Environmental Health Perspectives articles from February 2008

Environmental Health Perspectives archives from February 2008

Responding to blood lead levels < 10 [micro]g/dL.(Guest editorial)
February 1, 2008... doi: 10.1289lehp. 10703 Miranda et al. (2007) in the August issue and Jusko et al. (2008) in the present issue of Environmental Health Perspectives provide additional evidence of adverse health effects in children at blood lead levels...

Short-term exposure to mobile phone base station signals.(Correspondence)
February 1, 2008... doi: 10.1289/chp. 10733 The data in the study by Eltiti et al. (2007) do not support their conclusion that The present data, along with current scientific evidence, leads to the conclusion that short-term rf-emf [radio frequency...

Mobile phone base station exposure and symptoms.(Correspondence)
February 1, 2008... doi: 10,1289/ehp.10771 Eltiti et al. (2007) reported elevated levels of arousal when electromagnetic-hypersensitive subjects were exposed to a UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) mobile phone base station signal of 10...

Sensitivity to mobile phone base station signals.(Correspondence)
February 1, 2008... doi: 10.12890/chp.10870 Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is a potentially highly significant public health problem. Eltiti et al. (2007a) recently concluded that short-term exposure to a GSM (global system for mobile communication)...

Mobile phone base stations: Eltiti et al. respond.(Correspondence)
February 1, 2008... doi: 10.1289/ehp. 10733R Three letters have questioned the validity of the conclusions drawn in our recent article on the short-term effects of GSM (global system for mobile communication) and UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications...

Does city life alter breast density?(WOMEN'S HEALTH)
February 1, 2008... Epidemiologic studies have found differences between urban and rural women in breast cancer incidence and mortality, both generally being higher in urban areas. Now a British study suggests that women who live or work in urban areas have denser...

Transportation fuels on the table.(INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES)
February 1, 2008... On 29-30 November 2007, just days before the United Nations Climate Change Conference began in Bali and Al Gore and Rajendra Pachauri received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their work on climate change, the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM)...

Antibacterial alters hormone activity.(The Beat)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... In a study published online 29 November 2007 ahead of print in Endocrinology, researchers at the University of California, Davis, report that the commonly used antibacterial chemical triclocarban (TCC) acts as an endocrine disruptor by a...

Raising awareness of nurse health.(The Beat)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... On 11 December 2007, the Environmental Working Group released the results of a survey of occupational health among nurses. More than 1,500 U.S. nurses participated in the online survey, which assessed workplace exposures to common hazardous...

Minnesota bans mercury in beauty products.(The Beat)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... On 1 January 2008, Minnesota became the first state to ban mercury from cosmetics such as mascara, eyeliner, and skin-lightening creams. Current federal regulations allow up to 65 ppm mercury to be used in cosmetics as a preservative and...

Stress link redefined.(CANCER)
February 1, 2008... As the battle against cancer continues, doctors, researchers, and patients continue to investigate new avenues for prevention and treatment. But the struggle isn't getting any simpler. Researchers in a handful of laboratories have recently...

Selfish DNA versus vector-borne disease.(GENETIC RESEARCH)
February 1, 2008... Malaria, carried by Anopheles mosquitoes, infects up to 500 million people each year and kills 1 million, most of them children in sub-Saharan Africa. Dengue fever, a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, is now endemic in more than...

Consumer action guide to toxic chemicals in toys.(ehpnet)(www.healthytoys.org)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... On 5 December 2007, the nonprofit Ecology Center launched the Consumer Action Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys at http://www.healthytoys.org/ to provide parents and other caregivers with information on toys containing potentially hazardous...

Hops for health?(The Beat)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Xanthohumol, a flavonoid compound found in the hop plant, is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce the activity of cancer-causing cytochrome P450 enzymes. Earlier studies have found that xanthohumol can kill cultured breast, colon, ovarian,...

New tactic for taming invasive species.(The Beat)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Each year, in response to rules adopted in 2004 by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the shipping industry spends billions of dollars to remove exotic species from the 3-5 billion tons of water transported in ballast tanks. A South...

Germany takes aim at auto emissions.(The Beat)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... On 1 January 2008, the German cities of Berlin, Cologne, and Hanover witnessed the rollout of a new program to reduce air pollution in city centers. In those cities, and in 17 more to be added during the year, cars are required to display...

Face to face with toy safety: understanding an unexpected threat.(Focus)
February 1, 2008... Until March 2007, thousands of kids around the country could be found playing with toy trucks, helicopters, and soldiers sold under the Elite Operations brand name. The toys were fun, and they looked great with their thick coat of glossy paint....

Global trade comes home: community impacts of goods movement.(Spheres of Influence)
February 1, 2008... or many U.S. residents, 2007 was a year of heightened awareness of some of the problems of global trade. Extensive recalls of melamine-tainted pet food in the spring followed by even larger toy recalls in the summer and fall raised consumer...

Testing lead's limits: time for another reassessment of guidelines?(Science Selections)
February 1, 2008... Cohort data during the 1980s linked blood lead levels of at least 10 [mu]g/dL with low cognitive test scores in children, prompting the decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to redefine the action level for elevated blood...

Arsenic makes its mark: using biomarkers to track noncancer respiratory effects.(Science Selections)
February 1, 2008... Exposure to toxic levels of arsenic is a serious problem in many Asian countries, notably Bangladesh and India, where exposure to inorganic arsenic through naturally contaminated groundwater is widespread and often excessive. Scientists have...

Revisiting the DDE-lactation question: association not confirmed in breastfeeding mothers.(Science Selections)(dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene)
February 1, 2008... Breastfeeding is known to be protective of newborn health, for example by lowering infant mortality and risk of infectious diseases. But breastfeeding is on the decline in some locales, especially in developing countries. Some studies have...

Exposure under pressure: lead linked to release of cortisol in children.(Science Selections)
February 1, 2008... Lead exposure is linked to cognitive deficits, cardiovascular disease risk, and behavioral problems, outcomes that potentially follow dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In animal studies, lead exposure has...

The Secret History of the War on Cancer.(Book Review)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... by Devra Davis New York: Basic Books, 2007. 505 pp. ISBN: 970-0-465-01566-5, $27.95 The secret of The Secret History of the War on Cancer is prevention, an acutely recognized but long neglected solution to workplace-,...

Announcements.
February 1, 2008... 25 Years of P53 Research Wiman,klas G.,Hainaut, Pierre, eds. New York: Springer, 2008. 448pp. ISBN: 978-1-4020-6564-4, $69.95 Advances in Molecular Toxicology, 2 James C.Fishhein Burlington, MA: Elsevier, 2008, 275pp. ISBN:...

Testicular dysgenesis syndrome and the estrogen hypothesis: a quantitative meta-analysis.(Review)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Male reproductive tract abnormalities such as hypospadias and cryptorchidism, and testicular cancer have been proposed to comprise a common syndrome together with impaired spermatogenesis with a common etiology resulting from the...

Inorganic arsenic and human prostate cancer.(Review)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... OBJECTIVE: We critically evaluated the etiologic role of inorganic arsenic in human prostate cancer. DATA SOURCES: We assessed data from relevant epidemiologic studies concerning environmental inorganic arsenic exposure. Whole animal...

Arsenic as an endocrine disruptor: arsenic disrupts retinoic acid receptor-and thyroid hormone receptor-mediated gene regulation and thyroid hormone-mediated amphibian tail metamorphosis.(Research)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Chronic exposure to excess arsenic in drinking water has been strongly associated with increased risks of multiple cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and reproductive and developmental problems in humans. We previously demonstrated...

Temporal variability and predictors of urinary bisphenol a concentrations in men and women.(Research)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polymeric materials, such as polycarbonate plastics, and is found in a variety of consumer products. Recent data show widespread BPA exposure among the U.S. population. OBJECTIVE: Our...

DDE, a degradation product of DDT, and duration of lactation in a highly exposed area of Mexico.(Research)(Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Higher levels of l, l-dichloro-2, 2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), the major degradation product of l, 1, 1-trichloro-2, 2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), have been related to shorter duration of breast-feeding in previous...

Neurocognitive changes among elderly exposed to PCBs/PCDFs in Taiwan.(Research)(polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzofurans)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: In 1979 approximately 2,000 people were exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) due to ingestion of contaminated cooking oil in Taiwan. Although a previous study has shown delayed...

Nonmalignant respiratory effects of chronic arsenic exposure from drinking water among never-smokers in Bangladesh.(Research)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Arsenic from drinking water has been associated with malignant and nonmalignant respiratory illnesses. The association with nonmalignant respiratory illnesses has not been well established because the assessments of respiratory...

Long-term effects of traffic-related air pollution on mortality in a Dutch Cohort (NLCS-AIR Study).(Research)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Several studies have found an effect on mortality of between-city contrasts in long-term exposure to air pollution. The effect of within-city contrasts is still poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: We studied the association between...

HPRT mutations in lymphocytes from 1,3-butadiene-exposed workers in China.(Research)(hypoxanthine- guanine phosphoribosyltransferase)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: 1,3-Butadiene (BD) is an important industrial chemical and an environmental and occupational pollutant. The carcinogenicity of BD in rodents has been proved, but its carcinogenic and mutagenic molecular mechanism(s) are not fully...

Polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and neuropsychological status among older residents of upper Hudson River communities.(Research)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may accelerate the cognitive and motor dysfunction found in normal aging, but few studies have examined these outcomes and PCB exposure among older adults. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated...

Chlorination disinfection by-products and risk of congenital anomalies in England and Wales.(Research)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Increased risk of various congenital anomalies has been reported to be associated with trihalomethane (THM) exposure in the water supply. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a registry-based study to determine the relationship between THM...

Perturbation of organogenesis by the herbicide atrazine in the amphibian Xenopus laevis.(Research)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Exposure to anthropogenic chemicals during development can disrupt the morphogenesis of organ systems. Use of the herbicide atrazine has been debated in recent years because of its implicated, but poorly characterized, effects on...

Arsenic in drinking-water and risk for cancer in Denmark.(Research)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Arsenic is a well-known carcinogen, which is often found in drinking-water. Epidemiologic studies have shown increased cancer risks among individuals exposed to high concentrations of arsenic in drinking-water, whereas studies of...

Case report: human exposure to dioxins from clay.(Environmental Medicine)(Case study)
February 1, 2008... CONTEXT: For the general population, the dominant source of exposure to dioxin-like compounds is food. As part of the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES), we measured selected polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs),...

Blood lead concentrations < 10 [micro]g/dL and child intelligence at 6 years of age.(Children's Health)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Few studies provide data directly relevant to the question of whether blood lead concentrations OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between blood lead concentrations assessed throughout early childhood and children's IQ at 6...

Low-Level prenatal and postnatal blood lead exposure and adrenocortical responses to acute stress in children.(Children's Health)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: A few recent studies have demonstrated heightened hypothalamic--pituitary--adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to acute stress in animals exposed to heavy metal contaminants, particularly lead. However, Pb-induced dysregulation of the HPA...

Dental amalgam exposure and urinary mercury levels in children: The New England Children's Amalgam Trial.(Children's Health)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Urinary mercury (U-Hg) excretion is a commonly used biomarker for mercury exposure from dental amalgam restorations. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to determine the most efficient measure of dental amalgem exposure for use in analyses...

Hair mercury negatively correlates with Calcium pump activity in human term newborns and their mothers at delivery.(Children's Health)(Clinical report)
February 1, 2008... BACKGROUND: Calcium homeostasis is a known target of several environmental toxicants including lead and mercury. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to determine the relationship between Hg exposure and erythrocyte Ca pump activity in women at delivery...