Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Environmental Protection”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,441 records · Page 80Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Bacterial dehalogenases: biochemistry, genetics, and biotechnological applications.

This review is a survey of bacterial dehalogenases that catalyze the cleavage of halogen substituents from haloaromatics, haloalkanes, haloalcohols, and haloalkanoic acids. Concerning the enzymatic cleavage of the carbon-halogen bond, seven mechanisms of dehalogenation are known, namely, reductive, oxygenolytic, hydrolytic, and thiolytic dehalogenation; intramolecular nucleophilic displacement; dehydrohalogenation; and hydration. Spontaneous dehalogenation reactions may occur as a result of chemical decomposition of unstable primary products of an unassociated enzyme reaction, and fortuitous dehalogenation can result from the action of broad-specificity enzymes converting halogenated analogs of their natural substrate. Reductive dehalogenation either is catalyzed by a specific dehalogenase or may be mediated by free or enzyme-bound transition metal cofactors (porphyrins, corrins). Desulfomonile tiedjei DCB-1 couples energy conservation to a reductive dechlorination reaction. The biochemistry and genetics of oxygenolytic and hydrolytic haloaromatic dehalogenases are discussed. Concerning the haloalkanes, oxygenases, glutathione S-transferases, halidohydrolases, and dehydrohalogenases are involved in the dehalogenation of different haloalkane compounds. The epoxide-forming halohydrin hydrogen halide lyases form a distinct class of dehalogenases. The dehalogenation of alpha-halosubstituted alkanoic acids is catalyzed by halidohydrolases, which, according to their substrate and inhibitor specificity and mode of product formation, are placed into distinct mechanistic groups. beta-Halosubstituted alkanoic acids are dehalogenated by halidohydrolases acting on the coenzyme A ester of the beta-haloalkanoic acid. Microbial systems offer a versatile potential for biotechnological applications. Because of their enantiomer selectivity, some dehalogenases are used as industrial biocatalysts for the synthesis of chiral compounds. The application of dehalogenases or bacterial strains in environmental protection technologies is discussed in detail.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2005

Summary of a workshop on the development of health models and scenarios: strategies for the future.

A workshop was convened in July 2003 by the Global Change Research Program, Office of Research and Development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to review current strategies for developing human health models and scenarios in the context of global environmental change, particularly global climate change, and to outline a research agenda that effectively characterizes the interplay of global change with the health of human populations. The research agenda developed at the workshop focused on three issues: a) the development of health models, b) the development of health scenarios, and c) the use of health models and health scenarios to inform policy. The agenda identified research gaps as well as barriers to the development and use of models and scenarios. This report summarizes the workshop findings.

Environmental Health↗
PubMed1995

Are environmental sentinels signaling?

There is an increasing perception that environmental contamination by chemicals no longer poses a significant health threat and that relaxation of environmental regulations is warranted. However, many wildlife populations are showing signs of developmental, behavioral, and reproductive dysfunction due to environmental contamination by endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Scientists, regulators, and legislators must mobilize to identify current health threats posed by environmental pollutants, develop testing protocols that will detect such properties of new chemicals, and strengthen legislation designed to protect environmental health.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

[Animal hygiene and environmental hygiene].

Animal Hygiene has developed historically from the field of Animal Health Care and is as a part of Veterinary Hygiene now about 100 years old. From her very beginning Animal Hygiene has dealt with the influences of the live and inanimate environment on the health of animals an also investigated the reverse developments. From a historical point of view it can be stated that Animal Hygiene has done active research in the field of environmental hygiene ever since. This tendency was intensified by the modern developments of keeping animals in confinements, enlargement of livestock, new kinds of residues like slurry which demanded a change in the management of arable and forage land combined with an increase in the agricultural utilization of residues form the municipal area like sewage sludge and compost made from refuse. Based on selected examples from the field of production and processing of animals the research on Animal Hygiene in the framework of environmental hygiene is described. This refers especially to emissions and other environmental problems (malodor, dust, airborne microbes) which derive from keeping animals in confinements as well as such which are caused by storage and utilization of animal residues (farm-yard manure, urine, slurry). The most serious problems are caused by production and utilization of slurry (transmission of infectious agents, malodors, damages of soils, plants, surface and ground waters by excess fertilization of arable and forage land). It was Animal Hygiene which made most valuable contributions for solving such problems of environmental hygiene. It was also Animal Hygiene which warned of the possible negative environmental influences of disinfectants. Respective investigations were made and recommendations to avoid damages to the environment given. Also in the field of the agricultural utilization of residues from the municipal area (sewage, sewage sludge, refuse composts) Animal Hygiene has developed basic investigation methods whose results were reflected in several legal regulations for environmental protection.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1994

One hospital's road to waste minimization.

There are many new and exciting waste minimization programs being offered to healthcare facilities. Companies are now making reusable operating packs and gowns that are more efficient than disposables. The selling point is that the system will save healthcare money! The reusable programs do save disposal costs for an institution. Shore Memorial has scheduled a trial evaluation for reusable operating room linens to begin May 1, 1994. The concept has not been difficult to sell to physicians and staff. Perhaps this is because people are generally more aware of their environment and the reasons why it should be protected. The hospital will also be evaluating an IV bottle and bag recycling program. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Agency has given approval to proceed with this type of recycling program, and Shore Memorial is in the process of scheduling this trial program with a local vendor. Waste reduction and recycling in healthcare settings will continue to be challenging because of the diversity of the wastestream and the changing environment facing healthcare. Certainly, healthcare has as much of a responsibility to the well-being of patients as it does to keeping the environment healthy. Returning to the "old way" of doing things, such as reusables, does not have a negative impact on people, but it does have an impact on the environment. Shore Memorial believes it is moving in the right direction with its waste minimization program to make a positive environmental impact.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2003

Global surveillance of DDT and DDE levels in human tissues.

The organochlorine insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was initially introduced for control of vector-borne discases It was banned in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1972 because of potential harmful effects on humans, wildlife and the environment. Since it is a potential human carcinogen, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has recently restricted the use of DDT in developing countries until alternative methods of vector control are sought. DDT and its metabolite, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethylene (DDE) are lipid soluble, and bioaccumulate more in human adipose tissue, than breast milk and serum. This article is a review of DDT and DDE levels in human tissues from different countries in the world. Data on p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE levels in human adipose tissue, breast milk and serum were selected from more recent literature. It was discovered that countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America with more recent exposure to DDT and DDE have higher levels in human tissue than in Europe and the United States. The global concern for DDT and DDE is the environmental spread and persistence in the food chain. Hypothetically, there is a potential risk of harmful effects of DDT and DDE to human health. UNEP has cautiously taken action to protect human health, the environment and the earth from further destruction by persistent organic pollutants. Further exposure to DDT should be prevented to achieve this goal.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2006

Applying cost analyses to drive policy that protects children: mercury as a case study.

Exposure in prenatal life to methylmercury (MeHg) has become the topic of intense debate in the United States after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal in 2004 to reverse strict controls on emissions of mercury from coal-fired power plants that had been in effect for the preceding 15 years. This proposal failed to incorporate any consideration of the health impacts on children that would result from increased mercury emissions. We assessed the impact on children's health of industrial mercury emissions and found that between 316,588 and 637,233 babies are born with mercury-related losses of cognitive function ranging from 0.2 to 5.13 points. We calculated that decreased economic productivity resulting from diminished intelligence over a lifetime results in an aggregate economic cost in each annual birth cohort of $8.7 billion annually (range: $0.7-$13.9 billion, 2000 dollars). $1.3 billion (range: $51 million-$2.0 billion) of this cost is attributable to mercury emitted from American coal-fired power plants. Downward shifts in intellectual quotient (IQ) are also associated with 1566 (range: 115-2675) excess cases of mental retardation (MR defined as IQ < 70) annually. This number accounts for 3.2% (range: 0.2-5.4%) of MR cases in the United States. If the lifetime excess cost of a case of MR (excluding individual productivity losses) is $1,248,648 in 2000 dollars, then the cost of these excess cases of MR is $2.0 billion annually (range: $143 million-$3.3 billion). Preliminary data suggest that more stringent mercury policy options would prevent thousands of cases of MR and billions of dollars over the next 25 years.

Child↗
PubMed2006

Hydrogen peroxide synthesis: an outlook beyond the anthraquinone process.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is widely used in almost all industrial areas, particularly in the chemical industry and environmental protection. The only degradation product of its use is water, and thus it has played a large role in environmentally friendly methods in the chemical industry. Hydrogen peroxide is produced on an industrial scale by the anthraquinone oxidation (AO) process. However, this process can hardly be considered a green method. It involves the sequential hydrogenation and oxidation of an alkylanthraquinone precursor dissolved in a mixture of organic solvents followed by liquid-liquid extraction to recover H2O2. The AO process is a multistep method that requires significant energy input and generates waste, which has a negative effect on its sustainability and production costs. The transport, storage, and handling of bulk H2O2 involve hazards and escalating expenses. Thus, novel, cleaner methods for the production of H2O2 are being explored. The direct synthesis of H2O2 from O2 and H2 using a variety of catalysts, and the factors influencing the formation and decomposition of H2O2 are examined in detail in this Review.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

National environmental health measures for minority and low-income populations: tracking social disparities in environmental health.

Healthy People 2010 [US Department of Health and Human Services, 2004. Healthy People 2010. Available: http://www.healthypeople.gov/Publications/ [accessed May 22, 2004]] has established as a top priority the elimination of health disparities. Current research suggests that characteristics of the social, physical and built environment contribute to these disparities. In order to track progress and to assess the potential contributions of the various components of the "environment," tools specific to environmental health disparities are required. In this paper, we discuss one potential tool, a set of candidate measures that may be used to track disparities in outcomes, as well as measures that may be used analytically to assess potential causal pathways. Several other reports on health and environmental measures have been produced, including the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) America's Children and the Environment. However, there has not been a comprehensive discussion about environmental measures that focus on racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in health. Therefore, we focus on measures specific to historically disadvantaged populations. Based on a conceptual framework that views health disparities as partially driven by differential access to resources and exposures to hazards, we group the measures into four categories: social processes, environmental contaminants/exposures, bodyburdens of environmental contaminants, and health outcomes. We provide a few examples to illustrate each category, including residential segregation, PM(2.5) exposures, blood mercury concentrations, and asthma morbidity and mortality. These measures and categories are derived from a review of environmental health disparities from several disciplines. As a next step in a long-term effort to better understand the relationship between social disadvantage, environment, and health disparities, we hope that the proposed measures and literature review serve as a foundation for future monitoring of environmental health disparities. These efforts may aid community organizations, local agencies, scientists and policy makers in allocating resources and developing interventions.

Asthma↗
PubMed1998

Potential environmental and regulatory implications of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).

The immense volume of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) wastes produced annually by extracting industries throughout the world deserves to come to the attention of international and national environmental protection agencies and regulatory bodies. Although a great deal of work has been done in the fields of radiation protection and remedial actions concerning uranium and other mines, the need to dispose of diffuse NORM wastes will have environmental and regulatory implications that thus far are not fully appreciated. NORM wastes constitute, by and large, unwanted byproducts of industrial activities as diverse as thorium and uranium milling, niobium, tin and gold mining extraction, water treatment, and the production of oil, gas, phosphate fertilizer, coal fire and aluminum. The volumes of NORM wastes produced annually could reach levels so high that the existing low level radioactive waste (LLRW) facilities would be readily occupied by NORM if controlled disposal procedures were not adopted. On the other hand, NORM cannot just be ignored as being below radiological concern (BRC) or lower than exempt concentration levels (ECLs), because sometimes NORM concentrations reach levels as high as 1 x 10(3) kBq/kg for 226Ra, and not much less for 228Ra. Unfortunately, thus far there is not enough information available concerning NORM wastes in key industries, though the international scientific community has been concerned, for a long time now, with technologically enhanced natural radiation exposures (TENRE). This article is written with the intention of examining, to the extent possible, the potential environmental and regulatory implications of NORM wastes being produced in selected industries.

Background Radiation↗
PubMed1995

Environmental health and Hispanic children.

There are numerous indicators that Hispanics face a disproportionate risk of exposure to environmental hazards. Ambient air pollution, worker exposure to chemicals, indoor air pollution, and drinking water quality are among the top four threats to human health and are all areas in which indicators point to elevated risk for Hispanic populations. These data, juxtaposed with data on the health status of Hispanics, tell us that the environmental health status of Hispanics and their children is poor. At the same time, significant inadequacies in the collection of data on Hispanics make it difficult to make improving Hispanic environmental health status a priority. These inadequacies include the failure to use Hispanic identifiers in data collection and failure to collect sample sizes large enough to allow for breakouts of data by Hispanic subgroup. In addressing environmental justice issues, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) should prioritize improving the quantifiability of environmental exposures and risk based on race or ethnicity. However, improving data should not be the prerequisite to significant, affirmative steps by DHHS and U.S. EPA to address environmental and environmental health problems facing Hispanic communities. In particular, a health-based approach to environmental justice should be the priority.

Air Pollution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Indoor radon pollution in houses in the Apulian Region of Italy and evaluation of the probability of lung cancer in the population].

BACKGROUND: Radon-222 is a gaseous radioactive chemical which can be transformed into other radioactive chemicals, defined as "products of decay" or "radon's daughter". The modality of radon penetration into the buildings depends on the convection motion created in the ground, which suck it back, so causing the penetration. The principal effect on human health is the increase risk of lung cancer, in proportion to the concentration and the time people spend indoors with exposure to radon. OBJECTIVES: The study proposed to estimate the expected cases of radon-induced lung cancer in the population of Apulia due to contamination by indoor radon. METHODS: The study used the data obtained in a national survey made by ANPA (National Environmental Protection Agency) and ISS (High Health Institute), with the collaboration of the Regional Reference Centres for the Control of Environmental Radioactivity (CRR). In the Apulia Region 310 families (5000 nationwide) were involved, which were selected so as to constitute a representative sample both of the region and the country. Appropriate instruments for the measurement of mean concentrations of indoor radon (passive nuclear trace monitors were installed in the homes of the sample families in two different periods of year). We evaluated the variations of indoor radon concentration in the houses during spring-summer and autumn-winter periods, observing a predictable increase in the latter period. We assessed concentrations in relation to: 1. architectural features and location, 2. construction year, 3. building material, 4. presence of windows. RESULTS: We found higher contamination in the oldest non-cement buildings and on the lower floors. In Lecce and Castrì di Lecce we found a mean radon concentration higher than the national and the regional mean, which is equivalent to annual exposure of 0.54 and 0.46 WLM respectively. For these levels we estimated that the expected cases of radon-induced lung cancer will be 1.5 in Lecce and 1.3 in Castrì per 10,000 inhabitants. CONCLUSION: The results of our investigations confirm that indoor radon pollution is a significant problem as it is one of the main causes of lung cancer. Hence, precautionary measures to reduce as much as possible exposure to indoor radon are highly recommended.

Air Pollutants, Radioactive↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ecological risk assessment: risk for what? How do we decide?

Ecological risk assessment is defined both in theory and in practice. To do it properly, we need to know what targets we are protecting, but these targets are not always obvious and clearly defined. The pragmatic approach, used most generally in the context of environmental protection legislation, is the risk quotient method. Two other approaches involving more transparency and ecological relevance are critically assessed. One is based on species sensitivity distributions; the other is based on generalized population dynamics. Challenges for the future are considered.

Ecology↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Methyl parathion: an organophosphate insecticide not quite forgotten.

Methyl parathion (MP), a toxic organophosphate insecticide approved for outdoor use only, is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Category Ia (extremely toxic) and by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) as a Toxicity Category I (most toxic) insecticide. In several U.S. states in the late 1980s and early 1990s, toxic exposures were created by the illegal use of MP indoors by uncertified pest control operators. As the health effects of MP exposure became evident with increasing public awareness, intervention by the U.S. government, in collaboration with several agencies and public initiatives, led to investigations of MP exposure. After evidence of MP metabolites from urine samples confirmed the exposure, in 1998 the indoor use of MP was banned in the U.S. to protect human health, especially that of children, and the environment. Toxic exposures to MP also occurred in developing countries. In El Salvador, occupational exposure to MP in farmers introduced environmental exposures among agricultural families, who presented with the cholinergic features of MP toxicity. Suicidal MP poisoning was reported in Nepal. A fatal accidental poisoning in children in Peru reflected the serious health risk of pesticides in developing countries. The negligence of pesticide exporters raised human rights issues over the tragedy. Nevertheless, MP exposure remains a potential health risk in both the U.S. and the developing world. Preventive measures in reducing the use of toxic chemicals should be taken seriously to protect human health and the environment.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1998

Lead content in edible wild mushrooms in northwest Spain as indicator of environmental contamination.

Lead content was determined in wild growing mushrooms collected from two different areas in the Province of Lugo (NW Spain). It has been analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry in 95 samples of 13 species (7 mycorrhizals and 6 saprophites). In an assessment of lead concentrations, the following factors have been considered: species and ecology, morphological portion, and traffic pollution. The average lead concentration of the samples was 1 ppm dry weight (dw). Saprophite species presented higher levels than mycorrhizal ones (< 1 ppm), Coprinus comatus reaching the maximum mean concentration with 2.06 and 2.79 ppm of dw in the hymenophore and the rest of the fruit body. Morphological portion, statistically, did not show significant difference between the two portions; however, Macrolepiota procera always presented lead high levels in the hymenophore in all samples. The effect due to traffic pollution has been specially observed in Coprinus comatus, presenting the highest concentration with values of 6.51 and 10.43 ppm, respectively, in samples collected in the city center. This species, as other researchers have indicated, could be considered as an indicator by lead contamination. The contribution of mushrooms to the weekly intake of lead was calculated and the possible health risk for the consumer is pointed out. These data are of great importance in view of toxicology and partly environmental protection.

Basidiomycota↗
PubMed1997

Environmental contamination and human exposure to airborne total and respirable manganese in Montreal.

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) is an organometallic compound used as an octane improver in unleaded gasoline. The combustion of MMT leads to the formation of manganese (Mn) oxides, mainly Mn3O4. The objective of this study is to assess the variations over time and space of respirable (MnR) and total (MnT) Mn in the urban atmosphere and to evaluate human exposure by inhalation. Two sampling sites were selected on the island of Montreal based on their local traffic density (municipal botanical garden, C- = 10,000-15,000 vehicles d-1; Montreal Waterworks, C+ = 100,000-130,000 vehicles d-1). Air samplings were made during the day at stations located 10 m from the road using portable pumps, some of which were equipped with a cyclone. MnR and MnT and other metals were measured on Teflon filters by neutron activation. Mn exposure doses by inhalation were calculated using Monte-Carlo simulations. MnR and MnT average concentrations were significantly higher at site C+ (MnR = 0.024 microgram m-3; MnT = 0.050 microgram m-3) than at site C- (MnR = 0.015 microgram m-3; MnT = 0.027 microgram m-3). Temporal profiles at sites C+ and site C- were similar, with a coefficient of correlation of 0.24 for MnR and 0.26 for MnT. Trend analyses (ARIMA) also showed that the period of the week (work days vs. off days) was significantly related to MnR and MnT variations at both sites. The average exposure dose by inhalation to MnR and MnT ranged from 0.001 to 0.030 microgram kg-1 day-1 and 0.001 to 0.05 microgram kg-1 day-1. MnR and MnT concentrations reflected a positive relationship with traffic density. However, it remains difficult to attribute these results directly to the combustion of MMT in unleaded gasoline. On average, the MnR and MnT inhalation doses were 2 to 15 times lower than the reference dose (RfC) proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the general population.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2001

Effect of winter cover crops on soil nitrogen availability, corn yield, and nitrate leaching.

Biculture of nonlegumes and legumes could serve as cover crops for increasing main crop yield, while reducing NO3 leaching. This study, conducted from 1994 to 1999, determined the effect of monocultured cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and bicultured rye/vetch and ryegrass/vetch on N availability in soil, corn (Zea mays L.) yield, and NO3-N leaching in a silt loam soil. The field had been in corn and cover crop rotation since 1987. In addition to the cover crop treatments, there were four N fertilizer rates (0, 67, 134, and 201 kg N ha(-1), referred to as N0, N1, N2, and N3, respectively) applied to corn. The experiment was a randomized split-block design with three replications for each treatment. Lysimeters were installed in 1987 at 0.75 m below the soil surface for leachate collection for the N 0, N 2, and N 3 treatments. The result showed that vetch monoculture had the most influence on soil N availability and corn yield, followed by the bicultures. Rye or ryegrass monoculture had either no effect or an adverse effect on corn yield and soil N availability. Leachate NO3-N concentration was highest where vetch cover crop was planted regardless of N rates, which suggests that N mineralization of vetch N continued well into the fall and winter. Leachate NO3-N concentration increased with increasing N fertilizer rates and exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water standard of 10 mg N l(-1) even at recommended N rate for corn in this region (coastal Pacific Northwest). In comparisons of the average NO3-N concentration during the period of high N leaching, monocultured rye and ryegrass or bicultured rye/vetch and ryegrass/vetch very effectively decreased N leaching in 1998 with dry fall weather. The amount of N available for leaching (determined based on the presidedress nitrate test, the amount of N fertilizer applied, and N uptake) correlated well with average NO3-N during the high N leaching period for vetch cover crop treatment and for the control without the cover crops. The correlation, however, failed for other cover crops largely because of variable effectiveness of the cover crops in reducing NO3 leaching during the 5 years of this study. Further research is needed to determine if relay cover crops planted into standing summer crops is a more appropriate approach than fall seeding in this region to gain sufficient growth of the cover crop by fall. Testing with other main crops that have earlier harvest dates than corn is also needed to further validate the effectiveness of the bicultures to increase soil N availability while protecting the water quality.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Acousto-optic differential optical absorption spectroscopy for atmospheric measurement of nitrogen dioxide in Hong Kong.

Measurement of the atmospheric concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) pollutant was demonstrated by differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) using a visible acousto-optic tunable filter. In a traditional spectral scanning DOAS system for atmospheric concentration monitoring, a highly stable light source is required. When the light intensity fluctuates during scanning, the concentration retrieval will be inaccurate. In order to reduce the error due to intensity fluctuations, a modified DOAS system has been developed by introducing a broadband light intensity monitoring channel. Using the measured intensity of the broadband channel as the intensity of the light source, the spectrum can be de-biased and the residual intensity variation will primarily result from atmospheric extinction. In addition, by employing the lock-in detection technique, the background light interference is also removed in the modified DOAS system. The atmospheric NO(2) concentration measurement was performed at the campus of City University of Hong Kong, and the results were compared with the concentration reported from a nearby monitoring station in Sham Shui Po, operated by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department.

Absorption↗