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At least 1,423 records · Page 79Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

[Assessment of the safety of toys with special reference to electromagnetic safety in view of binding regulations: a pilot study].

BACKGROUND: The authors present the result of pilot measurements of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the surrounding of some toys available on the Polish market. The measurements were compared with safety standards set in Poland to ensure occupational safety and hygiene regarding appliances producing EMF and the environmental protection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EMF intensity was measured in the surrounding of six walkie-talkie sets (frequencies: 49.2 MHz; 50 MHz, and 446 MHz) and 8 radio-controlled (RC) toys (frequencies: 27 MHz; 44.5MHz, and 49 MHz). Constant EMF was measured in the surrounding of 4 mechanical toys with battery powered wire and wireless steering. RESULTS: Walkie-talkie type toys and remote controlled toys are the source of EMF with intensity values ranging from 1 to 21.5 V/m. EMF values over 0.01 mT were not found in the surrounding of mechanical toys. CONCLUSIONS: Although EMF values in the surrounding of toys meet the requirements defined by CE labeling, several toys produce in its surrounding EMF values exceeding maximum allowable intensities according to Polish environmental regulations and corresponding with protective zones defined by hygiene norms set to protect persons working with EMF-producing devices. The magnitude of exposure caused by aforesaid toys depends on both the kind of toys and the age of children playing with them.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2005

Cotton liners to mediate glove comfort for greenhouse applicators.

Greenhouse applicators' acceptance of cotton knit gloves worn as liners under nitrile chemical-resistant gloves (CRG) for pesticide application was investigated through a wear study in Iowa and New York. Comfort was assessed by questionnaires and interviews with 10 applicators. Contamination levels of four pesticides on CRG and liners at thumb, forefinger, palm, and cuff locations were determined by chemical analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography or gas chromatography. Applicators reported feeling more comfortable with cotton liners under their CRG than without and that cotton liners were easy to manage. Contamination was significantly greater on nitrile CRG than on cotton liners underneath, but a few liner specimens had measurable contamination. No significant contamination differences were found between right- and left-hand gloves. Contamination varied significantly by hand location, with cuffs least, and by pesticide, with chlorpyrifos most. These results support the Environmental Protection Agency's recommendation that liners should be disposable, but further work on liners and their laundering feasibility seems indicated.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Flared gases and other pollutants associated with air quality in industrial areas of Nigeria: an overview.

Nigeria, like any other developing nation, is faced with the twin problem of development without destruction. Industrialization, though an important component of development, has had a large share in the despoilation of air quality in the country by the release of high amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere. Petroleum hydrocarbons from refineries, flared gases, dusts, and fumes of metal-smelting and cement works, odorous gases of chemical and allied industries, carbon monoxide and oxides of sulfur and nitrogen of internal combustion engines, the charred particulates and sulfur dioxide emissions of the steel industries etc., all constitute pollutants or co-pollutants of the Nigerian atmosphere. This review article gives an insight into the phenomenal concentrations of some of these pollutants in the Nigerian atmosphere, which point to their unsafe levels and concomitant health risks. It is against this background that there should be continuous but sound monitoring exercise of the Nigerian environment, devoid of the peculiar mix of politics and science, in order to properly audit the quality of air, especially in areas of heavy industrial pollution. Such checks and balances would provide empirical data to assess the various trade-offs of atmospheric pollution in industrial areas of the country such as the Niger Delta region where oil and gas are produced. There should also be enforcement, thereof, of all existing and/or revised standards or regulations such as the compliance limits of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) or the erstwhile Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA).

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2005

Pyrolysis of foundry sand resins: a determination of organic products by mass spectrometry.

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) was used to identify the major organic products produced by pyrolysis of three foundry sand resins: (i) Novolac and (ii) phenolic urethane (PU) (both phenol-formaldehyde based resins) and (iii) furan (furfuryl alcohol based resin). These resins are used in the metal casting industry as a "sand binder" for making cores (used to produce cavities in molds) and molds for nonferrous castings. During the casting process, the cores and molds are subjected to intense heat from the molten metal. As a result, the organic resins undergo thermal decomposition and produce a number of complex organic compounds. In this study, the organics were tentatively identified by MS after pyrolysis of the resins at 750 degrees C. The major thermal decomposition products from the Novolac, PU, and furan resins were derivatives of phenol, benzene, and furan, respectively. Compounds identified that are of potential environmental concern were benzene, toluene, phenol, o- and p-xylene, o- and m-cresol, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Pyrolysis of the Novolac resin resulted in the generation of the most compounds of environmental concern. Because there is interest in beneficially using foundry molding sands in manufactured soils and other agricultural products, it is necessary that organic thermal decomposition products be identified to ensure environmental protection.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2001

Occupational and environmental causes of bronchogenic carcinoma.

Occupational and environmental carcinogens account for an important minority of cases of bronchogenic carcinoma. From a public health perspective, it is important to characterize occupational and environmental carcinogens and to define disease risk to reduce preventable lung cancer. From a clinician's perspective, it is important to distinguish individual cases of occupational lung cancer from nonoccupational cases, because cancer acquired from work may be compensable through worker's compensation claims and litigation. Important carcinogens include asbestos, radon daughters, diesel exhaust, and metals. Epidemiologic investigations identify excess cases of lung cancer in populations exposed to carcinogens. Experimental animal and ex vivo human research provide complementary information supporting causal relationships between exposure and carcinogenesis. Clinical challenges include proving that a given case of lung cancer is due to an occupational exposure. Research challenges include determining safe exposure thresholds. Only a small percentage of all chemicals used in industry have been extensively analyzed for their carcinogenic potential. Scientific and regulatory information about pulmonary occupational and environmental health and safety is available from several important agencies and organizations, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the American Lung Association, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Carcinogens, Environmental↗
PubMed2005

[Pollution-ecological problems of old industrial and mining areas and future research prospects].

Environmental pollution and its solicitation in ecological problems of old industrial and mining areas have become a worldwide technological puzzle restricting sustainable economic and social development. But, the definition and category of old industrial and mining areas is still disputed as an important concept. In this paper, the concept of old industrial and mining area was discussed in theory, and, proceeded with analyzing the complexity of current situation and environmental pollution problems of old industrial and mining areas in China, more keystone attention was paid to the secondary pollution problems from old industrial and mining areas as an important frontier of science. On the basis of expounding the complexity and characters of environmental pollution in old industrial and mining areas, it was suggested that as two key scientific problems in environmental sciences and ecology, the formation mechanisms and control technology of secondary pollution in old industrial and mining areas and the responses of new-type diseases to environmental pollution based on molecular ecotoxicology should be systematically studied on the national scale, and be an important component of environmental protection strategy in China in the future.

China↗
PubMed1991

The epidemiology of toxic stews.

'Toxic stews' is a term which refers to the innumerable manmade chemicals to which we are exposed today. Neither their composition nor their toxicity in humans and the environment is sufficiently understood. Little interest has been aroused thus far by synergisms between these substances. The sources of toxic stews are many and diverse: chemical products and associated impurities; industrial and household waste water; emissions from combustion, incineration and other industrial processes; exhaust fumes from traffic and power plants; etc. These negative aspects of modern life contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, allergies, and diseases of the respiratory tract and central nervous system. There are severe obstacles to, and deficiencies, in official monitoring of pollutants, including problems of data access, chemical analysis, and toxicological and epidemiological research. It is urgent that the role of the physician as guardian of human health be expanded to include a stronger emphasis on environmental protection as an important component of preventive medicine.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Rapid detection of neurotoxic insecticides in food using disposable acetyicholinesterase-biosensors and simple solvent extraction.

The extensive use of pesticides to protect agricultural crops necessitates reliable tools for the detection of residues in food and water, thus ensuring environmental protection and consumer safety. Neuroinhibitors such as organophosphates and carbamates in particular, represent a potential hazard to human health. These compounds are frequently found in food, but conventional methods of analysis are limited as they are either time consuming or not sufficiently sensitive. As a result, a rapid and sensitive biosensor test based on AChE-inhibition was developed. The disposable AChE-biosensor was directly applied in solvent extracts of food samples using isooctane as extraction solvent. A complete assay could be performed in less than 2 h. Recovery rates of 84% were obtained in tests with spiked orange juice samples. Tests in food samples with a lower water content resulted in reduced recovery rates (44% for peach pap baby food). Phosphorothionate insecticides in food could be detected after direct oxidation with N-bromosuccinimide and solvent extraction. The assay displayed a detection limit of 2 microg/kg paraoxon, which was sufficient for the monitoring of maximum residue limits in food according to EU regulations.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1999

Population health environmental indicators: ecologic monitoring of environment-related health and disease trends.

BACKGROUND: Current State of the Environment (SoE) reporting focuses primarily on indicators directly related to the physical environment such as climate, and air, water and soil quality. As the environment has both direct and indirect effects on human health, an opportunity exists to include environment-related human disease indicators as an SoE indicator theme. OBJECTIVE: To develop a set of population health environmental indicators (PHEIs, phi s) that can illustrate environment-related disease (ERD) trends at the population level. METHODS: A literature review was conducted on environmental health monitoring and the current knowledge of environmental effects on human health. Key PHEIs were identified and routine health data collections accessed and analysed to illustrate temporal and geographic trends. RESULTS: Diseases with an environmental aetiology are tabulated and examples are given of the type and range of PHEIs that can be developed for an Australian geographic area. CONCLUSIONS: Illustrating environmental degradation in terms of resultant human diseases is a potent tool for promoting environmental protection measures. This paper examines a range of PHEIs that may be used as indicators of both environmental disease and environmental quality. IMPLICATIONS: PHEIs could be developed as a useful SoE indicator theme, and as a tool to help foster the convergence which is occurring between environmental health and public health fields.

Australia↗
PubMed2003

Use of QSARs in international decision-making frameworks to predict ecologic effects and environmental fate of chemical substances.

This article is a review of the use, by regulatory agencies and authorities, of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) to predict ecologic effects and environmental fate of chemicals. For many years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been the most prominent regulatory agency using QSARs to predict the ecologic effects and environmental fate of chemicals. However, as increasing numbers of standard QSAR methods are developed and validated to predict ecologic effects and environmental fate of chemicals, it is anticipated that more regulatory agencies and authorities will find them to be acceptable alternatives to chemical testing.

Decision Making, Organizational↗
PubMed2006

Integrated assessment of environment and health: America's children and the environment.

The significance of the environment for health is increasingly being recognized. There is a need for systematic approaches to assessment of environmental factors most relevant to health, health outcomes most influenced by the environment, and the relationships between them, as well as for approaches to representing the results of such assessments in policy deliberations. As a step in the development of such methods, we used findings and data from the environmental protection and public health sectors to develop a set of measures representing topics relevant to children's environmental health. We used a definition of the environment that emphasized contaminants and a process that involved both analytic and deliberative elements. The steps in this process were to a) develop a conceptual framework to depict relationships between environment and health with relevant types of data and information, b) select topic areas of significance for children, c) identify best available data sources and devise measures, d) assess possible surrogate data sources and measures when needed, e) design and implement metrics for computation of measures using specified data elements, f) select graphical representations of measures, g) identify related measures, and h) identify data gaps. Representatives of policy and stakeholder audiences participated in this process. The measures are presented in three groups that reflect contaminants in the environment, contaminants in human tissues, and diseases and disorders. The measures present scientifically based representations of data understandable to stakeholders and policy makers that integrate key information from the health and environment sectors in a consistent format.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2003

Sources of exposure to and public health implications of organophosphate pesticides.

OBJECTIVE: To review the public health significance of organophosphate pesticide exposure in the United States of America. Since the situation of high organophosphate pesticide exposure and the concomitant health risks in the developing countries of the world is well known, this article seeks to highlight the public health significance of organophosphate exposure in the United States, where it is less common than in many other nations. Looking at the situation in the United States would serve to further emphasize the seriousness of organophosphate pesticide-related health issues in developing countries. METHODS: A search for journal articles on organophosphate pesticides and organophosphate exposure was done on the PubMed electronic bibliographic database system of the National Library of Medicine of the United States. To supplement that search, information on organophosphate toxicity, biological monitoring, and regulation of pesticides was obtained from other published articles, textbooks, and relevant Internet sites. RESULTS: Organophosphate pesticides are a group of chemicals that are mainly used in agriculture. Organophosphates inhibit the activity of both the cholinesterase (ChE) enzymes-red blood cell (RBC) ChE and serum ChE-resulting in the cholinergic features of organophosphate toxicity. A 50% reduction in serum ChE activity from the baseline is an indication of acute organophosphate toxicity. The RBC ChE activity, which is less rapidly depressed than the serum ChE activity, is a measure of chronic exposure to organophosphates. Exposures to organophosphates are broadly classified into two categories: occupational and environmental. Occupational exposures occur among agricultural workers (including migrant farmworkers), industrial workers, pest control exterminators, and other workers. Nonoccupational exposure affects a large segment of the general population in the United States. Residential exposures come from organophosphate pesticide use by exterminators and by household residents as well as from dietary and accidental exposures. Other environmental exposures occur in public places and areas close to farms, and exposures could also happen from organophosphate use in chemical warfare or terrorism. In the United States some organophosphate pesticides are restricted by the Environmental Protection Agency in order to protect humans, animals, and the environment. In addition, the Food Quality Protection Act regulates dietary exposure to pesticides, particularly for infants and children. CONCLUSIONS: Organophosphate pesticides continue to pose a risk to human health in the United States. Biological monitoring should be used to strictly regulate occupational exposures to organophosphates and thus protect the health and safety of workers. Among the public there should be an increased awareness of environmental exposure to organophosphates as well as of the threat of chemical warfare or terrorism.

Cholinesterases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments, using sonication extraction and capillary column gas chromatography-electron capture detection with internal standard calibration.

A sonication technique is presented for the extraction of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from sediments. In addition, a quantitation scheme is described which allows peak-specific and, in many cases, congener-specific determination of PCBs. PCBs are quantitated by capillary column gas chromatography-electron capture detection, with internal standard calibration. Results utilizing sonication extraction were compared with those obtained by Soxhlet and steam distillation extractions of 3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quality control sediment samples and 3 lake sediments known to be contaminated with PCBs. Environmental lake sediments were extracted wet, with no drying prior to extraction. Recoveries by each technique varied depending on the sediment sample being extracted and degree of chlorination of PCB congeners. With proper selection of extraction solvent, the sonication technique can recover amounts of PCBs equivalent to and sometimes greater than recoveries by the Soxhlet or steam distillation techniques. A 24-h quiescent period in the extraction solvent between 2 sonications improved extraction efficiency for 2 freeze-dried sediments but did not affect results obtained for 3 environmentally contaminated sediments that were extracted without drying. Replacement of Soxhlet extraction with the sonication technique results in reduced sample preparation time, decreased volumes of solvents and sample, and substitution of common laboratory glassware in place of fragile, expensive Soxhlet glassware. Sonication extraction can also improve precision compared with Soxhlet extraction.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Integrating science and policy in a National Human Exposure Assessment Survey.

Despite tremendous progress in environmental protection over the past two decades, critical gaps remain in our understanding of actual human exposures to environmental chemicals. While the research community and the policy makers share the common goal of reducing environmental risks, it must be recognized that their information needs are often divergent. The design of effective exposure research must consider the needs and practical limitations of regulators and policy-makers and balance the often conflicting needs of policy and science. This paper examines some of the inherent conflicts between exposure research (science) and regulatory (policy) realities, and describes how the needs of policy makers were integrated into the design of a National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS). NHEXAS represents perhaps the most ambitious exposure surveillance effort ever undertaken. Exposure surveillance is presented as a model for bridging the gap between policy and science in the development of risk management approaches. The success of risk-based priority setting will depend upon the quality of information to support the risk assessment process. Environmental exposure surveillance will be essential to the characterization of risks and, ultimately, to the evaluation of the effectiveness of regulatory strategies.

Decision Support Techniques↗
PubMed1997

[Ecology and health in Chile: present and future development].

In response to the progressive environmental deterioration, the Ecological Society of America has made a proposal, called "Sustainable Biosphere Initiative", to do research, teaching and decision making processes on biodiversity, global change and the effects of human activities on environment. The goal of appropriate environmental protection and welfare for mankind includes health and quality of life. Presently, Chile faces a number of environmental problems such as pollution, excessive urban growth, loss of agricultural areas, disposal of solid waste and species extinction. The lack of education and information in Chile, on these problems, is worrisome. The role of universities to overcome this deficit should be crucial in the future sustainable development of Chile.

Chile↗
PubMed1999

Chemical control laws on polymers: A case for harmonization.

All industrial countries, and several emerging and developing countries, have established regulations to control chemical substances, with a view toward limiting the risks to workers and the public, as well as reducing the impact on the environment. However, the lack of harmonization among such international schemes is creating international trade difficulties. In this context, polymers, and particularly specialty polymers, are a unique case. Polymers are less easily characterized than other substances, and parameters used by governments to control them may vary greatly, leading to national regulations that are significantly dissimilar, or even incompatible. This paper reviews chemical control laws on polymers, identifies the major differences between them, and suggests model legislation for polymers that would reduce barriers to international trade in polymers while maintaining a high degree of human and environmental protection.

Economic Competition↗
PubMed2003

Environmental water-quality zones for streams: a regional classification scheme.

Various approaches have been used to classify large geographical areas into smaller regions of similar water quality or extrapolate water-quality data from a few streams to other unmonitored streams. A combination of some of the strengths of existing techniques is used to develop a new approach for these purposes. In this new approach, referred to here as SPARTA (SPAtial Regression-Tree Analysis), environmental characteristics for each monitored stream are first quantified using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and then regression-tree analysis is used to determine which characteristics are most statistically important in describing the distribution of a specific water-quality constituent. GIS coverages of only the most statistically significant environmental characteristics are then used to subdivide the area of interest into relatively homogeneous environmental water-quality zones. Results from the regression-tree analysis not only define the most important environmental characteristics, but also describe how to subdivide the coverage of the specific characteristic (for example, areas with <26% or >or=26% soil clay content). The resulting regionalization scheme is customized for each water-quality constituent based on the environmental characteristics most statistically related to that constituent. SPARTA was used to delineate areas of similar phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment concentrations (by including land-use characteristics) and areas of similar potential water quality (by excluding land-use characteristics). The SPARTA approach reduced the variability in water-quality concentrations (phosphorus, total nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, and suspended sediment) within similarly classified zones from that obtained using the US Environmental Protection Agency's nutrient ecoregions.

Agriculture↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Population-based dietary intakes and tap water concentrations for selected elements in the EPA region V National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS).

A National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) field study was performed in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region V, providing population-based exposure distribution data for selected elements in several personal, environmental, and biological media. Population distributions are reported for the 11 elements that were measured in water and dietary samples. Dietary intakes and home tap water concentrations of lead, arsenic, and cadmium were further examined for intermedia associations, for differences between dietary exposure for adults and children, and to estimate the proportion of the population above health-based reference values (dietary) or regulatory action levels or maximum contaminant levels (water). Water lead and arsenic concentrations were significantly associated with dietary intake. Intake of all elements was higher from solid foods than from liquid foods (including drinking water). Dietary intakes of Pb, As, and Cd were greater than those calculated for intake from home tap water or inhalation on a microg/day basis. Median dietary intakes for the Region V population for Pb, As, and Cd were 0.10, 0.13, and 0.19 microg/kg bw/day, respectively. While Pb, As, and Cd concentrations in the foods consumed by 0 to 6-year-old children were similar to or lower than those for adults, dietary intakes calculated on a body weight basis were 1.5 to 2.5 times higher for young children. Intrapersonal intake differences accounted for most of the variance in short-term (daily) dietary intakes for Pb and As, while interpersonal differences accounted for more of the intake variance for Cd. Only small percentages of the population exceeded health-based intake reference values or concentrations equal to regulatory levels in water for Pb, As, and Cd.

Adolescent↗