Summer

Nuclear factor (NF)-kB is a transcriptional factor known to mediate the inducible expression of a wide variety of genes that are involved in inflammatory and other cytotoxic reactions in various cell types.

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.

Methyl mercury, a potent neurotoxicant, accumulates in the brain as well as kidney during chronic exposure. We evaluated the efficacy of DMPS, a tissue-permeable metal chelator, to reduce brain and kidney Hg levels and to promote Hg elimination in urine following exposure of F-344 rats to methyl mercury hydroxide MMH, (10 ppm) in drinking water for up to 9 weeks.

Physiologic sampling pumps (PSPs) seek to change pump rate in proportion to the minute ventilation of the worker. The aim to account for (1) differences in minute ventilation between individuals and (2) correlation between air concentration of contaminants and minute ventilation. This dissertation presents PSP theory and evaluated a new PSP for use in the real world.

The University of Washington Human Subjects Division and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation granted approval for the use of subject medical data from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation National Patient Registry for this study. The study aims to estimate the association between ambient air pollutants and the number of pulmonary exacerbations in a cohort of cystic fibrosis subjects.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs, E.C. 2.5 1.18) are a multi-gene family of dimeric enzymes that detoxify a wide variety of electrophilic compounds by conjugating them with reduced glutathione. One form, human GSTM2-2 (hGSTM2-2) has been found to be particularly efficient at catalyzing the conjugation of glutathione with o-quinones derived from the physiologically based catecholamines.

Toluene is a widely used industrial solvent that is found in a variety of consumer products from paint thinners to rubber cement. In recent years toluene has become increasingly used as a sniffing agent due to its cheap price and availability. Case reports of humans exposed to high doses of toluene idicate that the central nervous system is a primary target.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a highly reactive gas emitted from the burning of fossil fuels at high temperatures. The primary sources in outdoor air are motor vehicles and coal-fired power plants. Oxidant injury is the primary mechanism in which NO2 damages the lung but the biological mechanisms in which it affects the cardiac system are largely unknown.

Fish consumption advisories are a form of intended risk reduction that aim to warn the public of possible dangers from consuming certain species of finfish and shellfish (herein referred to simply as 'fish'). While developing fetuses and children are particularly susceptible to toxicants in fish, fish also contain valuable nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids that promote neurodevelopment.

In Nicaragua and elsewhere in the developing world, children are exposed to pesticides through various pathways. Previous research suggests that children who live in close proximity to a farm, and children whose parents are agricultural workers have higher exposures to pesticides (Simcox, 1995; Curl, 2002).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate sampling and analysis methods for ergosterol (an indicator of the biomass of fungi), viable fungi, and non-viable fungi from settled dust and to compare these results with questionnaire data used to assess exposure to mold and dampness in the home.

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.

It was not until the early 1960's with the outbreak of Turkey X disease that aflatoxins were discovered (Asplin 1961, Blount 1961). Aflatoxins are a group of difurancoumarin compounds that includes Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2. They are produced as secondary metabolites by the common fungal molds, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.

Many studies have shown that there are serious risks associated with pesticides such as cancer, reproductive problems, organ damage, and endocrine and/or immune system dysfunction. In recent years, there is a growing concern about the pesticide residues exposure due to the indiscriminate use of pesticides in China.

Approximately 800 claimed for work related ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) were reported in the Washington State worker's compensation system between 1995 and 2000. Approximately 26% went on to surgical treatment for this disorder, and 74% received a medical diagnosis of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow only without having surgery.

Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) in the environment poses a risk of impaired function and death to neurons, with the developing brain being more susceptible. Our lab has hypothesized that MeHg damage can be characterized by changes in cell cycle progression—namely G2M arrest.

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the hepatotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and acetaminophen (APAP). Glutathione (GSH) is a major free radical scavenger and an important factor in detoxification of reactive oxygen species and xenobiotics.

Significant time, energy and resources have been expended in recent years o eluidate the functional significance of human biotransformation gene polymorphisms toward mediating disease susceptibility upon exposure to environmental toxicants.

Rotenone is a naturally derived pesticide that has recently been shown to evoke the behavioral and biochemical symptoms of Parkinson's Disease in animal models. though rotenone is known to be an inhibitor of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, little is known about downstream pathways leading to its toxicity.

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.

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).

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.

Glutathione (GSH) is an essential antioxidant for cellular defense against oxidative stress. The homeostasis of this tripeptide is critical for maintaining normal cellular function. GSH imbalance could result in many diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and cystic fibrosis (CF), which are known to have extremely low levels of GSH in the airway system.

The unique characteristics of engineered nanomaterials have received enormous attention for their potential applications in biology and medicine. Quantum dots (QDs), in particular, with their bright, photostable and size tunable fluorescence have shown great promise as alternatives to organic dyes for biological imaging.

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.

Background

The coordinator of Children's Environmental Health and Environmental Education in EPA Region 10 identified the need for a systematic collection of existing databases describing environmental hazards, health outcomes, biomarkers of exposure, and socio-demographic factors associated with the incidence of environmentally linked diseases in children.

Towards the goal of establishing useful in vitro models of in vivo responses to toxicants, this work characterizes several advantages and disadvantages of primary mouse hepatocytes (PMHs) cultured for a short term vs those maintained for three weeks with 2.25% DMSO.

Exposure to aristolochic acid (AA) has been indetified as the cause of aristolochic acid nehropathy (AAN) and a putative risk factor for endemic (Balkan) nephropathy (EN). Historically, AA-related research to date has focused on the activation of AA to mutagenic and nephrotoxic metabolites, but the processes by which AA is detoxified are also relevant to disease risk.

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