Environmental Health Perspectives articles from February 2007

Environmental Health Perspectives archives from February 2007

New pathways to disease prevention.(DIRECTOR'S PERSPECTIVE)
February 1, 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,...

Metal particles are inappropriate for testing a postulate of extrapulmonary transport.(Correspondence)
February 1, 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...

Metal particles and extrapulmonary transport: Oberdorster and elder respond.(Correspondence)
February 1, 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...

Limitations of WTC five-year assessment.(Correspondence)(Clinical report)
February 1, 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...

WTC five-year assessment: Herbert et al. respond.(Correspondence)
February 1, 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...

Erratum.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2007... In Table 2 of the the commentary by Marsee et al. [Environ Health Perspect 114:805-809 (2006)], the value for the 75th percentile of monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) was incorrect; the correct value is 0.92. The authors regret the error.

Putting the heat on gas.(INDUSTRY ISSUES)
February 1, 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,...

Tipping the scales toward fish.(MERCURY)
February 1, 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...

Pesticides and anencephaly.(REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH)
February 1, 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...

Cysteine assistance.(PESTICIDES)
February 1, 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,...

Dirty city roundup.(The Beat)
February 1, 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...

Lead lightens up.(The Beat)
February 1, 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...

Hospitals trigger asthma.(The Beat)
February 1, 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...

Ballast water ballyhoo.(The Beat)
February 1, 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...

The ouch of ARGs.(The Beat)
February 1, 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...

Plateau in smoking rate decline.(The Beat)
February 1, 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...

Bioenergy Feedstock Information Network.(ehpnet)
February 1, 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...

IOM: the Economics of better Environmental Health.(NIEHS News)
February 1, 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...

TRC: mission accomplished.(NIEHS News)
February 1, 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...

Clean sweep: adopting safer urban demolition practices.(BEYOND THE BENCH)
February 1, 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,...

Lead exposure may affect language ability.(Metal Toxicity)
February 1, 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. ...

Biodiesel: cultivating alternative fuels.(Focus)
February 1, 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...

Battle of the biofuels.(Spheres of Influence)
February 1, 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...

Trickledown effect? Maternal alcohol consumption linked to cryptorchidism in sons.(Science Selections)
February 1, 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...

Chloramine catch: water disinfectant can raise lead exposure.(Science Selections)
February 1, 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...

Another look at succimer: cognitive deficits may be reversible after all.(Science Selections)
February 1, 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...

Mapping a course for PFCs: transfer between mothers' milk and serum.(Science Selections)
February 1, 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...

The environmental health science core centers turn toward public health questions.(NIEHS Extramural Update)
February 1, 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...

The Genes, Environment, and Development Initiative (U01).(Fellowships, Grants, & Awards)
February 1, 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...

International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) [K01].(Fellowships, Grants, & Awards)
February 1, 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,...

Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction.
February 1, 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...

New books.(Announcements)
February 1, 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 ...

Soil contamination from PCB-containing buildings.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Air pollution, smoking, and plasma homocysteine.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Temporal patterns in perchlorate, thiocyanate, and iodide excretion in human milk.(Research)
February 1, 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...

In search of the most relevant parameter for quantifying lung inflammatory response to nanoparticle exposure: particle number, surface area, or what?(Research)
February 1, 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. ...

Wind direction and its linkage with Vibrio cholerae dissemination.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Succimer chelation improves learning, attention, and arousal regulation in lead-exposed rats but produces lasting cognitive impairment in the absence of lead exposure.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Effect of formaldehyde on asthmatic response to inhaled allergen challenge.(Research)(Clinical report)
February 1, 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. ...

Dust weight and asthma prevalence in the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (NSLAH).(Research)
February 1, 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....

Changes in blood lead levels associated with use of chloramines in water treatment systems.(Research)
February 1, 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....

Exposure of perfluorinated chemicals through lactation: levels of matched human milk and serum and a temporal trend, 1996-2004, in Sweden.(Research)
February 1, 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...

A statistical model for assessing genetic susceptibility as a risk factor in multifactorial diseases: lessons from occupational asthma.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Mercury exposure from domestic and imported estuarine and marine fish in the U.S. seafood market.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Mechanisms of acquired androgen independence during arsenic-induced Malignant transformation of human prostate epithelial cells.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Inferring past pesticide exposures: a matrix of individual active ingredients in home and garden pesticides used in past decades.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Workgroup report: review of fish bioaccumulation databases used to identify persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances.(Research)
February 1, 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...

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis-like granulomatous lung disease with nontuberculous mycobacteria from exposure to hot water aerosols.(Environmental Medicine)
February 1, 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...

Outbreaks of short-incubation ocular and respiratory illness following exposure to indoor swimming pools.(Environmental Medicine)
February 1, 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...

Cryptorchidism and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.(Children's Health)
February 1, 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...

A comparison of proximity and land use regression traffic exposure models and wheezing in infants.(Children's Health)
February 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: We previously reported an association between infant wheezing and residence OBJECTIVE: Results obtained from a land use regression (LUR) model of exposure to truck and bus traffic are compared with those obtained with a...

Water Arsenic exposure and intellectual function in 6-year-old children in Araihazar, Bangladesh.(Children's Health)(Clinical report)
February 1, 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...

Estimated effects of disinfection by-products on preterm birth in a population served by a single water utility.(Children's Health)
February 1, 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,...

Environmental Health Impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations: Anticipating Hazards--Searching for Solutions.(Mini-Monograph)
February 1, 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...

Health effects of airborne exposures from concentrated animal feeding operations.(Mini-Monograph)
February 1, 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...

Monitoring and modeling of emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations: overview of methods.(Mini-Monograph)
February 1, 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...

Impacts of waste from concentrated animal feeding operations on water quality.(Mini-Monograph)
February 1, 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...

The potential role of concentrated animal feeding operations in infectious disease epidemics and antibiotic resistance.(Mini-Monograph)
February 1, 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...

Community health and socioeconomic issues surrounding concentrated animal feeding operations.(Mini-Monograph)
February 1, 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...