Environmental Health (EH)

UV disinfection is a promising treatment technology to comply with recent US EPA rules (Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule). UV is highly effective against chlorine-resistant microorganisms Crytosproidium and Giardia and has low potential to form disinfection byproducts.

Published estimates of water-skin permeability coefficients of organic contaminants found in potable water are highly variable due to differences both in experimental conditions and mathematical approaches.

Characterizing exposures to Chromium VI compounds is essential for understanding whether certain work processes may put workers in certain industries at greater risk for health effects than in others.

Human enteric viruses are important agents of waterborne illness. They are typically distributed in environmental waters in low numbers, which necessitates concentration of tens to hundreds of liters for effective detection.

Anaerobic digesters (ADs) are an important engineered system used to effectively treat wastewater sludge. The ecology of these digesters is dominated by the acetoclastic methanogens, Methanosaeta spp. and Methanosarcina spp. Though CRISPR sequences have been identified in the genomes of these methanogens, no phages infecting these archaea have been identified.

Researchers have observed a rise in harmful algae blooms (HAB) of cyanobacteria in shallow freshwater lakes in Washington State over the past two decades. Cyanobacteria comprising these blooms produce a range of toxins, including the hepatotoxin microcystin, that may be harmful to humans and domestic animals.

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The use of open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) to identify and quantify air emissions requires the collection of both sample and background spectra. Highly variable temporal conditions which can alter atmospheric transmission and the presence of interferants can greatly reduce the effective use of any backrground.

Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFkB) is a mammalian transcriptional activator known to be involved in the inducible expression of a variety of genes, particularly those involved in immune, inflammatory and acute phase responses.

This study provides an estimate for the proportion of atmospheric fine particulate matter attributable to the combustion of wood. The 1997 addition of a fine (measuring less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter) particulate matter standard to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard requires determination of the sources of this particulate matter for the guidance of regulatory strategies.

The recent discovery of West Nile virus (WNV) in Washington State has heightened the concern about the disease and current knowledge of the mosquito vectors in our region is weak. Since the early 1970s, little work has been done on identifying mosquito populations either as nuisance species or possible vectors of disease in metropolitan King County.

The spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) across the United States (US) over the past four years has lead to an increased awareness of the need for mosquito surveillance and abatement programs.

The National Sediment Quality Survey identified over 10,000 sampling stations at which sediment quality was categorized as presenting probable risk of adverse effects on human health or aquatic organisms (U.S. EPA, 1997a,b, c; U.S. EPA, 2001a). Contaminated sediments were found in all 50 states.

This study provides a characterization of the antibiotic resistance abilities of the human pathogen Escherichia coli O157. Cattle are a common reservoir of the pathogen and most illness is a result of contamination of meat of other foodstuffs with manure.

Combustion of diesel fuel generates significant quantities of particulate matter, especially that with a diameter of less than one micron. Because of its size, diesel exhaust particulate matter is highly respirable and has a large surface area to volume ratio, making it an exceptional carrier of adsorbed organic and inorganic compounds into the lungs.

Organophosphorous (OP) pesticides used on central Washington crops have been sown to have adverse human health effects, affecting primarily the central nervous system. Several studies have shown that agricultural workers often unintentionally bring these pesticides into their homes through the paraoccupational or take home pathway.

Pathogenic microorganisms cause a wide-range of infectious diseases through various modes of transmission, such as water, food, person-to-person contact, and inanimate surfaces. Contaminated surfaces may serve as fomitic reservoirs of pathogens according to the organisms' ability to adsorb and persist in the environment.

The ability to identify the source of a waterborne contaminant is an important risk assessment tool, and a variety of microbial fingerprinting methods have been proposed for this purpose.

This study was based on the development of a passive sampler to detect six aldehydes in air. It was focused on increasing the sensitivity of the analytical methods and increase collection rates on passive aldehyde samplers. The aim was to develop a passive sampler that can be used to assess personal exposures to aldehydes over a 7-day monitoring period.

Several factors make children vulnerable to adverse health affects from exposure to pesticides. Identifying and reducing children's exposure to pesticides is a priority because their organ systems have not fully matured, they have a faster rate of metabolism, and a faster breathing rate as compared to adults (WHO 2002; EPA 2003).

Recently, results have been reported from human in vivo trials conducted to assess dermal absorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from aqueous solution (Gordon and Wallace, 1998; Corley et al., 2000; Gordon et al., 2002; Thrall et al., 2002).

Incidents involving indoor residential application of the agricultural pesticide methyl parathion (MP) were reported in several states, including Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois in the 1990's. Exposure to methyl parathion from its illegal use indoors can have serious health consequences. Fatalities were reported after similar applications in Mississippi in the 1980's.

Development of a Strand-Specific Method to Detect Infectious Human Enterovirus-B (HEV-B) Species in Environmental Samples

There has been growing concern over human exposure to adenoviruses through drinking water due to their apparent high resistance to UV irradiation and the anticipated widespread use of UV disinfection in drinking water treatment processes.

There is growing concern over human exposure to Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) due to their ubiquitous presence in natural waters and extreme resistance to both chemical and physical disinfectants in drinking water treatment processes. However, little is know about the effectiveness of physico-chemical processes to remove MAC in drinking water treatment processes.

Among the many concerns facing residents of Puget Sound are toxicants in our environment. Toxicants that end up in our marine environment pose an extra threat to human, animal, and environmental health. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has prioritized research to understand the sources and strategies to reduce the threat these chemicals represent in the state.

Hand-to-mouth activity by young children is recognized as a potential pathway of exposure to soil contaminants. Observed soil and contaminant loads on hands are relevant to evaluation of this pathway.

Semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOCs) are ubiquitous and persistent in the indoor environment, and biomonitoring data shows widespread human exposure. Estimates of the magnitude and route of these exposures are needed to inform consumer product regulations. Children are of special concern, because of their unique behavioral patterns and lower body masses.