Environmental Health Perspectives articles from July 2007

Environmental Health Perspectives archives from July 2007

Validating national kriging exposure estimation.(Correspondence)
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.10205 In their article Liao et al. (2006) argued that it is feasible to use national scale daily kriging to estimate ambient air pollution exposure, even in locations where monitoring data are limited. In addition, they...

National kriging exposure estimation: Liao et al. respond.(Correspondence)
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.10205R Szpiro et al. suggest that our findings Liao et al. (2006) do not adequately support using national-scale, log-normal ordinary kriging to estimate daily mean concentrations of PM10 (particulate matter with...

Cancer risks associated with arsenic in drinking water.(Correspondence)
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.9927 Arsenic in drinking water is a worldwide problem, and studies in southwest Taiwan (Chen et al. 1985, 1988; Tseng 1977; Tseng et al. 1968; Wu et al. 1989) have been the bases of many cancer risk assessments. In a...

Cancer risks associated with arsenic: Lamm et al. respond.(Correspondence)
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.9927R We thank Guo for his comments and additional information. As indicated by Guo in his letter, three of the six southwest Taiwan townships in in the internal cancer study of Wu et al. (1989) (townships 2, 4, and 6)...

Copper deficiency, lead, and paraoxonase.(Correspondence)
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.10151 Li et al. (2006) measured paraoxonase 1 (PON1) in workers and found an inverse association between lead exposure and enzyme activity. This observation compliments some epidemiology and related experiments with...

Copper deficiency, lead, and paraoxonase: Li et al. respond.(Correspondence)
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.10151R We appreciate the opportunity to discuss the issue raised by Klevay in his letter. Klevay suggested that the decrease of PON1 activity in lead workers, as we reported in our article (Li et al. 2006), might be due to...

Environmental Health Impacts of CAFOs.(Correspondence)(Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.10124 I am concerned about the development and content of the Mini-Monograph on Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) (Bunton et al. 2007; Burkholder et al. 2007; Donham et al....

CAFOs: Thorne responds.(Correspondence)(Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations )
July 1, 2007... doi: 10.1289/ehp.10124R I am pleased that the National Pork Board has read the Mini-Monograph on Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) (Bunton et al. 2007; Burkholder et al. 2007; Donham et al....

Erratum.(Correspondence)(Correction notice)
July 1, 2007... In the May Focus article, "Perfluoroalkyl Acids: What Is the Evidence Telling Us?" [Environ Health Perspect 115:A250-A256 (2007)], the caption on page A254 should have read "Once PFOAexposed mice reach adulthood, however, they are more likely...

Australia's war on drought.(NATURAL RESOURCES)
July 1, 2007... Watering the lawn and washing the car are quintessential parts of summer. Yet, in some parts of Australia these activities are illegal. That's because water is fast becoming the most precious commodity Down Under, so precious that every major...

Mutagenic mix.(CHEMICAL EXPOSURES)
July 1, 2007... The carcinogenicity of hexavalent chromium (Cr[VI]) likely arises from its ability to cause DNA damage and mutations. Nonetheless, its mutagenicity has been found to be modest and typically detected only at high exposure concentrations. But...

Differing risks from SHS.(The Beat)(secondhand smoke )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Research in the March 2007 issue of Chest reveals that black children may process secondhand smoke differently than white children do. Black children in the study had blood serum cotinine concentrations that were 32% higher than those of the...

Rate of deforestation slows.(The Beat)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... A recent UN FAO report contains some good news: the rate of global deforestation has started to slow. Deforestation accounts for 18% of the amount of carbon dioxide produced each year, due to the carbon sequestered in trees being released into...

GM rice given go-ahead.(The Beat)(genetically modified crops)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... In March 2007 the USDA granted approval for Ventria Bioscience to grow rice engineered to produce human immune proteins. The proteins are intended for use in anti-diarrheal drugs and foods such as yogurt and granola bars. The company says a...

A spoonful of risk?(DIET AND NUTRITION)
July 1, 2007... Soy foods are rich in isoflavones such as genistein and daidzein, strong antioxidants that bind to cells' estrogen receptors. For years, soy products have presented intriguing hints that they may confer protection against some cancers. For...

Lemon-fresh ozone.(INDOOR AIR QUALITY)
July 1, 2007... Ionization air purifiers may be making our homes and offices more unhealthy places when cleaning products leave the air smelling lemon-fresh, according to research in the 1 April 2007 issue of Environmental Science & Technology. Scientists at...

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.(ehpnet)
July 1, 2007... As part of the Australian government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) provides a host of essential services to help ensure that humans, animal and plant products, and...

European extreme weather alert.(The Beat)(http://www.meteoalarm.eu/)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The weather services of 20 European countries have banded together to form a new website that provides alerts for forecasted weather events such as flash floods, severe thunderstorms, gale-force winds, heat waves, and blizzards, similar to...

Continental (pollution) drift.(The Beat)(air pollution in Asia affects Australi's climate)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Many regions of Australia are in the grip of a drought that has been going on for more than five years. Now, scientists with the Australian research agency CSIRO have found that air pollution in Asia is affecting weather patterns in Australia....

Solving the natural gas tank puzzle.(The Beat)(fuel from corncobs)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... One of the cleanest burning alternative fuels is natural gas. In light-duty vehicles, natural gas produces 90% less carbon monoxide, 60% less nitrogen oxides and between 30 and 40% less carbon dioxide than gasoline. Until now, the use of...

Rooting out invasive species lessons from down under.(Focus)
July 1, 2007... In a world where heightened airport security is the norm, Australia and New Zealand might seem like a parallel universe. Dogs patrol airport aisles, sniffing not for illegal drugs, but for wayward fruits and vegetables. While the luggage of...

The vanadium advantage flow batteries put wind energy in the bank.(Innovations)
July 1, 2007... In absolute terms, wind is the second fastest growing energy source in the United States, behind natural gas. Worldwide, it is adding new capacity more than six times as fast as nuclear power, and grew by the equivalent of about 104 natural...

PM and elevated inflammation markers: more support for air pollution-heart disease link.(Science Selections)(particulate matter)
July 1, 2007... After evaluating about 1,000 Europeans already suffering from cardiovascular disease, researchers have found a relationship between elevated concentrations of airborne particulates (PM) and increases in two markers of inflammation that have...

Resisting arrest: drug-resistant Campylobacter persists in poultry.(Science Selections)
July 1, 2007... Doctors use the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics to treat food poisoning caused by Campylobacter. But after poultry farmers began using fluoroquinolones to treat respiratory disease in flocks, the drugs became less effective in people. In...

Manganese and infant mortality: well water may raise death rates in Bangladesh.(Science Selections)
July 1, 2007... Many wells in Bangladesh exceed the WHO threshold for manganese of 0.4 mg/L--in the Araihazar region in eastern Bangladesh, 80% of the wells provide water with manganese concentrations above 0.5 mg/L. A new study now suggests that manganese...

New phthalate link; DEHP metabolites and altered thyroid hormone levels in men.(Science Selections)(di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate )
July 1, 2007... Human studies have shown widespread exposure to phthalates, compounds used in the manufacture of household, consumer, and medical products. The plasticizer DEHP is one of the most widely used chemicals in this class. A limited number of rat...

Instructions to Authors.(2007)(Environmental Health Perspectives )
July 1, 2007... GENERAL POLICY Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news dedicated to the discussion of the impact of the environment on human health. We also publish a quarterly Chinese-language...

Fellowships, Grants, & Awards.(Announcements)(National Institutes of Health)
July 1, 2007... Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issues this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit research project grant applications (R01)...

Announcements: New Books.
July 1, 2007... A New Ecology: Systems Perspective S. Jorgensen, B. Fath, S. Bastianoni, J. Marques, F. Muller, S. Nielsen, B. Patten, E. Tiezzi, R. Ulanowicz Burlington, MA:Elsevier, 2007. 288 pp. ISBN: 0-444-53160-2, $150 Apollo's Fire Jay...

Spatial and temporal variation in [PM.sub.2.5] chemical Composition in the United States for health effects studies.
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have demonstrated links between particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects, the chemical components of the PM mixture that cause injury are unknown. OBJECTIVES: This work characterizes spatial...

Chimney stove intervention to reduce long-term wood smoke exposure lowers blood pressure among Guatemalan women.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: RESPIRE, a randomized trial of an improved cookstove, was conducted in Guatemala to assess health effects of long-term reductions in wood smoke exposure. Given the evidence that ambient particles increase blood...

Obesity is a aodifier of autonomic Cardiac Responses to fine metal particulates.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that obesity may impart greater susceptibility to adverse effects of air pollution. Particulate matter, especially [PM.sub.2.5] (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter [lesser than or equal to]2.5...

Office work exposures and adult-onset asthma.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Office exposures have been linked to symptoms of sick building syndrome, but their relation to the development of asthma has not been studied previously. These exposures have increasing importance because an increasing proportion of...

Interaction effects of ultrafine carbon black with iron and nickel on heart rate variability in spontaneously hypertensive rats.(Research)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Particulate matter (PM) has been reported to be associated with alterations in heart rate variability (HRV); however, the results are inconsistent. We propose that different components of PM cause the discrepancy. OBJECTIVE: In...

The association between blood lead levels and osteoporosis among adults--results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a reduction in bone mass sufficient to increase the risk of fracture. Lead exposure during childhood may be a risk factor for low bone mineral density (BMD). Basic-science research demonstrates that lead exposure is...

Lack of evidence for contact sensitization by Pfiesteria Extract.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Members of the estuarine dinoflagellate genus Pfiesteria are reported to have been responsible for massive fish kills in the southeastern United States. Some reports suggest that exposure to waters having Pfiesteria blooms or...

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites may alter thyroid hormone levels in men.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Phthalates are used extensively in many personal-care and consumer products, resulting in widespread nonoccupational human exposure through multiple routes and media. A limited number of animal studies suggest that exposure to...

The Persistence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter in poultry production.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: The use of antibiotics in food animal production has been associated with antibioticresistant infections in humans. In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned fluoroquinolone use in U.S. poultry production in order to...

Night heart rate variability and particulate exposures among boilermaker construction workers.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Although studies have documented the association between heart rate variability (HRV) and ambient particulate exposures, the association between HRV, especially at night, and metal-rich, occupational particulate exposures remains...

CORRECTION.(Correction notice)
July 1, 2007... The authors note that Yeatts et al. have recently published an article on the association between particulate exposures and longduration HRV [Yeatts K, Svendsen E, Creason J, Alexis N, Herbst M, Scott J, et al. Coarse particulate matter...

Measurement of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and metabolites in mouse plasma after exposure to a commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether mixture.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) behave as weak estrogens in animal and cell culture bioassays. In vivo metabolites of PBDEs are suspected to cause these effects. OBJECTIVES: To identify...

Attributing effects of aqueous [c.sub.60] nano-aggregates to tetrahydrofuran decomposition products in larval zebrafish by assessment of gene expression.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: [C.sub.60] is a highly insoluble nanoparticle that can form colloidal suspended aggregates in water, which may lead to environmental exposure in aquatic organisms. Previous research has indicated toxicity from [C.sub.60] aggregate;...

Modeling mesothelioma risk associated with environmental asbestos exposure.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Environmental asbestos pollution can cause malignant mesothelioma, but few studies have involved dose-response analyses with detailed information on occupational, domestic, and environmental exposures. OBJECTIVES: In the...

Air pollution and inflammation (interleukin-6, c-reactive protein, fibrinogen) in myocardial infarction survivors.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have found that ambient air pollution has been associated with cardiovascular disease exacerbation. OBJECTIVES: Given previous findings, we hypothesized that particulate air pollution might induce systemic...

Metabolism of low-dose inorganic arsenic in a central european population: influence of sex and genetic polymorphisms.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: There is a wide variation in susceptibility to health effects of arsenic, which, in part, may be due to differences in arsenic metabolism. Arsenic is metabolized by reduction and methylation reactions, catalyzed by reductases and...

Superfund: evaluating the impact of executive order 12898.(Research)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addresses uncontrolled and abandoned hazardous waste sites throughout the country. Sites that are perceived to be a significant threat to both surrounding populations and the...

Acquisition of apoptotic resistance in cadmium-transformed human prostate epithelial cells: Bcl-2 overexpression blocks the activation of JNK signal transduction pathway.(Research)(jun n-terminal kinases)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: We have recently shown that cadmium can induce malignant transformation of the human prostate epithelial cell line (RWPE-1) and that these cadmium-transformed prostate epithelial (CTPE) cells acquire apoptotic resistance...

Blood Metallothionein Transcript as a Biomarker for Metal Sensitivity: LowBlood Metallothionein Transcripts in Arsenicosis Patients from Guizhou, China.
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Because metallothionein (MT) is a metal-binding protein that protects against metal intoxication, it could be a biomarker for individual sensitivity to metal toxicity. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the use of bloodborne MT transcript...

Association between Manganese Exposure through Drinking Water and Infant Mortality in Bangladesh.
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Manganese is a common natural contaminant of groundwater in Bangladesh. In this cross-sectional study we assessed the association between water manganese and all-cause infant mortality in the offspring of female participants in the...

Elevated blood lead levels of children in Guiyu, an Electronic waste recycling town in China.
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling has remained primitive in Guiyu, China, and thus may contribute to the elevation of blood lead levels (BLLs) in children living in the local environment. OBJECTIVES: We compared the BLLs in...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 1, 2007... In the Abstract and Discussion, the percentage of Guiyu children with BLLs>10 [micro]g/dL has been corrected from 88% in the original manuscript published online to 81.8%.

Ambient Air Pollution and Low Birth Weight in Connecticut and Massachusetts.(Children's Health)
July 1, 2007... BACKGROUND: Several studies have examined whether air pollution affects birth weight; however results vary and many studies were focused on Southern California or were conducted outside of the United States. OBJECTIVES: We investigated...