Articles

Linking the oceans to public health: current efforts and future directions

We review the major linkages between the oceans and public health, focusing on exposures and potential health effects due to anthropogenic and natural factors including: harmful algal blooms, microbes, and che...

Authors: Hauke L Kite-Powell, Lora E Fleming, Lorraine C Backer, Elaine M Faustman, Porter Hoagland, Ami Tsuchiya, Lisa R Younglove, Bruce A Wilcox and Rebecca J Gast

Environmental controls, oceanography and population dynamics of pathogens and harmful algal blooms: connecting sources to human exposure

Coupled physical-biological models are capable of linking the complex interactions between environmental factors and physical hydrodynamics to simulate the growth, toxicity and transport of infectious pathogen...

Authors: Julianne Dyble, Paul Bienfang, Eva Dusek, Gary Hitchcock, Fred Holland, Ed Laws, James Lerczak, Dennis J McGillicuddy Jr, Peter Minnett, Stephanie K Moore, Charles O'Kelly, Helena Solo-Gabriele and John D Wang

The coastal environment and human health: microbial indicators, pathogens, sentinels and reservoirs

Innovative research relating oceans and human health is advancing our understanding of disease-causing organisms in coastal ecosystems. Novel techniques are elucidating the loading, transport and fate of patho...

Authors: Jill R Stewart, Rebecca J Gast, Roger S Fujioka, Helena M Solo-Gabriele, J Scott Meschke, Linda A Amaral-Zettler, Erika del Castillo, Martin F Polz, Tracy K Collier, Mark S Strom, Christopher D Sinigalliano, Peter DR Moeller and A Fredrick Holland

Health effects of ambient air pollution – recent research development and contemporary methodological challenges

Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes. Air quality in developed countries has been generally improved over the last three decades. However, many recent epidemi...

Authors: Cizao Ren and Shilu Tong

Concentrations versus amounts of biomarkers in urine: a comparison of approaches to assess pyrethroid exposure

Assessment of human exposure to non-persistent pesticides such as pyrethroids is often based on urinary biomarker measurements. Urinary metabolite levels of these pesticides are usually reported in volume-weig...

Authors: Marie-Chantale Fortin, Gaétan Carrier and Michèle Bouchard

Exposure to mobile telecommunication networks assessed using personal dosimetry and well-being in children and adolescents: the German MobilEe-study

Despite the increase of mobile phone use in the last decade and the growing concern whether mobile telecommunication networks adversely affect health and well-being, only few studies have been published that f...

Authors: Silke Thomas, Anja Kühnlein, Sabine Heinrich, Georg Praml, Rüdiger von Kries and Katja Radon

Feeding mice with diets containing mercury-contaminated fish flesh from French Guiana: a model for the mercurial intoxication of the Wayana Amerindians

In 2005, 84% of Wayana Amerindians living in the upper marshes of the Maroni River in French Guiana presented a hair mercury concentration exceeding the limit set up by the World Health Organization (10 μg/g)....

Authors: Jean-Paul Bourdineaud, Nadège Bellance, Giovani Bénard, Daniel Brèthes, Masatake Fujimura, Patrice Gonzalez, Aline Marighetto, Régine Maury-Brachet, Cécile Mormède, Vanessa Pédron, Jean-Nicolas Philippin, Rodrigue Rossignol, William Rostène, Masumi Sawada and Muriel Laclau

Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: links to in vitro toxicity

Mercury is known to bioaccumulate and to magnify in marine mammals, which is a cause of great concern in terms of their general health. In particular, the immune system is known to be susceptible to long-term ...

Authors: Krishna Das, Ursula Siebert, Audrey Gillet, Aurélie Dupont, Carole Di-Poï, Sonja Fonfara, Gabriel Mazzucchelli, Edwin De Pauw and Marie-Claire De Pauw-Gillet

Risk for non Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the vicinity of French municipal solid waste incinerators

Dioxin emissions from municipal solid waste incinerators are one of the major sources of dioxins and therefore are an exposure source of public concern. There is growing epidemiologic evidence of an increased ...

Authors: Jean-François Viel, Côme Daniau, Sarah Goria, Pascal Fabre, Perrine de Crouy-Chanel, Erik-André Sauleau and Pascal Empereur-Bissonnet

Potential developmental neurotoxicity of pesticides used in Europe

Pesticides used in agriculture are designed to protect crops against unwanted species, such as weeds, insects, and fungus. Many compounds target the nervous system of insect pests. Because of the similarity in...

Authors: Marina Bjørling-Poulsen, Helle Raun Andersen and Philippe Grandjean

Spatial variations in the incidence of breast cancer and potential risks associated with soil dioxin contamination in Midland, Saginaw, and Bay Counties, Michigan, USA

High levels of dioxins in soil and higher-than-average body burdens of dioxins in local residents have been found in the city of Midland and the Tittabawassee River floodplain in Michigan. The objective of thi...

Authors: Dajun Dai and Tonny J Oyana

Particulate air pollution and survival in a COPD cohort

Several studies have shown cross-sectional associations between long term exposure to particulate air pollution and survival in general population or convenience cohorts. Less is known about susceptibility, or...

Authors: Antonella Zanobetti, Marie-Abele C Bind and Joel Schwartz

Association of clinical findings in Yusho patients with serum concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated quarterphenyls and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran more than 30 years after the poisoning event

The Yusho poisoning incident, which was caused by rice bran oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated quarterphenyls (PCQs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) generated by ...

Authors: Yoshiyuki Kanagawa, Shinya Matsumoto, Soichi Koike, Bunichi Tajima, Noriko Fukiwake, Satoko Shibata, Hiroshi Uchi, Masutaka Furue and Tomoaki Imamura

Investigating health effects in a community surrounding a road tunnel stack – a cross sectional study

Extended tunnelled roadways requiring ventilation via exhaust stacks are an increasingly common solution to traffic congestion around the world. In response to community concerns about adverse health effects a...

Authors: Adam Capon, Vicky Sheppeard, Katie Irvine, Bin Jalaludin, Michael Staff, Guy Marks and Alan Willmore

Geographic risk modeling of childhood cancer relative to county-level crops, hazardous air pollutants and population density characteristics in Texas

Childhood cancer has been linked to a variety of environmental factors, including agricultural activities, industrial pollutants and population mixing, but etiologic studies have often been inconclusive or inc...

Authors: James A Thompson, Susan E Carozza and Li Zhu

Occupational exposures and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: Canadian case-control study

The objective was to study the association between Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) and occupational exposures related to long held occupations among males in six provinces of Canada.

Authors: Chandima P Karunanayake, Helen H McDuffie, James A Dosman, John J Spinelli and Punam Pahwa

Control of asthma triggers in indoor air with air cleaners: a modeling analysis

Reducing exposure to environmental agents indoors shown to increase asthma symptoms or lead to asthma exacerbations is an important component of a strategy to manage asthma for individuals. Numerous investigat...

Authors: Theodore A Myatt, Taeko Minegishi, Joseph G Allen and David L MacIntosh

Vegetation fire smoke, indigenous status and cardio-respiratory hospital admissions in Darwin, Australia, 1996–2005: a time-series study

Air pollution in Darwin, Northern Australia, is dominated by smoke from seasonal fires in the surrounding savanna that burn during the dry season from April to November. Our aim was to study the association be...

Authors: Ivan C Hanigan, Fay H Johnston and Geoffrey G Morgan

Ancillary human health benefits of improved air quality resulting from climate change mitigation

Greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policies can provide ancillary benefits in terms of short-term improvements in air quality and associated health benefits. Several studies have analyzed the ancillary impacts of...

Authors: Michelle L Bell, Devra L Davis, Luis A Cifuentes, Alan J Krupnick, Richard D Morgenstern and George D Thurston

Parallel assessment of male reproductive function in workers and wild rats exposed to pesticides in banana plantations in Guadeloupe

There is increasing evidence that reproductive abnormalities are increasing in frequency in both human population and among wild fauna. This increase is probably related to exposure to toxic contaminants in th...

Authors: Luc Multigner, Philippe Kadhel, Michel Pascal, Farida Huc-Terki, Henri Kercret, Catherine Massart, Eustase Janky, Jacques Auger and Bernard Jégou

A 10-year time-series analysis of respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity in Nicosia, Cyprus: the effect of short-term changes in air pollution and dust storms

To date, a substantial body of research has shown adverse health effects of short-term changes in levels of air pollution. Such associations have not been investigated in smaller size cities in the Eastern Med...

Authors: Nicos Middleton, Panayiotis Yiallouros, Savvas Kleanthous, Ourania Kolokotroni, Joel Schwartz, Douglas W Dockery, Phil Demokritou and Petros Koutrakis

Xenohormone transactivities are inversely associated to serum POPs in Inuit

The persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are highly lipophilic and resistant to biodegradation and found in e.g. seafood and marine mammals. Greenlandic Inuit have high intake of marine food and thus high POP ...

Authors: Tanja Krüger, Mandana Ghisari, Philip S Hjelmborg, Bente Deutch and Eva C Bonefeld-Jorgensen

A cohort study of in utero polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures in relation to secondary sex ratio

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous industrial chemicals that persist in the environment and in human fatty tissue. PCBs are related to a class of compounds known as dioxins, specifically 2,3,7,8-T...

Authors: Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Todd A Jusko, Eric J Willman, Rebecca J Baker, Jean A Keller, Stuart W Teplin and M Judith Charles

PM_2.5 metal exposures and nocturnal heart rate variability: a panel study of boilermaker construction workers

To better understand the mechanism(s) of particulate matter (PM) associated cardiovascular effects, research priorities include identifying the responsible PM characteristics. Evidence suggests that metals pla...

Authors: Jennifer M Cavallari, Ellen A Eisen, Shona C Fang, Joel Schwartz, Russ Hauser, Robert F Herrick and David C Christiani

Cardiovascular mortality and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields: a cohort study of Swiss railway workers

Exposure to intermittent magnetic fields of 16 Hz has been shown to reduce heart rate variability, and decreased heart rate variability predicts cardiovascular mortality. We examined mortality from cardiovascu...

Authors: Martin Röösli, Matthias Egger, Dominik Pfluger and Christoph Minder

Self-reported neurological symptoms in relation to CO emissions due to problem gas appliance installations in London: a cross-sectional survey

Previous research by the authors found evidence that up to 10% of particular household categories may be exposed to elevated carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations from poor quality gas appliance installations. T...

Authors: Ben Croxford, Giovanni S Leonardi and Irene Kreis

Complaints of the arm, neck and shoulder among computer office workers in Sudan: a prevalence study with validation of an Arabic risk factors questionnaire

Complaints of the arm, neck and/or shoulders (CANS) in general and computer-related disorders in particular affect millions of computer office workers in Western developed countries. However, with the widespre...

Authors: Shahla M Eltayeb, J Bart Staal, Amar A Hassan, Salwa S Awad and Rob A de Bie

An examination of cancer epidemiology studies among populations living close to toxic waste sites

Toxic waste sites contain a broad range of suspected or confirmed human carcinogens, and remain a source of concern to many people, particularly those living in the vicinity of a site. Despite years of study, ...

Authors: Mark B Russi, Jonathan B Borak and Mark R Cullen

Risk behaviors in a rural community with a known point-source exposure to chronic wasting disease

The emergence and continuing spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in cervids has now reached 14 U.S. states, two Canadian provinces, and South Korea, producing a potential for transmission of CWD prions to ...

Authors: Ralph M Garruto, Chris Reiber, Marta P Alfonso, Heidi Gastrich, Kelsey Needham, Sarah Sunderman, Sarah Walker, Jennifer Weeks, Nicholas DeRosa, Eric Faisst, John Dunn, Kenneth Fanelli and Kenneth Shilkret

Modelling prevalence and incidence of fibrosis and pleural plaques in asbestos-exposed populations for screening and follow-up: a cross-sectional study

CT-Scan is currently under assessment for the screening of asbestos-related diseases. However, to date no consensus exists as to how to select high-risk asbestos-exposed populations suitable for such screening...

Authors: Christophe Paris, Aurélie Martin, Marc Letourneux and Pascal Wild

Cardiac autonomic activity and blood pressure among Nunavik Inuit adults exposed to environmental mercury: a cross-sectional study

Mercury is a contaminant that reaches high levels in Nunavik (North of Quebec). It is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg) and accumulated in marine mammals and predator fish, an important part of the traditi...

Authors: Beatriz Valera, Eric Dewailly and Paul Poirier

Exposure to animals and the risk of allergic asthma: a population-based cross-sectional study in Finnish and Russian children

There is little information on potential differences in animal exposure between Finland and Russia and particularly on the effects of animal exposure on asthma among Russian children. The aim of the study was ...

Authors: Timo T Hugg, Maritta S Jaakkola, Risto Ruotsalainen, Vadim Pushkarev and Jouni JK Jaakkola

Human biomonitoring data interpretation and ethics; obstacles or surmountable challenges?

The use of human samples to assess environmental exposure and uptake of chemicals is more than an analytical exercise and requires consideration of the utility and interpretation of data as well as due conside...

Authors: Ovnair Sepai, Clare Collier, Birgit Van Tongelen and Ludwine Casteleyn

A proposed framework for the interpretation of biomonitoring data

Biomonitoring, the determination of chemical substances in human body fluids or tissues, is more and more frequently applied. At the same time detection limits are decreasing steadily. As a consequence, many d...

Authors: Peter J Boogaard and Chris D Money

Risk communication and human biomonitoring: which practical lessons from the Belgian experience are of use for the EU perspective?

In order to investigate and monitor environmental health in Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium), the Flemish government funded the Centre of Expertise for Environment and Health, which started a huma...

Authors: Hans Keune, Bert Morrens and Ilse Loots

Societal and ethical issues in human biomonitoring – a view from science studies

Human biomonitoring (HBM) has rapidly gained importance. In some epidemiological studies, the measurement and use of biomarkers of exposure, susceptibility and disease have replaced traditional environmental i...

Authors: Susanne Bauer

Scientific integrity: critical issues in environmental health research

Environmental health research is a relatively new scientific area with much interdisciplinary collaboration. Regardless of which human population is included in field studies (e.g., general population, working...

Authors: Domenico Franco Merlo, Kirsi Vahakangas and Lisbeth E Knudsen

Applying bioethical principles to human biomonitoring

Bioethical principles are widely used as a normative framework in areas of human research and medical care. In recent years there has been increasing formalization of their use in public health decisions. The ...

Authors: Myron Harrison

Research on ethics in two large Human Biomonitoring projects ECNIS and NewGeneris: a bottom up approach

Assessment of ethical aspects and authorization by ethics committees have become a major constraint for health research including human subjects. Ethical reference values often are extrapolated from clinical s...

Authors: Birgit Dumez, Karel Van Damme and Ludwine Casteleyn

Communicating human biomonitoring results to ensure policy coherence with public health recommendations: analysing breastmilk whilst protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding

This article addresses the problem of how to ensure consistency in messages communicating public health recommendations on environmental health and on child health. The World Health Organization states that th...

Authors: Maryse Arendt

Ethics issues experienced in HBM within Portuguese health surveillance and research projects

In keeping with the fundamental practice of transparency in the discussion and resolution of ethics conflicts raised by research, a summary of ethics issues raised during Portuguese biomonitoring in health sur...

Authors: M Fátima Reis, Susana Segurado, Ana Brantes, Helena Teresinha Simões, J Maurício Melim, V Geraldes and J Pereira Miguel

Bioethical committees and data protection issues in Poland

In Poland there are only Regional Bioethical Committees. Unlike most EU countries Poland has no coordinating centre on bioethics for human research. However, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has established ...

Authors: Danuta Ligocka

Conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring program

The aim of this paper is to present the conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring (HBM) program. The EU and national science-policy interface, that is fundamental for a realization of the national ...

Authors: Marianne Thomsen, Lisbeth E Knudsen, Katrin Vorkamp, Marie Frederiksen, Hanne Bach, Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jorgensen, Suresch Rastogi, Patrik Fauser, Teddy Krongaard and Peter Borgen Sorensen

Translating biomonitoring data into risk management and policy implementation options for a European Network on Human Biomonitoring

The "European Environment & Health Action Plan 2004–2010" originates from the concern of the European Commission on the well-being of individuals and the general population. Through this plan, the Commission h...

Authors: R Smolders, G Koppen and G Schoeters

Workshop on ethics and communication in Copenhagen 11–13.3.2007

Authors: Lisbeth E Knudsen, Domenico Franco Merlo and Ann Dyreborg Larsen

Association of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with body mass index and waist circumference: a cross-sectional study of NHANES data, 1999–2002

Although diet and activity are key factors in the obesity epidemic, laboratory studies suggest that endocrine disrupting chemicals may also affect obesity.

Authors: Elizabeth E Hatch, Jessica W Nelson, M Mustafa Qureshi, Janice Weinberg, Lynn L Moore, Martha Singer and Thomas F Webster

Pollutant effects on genotoxic parameters and tumor-associated protein levels in adults: a cross sectional study

This study intended to investigate whether residence in areas polluted by heavy industry, waste incineration, a high density of traffic and housing or intensive use of pesticides, could contribute to the high ...

Authors: Sam De Coster, Gudrun Koppen, Marc Bracke, Carmen Schroijen, Elly Den Hond, Vera Nelen, Els Van de Mieroop, Liesbeth Bruckers, Maaike Bilau, Willy Baeyens, Greet Schoeters and Nik van Larebeke

Re-evaluation of blood mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations in the Inuit population of Nunavik (Québec): a cross-sectional study

Arctic populations are exposed to mercury, lead and cadmium through their traditional diet. Studies have however shown that cadmium exposure is most often attributable to tobacco smoking. The aim of this study...

Authors: Julie Fontaine, Éric Dewailly, Jean-Louis Benedetti, Daria Pereg, Pierre Ayotte and Serge Déry

Evaluation of the Webler-Brown model for estimating tetrachloroethylene exposure from vinyl-lined asbestos-cement pipes

From May 1968 through March 1980, vinyl-lined asbestos-cement (VL/AC) water distribution pipes were installed in New England to avoid taste and odor problems associated with asbestos-cement pipes. The vinyl re...

Authors: Lisa A Spence, Ann Aschengrau, Lisa E Gallagher, Thomas F Webster, Timothy C Heeren and David M Ozonoff

Water disinfection by-products and the risk of specific birth defects: a population-based cross-sectional study in Taiwan

Recent findings suggest that exposure to disinfection by-products may increase the risk of birth defects. Previous studies have focused mainly on birth defects in general or groups of defects. The objective of...

Authors: Bing-Fang Hwang, Jouni JK Jaakkola and How-Ran Guo