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Biomedical subjects

D J Lisk

Publications and source records attributed to D J Lisk.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Effect of dietary brussels sprouts with increased selenium content on mammary carcinogenesis in the rat.

Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea, L; Jade cross E, hybrid cultivar) were cultivated with inorganic selenium added to the plant growth medium. Sprague-Dawley, female, weanling rats were divided into groups and fed 20% brussels sprouts diets containing either 0.03, 0.58, 1.29, or 6.71 ppm of selenium naturally occurring in the sprouts. These diets were fed 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after a single dose of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), and the rats were then placed on a low selenium basal diet for an additional 25 weeks. All brussels sprouts diets reduced the incidence of DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis. Increased dietary levels of naturally occurring selenium did not further depress mammary tumorigenesis. The time periods of selenium feeding may have been too brief to observe any additional tumor reductions.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗
PubMed1989

Effects of inhaled municipal refuse incinerator fly ash in the guinea pig.

Fly ash was collected from two municipal refuse incinerators. It was analyzed for heavy metals, elements, and a wide range of toxic organics. It was resuspended in air for inhalation exposure of guinea pigs. These animals were exposed at high concentrations of each ash 6 h/d for 5 d, and tissues were taken 45 d after the exposure. Following the first exposure and after each daily exposure the ventilatory response of these animals upon challenge with CO2 was found to be depressed. Recovery occurred following exposure. Heavy metals, cadmium, lead, zinc, and mercury were elevated in the lungs of these animals. Histologic evaluation of pulmonary tissue revealed multifocal pneumoconiosis. Interstitial infiltration by macrophages and smooth muscle hypertrophy of blood vessels and bronchioles were also observed. There was no evidence of a dioxinlike toxic effect following inhalation of these ashes.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1988

A review of physical, chemical, and biological properties of fly ash and effects on agricultural ecosystems.

Fly ash is the solid material which is carried away from the power plant boiler in the flue gas during coal combustion. The properties of fly ash may vary considerably according to several factors such as the geographical origin of the source coal, conditions during combustion, and sampling position within the power plant. A typical aggregate of fly ash from the combustion of eastern U.S. coals consists of spherical particles embedded in an amorphous matrix. Most fly ash particles are in the silt-sized range of 2-50 microns. The three major mineralogical matrices identified in fly ash are glass, mullite-quartz, and magnetic spinel. The major elemental constituents of fly ash are Si, Al, Fe, Ca, C, Mg, K, Na, S, Ti, P, and Mn. Nearly all naturally occurring elements can be found in fly ash in trace quantities. Certain trace elements, including As, Mo, Se, Cd, and Zn, are primarily associated with particle surfaces. The solubility of fly ash has been extensively investigated. Results of these investigations are largely dependent on factors specific to the extraction procedure. The most abundant species in fly ash extracts are inorganic ions derived from Ca, Na, Mg, K, Fe, S, and C. Boron is much more soluble than other trace elements in fly ash. The forms of some elements in fly ash extracts have been determined, but the species of most trace elements remain unidentified. Long-term leaching studies predict that fly ash will lose substantial amounts of soluble salts over time, but simulation models predict that the loss of trace elements from fly ash deposits through leaching will be very slow. The constituents of coal fly ash include small amounts of radioisotopes which do not appear to be hazardous. A complex mixture of organic compounds is also associated with fly ash particles. The organic compounds identified in fly ash extracts include known mutagens and carcinogens. Better methods for the extraction of organic compounds from fly ash particles must be developed before these compounds can be fully identified and quantified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Agriculture↗
PubMed1988

Environmental implications of incineration of municipal solid waste and ash disposal.

Owing to unsightliness and the threat of groundwater pollution, landfilling of municipal solid waste (MSW) is giving way to incineration in many communities. Environmental contamination from particulate and gaseous emissions containing heavy metals, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), polycyclic aromatics (PCA), acids and other compounds from such incinerators, as well as safe ash disposal, are of great concern. Concentration ranges of elements and organic toxicants in incinerator ashes, emissions and cooling waters are given. The literature is reviewed concerning the effects of incinerator operating parameters on emissions. Incinerators equipped with modern pollution control devices (electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, dry scrubbers, spray towers) and operated at optimum temperature with sufficient oxygen, turbulence (mixing) and residence time for complete combustion appear to minimize ash, elemental, gaseous and organic emissions. Environmental aspects of MSW incineration are considered and reviewed. The presence of metals and organics in incinerator quench water and in leachates from ash disposed in landfills are reviewed, as well as their toxicity to fish. The behavior and effects of atmospheric emissions in soils and plants are discussed. Research on the effect of ash-derived PCDD and PCDF on hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase activity and the immune system in laboratory animals is cited. The presence of metals, organics and mutagens in the incinerator workplace air and the possible effects of air-borne contaminants on inhabitants nearby is reviewed. Several studies dealing with human risk assessment of MSW incineration are cited.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

A tuna fish diet influences cat behavior.

When observed in their home cages, cats fed commercial tuna fish cat food were less active, vocalized less, and spent more time on the floor and more time eating than cats fed commercial beef cat food. There were no differences in response to human handling between the two groups. There were no differences in learning ability on a two-choice point maze or in reversal learning in the same maze between beef- and tuna-fed cats. The behavior of the groups differed in a 15-min open field test only in the number of toys contacted. Cats fed the tuna had elevated tissue levels of mercury and selenium.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1988

Mutagenicity of urine from greenhouse workers.

The mutagenicity of urine from spray applicators in 12 greenhouses in 1986 has been evaluated. The workers served as their own controls. Urine samples reflecting pesticide exposure were collected at the end of the day of application and a corresponding control sample was collected 3 d later. Using Salmonella typhimurium bacterial tester strains TA98 and TA100 with and without S9 activation, seven workers showed no significant differences (p less than 0.05) in the mutagenicity of their exposed and control urine. Of the five remaining workers, three, who wore no respirators, showed significantly higher (p less than 0.05) concentrations of mutagens in their exposed urine sample as compared to their respective controls. The mutagenicity of certain of the compounds applied by these latter workers is discussed.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1988

A study of mercury in the hair of dentists and dental-related professionals in 1985 and subcohort comparison of 1972 and 1985 mercury hair levels.

Dentists may be exposed to mercury used in dental restorations. An epidemiologic study was conducted in central New York in 1985 comparing the concentration of mercury in the hair of 85 dentists to that of 23 dental-related health professionals (mainly orthodontists and oral surgeons) who do not use mercury. Mercury in the hair of dentists was nominally higher (2.98 +/- 0.57 ppm, mean +/- SE) than that of the control group (1.84 +/- 0.20 ppm) but not significantly so. There was a significant positive linear trend in the concentration of mercury in the dentists' hair with the number of years they had been in practice. Those dentists who wore masks when removing old mercury containing fillings showed significantly (p = 0.03) lower mercury concentrations in hair (1.7 +/- 0.26 ppm, mean +/- SE) than those who did not (3.65 +/- 0.85 ppm). Mercury concentration in the hair of 23 of the above dentists analyzed in 1972 was 16.77 +/- 4.00 ppm (mean +/- SE), significantly higher (p = 0.008) than that of the same dentists in 1985 (5.27 +/- 1.85 ppm). The reduction is believed due to the currently used pre-prepared disposable or reusable capsules containing the amalgam versus formerly mixing the ingredients manually. This may also account for the lack of a significant difference in mercury in the hair of the dentists versus that of the control group in 1985. The statistical relationships between mercury concentrations in hair of the two groups and reported health effects, as well as other factors including fish consumption, number of restorations per day, office floor covering, and urban or rural domicile, are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Health among municipal sewage and water treatment workers.

Municipal sewage treatment plant workers are potentially exposed to a multitude of industrial chemicals and pathogenic microorganisms. A questionnaire survey of working habits, lifestyle and symptoms of illness was conducted among 189 municipal sewage treatment plant workers processing between three and ten million gallons of wastewater daily in 16 plants in New York State between March and July of 1984. Water treatment plant workers in the same cities comprised the comparison group. Sewage workers reported a significantly higher frequency of headache, dizziness, sore throat, skin irritation and diarrhea within the month immediately preceding receipt of the questionnaire, after controlling for various possible confounders. Eye and skin irritation were significantly associated with exposure to mutagens. The health significance of these findings and possible sources of error in assessing risk are discussed.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

Selenium in mainstream and sidestream smoke of cigarettes containing fly ash-grown tobacco.

The quantities of selenium, tar and nicotine present in mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) smoke of machine-smoked cigarettes was studied. The cigarettes were prepared from tobacco purposely cultured on fly ash-amended soil so as to increase its selenium concentration. Selenium concentration was found to be the same in the gaseous phase of both MS and SS smoke, but its concentration was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in the particulate matter of the MS smoke. Tar was higher in MS smoke and nicotine in SS smoke. Factors affecting selenium concentrations in tobacco and its possible environmental significance are discussed.

Carbon↗
PubMed1987

Effectiveness of cigarette filter tips for reducing cadmium in relation to other mainstream smoke constituents.

The effectiveness of filter tips for reducing cadmium, tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in cigarettes was studied. The cigarettes were made from tobacco grown on municipal sewage sludge-amended soil and were therefore high in cadmium. When machine-smoked, filter tips did not result in a significant reduction of cadmium deposited on Cambridge filters. This may indicate that a considerable fraction of cadmium is present in the vapor phase of the smoke and therefore not reduced to the same extent as the tar by certain filters. Nicotine and carbon monoxide were reduced to a lesser extent than tar. This indicates that the filter tip has influenced the combustion of the tobacco column during smoking.

Cadmium↗