J Toxicol Env Heal A
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J Toxicol Env Heal A · Jan 2015
The Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) Study: Rationale, Design, Methods, and Participant Characteristics.
Agricultural exposures including pesticides, endotoxin, and allergens have been associated with risk of various cancers and other chronic diseases, although the biological mechanisms underlying these associations are generally unclear. To facilitate future molecular epidemiologic investigations, in 2010 the study of Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) was initiated within the Agricultural Health Study, a large prospective cohort in Iowa and North Carolina. Here the design and methodology of BEEA are described and preliminary frequencies for participant characteristics and current agricultural exposures are reported. ⋯ Among those still farming, the most commonly reported crops were corn (81%) and soybeans (74%), and the most frequently noted animals were beef cattle (35%) and hogs (13%). There were 861 (70%) participants who reported occupational pesticide use in the 12 months prior to interview; among these participants, the most frequently noted herbicides were glyphosate (83%) and 2,4-D (72%), and most commonly reported insecticides were malathion (21%), cyfluthrin (13%), and permethrin (12%). Molecular epidemiologic investigations within BEEA have the potential to yield important new insights into the biological mechanisms through which these or other agricultural exposures influence disease risk.
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J Toxicol Env Heal A · Jan 2015
Short-term effects of fine particulate air pollution on hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases: a case-crossover study in a tropical city.
This study was undertaken to determine whether there was an association between fine particles (PM2.5) levels and hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Hospital admissions for CVD (including ischemic heart disease [IHD], stroke, congestive heart failure [CHF], and arrhythmias) and ambient air pollution data for Kaohsiung were obtained for the period from 2006-2010. The relative risk of hospital admissions for CVD was estimated using a case-crossover approach, controlling for weather variables, day of the week, seasonality, and long-term time trends. ⋯ No significant associations between PM2.5 and hospital admissions for CVD were observed on warm days. In the two-pollutant models, PM2.5 levels remained significant even controlling for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, or ozone on cool days. This study provides evidence that higher levels of PM2.5 enhance the risk of hospital admissions for CVD in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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J Toxicol Env Heal A · Jan 2015
Effect of Providing Information on Students' Knowledge and Concerns about Hydraulic Fracking.
Governmental agencies, regulators, health professionals, and the public are faced with understanding and responding to new development practices and conditions in their local and regional environment. While hydraulic fracking (fracking) for shale gas has been practiced for over 50 years in some states, it is a relatively recent event in the northeastern United States. Providing environmental health information to the public about fracking requires understanding both the knowledge base and the perceptions of the public. ⋯ There was no change in support for further development of natural gas, but support for solar, wind, and wave energy decreased. Data suggest that students' knowledge and perceptions change with exposure to information, but many of these changes were due to students using the Internet to look up information immediately after the initial survey and lecture. Class discussions indicated a general lack of trust for several information sources available on the Web.
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J Toxicol Env Heal A · Jan 2015
Is There Sufficient Training of Health Care Staff on Noise Reduction in Neonatal Intensive Care Units? a Pilot Study From Neonoise Project.
Evidence indicates that exposure to high levels of noise adversely affects human health, and these effects are dependent upon various factors. In hospitals, there are many sources of noise, and high levels exert an impact on patients and staff, increasing both recovery time and stress, respectively. The goal of this pilot study was to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a training program (TP) on noise reduction in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by comparing the noise levels before and after the implementation of the program. ⋯ There was no significant difference before and after the implementation of TP. However, a significant difference was found for Lp,Cpeak, before and after training staff, suggesting greater care by health care professionals performing their tasks. Even recognizing that a TP is quite important to change behaviors, this needs to be considered in a broader context to effectively control noise in the NICU.
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J Toxicol Env Heal A · Jan 2015
Evaluation of Urinary Btex, Nicotine, and Cotinine as Biomarkers of Airborne Pollutants in Nonsmokers and Smokers.
Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomeric xylenes (BTEX) are by-products of tobacco smoke and traffic emissions. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of cigarette smoking to urinary levels of BTEX present in humans. Nicotine and cotinine, biomarkers of exposure to tobacco smoke, as well as BTEX, were measured in urine of smokers (n = 70) and nonsmokers (n = 65) using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). ⋯ In nonsmokers a weak correlation between BTEX and nicotine and cotinine was found in urine. Further, there was a lack of significant contribution of BTEX to urinary nicotine and cotinine concentrations in nonsmokers. Thus, it was presumed that vehicle exhaust was the main source of exposure to BTEX in nonsmokers.