Biomedical subjects

R R Neutra

Publications and source records attributed to R R Neutra.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Illness and absenteeism among California highway patrol officers responding to hazardous material spills.

Highway patrol officers are the primary responders to hazardous material spills in California, yet little is known regarding the health effects resulting from this exposure. A historical cohort study of 993 California highway patrol officers who responded to hazardous material spills in 1984 was conducted. The records of officers who were exposed to acutely toxic chemicals were followed for the subsequent week to determine if they demonstrated more absenteeism or illness compared to officers who were not exposed to toxic chemicals. No significant differences in the frequency of absenteeism or illness was found between the two groups during the week following exposure. No indication was found that exposure to hazardous materials during a highway patrol spill response results in increased absenteeism.

Absenteeism↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pesticide food poisoning from contaminated watermelons in California, 1985.

Aldicarb, a carbamate pesticide, is the most potent pesticide in the market and has a LD50 of 1 mg/kg. In the United States it is illegal to use aldicarb on certain crops, e.g., watermelons, because it is incorporated into the flesh of the fruit. Once an accidental or illegal use of such a potent pesticide occurs, there is no easy way for the agricultural or public health system to protect the populace. This paper describes the impact of one such event upon the health of individuals and the institutions of California. On July 4, 1985, California and other western states experienced the largest known outbreak of food-borne pesticide illness ever to occur in North America. This was attributed to watermelons contaminated through the illegal or accidental use of aldicarb by a few farmers in one part of the state. Within California, a total of 1,376 illnesses resulting from consumption of watermelons was reported to the California Department of Health Services (CDHS). Of the 1,376 illnesses, 77% were classified as being probable or possible carbamate illnesses. Many of the case reports involved multiple illnesses associated with the same melon among unrelated individuals. Seventeen individuals required hospitalization. There were 47 reports of illness involving pregnant women, two of whom reported having subsequent stillbirths. Thirty-five of the remaining pregnant women were followed-up 9 mo after the epidemic; no additional stillbirths were found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Umbilical cord blood lead levels in California.

During the fall of 1984, we conducted a survey of umbilical cord blood lead levels of 723 live births that occurred at 5 hospitals located in 5 cities in California. Historical ambient air lead levels were used as a qualitative surrogate of air and dust exposure. The area-specific cord blood means (all means approximately 5 micrograms/dl), medians, deciles, and distributions did not vary among locations. The California distributions included means that were lower than the 6.6 micrograms/dl reported in Needleman et al.'s Boston study in 1979. Indeed, the entire California distribution was shifted to the left of the Boston study distribution, even though 3% of the California cord lead levels exceeded 10 micrograms/dl--the level above which Needleman et al. have documented psychoneurological effects in children during the first few years of life. Fourteen percent of premature babies had cord blood lead levels above 10 micrograms/dl. The association between prematurity (i.e., less than 260 d gestation) and elevated (greater than 5 micrograms/dl) cord blood lead was observed in all hospitals and yielded a relative risk of 2.9 (95% CI: .9, 9.2) and a population attributable risk of 47%. Further research is needed to confirm this association and to explore the roles of endogenous and exogenous sources of lead exposure to the mothers who give birth to premature infants.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reported symptom prevalence rates from comparison populations in community-based environmental studies.

National, regional, state, and county rates of mortality and morbidity are frequently used as reference values in epidemiologic studies. However, baseline information on self-reported symptom rates is currently unavailable. This information is potentially very useful as outcome measures in environmental and occupational epidemiologic studies in which symptoms may be the most sensitive measure of effects of low-level chemical exposure. Comparison populations (n = 934 adults) from three community-based studies were used to determine 1-y symptom prevalence rates. Symptoms rates varied greatly between one study, in which a self-administered questionnaire was used, and the two studies for which data were collected via a similar questionnaire administered by trained interviewers. Four symptoms were selected for detailed analysis of covariates associated with symptom reporting: (1) skin irritation, (2) eye irritation, (3) sleep disturbance, and (4) fatigue. Logistic regression analysis of symptom reporting, by demographic data, and a risk perception variable suggested that the prevalence of symptoms varied with gender, race, and degree of respondent's environmental concern. The results from two of three surveys provide rates that might be used as reference rates in a community-based survey if resources are not available to permit the study of a comparison population. These rates may also provide a quick, initial impression prior to embarking on a full-scale epidemiologic study.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A study of current residents' knowledge of a former environmental health survey of their community.

A follow-up survey of current residents who live near the McColl waste disposal site was conducted to assess community knowledge of an environmental health survey that occurred in the same neighborhood 7 y earlier. Of the 193 eligible adults who participated in an interview (response rate = 73.4%), 35.8% reported having heard of the 1981 health survey; 48% of these (n = 33) reported hearing or seeing the results of the survey. Knowledge of the earlier survey was reported by 34.6%, 40.6%, and 35.7% of respondents in the high-exposure, low-exposure, and comparison areas, respectively. Recall was significantly associated with age (i.e., greater than 55 y), college education, and residence prior to 1981. Our findings suggest that both long-term and recent residents in the study areas know about the McColl waste-disposal site, but the majority of current residents in this sample do not know that the health of the community was assessed in 1981 and that no serious health effects associated with the site were identified. Future efforts to communicate findings of similar health studies should focus on individuals who have less education and on communication with residents who move into an area after a study has been conducted. Creative public participation and media relations should be developed to assure that the results of such studies reach the public.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

How to approach complex mixtures: lessons from the epidemiology of electromagnetic fields.

The problem posed by electric and magnetic fields (EMF) is an example of a class of problems increasingly faced by environmental epidemiologists. An easily observed characteristic of location is associated with disease. This characteristic is clearly a surrogate for some component of a complex mixture, but there is no compelling biological theory to indicate what the responsible component or components are. Indeed, the lack of theory and a measurable agent leads some to doubt the reality of the association between disease and the surrogate. How does one home in on the responsible component of the mixture? The research strategy for approaching EMF health effects by the California Department of Health Services is described. The author argues, from some preliminary results about the stability of spot measurements and personal monitoring for magnetic field intensity, that the time integral of magnetic field intensity may not be a prime candidate as a causal agent of cancer. An approach is suggested for evaluating locations with cancer clusters in the context of a systematic study which could provide useful information. The approach used for EMF is generalized for other complex mixture problems such as the sick building syndrome. Nine recommendations are made.

California↗