Environmental Health Perspectives back issues from February 2007:
New pathways to disease prevention.(DIRECTOR'S PERSPECTIVE)
Feb 01, 2007; ... As scientists, communication--not only with those outside our area of expertise but also with those within our scientific sphere--is an important responsibility, though often an ongoing challenge. As NIEHS director, I increasingly realize that, as the writer Andre Gide said, "The most ...
Metal particles are inappropriate for testing a postulate of extrapulmonary transport.(Correspondence)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Exposure to ambient air pollution particles has been associated with increased human morbidity and mortality, much of which is nonpulmonary. One proposed explanation of this extrapulmonary tissue injury is a transport of the particles outside of the respiratory tract. In the August 2006 ...
Metal particles and extrapulmonary transport: Oberdorster and elder respond.(Correspondence)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We appreciate the opportunity to address the points raised by Ghio and Bennett in their letter. The pH of our cell-free dissolution studies (Elder et al. 2006) was appropriate because the nasal cavity surface is neutral and does not have airway macrophages and the phagolysosomal pH of ...
Limitations of WTC five-year assessment.(Correspondence)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We have learned much about the respiratory disorders since the exposures of responders at the World Trade Center (WTC) site, especially from the publications of Prezant and colleagues about the presentations, follow-up, and impairments of pulmonary function and bronchial reactivity of the ...
WTC five-year assessment: Herbert et al. respond.(Correspondence)
Feb 01, 2007; ... In our article (Herbert et al. 2006), we described the establishment of the World Trade Center (WTC) Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program and presented results of screening examinations undertaken between 2002 and 2004 among a heterogeneous group of 9,442 WTC responders. ...
Erratum.(Correction notice)
Feb 01, 2007 ... In Table 2 of the the commentary by Marsee et al. [Environ Health Perspect 114:805-809 (2006)], the value for the 75th ...
Putting the heat on gas.(INDUSTRY ISSUES)
Feb 01, 2007; ... The pace of energy development in the West is staggering. Since 1990 Colorado alone has seen a 450% increase in natural gas production, and now has more than 27,000 active gas wells, according to a fact sheet from the Western Colorado Congress, a community action group. This explosive ...
Tipping the scales toward fish.(MERCURY)
Feb 01, 2007; ... The benefits of eating moderate amounts of fish greatly outweigh the risks associated with intake of their potential contaminants, researchers report in the 18 October 2006 issue of JAMA. "People have heard that eating fish, especially oily fish, is good for them, yet they also hear that ...
Pesticides and anencephaly.(REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Anencephaly is a nightmarish neural tube defect in which the fetus does not develop a forebrain, and the rest of the brain is not covered by skin or bone. Most anencephalic children die in the womb or within hours of birth. A study published in the October 2006 issue of Occupational and ...
Cysteine assistance.(PESTICIDES)
Feb 01, 2007; ... The organophosphate and carbamate pesticides used today act by blocking acetyl-cholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme needed for proper functioning of the nervous system in insects, humans, and other animals. These pesticides, which contaminate air, water, soil, and food, are toxic not only to ...
Dirty city roundup.(The Beat)
Feb 01, 2007; ... In October 2006, the Blacksmith Institute released a report identifying the world's 10 most polluted cities based on factors such as toxicity of the pollution involved and clear evidence of health impacts. In Dzherzhinsk, Russia, which was a chemical weapons manufacturing site during the ...
Lead lightens up.(The Beat)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Since 1993 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded grants totaling approximately $1 billion for lead-based paint remediation in private low-income homes across the country. After six years, researchers led by Jonathan Wilson of the National Center for Healthy ...
Hospitals trigger asthma.(The Beat)
Feb 01, 2007; ... At least 20 million Americans suffer from asthma. Now the group Health Care Without Harm has released a report showing that hospitals abound with substances that can trigger or even cause asthma. These include cleaners such as disinfectants and sterilizers, fumes ...
Ballast water ballyhoo.(The Beat)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Alien species of fish, mollusks, and aquatic weeds in U.S. waters--many introduced from ballast water discharged from ships--are believed to cost the nation nearly $8 billion. In a move to quell the further introduction of such species, a federal district judge in California ruled in ...
The ouch of ARGs.(The Beat)
Feb 01, 2007; ... According to the WHO, more than 2 million Americans are infected each year with antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and 14,000 die as a result. A study in the 1 December 2006 issue of Environmental Science & Technology puts forth the idea that antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)--pieces of DNA ...
Plateau in smoking rate decline.(The Beat)
Feb 01, 2007; ... A years-long decline in the adult smoking rate stalled between 2004 and 2005, according to the most recent report by the CDC. Reasons for the plateau may include smaller annual increases in cigarette prices, a 26.5% reduction in funding for comprehensive state programs in tobacco control ...
Bioenergy Feedstock Information Network.(ehpnet)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Oak Ridge National Laboratory hosts a web-based resource center, the Bioenergy Feedstock Information Network, that assembles a wealth of information from the Department of Energy, the laboratory itself, Idaho National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and other research ...
IOM: the Economics of better Environmental Health.(NIEHS News)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Over the past two decades, epidemiological studies have strengthened the link between air pollution and specific respiratory ailments, yielding better valuations for the pollution-related costs of illness and thus pinpointing the benefits of environmental regulations. Much work remains to ...
TRC: mission accomplished.(NIEHS News)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Toxicogenomics is no longer in its infancy. The field is poised to make significant contributions to risk assessment, drug screening and development, clinical diagnosis and therapy, and policy decision making. That was the general consensus that emerged from the final meeting of the ...
Clean sweep: adopting safer urban demolition practices.(BEYOND THE BENCH)
Feb 01, 2007; ... In cities undergoing urban revitalization, progress can often be a costly benefit, particularly for residents living right in the midst of the changes. As staff at the Johns Hopkins NIEHS Center in Urban Environmental Health have documented, without proper standards in place, byproducts ...
Lead exposure may affect language ability.(Metal Toxicity)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Yuan W, Holland SK, Cecil KM, Dietrich KN, Wessel SD, Altaye M, et al. 2006. The impact of early childhood lead exposure on brain organization: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of language function. Pediatrics 118:971-977. Lead exposure is known to cause behavioral ...
Biodiesel: cultivating alternative fuels.(Focus)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Back in the early 1990s, U.S. farmers took note of the first Gulf War, rising energy prices, and a huge glut of excess soybean oil sitting in tanks around the country, and they saw an opportunity. Soybean oil, they reasoned, could be refined to make biodiesel, an alternative fuel source ....
Battle of the biofuels.(Spheres of Influence)
Feb 01, 2007; ... With skyrocketing petroleum prices and war in the oil-producing nations of the Middle East, biofuels are increasingly touted as desirable alternatives to petroleum. But can they really help free us from a petroleum economy? How do they compete with conventional fuels and each other on a ...
Trickledown effect? Maternal alcohol consumption linked to cryptorchidism in sons.(Science Selections)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Cryptorchidism (undescended testes), the most frequently occurring genital malformation in newborn boys, is a risk factor for later testicular cancer and fertility problems. By some reports, incidence has increased in recent decades, with environmental and lifestyle factors as potential ...
Chloramine catch: water disinfectant can raise lead exposure.(Science Selections)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Many water treatment systems around the nation have stopped using chlorine to disinfect drinking water. Chlorine reacts with dissolved organic matter in water to create by-products that are suspected of causing human health problems, including some forms of cancer. Many water treatment ...
Another look at succimer: cognitive deficits may be reversible after all.(Science Selections)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Clinicians for years have used chelation to treat lead poisoning without knowing whether it prevented cognitive impairment in lead-exposed children. A recent study of chelation therapy now brings new hope to parents of children exposed to lead [EHP 115:201-209; Stangle et al.]. The Cornell ...
Mapping a course for PFCs: transfer between mothers' milk and serum.(Science Selections)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Studies have found assorted perfluorinated compounds (PFCs)--the persistent chemicals in such products as nonstick coatings--in samples of human blood and milk, but what isn't clear is how efficiently the chemicals transfer between these two media. To address this gap, researchers in ...
The environmental health science core centers turn toward public health questions.(NIEHS Extramural Update)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Few NIEHS programs can lay claim to carrying out its director's stated mission as closely as the Environmental Health Science Core Centers (EHS CCs), which support centralized resources and facilities shared by investigators with existing research projects, thus enhancing productivity and ...
The Genes, Environment, and Development Initiative (U01).(Fellowships, Grants, & Awards)
Feb 01, 2007 ... This Request for Applications (RFA) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) launches the Genes, Environment, and Development Initiative (GEDI). The GEDI will support research using existing research samples to investigate main effects, ...
International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) [K01].(Fellowships, Grants, & Awards)
Feb 01, 2007 ... The International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) provides research opportunities, as well as cutting-edge technical training, in leading developing country institutions for U.S. postdoctoral biomedical, epidemiological, clinical, social, and behavioral scientists who are ...
Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction.
Feb 01, 2007; ... Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction By Terry Tamminen Washington, DC:Island Press, 2006, 262 pp. ISBN: 1-59726-101-7, $24.95. Lives Per Gallon, by Terry Tamminen, is an easy and entertaining read. It tells an important story about our ...
New books.(Announcements)
Feb 01, 2007 ... Alternative Pathways in Science and Industry: Activism, Innovation, and the Environment in an Era of Globalization David Hess Cambridge, MA:MIT Press, 2007. 360 pp. ISBN: 0-262-08359-0, $62 An Introduction to Pollution Science Roy M. Harrison, ...
Soil contamination from PCB-containing buildings.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in construction materials, such as caulking used around windows and expansion joints, may constitute a source of PCB contamination in the building interiors and in surrounding soil. Several studies of soil contamination have been conducted ...
Air pollution, smoking, and plasma homocysteine.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Mild hyperhomocysteinemia is independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Air pollution exposure induces short-term inflammatory changes that may determine hyperhomocysteinemia, particularly in the presence of a preexisting proinflammatory status ...
Temporal patterns in perchlorate, thiocyanate, and iodide excretion in human milk.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Perchlorate and thiocyanate interfere with iodide uptake at the sodium-iodide symporter and are potential disruptors of thyroid hormone synthesis. Perchlorate is a common contaminant of water, food, and human milk. Although it is known that iodide undergoes significant diurnal ...
In search of the most relevant parameter for quantifying lung inflammatory response to nanoparticle exposure: particle number, surface area, or what?(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Little is known about the mechanisms involved in lung inflammation caused by the inhalation or instillation of nanoparticles. Current research focuses on identifying the particle parameter that can serve as a proper dose metric. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study ...
Wind direction and its linkage with Vibrio cholerae dissemination.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: The relevance of climatic events as causative factors for cholera epidemics is well known. However, examinations of the involvement of climatic factors in intracontinental disease distribution are still absent. OBJECTIVES: The spreading of cholera epidemics may be ...
Succimer chelation improves learning, attention, and arousal regulation in lead-exposed rats but produces lasting cognitive impairment in the absence of lead exposure.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: There is growing pressure for clinicians to prescribe chelation therapy at only slightly elevated blood lead levels. However, very few studies have evaluated whether chelation improves cognitive outcomes in Pb-exposed children, or whether these agents have adverse effects that ...
Effect of formaldehyde on asthmatic response to inhaled allergen challenge.(Research)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Exposure to formaldehyde may lead to exacerbation of asthma. OBJECTIVES: Our aim in this study was to investigate whether exposure to a low level (500 [micro]g/[m.sup.3]) of formaldehyde enhances inhaled allergen responses. METHODS: Twelve subjects with ...
Dust weight and asthma prevalence in the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (NSLAH).(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Settled dust has been used in studies to assess exposures to allergens and other biologically active components, but it has not been considered in the aggregate in relation to respiratory health outcomes in the general population. OBJECTIVE: We addressed whether ...
Changes in blood lead levels associated with use of chloramines in water treatment systems.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: More municipal water treatment plants are using chloramines as a disinfectant in order to reduce carcinogenic by-products. In some instances, this has coincided with an increase in lead levels in drinking water in those systems. Lead in drinking water can be a significant ...
Exposure of perfluorinated chemicals through lactation: levels of matched human milk and serum and a temporal trend, 1996-2004, in Sweden.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Only limited data exist on lactation as an exposure source of persistent perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) for children. OBJECTIVES: We studied occurrence and levels of PFCs in human milk in relation to maternal serum together with the temporal trend in milk levels ...
A statistical model for assessing genetic susceptibility as a risk factor in multifactorial diseases: lessons from occupational asthma.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Incorporating the influence of genetic variation in the risk assessment process is often considered, but no generalized approach exists. Many common human diseases such as asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular disease are complex in nature, as they are influenced variably by ...
Mercury exposure from domestic and imported estuarine and marine fish in the U.S. seafood market.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Methylmercury exposure causes a variety of adverse effects on human health. Per capita estimates of mercury exposure are critical for risk assessments and for developing effective risk management strategies. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the impact of natural ...
Mechanisms of acquired androgen independence during arsenic-induced Malignant transformation of human prostate epithelial cells.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer progression often occurs with overexpression of growth factors and receptors, many of which engage the Ras/mitogen-activated protein MAP kinase (MAPK) pathway. OBJECTIVES: In this study we used arsenic-transformed human prostate epithelial cells, ...
Inferring past pesticide exposures: a matrix of individual active ingredients in home and garden pesticides used in past decades.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: In retrospective studies of the health effects of home and garden pesticides, self-reported information typically forms the basis for exposure assessment. Study participants generally find it easier to remember the types of pests treated than the specific pesticides used ....
Workgroup report: review of fish bioaccumulation databases used to identify persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances.(Research)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Chemical management programs strive to protect human health and the environment by accurately identifying persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances and restricting their use in commerce. The advance of these programs is challenged by the reality that few empirical data are available ...
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis-like granulomatous lung disease with nontuberculous mycobacteria from exposure to hot water aerosols.(Environmental Medicine)
Feb 01, 2007; ... OBJECTIVE: Human activities associated with aerosol-generating hot water sources are increasingly popular. Recently, a hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP)-like granulomatous lung disease, with nontuberculous mycobacteria from exposure to hot water aerosols from hot tubs/spas, showers, and ...
Outbreaks of short-incubation ocular and respiratory illness following exposure to indoor swimming pools.(Environmental Medicine)
Feb 01, 2007; ... OBJECTIVES: Chlorination destroys pathogens in swimming pool water, but by-products of chlorination can cause human illness. We investigated outbreaks of ocular and respiratory symptoms associated with chlorinated indoor swimming pools at two hotels. MEASUREMENTS: We interviewed ...
Cryptorchidism and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.(Children's Health)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to alcohol can adversely affect the fetus. We investigated the association between maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and cryptorchidism (undescended testis) among newborn boys. METHODS: We examined 2,496 boys in a prospective ...
A comparison of proximity and land use regression traffic exposure models and wheezing in infants.(Children's Health)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: We previously reported an association between infant wheezing and residence < 100 m from stop-and-go bus and truck traffic. The use of a proximity model, however, may lead to exposure misclassification. OBJECTIVE: Results obtained from a land use regression (LUR) ...
Water Arsenic exposure and intellectual function in 6-year-old children in Araihazar, Bangladesh.(Children's Health)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... BACKGROUND: We recently reported results of a cross-sectional investigation of intellectual function in 10-year-olds in Bangladesh, who had been exposed to arsenic from drinking water in their home wells. OBJECTIVES: We present results of a similar investigation of 301 randomly ...
Estimated effects of disinfection by-products on preterm birth in a population served by a single water utility.(Children's Health)
Feb 01, 2007; ... OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between drinking-water disinfection by-products and preterm births using improved exposure assessment and more appropriate analysis methods than used in prior studies. METHODS: During 1999-2001, vital record data were obtained for a ...
Environmental Health Impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations: Anticipating Hazards--Searching for Solutions.(Mini-Monograph)
Feb 01, 2007; ... A scientific conference and workshop was held March 2004 in Iowa City, Iowa, that brought together environmental scientists from North America and Europe to address major environmental health issues associated with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in large, industrialized ...
Health effects of airborne exposures from concentrated animal feeding operations.(Mini-Monograph)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Toxic gases, vapors, and particles are emitted from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) into the general environment. These include ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, malodorous vapors, and particles contaminated with a wide range of microorganisms. Little is known about ...
Monitoring and modeling of emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations: overview of methods.(Mini-Monograph)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Accurate monitors are required to determine ambient concentration levels of contaminants emanating from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and accurate models are required to indicate the spatial variability of concentrations over regions affected by CAFOs. A thorough ...
Impacts of waste from concentrated animal feeding operations on water quality.(Mini-Monograph)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Waste from agricultural livestock operations has been a long-standing concern with respect to contamination of water resources, particularly in terms of nutrient pollution. However, the recent growth of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) presents a greater risk to water quality ...
The potential role of concentrated animal feeding operations in infectious disease epidemics and antibiotic resistance.(Mini-Monograph)
Feb 01, 2007; ... The industrialization of livestock production and the widespread use of nontherapeutic antimicrobial growth promotants has intensified the risk for the emergence of new, more virulent, or more resistant microorganisms. These have reduced the effectiveness of several classes of antibiotics ...
Community health and socioeconomic issues surrounding concentrated animal feeding operations.(Mini-Monograph)
Feb 01, 2007; ... A consensus of the Workgroup on Community and Socioeconomic Issues was that improving and sustaining healthy rural communities depends on integrating socioeconomic development and environmental protection. The workgroup agreed that the World Health Organization's definition of health, "a ...