Spring

The traditional method of identifying noise-induced hearing loss is through pure tone air conduction audiometry. The measurement of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), sounde generated within the chochlea in response to aural stimuli, is a relatively new technique which has been proposed as a means to identify preclinical hearing loss.

Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of uncertain etiology. Pesticide exposures have been implicated as environmental risk factors, however previous studies have yielded inconsistent risk estimates.

Most current instruments used for personal sampling can not accurately detect mixtures of compounds in real time. This dissertation presents a novel way of using open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectroscopy to overcome this problem for evaluating personal exposures. For conditions in which workers stayed at fixed workstations, a bi-beam sampling strategy was evaluated.

In order to more accurately understand the potential for chemicals to impact early neurodevelopment, there is a need for risk assessment models that can incorporate mechanistic information.

In 2005, a key informant survey conducted by researchers with the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health (PNASH) Center identified a clinician pesticide training gap.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the ultimate environmental health hazard. It is odorless, colorless, and lacks warning properties other than the insidious onset of non-specific symptoms such as headache and nausea. Many survivors of CO exposure brushed off symptoms because they thought they were getting the flu.

This study assessed the effect of work characteristics on dust exposures during concrete grinding activities, with and without local exhaust ventilation (LEV). Particular attention was paid to the differences between work on flat surfaces where the shroud of the LEV system made a good seal, and on the edge where the seal was in partial contact with the surface.

Passive monitors fulfill a valuable role in industrial hygiene sampling. Although operation of the monitors in mixed chemical environments has been reviewed, the effect of each additional chemical in the mixture on monitor accuracy has not been evaluated.

Introduction: The development of an asthma-like condition characterized by episodic cough, dyspnea, chest tightness, and variable airflow obstruction has been described among workers in aluminum smelter potrooms. No specific etiologic agent has been identified and the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved remain poorly understood.

In common daily exchanges, we often hear joking phrases such as: my mother is a hoarder!, my neighbor is a packrat!, or you should see my place! More often than not, they were uttered by people who had never been exposed to a behavioral phenomenon, hoarding, that carries important clinical implications and significant social consequences.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are associated with ergonomic factors present in the workplace. The enormous costs, high rate of incidence, and public awareness of WMSDs has drawn increased attention to the need for intervention.

This research measured exposure assessment and health effects in sixteen older adults in Seattle during the winter of 2002-2003.

The U.S. Army performed more than 1,575,000 examinations for medical fitness between 1995 and 2000 on individuals applying for enlisted active duty status and performed over 15,000 exams between 1999-2000 for individuals applying for active duty status as a commissioned officer.

Noise is a ubiquitous problem in the United States, particularly in the construction industry. Because over-exposure to noise does not usually have immediate adverse consequences, there has been little focus on exposure assessment and control of construction noise. Noise-related studies have been done in the construction industry, but the date are not comprehensive.

Pesticides are ubiquitous in our environment and exposure is common. However, fetuses, infants and children may be at an increased risk of toxicity. For example, widespread mercury poisoning in Iraq in the 1970's caused nervous system effects in children born to women exposed during pregnancy. However, many of the women showed no over toxicity.

This study assessed exposures to respirable dust and silica exposures during seven construction activities. One hundred and eleven personal breathing zone samples were collected. The samples were collected by either a standard nylon cyclone or real-time aerosol monitor, which also recorded one-minute respirable dust levels.

A cross-sectional study of dust exposure and health outcomes was conducted in a stone carving company in Thailand.  147 respirable dust samples were collected and 97 subjects participated in the study during November 1998 to October 1999.  Exposure indices were constructed and health outcomes of interest including respiratory symptoms, pulmonary functions, and chest radiographs were a

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.

Low Back Pain (LBP) is a common disease with public health implications. It affects about 80% of the adult population sometime during their lifetime. (Deyo and Weinsten 2001) It is the leading cause of work-related disability in people under 45 years of age and the most expensive cause of work-related disability (Andersson 1999).

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.

This dissertation documents the dynamic interaction between moving human receptors (children) and transient peaks in drifted pesticides proximal to treated fields. Validation of a novel dGPS instrument (the GPS Personal Acquisition Logger or GPS-PAL) to attain high-resolution time-location data required four tests: amenability, reception, resolution, and interference.

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.

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.

Minimizing occupational disability rates is a major concern for employers. High disability rates result in substantial expense for employers through direct medical care expenditures, increased insurance premiums, and loss of workplace productivity. Each year the U.S.

Foodborne disease from consumption of shellfish is a significant public health concern, especially since rates of consumption continue to increase worldwide (Potasman, Paz et al. 2002).

Exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) is associated with a variety of detrimental short-term and chronic health effects in humans. This includes increasing evidence from epidemiological studies and animal research that an association between diesel exhaust and lung cancer exists.

The Bacillus anthracis contamination of the Hart Senate Office Building on October 15th, 2001 highlighted the need for reliable detect-to-warn bioaerosol collection equipment. Most bacteria of concern have effective diameters of approximately 5 µm or less. Likewise, particles of 20 µm or more are of little concern because they tend to exceed the thoracic fraction of the human body.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent human hepatotoxin and hepatocarcinogen produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus. In human, it is bioactivated by cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, primarily hCYP1A2, to genotoxic epoxide that forms N7-guanine DNA adducts.

Rapid development in Vietnam is increasing the need for construction materials, particularly for refractory brick. Silica is a major component in refractory brick production; however, exposures to high levels of silica dust may cause silicosis and other lung diseases.

Polymorphic enzymes involved in oxidative estrogen metabolism may influence endometrial cancer risk.