 01, 2006; ... With this issue EHP bids a warm goodbye to Tom Goehl, our Editor-in-Chief since October 2001. Tom is a true altruist, always believing that the role of EHP is to impact the human condition by providing a forum for scientific information to be used by researchers, policy makers, and ...
Environmental genomics: an opportunity for the NIEHS.(DIRECTOR'S PERSPECTIVE)
Jan 01, 2006; ... As I continue to consider new research opportunities for tire NIEHS,my desire to support research in environmental genomics grows. While the accomplishments and available tools in genetics and genomics certainly enhance my enthusiasm for this field of research, my attraction to ...
Bisphenol a and risk assessment.(Perspectives Correspondence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... In a recent article, vom Saal and Hughes (2005) proposed that a new risk assessment on bisphenol A (BPA) is needed because of the availability of extensive new literature, including "recent epidemiologic evidence that BPA is related to disease in women." Specifically, the only research ...
Bisphenol a: vom Saal and Hughes respond.(Perspectives Correspondence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Our commentary describing the extensive new literature reporting low-dose effects of bisphenol A (BPA) in experimental animals (vom Saal and Hughes 2005) was written in response to a report from the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis (HCRA) by Gray et al. (2004), who concluded that "the ...
The human population: accepting species limits.(Correspondence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... In "The Population Equation: Balancing What We Need with What We Have," Dahl (2005) presented generally accepted thought and consensually validated data regarding the human population, even though he did not include an adequate scientific theory of absolute human population numbers. Dahl ...
Sources of blood lead in children.(Correspondence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... In their article on seasonality and children's blood lead (BPb) levels, Laidlaw et al. (2005) stated that "lead-contaminated soil in and of itself may be the primary driving mechanism of child BPb poisoning in the urban environment." We believe that the data presented by Laidlaw et al ....
Blood lead in children: Laidlaw et al. respond.(Correspondence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Our article (Laidlaw et al. 2005) is about seasonality of blood lead (BPb) and developing a predictive model using climatic variables. It is a new and unique finding about lead, marked particularly by the fact that it identifies diffuse soil lead as a significant component of lead sources ...
Validity of anogenital distance as a marker of in utero phthalate exposure.(Correspondence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... In their article in the August issue of EHP, Swan et al. (2005) purport to show that anogenital distance (AGD) in male infants is correlated with maternal phthalate exposure during pregnancy. The AGD has been shown to decrease in male newborn rats following maternal exposure to ...
Anogenital distance and phthalate exposure: Swan et al. respond.(Correspondence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... In their letter, McEwen and Renner raise several points that we would like to discuss. First, because all infants in our study (Swan et al. 2005) appeared normal, McEwen and Rennet infer that there is no evidence of an adverse effect. However, the absence of evidence of an ...
Errata.(Correction Notice)
Jan 01, 2006 ... In the October articles "Children's Centers Study Kids and Chemicals" [Environ Health Perspect 113:A664-A668 (2005)] and "Are EDCs Blurring Issues of Gender?" [Environ Health Perspect 113:A670-A677 (2005)], photographs and their captions erroneously imply that plastic drink bottles contain ...
Allergen labeling takes effect.(Food Safety)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Since 1994 food manufacturers have been required to list all the ingredients on their products' labels. A new law now takes this obligation a step further, requiring manufacturers to notify consumers in "plain language" of certain allergens contained in their products. This is good news ...
Breastfeeding: nature's MRE.(Children's Health)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Low breastfeeding rates and inadequate emergency planning left many infants dehydrated and hungry in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Health and educational organizations responded rapidly with breastfeeding information and assistance. Through direct contact with mothers and emergency ...
Liver library.(The Beat)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceutical research and development division has contributed a library of expression profiles for 100 paradigm compounds, primarily hepatotoxicants, to the Chemical Effects in Biological Systems (CEBS) knowledge base based at the National Center for Toxicogenomics, ...
Action for indoor air.(The Beat)
Jan 01, 2006; ... At its 4 September 2005 congress, the International Academy of Indoor Air Sciences called on the governments, institutions, and corporations of the world to invest more in reducing indoor air pollution. According to the academy, indoor air pollution in developing countries can exceed ...
Nanodatabase unveiled.(The Beat)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The International Council on Nanotechnology and Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology unveiled the world's first database of scientific findings on nanotechnology on 19 August 2005. Available at http://icon.rice.edu/research.cfm, the database was created ...
Meaner MRSAs.(Infectious Disease)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Most methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are contracted in hospitals and other health care facilities. Antibiotic use, patients' weakened immune systems, close contact among people, and open wounds all make hospitals prime breeding grounds for these bugs. But ...
X-rays get in synch.(Innovative Technologies)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Synchrotrons may have been designed with high-energy physics in mind, but now biologists are starting to see the light too. Jeffrey Gillow, a researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory, has been making use of the X-ray microscope at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) in New ...
CDC: environmental concerns after Hurricane Katrina NIEHS: Natural Disaster Response.(eph net)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Since Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast on 29 August 2005, Americans have sought reliable information on how to safely reenter flood-damaged environments. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been at the forefront of the effort to assist those affected by ...
Arsenic in U.S. rice.(The Beat)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Researchers from Scotland's University of Aberdeen reported in the 1 August 2005 issue of Environmental Science & Technology that U.S.-grown rice contains an average of 1.4 to 5.0 times more arsenic than rice from Europe, India, or Bangladesh. Most U.S. rice is grown in fields that once ...
Managing chemicals together.(The Beat)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Representatives of the world's governments, intergovernmental groups, and other stakeholders met in Vienna in September 2005 to finalize the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). SAICM is a framework for global policy on chemical hazards and will ensure that by ...
Green plan for rebuilding NOLA.(The Beat)
Jan 01, 2006; ... In the October 2005 issue of Environmental Building News (EBN), executive editor Alex Wilson outlines a 10-point plan for rebuilding New Orleans. The plan, developed with EBN's editorial board and other sustainable planning and design experts, calls first for the formation of a Sustainable ...
NIEHS responds to Katrina.(Environews / NIEHS News)
Jan 01, 2006; ... NIEHS director David Schwartz knows firsthand what the country's worst natural disaster looks like. Within days of Hurricane Katrina's winds and waves, he led an advance medical team of 50 physicians, nurses, and health care workers from the NIH, the NIEHS, and Duke University Medical ...
COEPs Contribute to Hurricane Relief.(Beyond the Bench)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The conditions in Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita reminded us all of our commonality in the human experience and moved many to help. Among those moved to help were the staff at the Community Outreach and Education Programs (COEPs) of NIEHS Centers across the ...
Lead disrupts T cell function.(Headliners: NIEHS-Supported Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Farrer DG, Hueber SM, McCabe MJ Jr. 2005. Lead enhances CD[4.sup.+] T cell proliferation indirectly by targeting antigen presenting cells and modulating antigen-specific interactions. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 207:125-137. Although lead has been banned from use in products like ...
In Katrina's wake.(Environews: Focus)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Hurricane Katrina has been called the most devastating natural environmental calamity in U.S. history. Visitors to the scene say the destruction is worse than anyone can imagine. Scientists also say that some perceived health threats have been over blown and others understated. Months ...
Louisiana's wetlands: a lesson in nature appreciation.(Environews / Spheres of Influence)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Hurricane Katrina's disastrous flooding of the Gulf Coast confirmed three decades of warnings by scientists. Most of New Orleans is below sea level, and South Louisiana's coastal wetlands, which once helped buffer the city from giant storms, have been disappearing at a spectacularly swift ...
Raising the bar for levees.(Environews / Innovation)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Human beings have likely been battling rising waters since the dawn of organized agriculture. Farmers around the world have traditionally been drawn to the rich soils of floodplains, which are generally well worth the trouble occasionally caused by surrounding waterways. Densely populated ...
Beach bug bingo: toward better prediction of swimming-related health effects.(Environews / Science Selections)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Swimming is a popular pastime in the United States. The 2000-2002 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment reported that each year an estimated 89 million Americans swim in recreational waters including lakes, oceans, streams, rivers, and ponds. But swimming waters may also be ...
Exploring the roots of diabetes: bisphenol a may promote insulin resistance.(Environews / Science Selections)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Poor diet and lack of exercise are known contributors to the epidemic of type 2 diabetes spreading around the world. Now researchers have implicated another possible culprit in the rise of the disease [EHP 114:106-112]. A team of Spanish and Mexican researchers reports discovering that the ...
Hypothesis Decay? Blood lead-fluoridation link not confirmed.(Environews / Science Selections)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Numerous studies of various populations have shown that adding fluoride to drinking water prevents dental decay. However, a 1999 study in Massachusetts and a 2000 study in New York reported associations between the use of silicofluoride compounds in community water systems and elevated ...
Manganese in drinking water: higher doses may hamper intellectual function.(Environews / Science Selections)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Manganese is an essential nutrient for humans, but its excessive consumption can cause adverse health impacts. Past studies have linked inhalation of excessive manganese to neurotoxicity in adults. Now a group of U.S. researchers suggests that ingesting high doses of manganese in drinking ...
A case study of tire crumb use on playgrounds: risk analysis and communication when major clinical knowledge gaps exist.(Commentary)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Physicians and public health professionals working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) received several telephone calls requesting information regarding the safety of recycled tire crumb as a playground surface ...
Recent applications of DNA microarray technology to toxicology and ecotoxicology.
Jan 01, 2006; ... Gene expression is a unique way of characterizing how cells and organisms adapt to changes in the external environment. The measurements of gene expression levels upon exposure to a chemical can be used both to provide information about the mechanism of action of the toxicant and to form a ...
A case for revisiting the safety of pesticides: a closer look at neurodevelopment.
Jan 01, 2006; ... The quality and quantity of the data about the risk posed to humans by individual pesticides vary considerably. Unlike obvious birth defects, most developmental effects cannot be seen at birth or even later in life. Instead, brain and nervous system disturbances are expressed in terms of ...
Mortality among workers exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in an electrical capacitor manufacturing plant in Indiana: an update.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... An Indiana capacitor-manufacturing cohort (n = 3,569) was exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from 1957 to 1977. The original study of mortality through 1984 found excess melanoma and brain cancer; other studies of PCB-exposed individuals have found excess non-Hodgkin lymphoma and ...
Rapidly measured indicators of recreational water quality are predictive of swimming-associated gastrointestinal illness.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Standard methods to measure recreational water quality require at least 24 hr to obtain results, making it impossible to assess the quality of water within a single day. Methods to measure recreational water quality in [less than or equal to] 2 hr have been developed. Application of rapid ...
Fine particulate air pollution and mortality in nine California counties: results from CALFINE.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Many epidemiologic studies provide evidence of an association between daily counts of mortality and ambient particulate matter < 10 pm in diameter (PM10). Relatively few studies, however, have investigated the relationship of mortality with fine particles [PM < 2.5 [micro]m in diameter ...
Perinatal environmental tobacco smoke exposure in rhesus monkeys: critical periods and regional selectivity for effects on brain cell development and lipid peroxidation.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Perinatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in humans elicits neurobehavioral deficits. We exposed rhesus monkeys to ETS during gestation and through 13 months posmatally, or post-natally only (6-13 months). At the conclusion of exposure, we examined cerebrocortical regions and ...
Reproductive disruption in wild longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) exposed to kraft mill effluent.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Worldwide, wild fish living in rivers receiving municipal and industrial discharges may experience endocrine disruption as a result of exposure to anthropogenic pollutants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hormonal status of wild fish in a U.S. river receiving unbleached kraft ...
Exposure, postexposure, and density-mediated effects of atrazine on amphibians: breaking down net effects into their parts.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Most toxicology studies focus on effects of contaminants during exposure. This is disconcerting because subsequent survival may be affected. For instance, contaminant-induced mortality can be later ameliorated by reduced competition among the survivors, a concept we refer to as ...
Inhalation of ultrafine particles alters blood leukocyte expression of adhesion molecules in humans.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Ultrafine particles (UFPs; aerodynamic diameter < 100 nm) may contribute to the respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with particulate air pollution. We tested the hypothesis that inhalation of carbon UFPs has vascular effects in healthy and asthmatic subjects, ...
Comparison of indoor mercury vapor in common areas of residential buildings with outdoor levels in a community where mercury is used for cultural purposes.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Elemental mercury has been imbued with magical properties for millennia, and various cultures use elemental mercury in a variety of superstitious and cultural practices, raising health concerns for users and residents in buildings where it is used. As a first step in assessing this ...
Use of the land snail helix aspersa as sentinel organism for monitoring ecotoxicologic effects of urban pollution: an integrated approach.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Atmospheric pollution from vehicular traffic is a matter of growing interest, often leading to temporary restrictions in urban areas. Although guidelines indicate limits for several parameters, the real toxicologic impacts remain largely unexplored in field conditions. In this study our ...
Effects of organochlorine contaminants on loggerhead sea turtle immunity: comparison of a correlative field study and in vitro exposure experiments.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Several laboratory and field studies indicate that organochlorine contaminants (OCs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides, modulate immune responses in rodents, wildlife, and humans. In the present study we examined the effects of OCs on immunity in free-ranging ...
Evidence of spatially extensive resistance to PCBs in an anadromous fish of the Hudson River.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Populations of organisms that are chronically exposed to high levels of chemical contaminants may not suffer the same sublethal or lethal effects as naive populations, a phenomenon called resistance. Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) from the Hudson River, New York, are exposed to high ...
In vitro immune toxicity of depleted uranium: effects on murine macrophages, CD[4.sup.+] T cells, and gene expression profiles.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Depleted uranium (DU) is a by-product of the uranium enrichment process and shares chemical properties with natural and enriched uranium. To investigate the toxic effects of environmental DU exposure on the immune system, we examined the influences of DU (in the form of uranyl nitrate) on ...
Gene expression analysis of the hepatotoxicant methapyrilene in primary rat hepatocytes: an interlaboratory study.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Genomics technologies are used in several disciplines, including toxicology. However, these technologies are relatively new, and their applications require further investigations. When investigators apply these technologies to in vitro experiments, two major issues need to be clarified: a) ...
Estrogen-like properties of fluorotelomer alcohols as revealed by MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... We investigated estrogen-like properties of five perfluorinated compounds using a combination of three in vitro assays. By means of an E-screen assay, we detected the proliferation-promoting capacity of the fluorotelomer alcohols 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctan-l-ol (6:2 FTOH) and ...
The estrogenic effect of bisphenol a disrupts pancreatic [beta]-cell function in vivo and induces insulin resistance.(Research)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The function of the pancreatic [beta]-cell is the storage and release of insulin, the main hormone involved in blood glucose homeostasis. The results in this article show that the widespread environmental contaminant bisphenol-A (BPA) imitates 17[beta]-estradiol ([E.sub.2]) effects in vivo ...
Serum cadmium levels in pancreatic cancer patients from the East Nile Delta region of Egypt.(Research Environmental Medicine)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The northeast Nile Delta region exhibits a high incidence of early-onset pancreatic cancer. It is well documented that this region has one of the highest levels of pollution in Egypt. Epidemiologic studies have suggested that cadmium, a prevalent pollutant in the northeast Nile Delta ...
Increased risk of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation episodes associated with acute increases in ambient air pollution.(Research Environmental Medicine)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Objectives: We reported previously that 24-hr moving average ambient air pollution concentrations were positively associated with ventricular arrhythmias detected by implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). ICDs also detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation episodes (PAF) that result ...
Water manganese exposure and children's intellectual function in Araihazar, Bangladesh.(Research / Children's Health)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Exposure to manganese via inhalation has long been known to elicit neurotoxicity in adults, but little is known about possible consequences of exposure via drinking water. In this study, we report results of a cross-sectional investigation of intellectual function in 142 10-year-old ...
Correction.(Correction Notice)
Jan 01, 2006 ... Some of the values were incorrect in the section "Dose-Response Relationships between Well WMn and ...
Blood lead concentrations in children and method of water fluoridation in the United States, 1988-1994.(Research / Children's Health)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Mark D. Macek, (1,2) Thomas D. Matte, (3) Thomas Sinks, (3,4) and Dolores M. Malvitz (2) (1) Department of Health Promotion and Policy, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; (2) Division of Oral Health, National ...
Home endotoxin exposure and wheeze in infants: correction for bias due to exposure measurement error.(Research / Children's Health)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Exposure to elevated levels of endotoxin in family-room dust was previously observed to be significandy associated with increased wheeze in the first year of life among a cohort of 404 children in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. However, it is likely that family-room dust ...
Prevalence and implementation of IAQ programs in U.S. schools.(Research / Children's Health)
Jan 01, 2006; ... In this study, we determined the extent to which U.S. schools are implementing indoor air quality (IAQ) programs. We administered a questionnaire on IAQ programs and practices to a representative sample of schools. Participants were asked to provide information on the use, administration, ...
Tiffany G. Bredfeldt, University of Arizona: recipient of the 2005 Karen Wetterhahn memorial award.(Announcements / NIEHS Extramural Update)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) is pleased to announce that Ms. Tiffany G. Bredfeldt of the University of Arizona is the recipient of the eighth annual Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award. The award will presented to Ms. Bredfeldt on 13 January 2006 at the SBRP annual meeting in ...
Environmental Health Sciences Core Center Grants.(Announcements / Fellowships, Grants, & Awards)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) invites applications from qualified institutions for support of the Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers. These centers are designed to build infrastructure in the fields of environmental health sciences and ...
Calendar.(Calendar)
Jan 01, 2006 ... 2006 January 18-19 January, Wed-Thu. Promoting Mental Health in Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities. Salt Lake City, Utah. Information: Brenda Reuss, Conference Assistant, The NADD, 132 Fair Street, Kingston, NY 12401 USA, 845-331-4336 or ...
Handbook of Urban Health: Populations, Methods, and Practice.
Jan 01, 2006; ... Handbook of Urban Health: Populations, Methods, and Practice Edited by Sandro Galea and David Vlahov New York:Springer, 2005. 599 pp. ISBN- 0387-23994-4, $89.95 The world is undergoing major urbanization. Within 25 years, more than half the world's population will be ...
New books.
Jan 01, 2006 ... Agricultural Biodiversity and Biotechnology in Economic Development Joseph Cooper, Leslie Marie Lipper, David Zilberman New York: Springer, 2005.480 pp. ISBN: 0-387-25407-2, $99 Air Quality in Airplane Cabins and Similar Enclosed Spaces, Vol. 4: Air Pollution, Part H Martin B ....