Archives of environmental health最新文献

{"title":"Total mercury levels in human autopsy materials from a nonexposed Polish population.","authors":"Teresa Lech,&nbsp;Józefa K Sadlik","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.59.1.50-54","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.50-54","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mercury is considered to be one of the most harmful metals. Studies of the so-called normal mercury content in human internal organs, blood, and urine can be useful for assessment of the level of environmental exposure and also for legal and medical expert opinions. The examination encompassed 75 autopsies of inhabitants of southern Poland (50 male and 25 female) investigated at the Institute of Forensic Research in Kraków, Poland, between the end of 1998 and the beginning of 2001. Samples of internal organs were homogenized and digested with nitric and sulfuric acids. Determination of total mercury was performed by the use of cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The following results (range and mean, in ng/g wet weight) were obtained: brain (n = 49) 0-14.2, 2.3 +/- 1.9; liver (n = 69) 2.6-55.0, 15.5 +/- 9.5; kidney (n = 63) 3.2-170, 35.9 +/- 31.7; heart (n = 4) 1.2-2.8, 2.2 +/- 0.75; spleen (n = 17) 2.4-9.6, 4.0 +/- 1.8; lung (n = 22) 1.8-9.1, 3.3 +/- 1.8; stomach (n = 48) 0-4.5, 2.0 +/- 1.0; small intestine (n = 32) 0-14.2, 2.8 +/- 2.7; large intestine (n = 13) 0 - 23.9, 5.2 +/- 7.2; blood (n = 35) 0 6.5, 1.6 +/- 1.2; urine (n = 14) 0 2.6, below detection limit. The above mentioned levels of mercury are similar to those reported by other Polish authors, but are lower than those determined in normal Korean and Japanese organs.</p>","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"59 1","pages":"50-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.50-54","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25218187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of effluents from a car battery manufacturing plant in Nigeria on water, soil, and food qualities.","authors":"Orish Ebere Orisakwe,&nbsp;Rose Asomugha,&nbsp;Onyenmechi Johnson Afonne,&nbsp;C N Anisi,&nbsp;Ejeatuluchukwualo Obi,&nbsp;Chudi Emma Dioka","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.59.1.31-36","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.31-36","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The authors investigated the impact of effluents from a car battery manufacturing plant in Nnewi, Nigeria, on water, soil, and food qualities. The authors analyzed heavy metals mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium and nickel in tap and cassava waters, soil, dried cassava tuber, and edible fruit samples from the company, using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Other parameters the authors analyzed include pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity (SAL), total hardness (TH), biological oxygen demand (BOD), volatile and non-volatile solids, and bacterial and fungal loads of the soil samples. Results show that lead had the highest concentration in all the samples, with the soil samples having the highest lead concentration (38-12 ppm, 102 ppm) and the water samples having the lowest (0.02-0.20 ppm). Mercury had the lowest concentration (<0.0002 ppm) in all the samples. Soil sample B had the highest concentration of all the metals tested. Cassava water had higher levels of EC, SAL, TH, BOD, and volatile and nonvolatile solids, but lower pH than tap water. Bacterial loads were higher than fungal loads in all the soil samples. Because there was moderate contamination of the environment by some of the metals studied, with lead being exceptionally high and above the specified international standards, the authors recommend control measures to reduce lead exposure to the local populace within and around this industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"59 1","pages":"31-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.31-36","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25218184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nonoccupational determinants of plasma DDT and p,p'-DDE in men from Chiapas, Mexico.","authors":"Albino Barraza-Villarreal,&nbsp;Paulina Farías,&nbsp;Vicente Díaz Sánchez,&nbsp;Janice L Bailey,&nbsp;Tiaan De Jager,&nbsp;Pierre Ayotte,&nbsp;Mauricio Hernández-Avila,&nbsp;Eric Dewailly","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.59.1.42-49","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.42-49","url":null,"abstract":"A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate nonoccupational biological exposure to 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) compounds and to identify the main factors associated with such exposure in a malaria endemic region in Mexico. Capillary gas column chromatography was used to determine levels of p,p'-DDT and its metabolites in plasma. The mean age of the 144 male participants was 28 yr. Mean p,p'-DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene) and p,p'-DDT levels were 203.5 μg/l and 67.4 μg/l, respectively. Those whose houses had been sprayed for malaria control had much higher p,p'-DDE levels (p < 0.001). High levels of chlorinated pesticides were found despite being banned in Mexico for agricultural and public health use. Findings demonstrate the role of antimalarial campaigns as a major contributing factor for high DDT plasma levels.","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"59 1","pages":"42-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.42-49","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25218186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship between newborn size and mother's blood cadmium levels, Toyama, Japan.","authors":"Muneko Nishijo,&nbsp;Kenji Tawara,&nbsp;Ryumon Honda,&nbsp;Hideaki Nakagawa,&nbsp;Kyoko Tanebe,&nbsp;Shigeru Saito","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.59.1.22-25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.22-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effect of blood cadmium (Cd), which reflects not only Cd body burden but also recent Cd exposure and communicates with fetal blood in the placenta, on newborn size at birth was investigated. Blood Cd of 55 mothers from Toyama, Japan, at 30-32 gestational weeks was measured using a flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The relationship between blood Cd and newborn size was analyzed after adjustment for gestational age and maternal build. A significant inverse correlation was found between infant height and maternal blood Cd. After adjustment for gestational age and maternal weight at 30-32 gestational weeks, the significant inverse relationship between maternal blood Cd and infant height was shown using the multiple regression analysis. Newborn size might be influenced by maternal blood Cd levels to which infants may be exposed during gestation.</p>","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"59 1","pages":"22-5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.59.1.22-25","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25219971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incidence of cancer in the vicinity of Korean AM radio transmitters.","authors":"Mina Ha,&nbsp;Hyung-Jun Lim,&nbsp;Soo-Hun Cho,&nbsp;Hyung-Do Choi,&nbsp;Kwang-Yun Cho","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.58.12.756-762","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.756-762","url":null,"abstract":"Results of various studies have indicated a potential association between exposures to electrical and/or magnetic fields and risks of various cancers. The authors used a cross-sectional ecological study design to investigate such a potential association. In areas proximate to 42 amplitude modulated (AM) radio transmitters, 11 high-power study sites (i.e., areas exposed to 100-1,500-kW transmission power) and 31 low-power study sites (i.e., areas exposed to 50-kW transmission power) were identified. The incidence of cancer within a 2-km radius of each transmitter was obtained from (a) Korean medical-insurance data for the years 1993 through 1996, (b) population census data for the year 1995, and (c) resident registration data for the year 1995. The authors calculated age-standardized rate ratios for total cancer, leukemia, malignant lymphoma, brain cancer, and breast cancer, and compared the incidence of cancer within 2 km of the high-power transmitters vs. the incidence within 2 km of the low-power transmitters. Four control areas for each high-power transmitter were also selected. The control areas were located in the same, or nearest adjacent, province as the high-power sites, but were at least 2 km from any of the transmitters. Indirect standardized observed/expected ratios for the high-power sites vs. control areas were calculated for each transmitter separately, and for 4 transmitter groupings defined by power level (i.e., 100 kW, 250 kW, 500 kW, and 1,500 kW). The authors found no significant increase in age-standardized rate ratios of cancers for high-power vs. low-power sites, with the exceptions of total cancer and of brain cancer in women. Among the 11 high-power sites, there were significantly increased incidences of leukemia in 2 areas and of brain cancer in 1 area. Future studies should incorporate additional detailed exposure assessments and a strong analytical study design to explore the possible association between radiofre-quency radiation from AM radio transmitters and cancer.","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"58 12","pages":"756-62"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.756-762","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25083686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of a follow-up professional home cleaning on serial dust and blood lead levels of urban children.","authors":"Carla Campbell,&nbsp;Donald F Schwarz,&nbsp;David Rich,&nbsp;Douglas W Dockery","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.58.12.771-780","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.771-780","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Children residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who were enrolled in a clinical trial of oral chelation therapy (n=73) were studied to determine the effects of a follow-up professional lead dust cleaning of their homes 18 mo after an initial cleaning and commencement of therapy. Home dust lead levels were determined from dust-wipe specimens collected from the kitchen and playroom floors, and from a playroom windowsill, prior to, immediately following, and 3 and 6 mo after the second cleaning. Children's blood lead levels were assessed at 3-mo intervals before and after the follow-up cleaning. Professional cleaning produced immediate decreases in dust lead levels; however, dust lead re-accumulated to precleaning levels within 3-6 mo. Frequent, repeated cleanings may be required if blood lead or dust lead levels are to be reduced and sustained at low levels in urban homes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"58 12","pages":"771-80"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.771-780","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25082546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health risk assessment for sulfur dioxide pollution in South Durban, South Africa.","authors":"Mamopeli Matooane,&nbsp;Roseanne Diab","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.58.12.763-770","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.763-770","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concern about health risks from sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution prompted a health risk assessment for residents of the heavily polluted industrial region of South Durban, South Africa. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health risk assessment model was used to evaluate health effects for individuals in 4 age groups on the basis of data for a 3-yr period, from 1997-1999. Under normal exposure conditions, the level of risk was low (Hazard Quotient < 1); only under the worst-case scenario (exposure 24 hr/day) was there a significant risk of developing health effects. Inasmuch as these results are contrary to the popularly held belief that residents have a high risk of developing SO2-related respiratory diseases under normal exposure conditions, future studies should more thoroughly investigate exposure patterns and verify the authors' assumption that indoor SO2 levels are zero.</p>","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"58 12","pages":"763-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.763-770","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25083687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deaths from neoplasms and detection of radionuclides in excised human lungs in the Eordea Basin, Greece.","authors":"Lazaros T Sichletidis,&nbsp;Ioannis Tsiotsios,&nbsp;Agapios Gavriilidis,&nbsp;Diamantis Chloros,&nbsp;Theodoros Konstantinidis,&nbsp;Kiriakos Psarrakos,&nbsp;Dimitrios Koufogiannis,&nbsp;Anastasios Siountas,&nbsp;Dimitrios Filippou","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.58.12.789-793","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.789-793","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lignite contains various trace-metal natural radioactive contaminants. In the Eordea Basin, the most important lignite field in Greece, the authors conducted a proportional mortality ratio (PMR) study that compared the mortality rates of individuals who lived in the basin vs. a control group who resided in the city of Kilkis, over a 30-yr period. The following information was used in the study: (a) municipal registrations of deaths from neoplasms during the period from 1971 to 2000, and (b) detection of radioactive substances in samples obtained from excised lungs of individuals living in Eordea Basin who suffered from neoplasm. The corresponding registrations of deaths from neoplasm of the inhabitants of Kilkis, a city located outside the Eordea Basin, formed the control group. A diachronic increase of the PMR was detected as a result of neoplasms and, particularly, as a result of lung cancer in Eordea Basin. However, the above ratio did not exceed the corresponding PMR recorded in Kilkis. In 20 lung samples obtained from patients who had lived in Eordea Basin, and in 19 lung samples from patients in Kilkis, the activity of the radionuclides of uranium and thorium radioactive decay series, potassium-40, and cesium-137 was not higher than expected. No statistically significant difference was found between the inhabitants of the 2 regions, thus it was concluded that the increase in respiratory-system neoplasms was likely associated with the high prevalence of smoking among the regions' inhabitants. In future studies, a longer observation period and examination of more cases will be necessary to further investigate a possible association between radionuclides and lung neoplasms in the Eordea Basin.</p>","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"58 12","pages":"789-93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.789-793","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25082548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of chlorine and its cresylate byproducts on brain and lung performance.","authors":"Kaye H Kilburn","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.58.12.746-755","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.746-755","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chlorine and potassium cresylate spilled from a train wreck forced evacuation of nearly 1000 people in and near the town of Alberton, Montana, in 1996. Because respiratory and other symptoms persisted in this population, neurobehavioral and pulmonary functions were evaluated in a cohort of exposed vs. unexposed individuals. Ninety-seven subjects were tested 7 wk after exposure. Three years later, 36 of the original subjects were retested, along with 21 new patients exposed in the same incident. These 57 were compared with 22 unexposed individuals. Twenty-six neurobehavioral functions were tested, and spirometry was performed on each subject. At 7 wk postexposure, patients showed significant differences in 5 neurobehavioral functions (i.e., balance, simple reaction time, abnormal visual quadrants, vocabulary, and information), compared with the unexposed individuals recruited in 1999. Patients' Profile of Mood States scores and frequencies of 35 symptoms were also elevated, compared with the unexposed group. At 3 yr postexposure, patients exhibited differences in 7 additional neurobehavioral functions (i.e., choice reaction time, balance with eyes open, color errors, visual fields, Culture Fair, and verbal recall). Respiratory symptoms were increased, but pulmonary functions did not change. Exposure to chlorine and potassium cresylate produced neurobehavioral impairments that have been observed to increase across 3 yr. Spills in heavily populated areas could injure thousands, overwhelming medical facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"58 12","pages":"746-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.746-755","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25083685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chemical sensitivity in symptomatic Cambodia veterans.","authors":"Erik W M A Bischoff,&nbsp;Patricia M M B Soetekouw,&nbsp;Maaike De Vries,&nbsp;Paul T I Scheepers,&nbsp;Gijs Bleijenberg,&nbsp;Jos W M van der Meer","doi":"10.3200/AEOH.58.12.740-745","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.740-745","url":null,"abstract":"Following their participation in a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Cambodia (1992-1993), Dutch veterans complained of symptoms similar to those reported by Gulf War veterans. The authors conducted a matched case-control study to evaluate 76 symptomatic and 32 matched asymptomatic Cambodia veterans on the basis of data collected by postal questionnaire. The number of symptomatic veterans who reported having used insect repellants that contained N,N,-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) during the mission in Cambodia was significantly higher, compared with asymptomatic veterans. The percentage of veterans who reported feeling ill following brief exposures to chemicals such as paint or pesticides was equal in both groups, but the percentage was low compared with the results of other studies of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome. The current study was limited by self-report and time delay (potential recall bias) between deployment to Cambodia and the time of survey. Nevertheless, the study results did not support the hypothesis that symptoms in the total group of Cambodia veterans could be related to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.","PeriodicalId":8155,"journal":{"name":"Archives of environmental health","volume":"58 12","pages":"740-5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3200/AEOH.58.12.740-745","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25083684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}