Environmental Health Top 20This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

This page shows you the 20 most read items in the past 30 days within this specialty in the MedWorm directory.

sent'> Sentinel Symptoms of Climate Change Indicators for Related Health Effects Greenhouse gas emissions are widely acknowledged to be contributing to climate change�related health effects that vary by location, and are expected to continue doing so for many years, even if substantial emission cuts occur. A workgroup of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists has identified a set of indicators that it says will allow national and local officials in the United States to better predict any such changes and consequences and to take appropriate action as it becomes warranted [EHP 117:1673�1681; English et al.]. The team also identified the data needed for tracking these indicators and ascertained whether the data exist, must be improved, or must be generated. They say this is the first effort to synthesize and evaluate related information published by many sources. photo collage showing flooding, pathogens, fire and waste. images (clockwise from lower left): AP Photo/Francis Specker; AP Photo/Bullit Marquez; � 2009 Dennis Kunkel Microscopy; � Kevin Schafer/Corbis The team determined the best indicators of environmental changes due to climate change are quantity of greenhouse gas emissions, air quality (in particular ozone), air mass stagnation events (such as those caused by temperature inversions), temperature and humidity, pollen loads, ragweed occurrence, drought incidence, drinking water scarcity, and occurrence of wildfires and harmful algal blooms. Data for some of these indicators are strong and/or expected to improve soon, as in the case of greenhouse gases, temperature, air mass stagnation events, and drought. Data on other indicators, such as pollen, harmful algal blooms, and ozone, require substantial improvement. For indicators of human death and illness, the authors recommend tracking excess numbers of each that can be attributed to events related to climate change. Doing so will require significant improvements in existing data and methods, such as more comprehensive reporting of emergency room visits and hospitalizations related to heat waves, floods, and other extreme weather events. For infectious diseases, the targeted culprits are West Nile virus, Lyme disease, dengue fever, coccidioidomycosis, and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. The authors note that some segments of the population may be especially vulnerable to certain effects of climate change. These groups include children; the elderly; pregnant and nursing women; those with disabilities and preexisting conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and obesity; people living in poverty or social isolation or without access to transportation; and those living within 5 km of a coast that is highly vulnerable to sea level rise, or in a 100- or 500-year flood zone. Awareness of these vulnerable subpopulations will be important in planning appropriate prevention and intervention activities. Data for indicators of adaptability are sparse because most efforts so far have focused on mitigating climate change, not adapting to it. The authors propose that such indicators might include access to public cooling centers during heat waves, the existence of early warning systems for heat waves, mitigation plans to reduce urban heat islands, the number and quality of surveillance systems available to collect data on climate�health effects, and the availability of local public health workers and task forces trained in climate change research, surveillance, and adaptation. Bob Weinhold, MA, has covered environmental health issues for numerous outlets since 1996. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
sent"> Sentinel Symptoms of Climate Change Indicators for Related Health Effects Greenhouse gas emissions are widely acknowledged to be contributing to climate change�related health effects that vary by location, and are expected to continue doing so for many years, even if substantial emission cuts occur. A workgroup of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists has identified a set of indicators that it says will allow national and local officials in the United States to better predict any such changes and consequences and to take appropriate action as it becomes warranted [EHP 117:1673�1681; English et a...
Source: Science Selections from EHP - November 1, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: webmaster at ehp.niehs.nih.gov Source Type: journals

Mesothelioma Claims Life of Former Pipefitter, Police CommissionerEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A former police commissioner from Pasadena, California passed away August 29, 2009, four months following his mesothelioma diagnosis. Quincy A. James, 76, died from the asbestos-related cancer in his home and was likely exposed to asbestos during his work as a pipefitter in the 1950s. He worked as a pipefitter for seven years to pay for his education at the University of Houston and the South Texas College of Law. Though James passed away due to his mesothelioma diagnosis, he successfully battled a myriad of other health conditions throughout his life. He was diagnosed with polio at 18 months old, but James “never let th...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - September 3, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: JBream Tags: Jobsite Exposure Mesothelioma Source Type: news

Mesothelioma Blog and Cancer Forums Offer Support to PatientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In an effort to find support along their cancer journey, many mesothelioma patients turn to mesothelioma blogs and online cancer forums that help them understand their disease and cope with the emotions involved in a cancer diagnosis. One such mesothelioma blog, “Mesothelioma and Me,” has offered much hope and support to mesothelioma patients. The blog was created by Debbie Brewer, a woman who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2006. Brewer was exposed to asbestos through hugging her father who came home from work covered in asbestos dust. Her father’s passing from asbestos-related lung cancer in August 2006...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - October 29, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: mwhitmer Tags: Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Treatment Mesothelioma Blog Mesothelioma Cancer Mesothelioma Support Source Type: news

Role of Wild Suids in the Epidemiology of African Swine FeverEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract There is presently no vaccine to combat African swine fever (ASF), a viral hemorrhagic fever of domestic pigs that causes up to 100% morbidity and mortality in naive, commercial pig populations. In its endemic setting, ASF virus cycles between asymptomatic warthogs and soft ticks, with persistence in exotic locations being ascribed to the almost global distribution of susceptible soft tick and suid hosts. An understanding of the role played by diverse hosts in the epidemiology of this multi-host disease is crucial for effective disease control. Unlike the intensively studied Ornithodoros tick vector...
Source: EcoHealth - November 14, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Tags: EcoHealth Source Type: journals

Residential proximity to industrial facilities and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study does not provide strong evidence that living near manufacturing industries increases NHL risk. However, future studies designed to include greater numbers of persons living near specific types of industries, along with fate-transport modeling of chemical releases, would be informative. PMID: 19840879 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Environmental Research)
Source: Environmental Research - October 16, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: De Roos AJ, Davis S, Colt JS, Blair A, Airola M, Severson RK, Cozen W, Cerhan JR, Hartge P, Nuckols JR, Ward MH Tags: Environ Res Source Type: journals

Mesothelioma Case Filed Against DuPontEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against DuPont and 20 other companies for the passing of Ruby Neely, who died from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma. Roger Neely, Ruby Neely’s son, filed the suit in Tennessee alleging his mother’s cancer was caused by asbestos fibers carried home on his father’s work clothes while employed at a nearby DuPont plant. Roger Neely’s father, Lively Neely, worked at the DuPont plant in Old Hickory, Tennessee for 20 years. During his employment, he unknowingly exposed his wife and himself to asbestos fibers. Lively Neely actually reached a settlement with DuPont during the ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - November 11, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: jwhitmer Tags: Asbestos Exposure Asbestos Litigation Jobsite Exposure Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Doctors Source Type: news

November eFactorEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Birnbaum Speaks at Milwaukee Town Hall Trainees Turn Out in Record Number for National Postdoc Appreciation Day Fellows and Investigators Showcased at Annual NIH Research Festival First Annual Meeting of the NIEHS Centers for Neurodegeneration Science Shaughnessy Represents NIEHS at Biotech Conference Harry Gives Special Guest Lecture at Stereology Workshop Sister Study Exceeds Recruitment Goal: Now the Real Work Begins WETP Grantees Look at Global Issues in Worker Safety NIEHS Center Intern Recognized by EPA Head Superfund Announces Wetterhahm Award Winner NIEHS Center Director Honored by Oregon State ...
Source: Environmental Factor - NIEHS Newsletter - November 4, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: organizations

Mesothelioma Research: Preventing Tumor Growth at Site of Chest InstrumentationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Mesothelioma researchers recently published a review in the medical journal Lung Cancer on current measures for preventing tumor growth at sites of chest intervention where surgery occurred or where medical instruments such as a catheter were placed. Mesothelioma cancer is a rare disease caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. In the United States approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with the cancer each year. Diagnosis can be challenging because the disease has a latency period of 20 to 50 years following exposure to asbestos. Unfortunately, mesothelioma treatment options are also compromised by the l...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - November 3, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: mwhitmer Tags: Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Research Mesothelioma Treatment Mesothelioma Cancer Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Mesothelioma Study Mesothelioma Surgery Source Type: news

Mesothelioma Law: Asbestos-Related Lawsuit Filed Against 38 CompaniesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A recently filed lawsuit by Cleveland J. Savoy is claiming 38 different companies are responsible for his development of an asbestos-related disease. This is the second suit he has filed. In a previous suit issued against the companies, Savoy claimed a different asbestos-related injury in contrast to his most recent complaint. Savoy believes he was exposed to asbestos-containing products while working as a carpenter. He also stated in the lawsuit that the companies negligently continued to manufacture asbestos-containing products where he worked even after knowing the hazards associated with asbestos. Exposure to asbestos ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - November 18, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: jwhitmer Tags: Asbestos Exposure Asbestos Litigation Mesothelioma Malignant Mesothelioma Source Type: news

Persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in adipose tissues of patients with uterine leiomyomas and the association of these pollutants with seafood diet, BMI, and age.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. discuss this article 1 CommentDiscuss or comment on this article.
CONCLUSION: Our studies demonstrated that these persistent organic pollutants and some heavy metals may have correlations with UL, and their accumulation in the body is positively correlated with seafood diet habit, body mass index, and age. In the patient group, higher levels of persistent organic pollutants and some heavy metals were found in visceral fat than in subcutaneous fat confirming the long-held belief that visceral fat is more pernicious and pathogenic than subcutaneous fat. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: It is recommended that women minimize their exposure to environmental pollutants as much as possible whi...
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International - October 27, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Qin YY, Leung CK, Leung AO, Wu SC, Zheng JS, Wong MH Tags: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Source Type: journals

Atypical work hours and metabolic syndrome among police officers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examined whether atypical work hours are associated with metabolic syndrome among a random sample of 98 police officers. Shift work and overtime data from daily payroll records and reported sleep duration were obtained. Metabolic syndrome was defined as elevated waist circumference and triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, hypertension, and glucose intolerance. Multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of covariance models were used for analyses. Officers working midnight shifts were on average younger and had a slightly higher mean number of metabolic syndrome components. Stratification on sleep duration and...
Source: Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health - October 30, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Violanti JM, Burchfiel CM, Hartley TA, Mnatsakanova A, Fekedulegn D, Andrew ME, Charles LE, Vila BJ Tags: Arch Environ Occup Health Source Type: journals

Lung Cancer Risk in Painters: A Meta-analysisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Guha N, Merletti F, Steenland NK, Altieri A, Cogliano V, Straif K. 2009. Environ Health Perspect: doi:10.1289/ehp.0901402. [Online 22 October 2009] (Source: EHP-in-Press)
Source: EHP-in-Press - October 21, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: webmaster at ehp.niehs.nih.gov Source Type: journals

Blood biomarkers and contaminant levels in feathers and eggs to assess environmental hazards in heron nestlings from impacted sites in Ebro basin (NE Spain).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Blood biomarkers and levels of major pollutants in eggs and feathers were used to determine pollution effects in nestlings of the Purple Heron Ardea purpurea and the Little Egret Egretta garzetta, sampled on three Ebro River (NE Spain) areas: a reference site, a site affected by the effluents of a chlor-alkali industry and the river Delta. The two impacted heron populations showed mutually different pollutant and response patterns, suggesting different sources of contamination. In the population nesting near the chlor-alkali plant, elevated levels of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in eggs, and m...
Source: Environmental Pollution - November 3, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Barata C, Fabregat MC, Cotín J, Huertas D, Solé M, Quirós L, Sanpera C, Jover L, Ruiz X, Grimalt JO, Piña B Tags: Environ Pollut Source Type: journals

Mesothelioma Compensation: $20 Million Settlement Awarded to Maryland ResidentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A Baltimore city jury has recently awarded more than $20 million to a woman who contracted mesothelioma cancer after being exposed to asbestos during the late 1960s. Jocelyn Farrar, a 57-year-old nursing professor at the University of Maryland, believes she developed malignant mesothelioma after experiencing secondary asbestos exposure from washing her grandfather’s work clothes as a teenager. John Hentgen, Farrar’s grandfather, worked with asbestos-containing insulation on a regular basis and likely carried home asbestos on his clothes. While doing laundry, Farrar inhaled asbestos fibers which later became lodged in t...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - November 4, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: jwhitmer Tags: Asbestos Exposure Asbestos Litigation Maryland Mesothelioma Malignant Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Compensation Source Type: news

Mesothelioma Trimodality Therapy Benefits PatientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In a study recently published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, mesothelioma researchers found a trimodality therapeutic approach of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation to be effective in treating malignant pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. A long latency period of 20 to 50 years complicates the diagnostic process and usually leads to a diagnosis at a late stage of cancer development. Because most cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed in a late stage of development, treatment options are often limited to palliative measures intended to improve quality of...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - November 5, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: mwhitmer Tags: Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Research Mesothelioma Treatment Malignant Mesothelioma Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Cancer Source Type: news

Mesothelioma Patient Passes Away Following Asbestos Lawsuit WinEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Mesothelioma patient Dianne Willmore was awarded more than $390,000 October 14, 2009 when Knowsley Council was found liable for exposing Willmore to asbestos, a toxic mineral known to cause her rare cancer. Willmore passed away from the cancer the following day on October 15, 2009. Willmore was exposed to asbestos in the 1970s during her time as a student at Huyton’s Bowring School in Merseyside, England. Asbestos exposure occurred in the school through ceiling tiles located in the restrooms. The tiles released asbestos fibers when they were disturbed by students who would hide items in the ceiling. Knowsley Council was ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - October 20, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: JBream Tags: Asbestos Exposure Asbestos Litigation Mesothelioma Source Type: news

Cancer Combination Therapy and Improved Nutrition Provide Hope for Mesothelioma PatientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Recent cancer studies performed by various hospitals and research centers around the world have provided new hope for patients facing the asbestos-related illness mesothelioma. Developed through exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma is a rare but severe form of asbestos lung cancer which accounts for three percent of all cancer diagnoses in the United States. Mesothelioma develops in the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue that lines the area around the heart, chest cavity and abdominal cavity, as well as the outer surface of most organs. Due to an intense latency period associated with mesothelioma, many individuals will n...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - October 16, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: jlederman Tags: Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Treatment Malignant Mesothelioma Source Type: news

Exposure to Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals and Cholesterol, Body Weight, and Insulin Resistance in the General U.S. PopulationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Nelson JW, Hatch EE, Webster TF. 2009. Environ Health Perspect: doi:10.1289/ehp.0901165. [Online 2 November 2009] (Source: EHP-in-Press)
Source: EHP-in-Press - November 2, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: webmaster at ehp.niehs.nih.gov Source Type: journals

micr'> Micro Management Understanding How Diesel Exhaust Particles Alter Cellular Processes Scientists have known for decades that people living in cities are more susceptible to certain respiratory diseases than are their countryside counterparts. But they haven�t been able to explain why one urbanite develops severe asthma while his neighbor breathing the same city air has healthy lungs. Now researchers are beginning to solve that riddle as they delve into epigenetics, the emerging science of how environmental factors alter gene expression [EHP 117:1745�1751; Jardim et al.]. This new study focuses on airborne particulate matter, which has long been linked with respiratory disease. Emissions from diesel engines are a prominent source of particulate matter, and diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a likely carcinogen. DEP also has been associated with several respiratory disorders including pulmonary inflammation, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The authors speculated that pulmonary inflammation due to DEP exposure could be the result of altered microRNA (miRNA) expression, or activation, in cells lining the respiratory tract. MiRNAs are small molecules that regulate gene expression. Studies have connected aberrant miRNA expression with several diseases including cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and congenital organ defects. Few studies, though, have examined whether exposures to environmental contaminants alter miRNA expression. The authors studied miRNA expression in bronchial epithelial cells, one of the first targets of inhaled particulates. They collected the cells from the airways of healthy, nonsmoking adults and cultured them in a novel air�liquid interface in which differentiated cells were exposed on one side to air, mimicking the environment of the human airway. DEP generated by a diesel automobile engine was suspended in a liquid that was poured on the cell culture. MiRNA expression changed significantly following DEP exposure. Expression increased in many of the miRNAs and decreased in others. Software identified interrelations between the expression of different miRNAs to assess whether the pattern of up- and down-regulation was consistent with specific biologic pathways. The authors report that pathways involved in inflammation and tumorigenicity are implicated by the patterns they observed. Earlier studies have shown that DEP prompts the release of several proinflammatory immunoregulatory proteins called cytokines. The authors of the current study suggest this response may be at least partly regulated by changes in the pattern of miRNA expression. The authors believe these alterations may be the first steps toward respiratory disease, and they predict future studies will provide a clearer picture of how expression patterns relate to disease. Cynthia Washam writes for EHP, Oncology Times, and other science and medical publications from South Florida.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
micr"> Micro Management Understanding How Diesel Exhaust Particles Alter Cellular Processes Scientists have known for decades that people living in cities are more susceptible to certain respiratory diseases than are their countryside counterparts. But they haven�t been able to explain why one urbanite develops severe asthma while his neighbor breathing the same city air has healthy lungs. Now researchers are beginning to solve that riddle as they delve into epigenetics, the emerging science of how environmental factors alter gene expression [EHP 117:1745�1751; Jardim et al.]. This new study focuses on airborne part...
Source: Science Selections from EHP - November 1, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: webmaster at ehp.niehs.nih.gov Source Type: journals

Mesothelioma Patient’s Widow Receives $1.2 Million in Asbestos CaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The widow of a man who passed away from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma received $1.2 million following a Texas jury’s ruling October 5, 2009. Danny Puckett and his wife of 23 years filed a lawsuit against several defendants, stating that Mr. Puckett’s mesothelioma diagnosis was due to asbestos exposure he experienced from 1975 to 1985 when he worked for Dowell Company as a member of the cement crew. Puckett, 59, passed away from the aggressive cancer in April 2009, six months after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Prior to his passing, Puckett testified in the lawsuit, stating he was exposed to a �...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - October 17, 2009 Category: Environmental Health Authors: JBream Tags: Asbestos Exposure Asbestos Litigation Jobsite Exposure Mesothelioma Source Type: news