Liu J., Zheng B., Aposhian HV.,
Zhou Y., Chen ML., Zhang A., Waalkes MP (Organic carcinogenesis Section,
Laboratory of Comparative Carcinogenesis, National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina , USA):Chronic arsenic poisoning from burning high-arsenic containing coal in guizhou, China. Environ Hlth Perspect, 110(2), 2002, 119-122.[31 Ref]
Arsenic is an environmental hazard and the reduction of
drinking water arsenic levels is under consideration. People are exposed to
arsenic not only through drinking water but also through air and food. Here we
report the health effects of arsenic exposure from burning high arsenic
containing coal in Guizhou, China. Coal in this region has undergone
mineralization and thus produces high concentrations of arsenic. Coal is burned
inside the home in open pits for daily cooking and crop drying, producing куда сходить в Санкт-Петербурге необычные места a high
concentration of arsenic in indoor air. Arsenic in the air coats and permeats
food being dried producing high concentrations in food; however, arsenic
concentrations in the drinking water are in the normal range. The estimated
sources of total arsenic exposure in this area are
from arsenic contaminated food (50-80 percent), air (10-20 percent),
water (1-5 percent), and direct contact in coal mining workers (1 percent). At
least 3,000 patients with arsenic poisoning were found in the Southwest
Prefecture of Guizhou, and approximately 200,000 people are at risk for such
overexposures. Skin lesions are common, including keratosis of the hands and
feet, pigmentation on the trunk, skin ulceration, and skin cancers. Toxicities
to internal organs, including lung dysfunction, neuropathy, and nephrotoxicity,
are clinically evident. The prevalence of hepatomegaly was 20 percent, and
cirrhosis, ascites, and liver cancer are the most serious outcomes of
arsenic poisoning. The Chinese government and international organizations are
attempting to improve the house conditions and the coal source, and thereby
protect human health in this area.
Guo HR (Graduate Institute of
Environmental and Occupational Health, Medical College, National Cheng Kung
University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC, Taiwan):
Cancer
risk assessment for arsenic exposure through oyster consumption. Environ
Hlth Perspect, 110(2), 2002, 123-124. [23
Ref]
Risk is assessed on the basis of assumption, but this practice
might not be well received by the general public. To avoid miscommunication, the
assumption should be stated clearly in reporting the results. Recently, a report
on an assessment of the cancer risk associated with consumption of oysters
caused a panic among consumers in Taiwan and produced significant effects on
related industries. A group of researchers measured the arsenic content in
oysters in the Taiwan area and conducted a cancer
risk assessment accordingly. The results, published in research article
in an international journal, included a lifetime cancer risk estimate of
5.10/10-4 as calculated based on the assumption that a person consumes oysters
with the highest arsenic level (19.3 mg/g dry weight) at the highest rate (1.39
g/day) for 30 years. A national newspaper in Taiwan translated part of the
article and published results that focused on the finding that this estimate was
more than 500 times higher than what would be considered acceptable by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, most consumers stopped purchasing
oysters, and the related industries suffered substantial losses. The newspaper's
omission of the key assumption in the risk assessment and the extreme
assumptions made in the risk assessment led to this tragedy.
This event demonstrated the importance of careful communication of risk
assessment results.
Zeitz P., Orr MF., Kaye WE
(Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Division of Health Studies, Agency for
Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry, Atlanta, Georgia, USA):
Public Health consequences of mercury spills: hazardous substances
emergency events surveillance system, 1993-1998. Environ
Hlth Perspect, 110(2), 2002, 129-138. [54
Ref]
We analyzed data from states
that participated in the Hazardous Substances Emergency Evans Surveillance (HSEES)
system maintained by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry to
describe the public health consequences of mercury releases. From 1993 through
1998, HSEES captured 406 events in which mercury was the only substance
released. Schools and universities, private residences, and health care
facilities were the most frequent locations involved in mercury events, and
human error was the contributing factor for most of the releases. Fourteen
persons experienced adverse health effects as a result of the release. An
additional 31 persons had documented elevated levels of mercury in the blood. No
fatalities resulted. Evacuations were ordered in 90 (22 percent) of the events,
and the length of evacuation ranged from 1 hr to 46 days. Mercury spills have a
significant public health impact and economic burden. Some actions that could
potentially lessen the consequences of mercury spills are to switch to
mercury-free alternatives, train people in the safe handling and disposal of
mercury, and keep mercury securely stored when it is necessary to have it on
hand.
Hwang KY., Lee BK., Bressler
JP., Bolla KI., Stewart WF.,
Schwartz BS (Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of
Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA): Protein
kinase C activity and the relations between blood lead and neurobehavioral
function in lead workers. Environ Hlth
Perspect, 110(2), 2002, 133-138. [54
Ref]
At picomolar concentrations, lead activates protein kinase C (PKC).
This activation has been implicated in the neurotoxicity of lead. No prior study
has evaluated the association of PKC activity with neurobehavioral
function in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine whether
PKC activity is associated with neurobehavioral
function of modifies the relationship between blood lead levels and
neurobehavioral test scores. In this cross-sectional study of 212 current lead
workers in the Republic of Korea, we assessed blood lead levels, neurobehavioral
test scores, and PKC activity. PKC activity was determined by measuring the
levels of phosphorylation of three erythrocyte membrane proteins (spectrin and
the 52-KDa and 48 KDa subunits of band 4.9), using an in vitro back-phosphorylation
assay. When linear regression was used to control for confounding variables,
blood lead was a significant predictor of decrements in performance on tests of
psychomotor function, manual dexterity, and executive ability. In linear
regression models, back-phosphorylation levels were not associated with
neurobehavioral test scores, but when dichotomized at the median, back-phosphorylation
levels modified the relationship between blood lead and test scores. For
spectrin and the 52kDa and 48-kDa subunits of band 4.9, 5, 2, and 5 of 14
interaction terms, respectively, had associated p-values < 0.10, all with
positive signs, indicating that blood lead was associated with worse test scores
only in subjects with lower back-phosphorylation levels. These data indicate
that blood lead levels are associated with decrements in neurobehavioral test
scores, mainly in the domains of manual dexterity and sychomotor function, but
only in subjects with lower in vitro back-phosphorylation levels, which is
equivalent to higher in vivo PKC activity. We hypothesize that subjects with
higher PKC activity in the presence of lead may be more susceptible to the
health effects of lead.
Lee K., Xue J., Geyh AS.,
Ozkaynak H., Leaderer BP., Weschler CJ., Spengler JD (University of California,
School of Medicine, Davis, California, USA):
Nitrous acid, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone concentrations in residential
environments. Environ Hlth Perspect,
110(2), 2002, 145-149. [26 Ref]
Nitrous acid (HONO) may be generated by heterogenous reactions
of nitrogen dioxide and direct emission from combustion sources. Interactions
among nitrogen oxides and ozone are important for outdoor photochemical
reactions. However, little is known of indoor HONO levels or the relationship
between residential HONO, NO2, and O3 concentrations in occupied houses. Six-day
integrated indoor and outdoor concentrations of the three pollutants were
simultaneously measured in two communities in Southern California using passive
samples. The average indoor HONO concentration was 4.6 ppb, compared to 0.9 ppb
for outdoor HONO. Average indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations were 28 and 20.1
ppb, respectively. Indoor O3 concentrations were low (average 14.9 ppb) in
comparison to the outdoor levels (average 56.5 ppb). Housing characteristics,
including community and presence of a gas range, were significantly associated
with indoor NO2 and HONO concentrations. Indoor HONO levels were closely
correlated with indoor NO2 levels and were about 17 percent of indoor NO2
concentrations. Indoor HONO levels were inversely correlated with indoor O3
levels. The measurements demonstrated the occurrence of substantial residential
indoor air, indoor/outdoor concentrations, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous acid,
ozone, residence.
Moonan CW., Sarasua SM.,
Campagna D., Kathman SJ., Lybarger JA., Mueller PW (Agency
for Toxic Substanes and Disease Registry, Division of Health Studies,
Health Investigations Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, USA): Effects of exposure to low levels of environmental Cadmium on
renal biomarkers. Environ Hlth Perspect,
110(2), 2002, 151-155. [40 Ref]
We conducted a study among residents of a small community
contaminated with heavy metals from a defunct zinc smelter and residents from a
comparison community to determine whether biologic measures of cadmium exposure
were associated with biomarkers of early kidney damage. creatinine adjusted
urinary cadmium levels did not differ between the smelter and comparison
communities; thus we combined individuals from both communities (n = 361) for
further analyser. The overall mean urinary cadmium level was low, 0.26, ug/g
creatinine, similar to reference values observed in the U.S. general population.
For children ages 6-12 years, urinary concentration of N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase
(NAG), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), and albumin were positively associated with
urinary cadmium, but these associations did not remain statistically significant
after adjusting for urinary creatinine and other potential confounders. For
adults ages 18 or older, urinary concentration of NAG, AAP, and albumin were
positively associated with urinary cadmium. The associations with NAG, AAP, and
albumin were positively associated with urinary cadmium, but these associations
did not remain statistically significant after adjusting for urinary creatinine
and other potential confounders. For adults ages 18 or older, urinary
concentration of NAG, AAP, and albumin were positively associated with urinary
cadmium. The associations with NAG and AAP but not with albumin remained
statistically significant after adjusting for creatinine and other potential
confounders. We found a positive dose-effect relationship between levels of
creatinine adjusted urinary cadmium and NAG and NAP activity, and statistically
significant differences in mean activity for these two enzymes between the
highest (>= 1.0 ug cadmium/g creatinine) and the lowest (< 0.25 ug
cadmium/creatinine) exposure groups. The findings of this study indicate that
biologic measures of cadmium exposure at levels below 2.0 ug/g creatinine may
produce measurable changes in kidney biomarkers.
Markaverich B., Mani S.,
Alejandro MA., Mitchell A., Markaverich D., Brown T.,
Trippe CV., Murchison C., Malley B., Faith R (Center for Comparative
Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA):
A novel endocrine-disrupting agent in corn with mitogenic activity in
human breast and prostatic cancer cells. Environ
Hlth Perspect, 110(2), 2002, 169-. [69
Ref]
Housing adult rats on ground corncob bedding impedes male and
female mating behavior and causes acyclicity in females. The suppressive effects
on ovarian cyclicity are mimicked by a mitogenic agent purified from the ground
corncob bedding material (corn mitogen; CM) which stimulates the proliferation
of estrogen receptor (ER) positive (MCF-7 cells) and ER negative (MDA-MD-231
cells) breast cancer cells. Purified CM does not compete for [3H] estradiol
binding to ER or nuclear type II sites, and its effects on MCF-7 breast cancer
cell proliferation are not blocked by the antiestrogen ICI-182,780. These
results suggest that the active component is unlikely to be a phytoestrogen,
bioflavonoid, mycotoxin, or other known endocrine disrupting agent that modifies
cell growth via ER or type II [3H] estradiol binding sites. CM also stimulates
the proliferation of PC-3 human prostatic cancer cells in vitro, and the growth
rate of PC-3 cell xenografts is accelerated in nude male mice housed on ground
corncob as opposed to pure cellulose bedding. Consequently, this endocrine
disrupting agent in ground corncob bedding may influence behavioral and
physiologic reproductive response profiles and malignant cell proliferation in
experimental animals. Fresh corn (kernels and cob) or corn tortillas also
contain CM, indicating that human exposure is likely, consequently, CM and/or
related mitogens in corn products may influence human health and development.
Hong YC., Lee JT., Kim H., Ha
EH., Schwartz J., Cristian DC (Department of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea):
Effects of air pollutants on acute stroke mortality. Environ
Hlth perspect, 110(2), 2002, 187-191. [36
Ref]
The relationship between stroke and air pollution has not been
adequately studied. We conducted a time-series study to examine the evidence of
an association between air pollutants and stroke over 4 years (January
1995-December 1998) in Seoul, Korea. We used a generalized additive model to
regress daily stroke death counts for each pollutant, controlling for seasonal
and long term trends and meterologic influences, such as temperature, relative
humidity, and barometric pressure. We observed an estimated increase of 1.5
percent (95 percent confidence interval (C1), 1.3-1.8 percent) and 2.9 percent
(95 percent Cl, 0.3-5.5 percent) in stroke mortality for each interquartile
range increase in particulate matter < 10 um aerodynamic diameter (PM 10) and
ozone concentrations in the same day. Stroke mortality also increased 3.1
percent (95 percent Ci, 1.1-5 percent) for nitrogen dioxide, 2.9 percent (95
percent CI, 0.8-5.0 percent) for sulfur dioxide, and 4.1 percent (95 percent CI,
1.1-7.2 percent) for carbon monoxide in a 2-day lag for each interquartile range
increase in single pollutant models. When we examined the associations among
PM10 levels stratified by the level of gaseous pollutants and vice versa, we
found that these pollutants are interactive with respect to their effects on the
risk of stroke mortality. We also observed that the effects of PM10 on stroke
mortality differ significantly in subgroups by age and sex. We conclude that
PM10 and gaseous pollutants are significant risk factors for acute stroke death
and that the elderly and women are more susceptible to the effect of particulate
pollutants.
Pehkonen SO., Zhang Q (Dept.
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10
Kent Ridge Crescent, 119260, Singapore): The
degradation of organophosphorus pesticides in natural waters: A critical review.
Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol, 32(1),
2002, 17-72. [99 Ref][Rev]
Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) have been widely used
throughout the world since the decline in the use of organochlorine pesticides
in the 1960s and 1970s. They are less persistent in the environment when
compared with organochlorine pesticides and thus pose less long-term health
risks to nontarget aquatic organisms and humans. However, in recent years
several governmental agencies, including the USEPA, have started to reconsider
the wide use of organophosphorus pesticides due to concern about their effects
on the central nervous systems of humans, children in particular. This review
discusses the fate of organophosphorus pesticides in the aquatic environment via
processes such as adsorption, hydrolysis, oxidation, and photochemical
degradation. Furthermore, the breakdown products of OPs are discussed , as new
research has indicated that the products of degradation can be very harmful as
well and because relatively little research has been carried out on
comprehensive product identification.
Kanamori T., Inoue H., Iwata
Y., Ohmae Y., Kishi T (National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1,
Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi,Chiba 277-0882, Japan):
In vivo metabolism of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) in the
rat: identification of urinary metabolites. J
Anal Toxicol, 26(2), 2002, 61-66. [8
Ref]
The in vivo metabolism of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine
(2C-B), a ring-substituted psychoactive phenethylamine in the rat was studied.
Male Wistar rats were administered 10 mg/kg of 2C-B hydrochloride orally, and 24
h urine fractions were collected. After enzymatic hydrolysis of the urine
samples, the metabolites were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction and analyzed
by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
2-(4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-ethanol, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylacetic acid,
2-(2-hydroxy-4-bromo-5-methoxyphenyl)-ethylamine, 2-(2-methoxy-4-bromo-
5-hydroxyphenyl)-ethylamine, 1-acetoamino -2-(2-hydroxy-
4-bromo-5-methoxyphenyl) ethane, and 1-acetoamino-2- (2-methoxy-4-bormo-5-
hydroxyphenyl)-ethane were identified as 2C-B metabolites. These findings
suggest that at least two metabolic pathways for 2C-B are operative in rats. The
first pathway leads to the corresponding aldehyde metabolite by deamination,
which is subsequently reduced or oxidized, to give the corresponding alcohol and
carboxylic acid metabolites. The second pathway leads to the corresponding
2-O-desmethyl or 5-O-desmethyl metabolites in which the amino group is
subsequently acetylated.
Baker CK., Sams R (KL Maddy
Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory University of California, Davis,
California, USA): Detection of
morphine in blood and urine samples from horses administered poppy seeds and
morphine sulfate orally. J Anal Toxicol,
26(2), 2002, 81-86. [13 Ref]
The objective of this study was to determine if the
administration of poppy seeds to horses would result in detectable
concentrations of morphine in urine and blood samples, as has been shown to
occur in humans. In this study blood and urine samples were collected following
administration of poppy seeds and morphine sulfate orally to four horses. Urine
samples were subjected to enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the
presence of morphine. All urine samples testing positive by ELISA, as well as
plasma samples collected after administration of the 10-g doses of poppy seeds,
were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the presence of
morphine. Morphine was detectable in the plasma samples for at least 4 h after
administration of 10 g of poppy seeds. Morphine was detectable in urine samples
for up to 24 h after administration of 10 g, 5 g, and 1 g of poppy seeds and
426.7 ug of morphine as morphine sulfate. The results of this study indicate
that horses that consume or are administered poppy seeds may have detectable
concentrations of morphine in their urine and
plasma for hours after administration.
Hernandez F., Pitarch E.,
Serrano R., Gaspar JV., Olea N (Analytical Chemistry,Dept. Experimental
Sciences, University Jaume 1, 12004 Castellon, Spain):
Multiresidue determination of endosulfan and metabolic derivatives in
human adipose tissue using automated liquid chromatographic cleanup and gas
chromatographic analysis. J Anal Toxicol,
26(2), 2002, 94-103. [32 Ref]
A multiresidue method based on normal-phase liquid
chromatography (LC) cleanup and gas chromatography-electron capture
detection-mass selective detection (GC-ECD-MSD) analysis has been developed for
the determination of endosulfan and its main metabolic derivatives in human
adipose tissue. Analyses were extracted by dissolving the fat samples in
n-hexane, and the hexanic extracts were directly injected onto the silicagel
column of the automated LC cleanup system.
Purified LC extracts were analyzed by GC-ECD or GC-MSD, without any solvent
exchanges of preconcentration steps. The high efficiency of the high-performance
liquid chromatographic cleanup for the elimination of fats allowed to reach
detection limits for all analytes at low nanograms-per-gram concentration
levels. The optimized overall analytical procedure was applied to 18 selected
human mammary adipose and abdominal fat tissue samples. p,p'-DDE,
hexachlorobenzene, and B-HCH were the most frequently detected compounds, and
residues of endosulfan sulfate and ether were also found in several samples. All
findings were confirmed by an additional GC-MS-MS analysis of the LC sample
extracts.
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