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While all links worked when entries were posted to the database, different publishers
have different policies about retaining articles and providing access to archived material.
Thus some of the links, particularly older ones, may no longer be functional.
For links no longer working, you may be able to gain paid access to text via the publisher's site.
Advanced wastewater treatments can reduce the endocrine disrupting effects of the effluent on fish, according to a study that pinpoints the most effective methods.
Conventional sewage treatment does not usually remove all of these compounds. Fish are then exposed when the estrogens are released into waterways. 16 August 2010. More...
German researchers report more evidence of another risk factor for developing type II diabetes: traffic related air pollution. After following a group of middle-aged women for 16 years, the authors find that exposure to high levels of air pollution is associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes in later years.
Women with high serum levels of a protein by-product associated with low-level inflammation or infection, were particularly prone to developing diabetes in response to pollutants. 15 July 2010. More...
Children who breathe traffic-related air pollution at school are more likely to develop asthma, even after taking into account levels of air pollution at their homes, report researchers in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
This study adds to the small, but growing, body of research implicating traffic-related air pollution in the development of asthma. In addition, this study suggests that places away from home where children spend time play an important role in their health. 7 July 2010. More...
Eating vegetables rich in nitrogen in the same meal with fish increases risks for liver cancer, finds a laboratory study.
The increased risk – though marginal – occurs when substances in the fish and the vegetables form a cancer-causing agent in the acidic environment of the stomach. The chemical is called N-nitrosodimethylamine or NMDA. NMDA is a strong cancer-causing agent in animals and is listed as a probable human carcinogen. 30 June 2010. More...
Long-term exposure to nitrates through food and water may increase a woman's risk of thyroid disease, finds a study of older women in Iowa.
This is the first study to show a link between nitrates and thyroid cancer in people, although nitrates have been shown to cause thyroid tumors in animal studies. Thyroid cancer is the eighth most common cancer among women. In the United States, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased steadily since 1980. 29 June 2010. More...
A new method for removing fluorines from fluorinated chemicals offers a promising method to detoxify some types of organohalogen pollutants, such as CFCs.
The method could be more broadly applied to other organofluorines, including perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) such as PFOA and PFOS. PFOA is a chemical used in nonstick cookware and PFOS was used in anti-stain fabrics and water resistant coatings. 17 June 2010. More...
Some children who breathe air pollution from cars and trucks may develop asthma and its related symptoms, finds a unique long-term study that followed the children for eight years.
Prior studies have shown that children who have asthma and are exposed to air pollution are at increased risk for asthma symptoms and attacks. The study was not able to determine which air pollutant was responsible for the observed effects. 19 April 2010. More...
Common air pollutants can react with one another to form highly reactive and toxic chlorine gasses, reports a study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In areas where both NOx and HCl concentrations are generally high, these chemical reactions can also increase ozone pollution. 7 October 2009. More...
Sperm counts are lower in mice whose mothers were exposed during pregnancy to a mixture of particles found in diesel exhaust.
The results add to a small but growing series of studies that suggest exposure to diesel exhaust can disrupt the proper development of the testis in rats and mice and perhaps affect reproduction. 14 August 2009. More...
Large piles of aging chicken manure to be used as fertilizer on farm crops can house bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, finds a new study.
The results raise concern that typical storage conditions may fail to keep the microbes from reaching people through contaminated food or drinking water. Poultry manure is not required to be treated before it is applied to farm fields. 7 August 2009. More...
Preschoolers who lived in homes using gas appliances scored lower on cognitive tests and had a higher likelihood of exhibiting inattention behaviors than those in homes without gas appliances, finds a recent study.
The effects on memory, verbal skills and the coordination of complex behaviors were greater when more gas appliances were used in the homes. They were also more pronounced in children with a certain gene type involved with the detoxification of toxic exposures. 22 May 2009. More...
Weather changes due to global climate change could substantially increase people's exposure to many pathogens and toxic agricultural contaminants, predicts a study from the United Kingdom.
The full health implications are uncertain. Managing the risks will require research as well as policy changes. 26 February 2009. More...
People living close to highways, large roads or other sources of high levels of traffic-related air pollution die earlier than those farther away, finds a study conducted in Toronto, Ontario.
People with higher exposure to pollution from traffic were 20 percent more likely to die at any given time than those with low levels of exposure. The greatest risk appears to be death from heart disease. People with high exposure to traffic pollution showed a 40 percent increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. 3 February 2009. More...
Genetics, age and gender determine what kind and how badly lungs are harmed in mice that breath ozone, a dangerous type of air pollution.
This study is the first to report which differences influence health effects of ozone exposure in various strains of mice. These data suggest that genetic makeup plays a strong role in how young and adults respond to ozone. 21 January 2009. More...
In a new study, scientists report that ground level mercury levels are increased by more than 30% in environments where the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is also increased.
The cause is unexpected: Higher CO2 levels change soil chemistry in ways that increase its ability to retain or store mercury. 12 September 2008. More...
Researchers report that chemical contaminants in soil suppress crop yields of alfalfa by interfering with chemical signaling essential for nitrogen fixation.
They estimate that over a full growing season crop yields may be decreased by as much as one-third. The contaminants interfere with how nitrogen-fixing bacteria communicate with their plant hosts using phytoestrogens. 6 June 2007. More...
Traditional covert influence of industry on occupational and environmental health policies has turned brazenly overt in the last several years.
More than ever before the OEH community is witnessing the perverse influence and increasing control by industry interests. Government has failed to support independent, public health-oriented practitioners and their organizations, instead joining many corporate endeavors to discourage efforts to protect the health of workers and the community. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health [PDF]. 2 March 2007. More...
A large study of US women by the CDC finds that the higher their level of perchlorate, the lower their thyroid function.
The effects were observed at perchlorate levels lower than would be predicted from previous studies. The women most at risk were those with low iodine levels-- approximately one-third of US women. Impaired thyroid during pregnancy have ave detrimental effects on fetal development. Environmental Health Perspectives. 7 October 2006. More...
Science Byte: As small particle air pollution increases, cardiovascular and respiratory problems mount for senior citizens.
Scientists tracked hospital admission rates among Medicare patients in relation to concentrations of small particle air pollution (PM 2.5). Even a small rise results in more hospitalizations. JAMA. 8 March 2006. More...
Exposure to ambient levels of ozone is associated with lower sperm counts in a study of men from Los Angeles.
There was a significant negative correlation between ozone levels up to 90 days before sperm donation and average sperm concentration. No other pollutant measures were significantly associated with sperm quality outcomes. Environmental Health Perspectives 1 March 2006. More...
Science Byte: At levels of ozone exposure near or below current EPA standards, infants are at increased risk of respiratory symptoms.
This conclusion emerged from a study of 691 infants in SW Virginia, who were monitored over a summer while simultaneous estimates were obtained on ozone levels. The effect was somewhat stronger for children of asthmatic mothers. EHP 30 December 2005. More...
Science Byte: Experiments with mice reveal that long-term exposure to small particulate air pollution causes heart damage.
The mice were exposed to air pollution at levels comparable to those found in New York City. Exposures caused vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis -- a hardening, narrowing and clogging of the arteries. JAMA. 21 December 2005. More...
Science Byte: A study of mortality in the LA basin indicates that chronic health effects of air pollution are even larger than thought.
Effects were nearly 3-fold greater than prior estimates, which had based their analyses on comparisons among communities. The larger effect may reflect more accurate measurements of exposure. Epidemiology. 27 September 2005. More...
Thousands of studies conducted by thousands of scientists from around the world have been published in the last decade about endocrine disruption.
They confirm that some contaminants used in commmon products can disrupt hormone signaling and alter gene expression, thereby altering development. Some of the most important studies are summarized here. 24 July 2005. More...
Scientific research links cardiovascular disease to a number of environmental exposures, including air pollution, metals and solvents.
Recent research on air pollution indicates that the annual health impacts in the US from particulate air pollution attributable just to diesel exhaust from cars, trucks, and construction equipment includes 21,000 premature deaths and 27,000 non-fatal myocardial infarctions, plus a range of other impacts. 25 June 2005. More...
Chemicals used as alternatives to ozone-depleting solvents found to have reproductive toxicity.
2-bromopropane (2-BP) was found to cause mutations and is toxic to sperm and eggs. 1-bromopropane, introduced as an alternative to 2-BP inhibits the release of sperm and has neurological toxicity. This serves as another example of how replacing one halogenated chemical with another often results in another type of toxicity. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 1 March 2005. More...
Science Byte: Research indicates an association between risk of fatal childhood cancers in Britain and prenatal exposure to toxic air pollutants.
The study examined where cancer victims' mothers lived while pregnant in relation to "emission hotspots." Industrial combustion products, VOCs, engine exhausts, 1,3-butadiene, dioxins and benz(a)pyrene were implicated. JECH. 18 January 2005. More...
Science Byte: A study of air particles and health in Los Angeles reports a link between PM 2.5 levels and atherosclerosis.
The results indicate that increases in air pollution increase the risk of heart attacks. The effect was largest for non-smoking older women, who experienced a 16% increase in heart disease as PM 2.5 increased by 10 micrograms per cubic meter. EHP. 25 November 2004. More...
Science Byte: As ozone levels rise, more people die from respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
A study published in JAMA examined mortality and ozone statistics from 95 US communities, which include approximately 40% of the US population. The strongest effect was seen relating mortality data to the prior week's ozone levels. 17 November 2004. More...
Babies born to pregnant mothers living near the WTC on 9/11 were more likely to have lower birth weight and shorter birth length.
If in the first trimester on 9/11 they also were more likely to be born early and with a smaller head circumference. Stress or pollutants could be involved. EHP. 15 November 2004. More...
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