Environmental Health Technology (Tech)

Hydrogen chloride (HCI) is a colorless nonflammable gas soluble in water. Its aqueous solution is known as muriatic acid or, more commonly, hydrochloric acid. It is characterized as a nonflammable gas by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and a hazardous substance by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Society demands products which contain chemicals or require chemicals for their production. Exposure to many of these chemicals as well as many natural agents may produce adverse health effects in humans if he dose is sufficiently large. Minimizing the potential dor adverse effects necessitates the reduction of exposures to these agents.

The derivation and promulgation of cleanup standards for soil contaminants are impeded by the complex and uncertain science of assessing exposures to these contaminants. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is proposed as a more statistically and scientifically valid method of asessing soil contaminant exposures than deterministic methods currently used by regulatory agencies.

Composting of municipal solid waste (MSW) is being investigated as an alternative to landfilling for the organic fraction of the waste stream. MSW is known to contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at concentrations as high as 0.1% by weight.

The concern over the relationship between an apparent lack of use of personal flotation devices (lifejackets) and the liklihood of drowning prompted a study to characterize factors that affect usage.

Giardia lamblia is a flagellated protozoan parasite of mammals with a broad host range which appears to consist of numerous genetically distinguishable subtypes/ It is widely distributed in the environment and contributes significantly to morbidity from enteric disease. It is now estimated to be the leading cause of waterborne gastrointestinal illness in the United States.

Assessment of present and future solid waste landfill design requirements and contaminant impacts on adjacent surface and ground waters requires accurate monitoring of the quality and quantity of leachate produced. However, due to field and laboratory constraints, landfill leachate is difficult to monitor. Resulting data is typically highly variable.

Chlorinated organic compounds are a class of pollutants which have been released into the environment in large quantities from a multitude of sources. Because of their physical and chemical properties, these compounds possess sufficient mobility to reach groundwater and sediments.

With the increased gas monitoring and testing activities around landfill sites, considerable data have been produced regarding the time, amendments to the Federal Clean Air Act and state-level impacts from industrial emission sources, including landfills.

This two-month study evaluates the transport and impact of municipal solid waste landfill emissions by continuous ambient air monitoring at a home 230 meters to the east of the Cathcart Municipal Landfill. To investigate drainage flow as the transport mechanism, wind direction and wind speed were also monitored at the home and temperature was recorded both at the home and at the valley floor.

The objective of this project was to determine the most effective subtyping method or combinaation of subtyping methods for outbreak investigation of the E. coli O157:H7 pathogen. Since the first reported outbreak in 1982, E. coli O157:H7 has emerged as an important pathogen. An estimated 20,000 illnesses and 250 deaths in the United States alone have been attributed to E.

Exposure to soil-borne contaminants can occur through ingestion, dermal absorption and/or inhalation pathways. The uncertainty associated with estimates of exposures vie these pathways is large, particularly for the dermal route. Site cleanup costs may be very sensitive to cleanup targets.

The primary objetives of this study were to use a mail survey to assess the general public's perceptions of regional air quality issues and to estimate their valuation expressed as willingness to pay (WTP) for a series of hypothetical air quality and visibility programs.

The Cedar River is the major coure of drinking water for the city of Seattle. However, the level of fecal colifoRMS in the raw water supply has exceeded limits set by Washington State in recent years, and as a result, the water utility may be required to install an extensive and costly filtration system.

Dermal contact with contaminated soils is a potential pathway for chemical exposure.

Control and management of wild fires and prescribed burns involves an estimated 80,000 firefighters per year in the US. On average, there are 70,000 fires covering more than two million acres during an active fire season. The increasing need for land has resulted in people moving into critical areas between urban and wildland environments.

Since the early 1970s, scientists have been studying a possible link between exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) electro-magnetic fields (EMF) and adverse health effects including leukemia and brain cancer. To assess this link, it is often necessary to quantify a person's estimated lifetime exposure using surrogate measures such as wiring codes and occupational job codes.

Arsenic distributes throughout the body, able to pass the placental barrier and reach the developing fetal brain. High-dose inorganic arsenic exposure to animals during development has been associated with neural tube defects, exencephaly and other disorders, although the molecular mechanisms underlying potential effects from low-dose exposure are uncertain.

Children are potentially exposed to pesticides through multiple pathways which are not currently well understood. For this study, 13 homes with children between the ages of 2-5 years old were monitored for organophosphate pesticides (OPs) in soil, indoor air, household dust, and on toy surfaces.

Pathogenic microorganisms are known to be present throughout the Wastewater Treatment (WWT) process. These microorganisms are found not only in the wastewater and sludge, but also in aerosols which are generated throughout the treatment process. Hence, WWT workers are potentially exposed to a variety of infectious agents from both contact of contaminated surfaces and aerosolized wastewater.

Recent research has indicated that changes in daily mortality have been correlated with daily PM10 and PM2.5 levels below the current 24 hour National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs) for PM10 in the United States. As a result, new NAAQSs for PM2.5 were recommended.

The goal of this project is to validate a passive sampler that is stable for seven-day monitoring of personal exposures to aldehydes for large population studies. The target aldehydes are formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, crotonaldehyde, glyoxal, and methylglyoxal and were selected according to their toxicity and prevalence.

Introduction

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for causing many nosocomial infections. This Gram-negative bacteria is considered ubiquitous and is found in several environments including water, soil, normal flora, and agricultural produce.

Characteristics specific to children make them a sensitive subpopulation in teRMS of environmental exposure to pesticides. Compared to the general adult population, children have higher rates of metabolism, less mature immune systems, and have different diets (NRC, 1993.) Children also are believed to ingest more soil and house dust than do adults.