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PubMed2000

Biomedical research leaders: report on needs, opportunities, difficulties, education and training, and evaluation.

The National Association of Physicians for the Environment (NAPE) has assumed a leadership role in protecting environmental health in recent years. The Committee of Biomedical Research Leaders was convened at the recent NAPE Leadership Conference: Biomedical Research and the Environment held on 1--2 November 1999, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. This report summarizes the discussion of the committee and its recommendations. The charge to the committee was to raise and address issues that will promote and sustain environmental health, safety, and energy efficiency within the biomedical community. Leaders from every important research sector (industry laboratories, academic health centers and institutes, hospitals and care facilities, Federal laboratories, and community-based research facilities) were gathered in this committee to discuss issues relevant to promoting environmental health. The conference and this report focus on the themes of environmental stewardship, sustainable development and "best greening practices." Environmental stewardship, an emerging theme within and outside the biomedical community, symbolizes the effort to provide an integrated, synthesized, and concerted effort to protect the health of the environment in both the present and the future. The primary goal established by the committee is to promote environmentally responsible leadership in the biomedical research community. Key outcomes of the committee's discussion and deliberation were a) the need for a central organization to evaluate, promote, and oversee efforts in environmental stewardship; and b) immediate need to facilitate efficient information transfer relevant to protecting the global environment through a database/clearinghouse. Means to fulfill these needs are discussed in this report.

Biomedical Technology↗
PubMed2002

The relationship between risk analysis and the precautionary principle.

Definitions of the precautionary principle (PP) are reviewed with particular reference to the role of risk assessment. In general, the PP is employed as a means of justifying decisions that are contrary to the conclusions of a formal risk assessment. Even where risk assessment is accepted as part of a precautionary approach, its importance in subsequent decision-making tends to be undermined by application of the PP. The implications for the future of risk assessment-based decisions in areas as diverse as environmental protection and food safety are briefly considered.

Environmental Pollutants↗
PubMed2005

Proceedings of the Hydrogen Sulfide Health Research and Risk Assessment Symposium October 31-November 2, 2000.

The Hydrogen Sulfide Health Research and Risk Assessment Symposium came about for several reasons: (1) increased interest by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several state agencies in regulating hydrogen sulfide (H2S); (2) uncertainty about ambient exposure to H2S; (3) confusion and disagreement in the literature about possible health effects at low-level exposures; and (4) presentation of results of a series of recent animal bioassays. The American Petroleum Institute (API) proposed this symposium and the EPA became an early co-sponsor, with the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology (CIIT) and the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) contributing expertise and funding assistance. The topics covered in this symposium included Animal Research, Human Research, Mode-of-Action and Dosimetry Issues, Environmental Exposure and Monitoring, Assessment and Regulatory Issues, and closed with a panel discussion. The overall goals of the symposium were to: gather together experts in H2S health effects research and individuals from governmental agencies charged with protecting the public health, provide a venue for reporting of recent research findings, identify gaps in the current information, and outline new research directions and promote research collaboration. During the course of the symposium, presenters provided comprehensive reviews of the state of knowledge for each topic. Several new research proposals discussed at the symposium have subsequently been initiated. This report provides a summary of the talks, poster presentations, and panel discussions that occurred at the Hydrogen Sulfide Health and Risk Assessment Symposium.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of health professionals in protecting children from environmental risks: a commentary.

Health professionals are well positioned to protect children from environmental exposures to toxicants. Doing so may mean mobilizing for precautionary action well before conclusive evidence of adverse health impacts are documented in the community. This paper comments on the context within which health professionals work, and identifies strengths, barriers and guiding principles for action. Roles and strategies are identified for both medically and community-focussed health professionals. The prevention--treatment continuum (global action--policy and regulatory reform--local collective action--health protection--medical treatment) is explored. While health professionals traditionally deal with the treatment (downstream) end of the spectrum in addressing environmental health problems, there are ample opportunities for expanding this role to the prevention (upstream) end. Applicable strategies are organized into six major roles: surveillance, hazard assessment, research, education, public awareness, and advocacy. Advocacy is one of the most important roles since it involves upstream activities close to the source of the problem. While downstream endeavours have a legitimate place in the practice of health professionals, expanding this role to include upstream strategies, such as health promotion and advocacy, is essential if efforts to protect children's health are to succeed in the long term.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2006

Assessment of pathogens and toxicants in New Orleans, LA following Hurricane Katrina.

Storm surge associated with Hurricane Katrina and the breach of levees protecting New Orleans, Louisiana allowed floodwaters from Lake Pontchartrain to inundate 80% of the city. Environmental samples were collected during September 16-18, 2005 to determine immediate human and wildlife health hazards from pathogens and toxicants in the floodwaters. Baseline information on potential long-term environmental damage resulting from contaminants in water and sediments pumped into Lake Pontchartrain was also collected. Concentrations of aldrin, arsenic, lead, and seven semivolatile organic compounds in sediments/soils exceeded one or more United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) thresholds for human health soil screening levels and high priority bright line screening levels. High numbers of Aeromonas spp., pathogenic Vibrio spp., and other coliform bacteria were found in floodwater samples. Alligator and snake tissues did not contain excessive toxicant concentrations. Initial findings suggest numerous environmental contaminants are present in New Orleans and support the need for further evaluation of the extent of those threats.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Maintaining a healthy SPANC balance through regulatory and mutational adaptation.

Stress protection is an important but costly contributor to bacterial survival. Two distinct forms of environmental protection share a common cost and a significant species-wide variability. Porin-mediated outer membrane permeability and the RpoS-controlled general stress response both involve a trade-off between self-preservation and nutritional competence, called the SPANC balance. Interestingly, different Escherichia coli strains exhibit distinct settings of the SPANC balance. It is tilted towards high stress resistance and a restricted diet in some isolates whereas others have broader nutritional capability and better nutrient affinity but lower levels of resistance. Growth- or stress-related selective pressures working in opposite directions (antagonistic pleiotropy) result in polymorphisms affecting porins and RpoS. Consequently, these important cellular components are present at distinct concentrations in different isolates. A generalized hypothesis to explain bacterial adaptation, based on the SPANC investigations, is offered. A holistic approach to bacterial adaptation, involving a gamut of regulation and mutation, is likely to be the norm in broadening the capabilities of a species. Indeed, there is unlikely to be a standard regulatory setting typical for all members of a species. Gene regulation provides a limited fine control for maintaining the right level of adaptation in a particular niche but mutational changes provide the coarse control for adaptation between the species-wide environments of free-living bacteria.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1997

Human exposure to PCBS: modeling and assessment of environmental concentrations on the Akwesasne reservation.

The Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, comprised of approximately 10,000 people, is located along the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. The Akwesasne reservation has been contaminated by local industries, which are located on the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries, and by upstream sources on the Great Lakes. The closest known source of contamination to the reservation is General Motors (GM) Foundry, which is located less than 100 feet from the reservation's border. This facility is listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priority List and the New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYSDEC) inactive hazardous waste disposal site list. Contamination to the reservation arising from discharge and secondary transport mechanisms has caused concern to the Mohawk people of Akwesasne. The characterization of the environment at Akwesasne required a historical review of existing environmental data, generation of a database, review of existing data, sampling to augment existing data, data analysis, data modeling and data generation based on a chosen model for all environmental pathways of interest. The objectives this work were to: 1) assess the quality of existing data, 2) create a database which will manage the over 6000 samples recorded taken from the local area, 3) augment the existing data with additional sampling, 4) determine the degradation or attenuation of PCBs and specific congeners in various environmental media over time, and 5) create a model that estimates environmental concentrations of PCBs retro- and pro-spectively for times that sampling had not occurred. The results of this process yielded concentrations of PCBs, congener specific and total, in several environmental medium. Modeling of environmental concentrations through a thirteen-year time period was performed for a fish, wildlife and surface soil. Other media were not modeled due to limited information or non-detectable concentrations reported in past work. Additionally, the study participants activity, consumption and residential information was considered when limiting this modeling effort. The results of this work were used to estimate environmental concentrations through time and space. The results of this work were extremely valuable when determining areas of concern and provided the basis for a detailed exposure assessment of 97 women who reside at the Reservation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Airborne manganese particulates and methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) at selected outdoor sites in Montreal.

This study aims to assess the atmospheric concentrations of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT), respirable manganese (MNR) and total manganese (MnT) in certain specific microenvironments and to provide an estimation of human exposure to MnR. Sampling was carried out in five microenvironments: a gas station, an underground car park, downtown Montreal, near an expressway and near an oil refinery. The samples were collected using Gil-Air portable pumps during three days and were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The mean concentrations of MnR, MnT and MMT were 0.036 microgram m-3, 0.103 microgram m-3 and 0.005 microgram m-3 respectively. The MnR/MnT ratios vary from 25% to 43% (mean 35%) while the MMT/MnT ratios averaged about 5%. Furthermore, the mean concentration of the MnR measured near the expressway (0.053 microgram m-3) is similar to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) reference concentration (RfC = 0.05 microgram m-3). The average daily environmental exposure dose to MNR is estimated at 0.010 microgram kg-1 d-1 and its contribution to the multimedia exposure (air, food and water) is low. The overall results show a lack of potential exposure to MMT and substantial concentrations of MnR near an expressway.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2003

Recycling of wastewater-derived phosphorus in Swedish agriculture--a proposal.

In 2001 the Swedish Government commissioned the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swedish EPA) (i) to examine the need for stricter human health and environmental regulations governing the agricultural use of sewage sludge and (ii) to propose national targets for the agricultural recycling of phosphorus (P) originating from wastewater. The Swedish EPA may propose: (i) stricter regulations on sludge treatment to limit the risk of spreading pathogens in the environment and transmission of infectious diseases; (ii) recycling of 20-30% of wastewater-P to agriculture by 2015 and recycling of 35-50% of wastewater-P to agriculture by 2025.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2003

Benchmarking farmer performance as an incentive for sustainable farming: environmental impacts of pesticides.

Pesticide use in The Netherlands is very high, and pesticides are found across all environmental compartments. Among individual farmers, though, there is wide variation in both pesticide use and the potential environmental impact of that use, providing policy leverage for environmental protection. This paper reports on a benchmarking tool with which farmers can compare their environmental and economic performance with that of other farmers, thereby serving as an incentive for them to adopt more sustainable methods of food production methods. The tool is also designed to provide farmers with a more detailed picture of the environmental impacts of their methods of pest management. It is interactive and available on the internet: www.agriwijzer.nl. The present version has been developed specifically for arable farmers, but it is to be extended to encompass other agricultural sectors, in particular horticulture (bulb flowers, stem fruits), as well as various other aspects of sustainability (nutrient inputs, 'on-farm' biodiversity, etc.). The benchmarking methodology was tested on a pilot group of 20 arable farmers, whose general response was positive. They proved to be more interested in comparative performance in terms of economic rather than environmental indicators. In their judgment the benchmarking tool can serve a useful purpose in steering them towards more sustainable forms of agricultural production. The benchmarking results can also be used by other actors in the agroproduction chain, such as food retailers and the food industry.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1980

Overview of human exposure to dieldrin residues in the environment and current trends of residue levels in tissue.

An overview of available literature indicates that dieldrin residues are still found routinely in soil, air, water, and food, despite the 1974 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ban on the use of aldrin and dieldrin. Dieldrin residue levels in environmental substrates, which are indicative of aldrin or dieldrin use, have decreased significantly since the mid-1960s, the peak usage years. However, human tissue studies do not show a corresponding decline in dieldrin residue levels. Thirteen studies, conducted between 1963 and 1976, show that average dieldrin levels in human adipose tissue and human milk fat remain between 0.160 ppm and 0.220 ppm. Other studies suggest that an equilibrium exists in the distribution of dieldrin among various tissues in humans, including blood, fat, brain, and liver. This relationship indicates that the concentration of dieldrin in any tissue may be used as an index of total body burden. Thus it appears that the concentration of dieldrin in the human body has reached a constant level at which the amount ingested and absorbed equals the amount metabolized and excreted. The mechanism of the stable concentrations is unknown, as are the possible health effects of chronic, low-level exposure to dieldrin.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2002

Measurement of p-nitrophenol in the urine of residents whose homes were contaminated with methyl parathion.

During the last several years, illegal commercial application of methyl parathion (MP) in domestic settings in several U.S. Southeastern and Midwestern States has affected largely inner-city residents. As part of a multiagency response involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and state and local health departments, our laboratory developed a rapid, high-throughput, selective method for quantifying p-nitrophenol (PNP), a biomarker of MP exposure, using isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We measured PNP in approximately 16,000 samples collected from residents of seven different states. Using this method, we were able to receive sample batches from each state; prepare, analyze, and quantify the samples for PNP; verify the results; and report the data to the health departments and ATSDR in about 48 hr. These data indicate that many residents had urinary PNP concentrations well in excess of those of the general U.S. population. In fact, their urinary PNP concentrations were more consistent with those seen in occupational settings or in poisoning cases. Although these data, when coupled with other MP metabolite data, suggest that many residents with the highest concentrations of urinary PNP had significant exposure to MP, they do not unequivocally rule out exposure to PNP resulting from environmental degradation of MP. Even with their limitations, these data were used with the assumption that all PNP was derived from MP exposure, which enabled the U.S. EPA and ATSDR to develop a comprehensive, biologically driven response that was protective of human health, especially susceptible populations, and included clinical evaluations, outreach activities, community education, integrated pest management, and decontamination of homes.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2005

The beyondblue Schools Research Initiative: conceptual framework and intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the rationale, conceptual framework and content of the intervention for the beyondblue Schools Research Initiative. CONCLUSIONS: The beyondblue Schools Research Initiative aims to prevent the development of depression in young people through increasing individual and environmental protective factors within the school context. The model draws on evidence that demonstrates the important role played by individual and environmental characteristics in buffering the impact of adversity. The school provides a forum in which both individual and environmental change may be produced in order to increase some of these key protective characteristics. The project also draws together health, education and other key services to provide more effective pathways to enable young people to receive professional help when required.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Back to the future: sweatshop conditions on the Mexico-U.S. border. I. Community health impact of maquiladora industrial activity.

Present working conditions in one of the most active areas of the maquiladora system along the Mexico-U.S. border are reminiscent of nineteenth-century U.S. sweatshops. This conclusion was reached after evaluating two separate but interrelated surveys among Mexican nationals living near the Mexico-U.S. border, one of community leaders (Paper I), and one of workers in maquiladora enterprises in the towns of Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico (Paper II). Paper I evaluates the results of the community leaders' survey. Criteria for selection of the leaders were: level of responsibility in the community; knowledge of the industry in the region, and length of residence in the area (more than 3 years). Representatives from government, maquiladora industry management, labor union leadership, labor union activists, and community improvement activists were interviewed. Structured questionnaires with opportunities for open-ended answers were used by trained Spanish speaking interviewers. The questions covered community demographics, health care structures, governance of the region, knowledge of working conditions, and knowledge of environmental impact on the region and the community. Community leaders were ambivalent on the purported benefits of the development of these types of industries in their communities. A substantial majority (21 of 25) thought that the maquiladoras brought few positive developments, other than creating jobs. Serious concerns about overextending weak social infrastructures and about environmental deterioration were voiced. Immediate (preventive) measures appear necessary to develop community infrastructures and to protect environmental health.

Community Health Services↗
PubMed2001

Changing environmental strategies over time: an empirical study of the steel industry in the United States.

This study investigates how environmental strategies change over time. We submit evidence from the US steel industry that firms have modified their strategies over time. We offer that US industry passed through three stages--cost minimization, cost-effective compliance, and beneficial environmental controls. We compare typologies of environmental strategies and choose that of C. Oliver as the most appropriate. We investigate how environmental strategies in the steel industry changed over time a 4-year period. We offer that a further understanding of Oliver's strategies may increase understanding of the relationship between business and government on environmental issues. One over-arching problem in our field is the need to adequately operationalize how firms change strategies and pass through different stages. We hope that our study will help future researchers and practitioners better articulate the concepts of environmental strategies over time. Our study focused on the steel industry in the United States. We chose the US steel industry as one of the major environmental actors in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency ranks the iron and steel industry as the largest industrial source of toxic environmental contamination. We encourage researchers to evaluate and test our methodology and findings in other contexts--both in other nations and different industries.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed1990

Environmental health training within public health medicine.

Environmental health was reported in the UK Acheson Report to have 'become something of a backwater for public health doctors'. In this review, the background educational issues are explored, present postgraduate training opportunities are identified, and intersectoral approaches in Europe that support the WHO Health for All strategy, are outlined. It is anticipated that closer links between epidemiology, clinical practice and environmental protection in the 'new' public health will help to improve medical interest and input to environmental health.

Curriculum↗
PubMed2001

Respiratory suspended particulate (RSP) concentration and its implications to roadside workers: a case study of Hong Kong.

Respiratory Suspended Particulates (RSPs) have attracted increasing interest in recent years because of the potential risk of RSPs to human health. In Hong Kong, a large population of roadside workers is believed to be continuously exposed to high levels of RSPs. In this study, the roadside RSP concentrations at 72 locations in 6 urban districts of different land use types in Hong Kong are examined. Results show that the RSP pollution in Hong Kong's roadside environment is quite serious. The average RSP concentration at 61.11% of sampling sites is over 180 microg m(-3), the highest 24 h RSP mean concentration recommended by the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong. Analyses of RSP concentration data with reference to the local environmental conditions indicate that, among various environmental factors, land use, population density and traffic flow are important determinants of the RSP level. Because many roadside workers are exposed to high levels of RSP for prolonged periods, it is necessary to increase the public awareness of the health hazard of roadside workers.

Air Pollutants↗