Environmental Health Perspectives articles from March 2009

Environmental Health Perspectives archives from March 2009

Bisphenol a: where to now?(Editorial)
March 1, 2009... Recently, Time magazine published an article titled "The Year in Medicine: From A to Z" (Park et al. 2008). The letter "B" was represented by the controversy over bisphenol A, a ubiquitous chemical used in polycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride...

RDX and miRNA expression in B6C3F1 mice.(Correspondence)
March 1, 2009... In a recent issue of EHP Zhang and Pan (2009) reported on the effects of the explosive hexahydro-l,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine (RDX) on the differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in brain and liver of B6C3F1 mice. It is always of...

RDX and miRNA expression: Zhang and Pan respond.(Correspondence)
March 1, 2009... We appreciate the interests and comments from Bannon et al. regarding our recent article on RDX-induced aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression in mice (Zhang and Pan 2009). However, we disagree with their comments based on the misunderstanding of...

Don't flush the Yuck Factor.(Correspondence)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... I enjoyed Charles Schmidt's original and informative article on the "Yuck Factor" (Schmidt 2008). This phenomenon has come into play in my attempts to decide on whether to purchase a low-flow toilet for my home. My city is currently offering...

Smoking bans yield long-term benefits.(POLICY)
March 1, 2009... When it comes to linking cigarette smoke to heart attacks, one might assume that such a link would apply only as long as one is smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke. That's not necessarily true, however, at least according to a...

Developmental picture window.(ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION)
March 1, 2009... The concept of endocrine disruption emerged in the early 1990s with the observation that natural and industrial compounds were interfering with sex hormone signaling, thereby adversely affecting male and female reproductive health. Since then,...

Phosphate linked to lung cancer in mice.(DIET AND NUTRITION)
March 1, 2009... Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is a vital component of membrane phospholipids and nucleotides, both of which provide energy and serve as components of DNA, RNA, and phosphorylated intermediates in cellular signaling. Most living organisms need some...

California's 2020 vision.(CLIMATE CHANGE)
March 1, 2009... As the source of 1.4% of the world's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 6.2% of U.S. emissions, California is a significant actor on the global climate stage. In the coming decades, if current scientific thinking proves correct, California and...

Arsenic worse for toddlers?(The Beat)(arsenic contamination of drinking water )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Arsenic contamination of drinking water is a major global health problem, with 100 million people exposed to levels above the WHO's guideline of 10 [mu]g/L. A study in Bangladesh has found that 18-month-old children were less able to rid their...

Spicy cleanup option for nanotubes.(The Beat)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Carbon nanotubes, super-strong materials made of 1-atom-thick rolls of graphite, have outstanding electronic properties and are widely used in computers, TVs, and other products. Accidental production-related spills of nanotubes and the sheer...

[NO.sub.x] cap pays off.(The Beat)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The 2008 annual report of the [NO.sub.x] Budget Trading Program, a cap-and-trade partnership between federal and state governments, revealed that 2007 summertime [NO.sub.x] emissions in 20 eastern states and the District of Columbia were down...

Selecting crops to slow warming.(The Beat)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Compared with natural vegetation, agricultural crops generally reflect more sunlight into space. A 27 January 2009 Current Biology report suggests that, by selecting crop varieties that better reflect sunlight, summer temperatures could be...

LEED progress report.(The Beat)(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Green construction may be paying off, according to the December 2008 Green Building Impact Report produced by Greener World Media. The report shows that the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)...

CA Green Chemistry Initiative.(The Beat)
March 1, 2009... In December 2008, the California EPA debuted its Green Chemistry Initiative policy recommendations to promote the development and use of safer chemicals in the state's industries. The initiative entails six actions: a systematic, science-based...

Outside looking in: understanding the role of science in regulation.(Focus)
March 1, 2009... When Rachel Carson took on the task of defining environmental health advocacy in the early 1960s, she made the business of government oversight look simple and straightforward. "Much of the necessary knowledge is now available, but we do not...

Building on success: assessment categories for experimental noncancer end points.(Spheres of Influence)
March 1, 2009... Since 1978 the National Toxicology Program (NTP) has coordinated, developed, carried out, and informed the public about toxicology testing within the federal government. For chemical carcinogenesis bioassays, the NTP has long used a set of...

Tough call: challenges to assessing cancer effects of mobile phone use.(Science Selections)
March 1, 2009... Mobile phone use worldwide has exploded in the past decade, with many countries fast approaching a usage prevalence of 100%. Even as mobile phone use grows exponentially, questions remain regarding the health impact of frequent exposure to the...

Protein baggage: toxicity of organotin tied to proteasome interference.
March 1, 2009... Organotins have been widely used as agricultural pesticides, antifungal agents, polyvinyl chloride stabilizers, industrial catalysts, and antifouling additives in boat paints. These tin-based chemicals, which have been detected in various...

From dust to blood: studies predict lead intake in children.
March 1, 2009... Lead concentrations in U.S. children's blood have decreased markedly in recent decades, thanks largely to lower industrial emissions, voluntary elimination of lead solder in food cans, and legislation barring lead from gasoline and new paint....

Synergy for salmon: study spawns insight into pesticide mixtures.
March 1, 2009... Years of habitat degradation, overfishing, hatchery practices, and dam building have left U.S. wild salmon populations struggling to recuperate. Another potential threat that hasn't been considered is the combined impact of multiple pesticides...

Why Public Health agencies cannot depend on Good Laboratory Practices as a criterion for selecting data: the case of bisphenol A.(Commentary)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: In their safety evaluations of bisphenol A (BPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a counterpart in Europe, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have given special prominence to two industry-funded studies that...

The controversy about a possible relationship between mobile phone use and cancer.(Review)(Report)
March 1, 2009... OBJECTIVE: During the last decade, mobile phone use increased to almost 100% prevalence in many countries of the world. Evidence for potential health hazards accumulated in parallel by epidemiologic investigations has raised controversies about...

Manganese neurotoxicity: lessons learned from longitudinal studies in nonhuman primates.(Review)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Exposure to excess levels of the essential trace element manganese produces cognitive, psychiatric, and motor abnormalities. The understanding of Mn neurotoxicology is heavily governed by pathologic and neurochemical observations...

Concentrated ambient particles alter myocardial blood flow during acute ischemia in conscious canines.(Research)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Experimental and observational studies have demonstrated that short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) exacerbates myocardial ischemia. OBJECTIVES: We conducted this study to investigate the effects of...

Ultraviolet photolysis of chlorpyrifos: developmental neurotoxicity modeled in PC 12 cells.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet photodegradation products from pesticides form both in the field and during water treatment. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the photolytic breakdown of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) in terms of both the...

Impact of the Spanish smoking law on exposure to secondhand smoke in offices and hospitality venues: before-and-after study.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A smoking law was passed by the Spanish Parliament in December 2005 and was enforced by 1 January 2006. The law bans smoking in all indoor workplaces but only in some hospitality venues, because owners are allowed to...

The synergistic toxicity of pesticide mixtures: implications for risk assessment and the conservation of endangered Pacific salmon.(Research)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Mixtures of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides are commonly detected in freshwater habitats that support threatened and endangered species of Pacific salmon (Oncorhyncus sp.). These pesticides inhibit the activity of...

Elevated human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene expression in blood cells associated with chronic arsenic exposure in Inner Mongolia, China.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Arsenic exposure is associated with human cancer. Telomerase-containing human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) can extend telomerase of chromosomes, delay senescence, and promote cell proliferation leading to tumorigenesis....

Mechanisms of inhaled fine particulate air pollution-induced arterial blood pressure changes.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies suggest a positive association between fine particulate matter and arterial blood pressure, but the results have been inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of ambient particles on systemic...

Methylmercury exposure and adverse cardiovascular effects in Faroese whaling men.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Methylmercury (MeHg), a worldwide contaminant found in fish and seafood, has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. OBJECTIVE: We examined 42 Faroese whaling men (30-70 years of age) to assess possible...

Proximity to Traffic: inflammation, and immune function among women in the Seattle, Washington, area.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Traffic-related air pollution has been associated with adverse health outcomes, and the immune system may be a biologic mediator of health effects. OBJECTIVES: We analyzed associations between living near major roads and immune...

The proteasome is a molecular target of environmental toxic organotins.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Because of the vital importance of the proteasome pathway, chemicals affecting proteasome activity could disrupt essential cellular processes. Although the toxicity of organotins to both invertebrates and vertebrates is well known,...

Exposure to mouse allergen in U.S. homes associated with Asthma symptoms.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Most studies investigating the role of residential mouse allergen exposures in asthma have focused on inner-city populations. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether elevated mouse allergen levels were associated with occupants' asthma...

Profiling chemicals based on chronic toxicity results from the U.S. EPA ToxRef Database.(Research)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Toxicity Reference Database)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Thirty years of pesticide registration toxicity data have been historically stored as hardcopy and scanned documents by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A significant portion of these data have now been processed into...

Diesel exhaust particles activate the Matrix-metalloproteinase-1 Gene in human bronchial epithelia in a [beta]-arrestin--dependent manner via activation of RAS.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) are globally relevant air pollutants that exert a detrimental human health impact. However, mechanisms of damage by DEP exposure to human respiratory health and human susceptibility factors are only...

Publish Health strategies for western Bangladesh that address arsenic, mangenese, uranium, and Other toxic elements in drinking water.(Research)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: More than 60,000,000 Bangladeshis are drinking water with unsafe concentrations of one or more elements. OBJECTIVES: Our aims in this study were to evaluate and improve the drinking water testing and treatment plans for western...

Apparent half-lives of dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls as a function of age, body fat, smoking status, and breast-feeding.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... OBJECTIVE: In this study we reviewed the half-life data in the literature for the 29 dioxin, furan, and polychlorinated biphenyl congeners named in the World Health Organization toxic equivalency factor scheme, with the aim of providing a...

Developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls interferes with experience-dependent dendritic plasticity and ryanodine receptor expression in weanling rats.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with altered patterns of neuronal connectivity. A critical determinant of neuronal connectivity is the dendritic morphology of individual neurons, which is shaped by experience. The...

Activated toxicity of diesel particulate extract by ultraviolet a radiation in mammalian cells: role of singlet oxygen.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Diesel exhaust [diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) and their extracts (DPE)] and ultraviolet A radiation (UVA) are two ubiquitous environmental factors that have been identified as essential risk factors for various benign or malignant...

Neighborhood food environment and walkability predict obesity in New York City.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Differences in the neighborhood food environment may contribute to disparities in obesity. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of neighborhood food environments with body mass index (BMI) and...

Short-term mortality rates during a decade of improved air quality in Erfurt, Germany.(Research)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown associations between ambient air pollution and daily mortality. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to investigate the association of ambient air pollution and daily mortality in Erfurt, Germany, over a...

Variability in biomarkers of arsenic exposure and metabolism in adults over time.(Research)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Urinary arsenic metabolites (UAs) are used as biomarkers of exposure and metabolism. OBJECTIVES: To characterize inter- and intraindividual variability in UAs in healthy individuals. METHODS: In a longitudinal study...

Exposure of U.S. children to residential dust lead, 1999-2004: I. housing and demographic factors.(Children's Health)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Lead-contaminated house dust is a major source of lead exposure for children in the United States. In 1999-2004, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected dust lead (PbD) loading samples from the homes...

Exposure of U.S. children to residential dust lead, 1999-2004: II. The contribution of lead-contaminated dust to children's blood lead levels.(Children's Health)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collected health, housing, and environmental data in a single integrated national survey for the first time in the United States in 1999-2004. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine...

The effects of fine particle components on respiratory hospital admissions in children.(Children's Health)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated an association between acute exposure to ambient fine particles and both mortality and morbidity. Less is known about the relative impacts of the specific chemical constituents of particulate...

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for the assessment of infant exposure to persistent organic pollutants in epidemiologic studies.(Children's Health)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that pre- and postnatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can promote several adverse effects in children, such as altered neurodevelopment. Epidemiologic studies to date have relied on the...

Lactational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and infant neurodevelopment: an analysis of the pregnancy, infection, and nutrition babies study.(Children's Health)(Report)
March 1, 2009... BACKGROUND: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutants that were broadly used in the United States until the 1970s. Common exposure to PCBs, DDT, and...

Calendar.(Calendar)
March 1, 2009... 2009 March 15-19 March, Sun-Thu. The Society of Toxicology 48th Annual Meeting. Baltimore, Maryland. Information: Tierre Miller, Society of Toxicology, 821 Michael Faraday Drive, Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190 USA, 703-438-3115, (fax)...

Oceans and Human Health: Risks and Remedies from the Sea.(Book review)
March 1, 2009... Edited by Patrick J. Walsh, Sharon L. Smith, Lora E. Fleming, Helena M. Solo-Gabriele, and William H. Gerwick St. Louis, MO:Elsevier, Inc. 2008. 672 pp. ISBN: 978-0-12-372584-4, $130 The editors of Oceans and Human Health have produced a...