Environmental Health Perspectives articles from April 2002

Environmental Health Perspectives archives from April 2002

The association of blood lead level and cancer mortality among whites in the United States. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... Lead is classified as a possible carcinogen in humans. We studied the relationship of blood lead level and all cancer mortality in the general population of the United States using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey...

Evidence for induction of oxidative stress caused by chronic exposure of Chinese residents to arsenic contained in drinking water. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... Exposure of experimental animals or cultured cells to arsenic induces oxidative stress, but, to date, no examination of this phenomenon in humans has been reported. In this study we conducted a cross-sectional study in Wuyuan, Inner Mongolia,...

Renal effects of uranium in drinking water. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... Animal studies and small studies in humans have shown that uranium is nephrotoxic. However, more information about its renal effects in humans following chronic exposure through drinking water is required. We measured uranium concentrations in...

Hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls as inhibitors of the sulfation and glucuronidation of 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can be metabolized by cytochromes P450 to hydroxylated biotransformation products. In mammalian studies, some of the hydroxylated products have been shown to be strong inhibitors of steroid sulfotransferases. As...

Alteration of intracellular cysteine and glutathione levels in alveolar macrophages and lymphocytes by diesel exhaust particle exposure. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on thiol regulation in alveolar macrophages (AM) and lymphocytes. We obtained AM and lymph node (thymic and tracheal) cells (LNC) (at different time...

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls in fishermen in Finland. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... We measured plasma concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fishermen from the Finnish Baltic Sea area and fishermen fishing in inland lakes. The concentrations...

Prediction of rodent nongenotoxic carcinogenesis: evaluation of biochemical and tissue changes in rodents following exposure to nine nongenotoxic NTP carcinogens. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... We studied nine presumed nongenotoxic rodent carcinogens, as defined by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP), to determine their ability to induce acute or subacute biochemical and tissue changes that may act as useful predictors of...

A new invertebrate member of the p53 gene family is developmentally expressed and responds to polychlorinated biphenyls. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... The cell-cycle checkpoint protein p53 both directs terminal differentiation and protects embryos from DNA damage. To study invertebrate p53 during early development, we identified three differentially expressed p53 family members (p53, p97,...

The potential impact of flooding on confined animal feeding operations in eastern North Carolina. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... Thousands of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have been constructed in eastern North Carolina. The fecal waste pit and spray field waste management systems used by these operations are susceptible to flooding in this low-lying region....

A benchmark dose analysis of prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... Benchmark dose (BMD) analysis is used to determine levels of exposure to environmental contaminants associated with increased public health risk. In this study we used a benchmark approach to evaluate the risks associated with prenatal exposure...

Sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in peripheral lymphocytes of shoe factory workers exposed to solvents. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... We examined sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and micronuclei (MN; cytokinesis-block method) in cultured peripheral lymphocytes from 52 female workers of two shoe factories and from 36 unexposed age- and sex-matched referents. The factory...

The association between biomarker-based exposure estimates for phthalates and demographic factors in a human reference population. (Articles).
April 1, 2002... Population-based estimates of environmental exposures using biomarkers can be difficult to obtain for a variety of reasons, including problems with limits of detection, undersampling of key strata, time between exposure and sampling, variation...

Pentachlorophenol and hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyl metabolites in umbilical cord plasma of neonates from coastal populations in Quebec. (Children's Health).
April 1, 2002... Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated metabolites of PCBs (HO-PCBs) and octachlorostyrene (4-HO-HpCS), and pentachlorophenol (PCP) were determined in umbilical cord plasma samples from three different regions of...

Dust mite, cockroach, cat, and dog allergen concentrations in homes of asthmatic children in the northeastern United States: impact of socioeconomic factors and population density. (Children's Health).
April 1, 2002... Home exposures to aeroallergens are an important environmental factor in allergic sensitization and in the development and exacerbation of asthma. We assessed variations in home concentrations of dust mite, cockroach, cat, and dog allergens in...

Summary of the National Toxicology Program's report of the endocrine disruptors low-dose peer review. (Workshop Summary).
April 1, 2002... At the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the National Toxicology Program organized an independent and open peer review to evaluate the scientific evidence on low-dose effects and nonmonotonic dose-response...

The pitfalls of hair analysis for toxicants in clinical practice: three case reports. (Grand Rounds in Environmental Medicine).
April 1, 2002... Hair analysis is used to assess exposure to heavy metals in patients presenting with nonspecific symptoms and is a commonly used procedure in patients referred to our clinic. We are frequently called on to evaluate patients who have...

Evolution of a journal: environmental health perspectives. (Editorial).
April 1, 2002... This month EHP celebrates its 30th anniversary. Over these three decades, EHP's goal has been to provide a forum for the discussion and presentation of environmental health issues at the local, national, and international levels. This sharing...

Safety of carrageenan in foods. (Correspondence).
April 1, 2002... A recent review of the toxicology of carrageenan by Tobacman (1) raised questions about the safety of carageenan-containing foods. Intact carageenan is a high molecular weight hydrocolloid (molecular weight 1.5-20 x [10.sup.6]). One concern has...

Carrageenan in foods: response. (Correspondence).
April 1, 2002... Carrageenan has been the subject of significant investigation for several decades, and the complexity pertaining to it may have impeded our ability to form a clear impression about its harmful effects. In rodent models, there is clear evidence...

Time for a change in philosophy. (Correspondence).
April 1, 2002... As people are becoming aware, there are signs that Earth is demonstrating finite capabilities to support the continued existence of life. The atmosphere appears to be heating, the oceans appear to be declining in their ability to support life,...

Mercury and the central nervous system. (Correspondence).
April 1, 2002... The toxicity of mercury described in the table in "Environmental Aftermath" (1) in EHP [109:A530 (2001)] needs clarification. In the table, mercury is cited as damaging only the peripheral nervous system. Of much greater public health...

Plants provide prevention. (Cancer).
April 1, 2002... Worldwide, approximately 473,000 new cases of liver cancer are diagnosed annually, with 80% occurring in the developing world. Two risk factors work synergistically to greatly increase the risk of liver cancer: chronic infection with hepatitis...

Overpowering manure. (Livestock Issues).
April 1, 2002... U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have lab-tested a cheap method for killing pathogenic bacteria in dairy cattle manure. If the technique passes upcoming field tests, it could help address growing concerns about the spread of...

Fuel cells take off. (The Beat).
April 1, 2002... Boeing Commercial Airplanes researchers in Madrid, Spain, are investigating the use of fuel cells as primary and auxiliary power sources for aircraft. Fuel cells, which can generate twice as much electricity as gasoline-powered turbine...

Europe assumes authority over food safety. (The Beat).
April 1, 2002... On 12 January 2002, the European Commission (EC) unanimously approved the formation of the European Food Safety Authority, which will be charged with implementing regulations for both human food and animal feeds. The authority's main duty will...

Deposit for profit. (The Beat).
April 1, 2002... A 17 January 2002 report by Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling on beverage container recycling says the United States could double recycling of such containers at a cost savings using a deposit program. Industry giant...

Genes express dissatisfaction with environment. (Risk Assessment).
April 1, 2002... In an even newer use for a hot new biotech tool, environmental scientists are using gene expression signatures to monitor, chart, and predict how common toxicants affect the genes of animals living in polluted ecosystems. In gene expression...

Unwell water in South Carolina. (Metal Toxicity).
April 1, 2002... Last February, South Carolina health and environmental officials found that three wells used for drinking water by residents in the Simpsonville area contained fifty times the federal government's 30 ppb maximum allowed level of uranium. In the...

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. (ehpnet).
April 1, 2002... The area in California now known as Silicon Valley was once an agricultural landscape covered in fruit orchards, but over the past several decades it has become a center for one of the world's largest industries: computer manufacturing....

Swedish sweep. (The Beat).
April 1, 2002... A Swedish ban on landfilling of combustible wastes, including almost all household waste, went into force on 1 January 2002. Sweden was already landfilling about 25% of its household waste, but this percentage is estimated to drop to 5-10%...

Pollutants on ice. (The Beat).
April 1, 2002... Although only 1,200 people live in Antarctica year-round, an estimated 300,000 tons of waste such as spent batteries, oil, and chemicals have accumulated in the region since Britain established its first research base there in 1944. In 1991, 42...

Pulling the rug out from under waste. (The Beat).
April 1, 2002... To help keep the 2.5 million tons of carpet discarded in the United States each year out of landfills and waste incinerators, the National Carpet Recycling Agreement was signed on 8 January 2002 by stakeholders from industry, government, and...

The Hudson: a river runs through an environmental controversy. (NIEHS News).
April 1, 2002... The Hudson River pours out from Lake Tear of the Clouds, in New York's high peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. The river travels 315 miles through mountains and cliffs, farmlands and industrial parks, towns and cities. Throughout its course,...

Human Genetics, Environment, and Communities of Color. (Special Meeting Report).
April 1, 2002... The Human Genome Project and other advances in genetics, informatics, and molecular biology have expanded the possibilities new discoveries of how genes determine human susceptibility to disease. But the potential for misuse of genetic...

e-junk explosion. (Focus)(Cover Story).
April 1, 2002... Do you have an old computer in your closet at home? Odds are the answer is yes. Of course, it's covered in dust, the keyboard is grimy, and you haven't even turned it on for years. You'd like to get rid of it, but you don't know how or where....

Who pays for e-junk? When faced with the mounting tide of cast-off and potentially toxic computers and other electronic products in the United States, most would agree that it is a problem in need of a solution. But as industry, government, and environmental organizations debate how best to fashion a sensible response to this new threat, one question looms large: who should pay? (Spheres of Influence).
April 1, 2002... Despite significant quantities of lead, mercury, cadmium, and other hazardous substances in computers and television sets, large quantities of electronic waste are ending up in the nation's landfills or storage. According to the EPA, electronic...

Leading the charge for better batteries. (Innovations).
April 1, 2002... The worldwide market for batteries in 2001 was estimated at $37.7 billion, according to The Powers Review, Year 2000 Battery Industry Developments, prepared by Donald M. MacArthur and George E. Blomgren, and in 1998 alone, more than three...

How arsenic acts: evidence of oxidative stress. (Science Selections).
April 1, 2002... Scientists have known that people chronically exposed to excessive levels of arsenic in drinking water can suffer skin sores, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease, plus have a higher risk for certain cancers. Arsenic's mechanism of...

POP surprise: wood preservative persists in plasma. (Science Selections).
April 1, 2002... Exposure to low concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the womb has been linked with adverse neurodevelopmental effects in humans and animals. It has been hypothesized recently that hydroxylated PCB metabolites, or HO-PCBs, may...

Lead in the average Joe: no increase in cancer risk. (Science Selections).
April 1, 2002... Although classified as a possible carcinogen in humans, lead is an established carcinogen in experimental animals; the administration of inorganic lead in rats and mice has resulted in kidney, nervous system, and lung tumors. So far, however, a...

DERT Annual Scientific Retreat: 27-28 November 2001, Southern Pines, NC. (Extramurally Speaking ...).
April 1, 2002... Invited Speakers Marilie Gammon, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Jose Russo, Fox Chase Cancer Center John Sheridan, Ohio State University Carol Shively, Wake Forest University Steven Watkins, Lipomics Technologies John...

Fellowships, grants, & awards.
April 1, 2002... Decision-Making and Valuation for Environmental Policy The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) announce their intent to support a special awards competition opening in fiscal year 2002. For...

Calendar.
April 1, 2002... 2002 May 6-8 May, Mon-Wed. Envirosoft 2002. Bergen, Norway. Information: Susan Hanley, Conference Secretariat, Wessex Institute of Technology, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton, S040 7AA UK, +44-0-238-029-3223, fax:...

New books.
April 1, 2002... Agricultural Biotechnology: Country Case Studies Gabrielle J. Persley, L. R. MacIntyre New York, NY: CABI Publishing, 2002, 250 pp. ISBN: 0-85198-816-4, $85 Agroecological Innovations: Increasing Food Production with Participatory...