Spring

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.

Protecting worker's health by insuring that the work conditions are safe from the chemical point of view is one of the main tasks of an industrial hygienist. To accomplish this goal, reliable methods of air contaminant measurement are essential.

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.

The paraoxonase (PON) gene family consists of three members (PON1, PON2, and PON3). PON1 and PON3 are mainly synthesized in the liver and are secreted in the plasma, where they associate with high density lipoproteins (HDL). PON2 is widely expressed in tissues.

Analysis of selected data from USEPA's Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent Pollutants (CTEPP) study reveals that observed outputs of urinary metabolites cannot be fully accounted for by conventionally estimated inputs of those pesticides for which mass balance can be feasibly attempted.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra that results in motor impairments in PD patients. The mechanisms of dopaminergic cell death are still unclear. Here, I aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of several PD models. Rotenone, paraquat, and MPTP are toxicants known to recapitulate some of the key features of PD.

China is one of the fastest developing nations in the world, with new high rises and new technologies being developed everyday. There is, however, still a great disparity between rural and urban areas. The purpose of my research is to look into an urbanization gradient of fuel sources, gas stoves vs.

This study focuses on the welding, electroplating, and painting industries that are exposed to chromium VI compounds (Cr VI). Many industrial operations use Cr VI for its protective properties against corrosive damage. Unfortunately, when Cr VI is airborne there is an increased risk of respiratory damage, lung cancer, skin reactions, and liver and kidney damage.

Introduction Particulate Matter & Cardiovascular Disease

Objective: Spray painting of vehicle parts in the automotive repair industry exposes painters to a variety of chemical hazards including isocyanates and solvents. Dermal exposures to isocyanates may sensitize painters to asthma, and exposures to solvents my irritate the skin and lead to contact dermatitis.

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.

Background: The use of antibiotics in swine confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is believed to be contributing to an increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the swine population, and in the facilities. Antibiotic resistant bacteria in these CAFOs pose both an occupational threat and community threat.

Chlorination and chloramination are oft-used techniques in water treatment throughout the United States to provide potable water to its citizens. As such the disinfection byproducts (DBPs) produced by such a process are closely regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) due to evidence related to human health risks as a result of exposure to these compounds.

Urinary creatinine and dissolved solids concentrations are used in the field of environmental exposure monitoring.

Background: Disinfecting drinking water with chemicals such as chlorine and iodine prevents the spread of pathogenic bacteria but also creates unintended, potentially carcinogenic, chemical disinfection by-products (DBPs).

Class I and II organophosphate and carbamate pesticides act as cholinesterase inhibitors. Handlers exposed to these pesticides for 30 or more hours in a 30-day period are given the opportunity to participate in the Washington State Cholinesterase Monitoring Program.

Background Pesticide Exposure in Farmworkers

A growing number of women workers in the US and abroad regularly perfoRMS shift work. This warrants particular attention because of the growing body of evidence that shift work is associated with a number of adverse outcomes, including endocrine-related pathology such as diabetes, dysmenorrhea and breast cancer.

Background: The health risk to workers from pesticides used in agriculture is an important public health concern. Previous studies have shown that employees who handle pesticides have a higher risk of exposure and are also more likely to be exposed directly to concentrated pesticides.