The Bonds of Sisterhood
The NIEHS News (p. A368) describes an upcoming research effort that will examine gene-environment interactions in the development of breast cancer by studying the sisters of women with this cancer. In other institute news, the National Toxicology Program announces the release for public review of new toxicity reports on five chemicals.
Healing the Hospitals
Despite being places of healing, hospitals and other health care facilities can subject both employees and patients to a number of unique--and dangerous--environmental health exposures. The Focus (p. A370) takes a look at some of these health care-related perils and efforts to make the health care environment healthier.
Carrot vs. Stick
The Spheres of Influence (p. A378) explores economic incentive scenarios that purport to encourage industries to reduce and control pollution using market forces and schemes such as emissions trading, rather than forcing environmental compliance through regulations.
Computer Chips SCORR Big
The Innovations (p. A382) describes the Supercritical CO2 Resist Remover, or SCORR, a cheaper, cleaner, safer, and environmentally preferable way to clean semiconductor chips.
Vaccination Responses and Immune Function
Van Loveren et al. (p. 757) reviewed responses to vaccination as influenced by sex, genetics, age, impacts of stress, nutrition, infectious diseases, and exogenous factors such as smoking and diet. The authors suggest that when these factors are considered, diminished vaccination responses after exposure to a given agent may indicate suboptimal function of the immune system and clinically relevant diminished immune response.
Contaminants in Tobacco Products
Flicker et al. (p. 765) compared carbon-centered radical suites trapped from tobacco products and tobacco smoke models. The models produced radical suites of four major and several minor peaks, two of which matched peaks in tobacco smoke chromatograms. The authors measured radicals trapped from tobacco smoke in Marlboro cigarettes, Djarum clove cigarettes, and Swisher Sweet cigars. Kinetic analysis of the oxygen competition showed that actual radical concentrations in the smoke were approximately 100-fold higher than measured.
Water Treatment in Australia
Hellard et al. (p. 773) studied the contribution of drinking water to gastroenteritis in Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne is one of the few major cities that draw drinking water from a protected forest catchment and use minimal water treatment (chlorination only). Six hundred families received either sham or real water treatment units to remove viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. The authors found no evidence of waterborne disease in Melbourne.
Dangers of Casual Mercury Use
Use of elemental mercury in cultural and religious practices can cause high exposures to mercury vapor. Metallic mercury is available at almost all of the 15 botanicas visited in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Interviews indicate that mercury users know that mercury is hazardous but that they are not aware of the inhalation exposure risk. Riley et al. (p. 779) recommend an outreach and education program involving religious and community leaders, botanica personnel, and other mercury users.
Validation of the Uterotrophic Assay by the OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development completed the first phase of an international validation program for the rodent uterotrophic bioassay. Kanno et al. (p. 785) compared two model systems, the immature female rat and the adult ovariectomized rat. Data from 19 laboratories using a high-potency reference agonist (ethinyl estradiol) and an antagonist (ZM 189,154) indicate no substantive performance differences between models. Therefore, both models appear robust, reproducible, and transferable across laboratories for high-potency estrogen agonists such as ethinyl estradiol.
Clara Cell Function in Mouse Lungs
Yatera et al. (p. 795) investigated the function of Clara cells in vivo during exposure to inhaled crystalline silica by examining pulmonary matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 mRNA levels in mice. The authors suggest that Clara cells inhibit pulmonary inflammation induced by crystalline silica via MMPs in vivo.
Human Urothelium Assay
Rossi et al. (p. 801) used serum-free conditions to grow UROtsa cells (a cell line isolated from a primary culture of normal human urothelium through immortalization with a construct containing the SV40 large T antigen). The authors suggest that this UROtsa cell line could be a valuable adjunct for studying environmental insult to the human urothelium in general and for the stress response in particular.
Asthmatics and ETS
To study the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), Eisner et al. (p. 809) developed a survey instrument to measure exposure in adults with asthma who lived in northern California. Measured nicotine concentrations were highest among persons who reported home exposure, followed by work exposure and other exposures. The authors suggest that a validated survey instrument can be used to assess ETS exposure among adults with asthma, even with low levels of exposure.
Elimination of House Dust Mites
House dust mite allergen exposure is a postulated risk factor for allergic sensitization, asthma development, and asthma morbidity. Vojta et al. (p. 815) assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of physical interventions to mitigate house dust mite allergens. Four weeks after intensive vacuuming, allergen levels approached pretreatment values; after steam cleaning plus vacuuming, the decrease in allergen levels persisted for up to 8 weeks. The authors concluded that physical interventions may provide practical, effective ways to reduce house dust mite allergen levels in low-income, urban home environments.
Uterotrophic Responses in Mice
Padilla-Banks et al. (p. 821) compared uterine responses in immature outbred CD-1 mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. After three daily subcutaneous injections with 17ß-estradiol, the mice and rats demonstrated a similar dose-response increase in absolute uterine wet weight and uterine weight:body weight ratio. Morphologic and biochemical parameters of estrogenicity were also similar. The authors concluded that mice are as well suited as rats for the uterotrophic bioassay and that mice should be given appropriate consideration in testing for environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals. (Also see Science Selections, p. A387)
Enzyme Polymorphism and Lead Exposure in Humans
Hu et al. (p. 827) investigated whether 
-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) polymorphism is associated with altered levels of lead in bone and blood among 726 middle-aged and elderly men who had community or nonoccupational exposures. The relationship of trabecular bone lead to blood lead appeared to be modified by ALAD genotype, with variant allele carriers having higher blood lead levels. This occurred only when trabecular bone lead levels exceeded 60 µg/g. The authors suggest that the variant ALAD-2 allele modifies lead kinetics by decreasing lead uptake into cortical bone and increasing the mobilization of lead from trabecular bone. (Also see Science Selections, p. A386)
AFB1 and Liver Cancer in Taiwan
Ahsan et al. (p. 833) examined subjects in Taiwan for aflatoxin B1-albumin adducts, the most reliable long-term biomarker of AFB1 exposure. They found substantial intraindividual variability in AFB1 exposure in Taiwan, which was most likely related to dietary or other environmental influences rather than to endogenous factors.
Pesticide Toxicity in Vineyard Workers
Baldi et al. (p. 839) investigated a possible association between neuropsychologic performances and long-term exposure to
pesticides in Bordeaux vineyard workers who used fungicides. The results suggest that long-term cognitive effects occur from low-level exposure to pesticides. Given the frequency of pesticide use and the potential disabilities resulting from cognitive impairments, further toxicologic and epidemiologic research is needed to confirm the results and assess the public health impact. (Also see Science Selections, p. A386)
Effects of Dioxin on AhR and Development in Zebrafish
Mattingly et al. (p. 845) developed an inducible in vivo reporter system to examine expression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) during development in zebrafish. Transgenic zebrafish containing a 1905 base pair region of the human CYP1A1 promoter/enhancer region were generated to express an AhR-regulated construct fused to the cDNA sequence encoding green fluorescent protein of jellyfish. By 5 days after fertilization, wild-type zebrafish exposed to dioxin exhibited gross dysmorphogenesis in craniofacial and vertebral development.
Reproductive Toxicity of Pesticides on the Farm
Arbuckle et al. (p. 851) collected information on pesticide use and reproductive history in the Ontario Farm Family Health Study to estimate how mixtures of pesticide products might affect fetal toxicity. The authors observed moderate increases in risk of early spontaneous abortions for preconception exposures to phenoxy acetic acid, triazines, and any herbicide. For late spontaneous abortions, preconception exposure to glyphosate, thiocarbamates, and the miscellaneous class of pesticides was associated with elevated risks.
Childhood Asthma and Endotoxin
Park et al. (p. 859) developed a model to estimate the relationship between home exposures of airborne endotoxin and childhood asthma. The level of airborne endotoxin was weakly correlated with the level of endotoxin in each of the four types of dust samples and was significantly correlated with endotoxin in family-room dust. Airborne endotoxin in Boston-area homes appears to be determined by the presence of dogs, moisture sources, and increased amounts of settled dust.
Clinical and Laboratory Effects of TCDD
Over a 2-year period, Geusau et al. (p. 865) monitored clinical, biochemical, hematologic, endocrine, and immunologic parameters in two women who suffered from chloracne caused by exposure to TCDD from an unknown source. Within the first 2 years after TCDD intoxication, the authors observed few clinical and biochemical health effects except for chloracne.
Last Updated: August 31, 2001
