Hazardous Waste in Europe
The seven European countries of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and the Ukraine were represented at an NIEHS conference convened to discuss hazardous waste programs and the protection of human health. Carpenter et al. summarize the deliberations, outlining problems inherited from the past and presenting some of the current ones, concluding with a discussion of future collaborative research that will be necessary to effect improvements.
Middle East Environment
With the outbreak of peace in many areas of the Middle East, attention may now be directed to the environmental health problems that plague the area such as lack of potable water, overuse and misuse of pesticides, and the results of rapid and uncontrolled urbanization. The first Focus article examines how geography, politics, and cultural influences have combined to shape the Middle East's past and continue to shape its environmental future.
India on the Edge
With rapid expansion of cities and industry, India seems poised on the edge of economic growth. Yet the majority of India's people live in rural poverty, and the population continues to place ever heavier burdens on meager resources. The result is a country in flux that has yet to come to terms with how to handle the massive environmental and occupational health problems it faces. The second Focus article spotlights an India faced with entering the next century with many attitudes and conditions more indicative of the last.
Committing to Women
Although the Fourth World Conference on Women held last September in Beijing, China, was hailed as a turning point in the struggle for women and children's rights, the real test of the success of the meeting will be how well the countries present follow through on commitments made there. The Spheres of Influence article tallies commitments made to improving women's health and their environments in the conference Platform for Action.
A Bunch of Potential
Eating healthy may take on a whole new meaning if some researchers are successful. The Innovations article describes efforts to create transgenic foods that can deliver innoculations against disease in the form of bananas, potatoes, and alfalfa.
Cooking with Amines
Saida et al. review the occurrence of mutagenic heterocyclic amines isolated from cooked foods and discuss the conditions associated with their production. Numerous factors promote the formation of these compounds in food, such as the food type, precursors present, and the water and lipid content of the ingredients. The temperature used in preparation of the food is another important factor. Guidance on cooking methods to decrease the concentration of heterocyclic amines in foods is presented as a means of reducing cancer risk.
Respiratory Disease in Alaska
Gordian et al. conducted a study of air pollution and respiratory symptoms in Anchorage, Alaska, where there is no industrial source of pollution, and focused on particulate matter with a diameter between 2.5 and 10 
m. The source of silica was road sanding and volcanic ash. Carbon monoxide and benzene, as incomplete combustion products from vehicles, were analyzed and excluded as causative factors. An increase of 10 g/m3 in particulate matter was associated with a 2.5% increase in medical visits for asthma and a 1.2% increase in visits for upper respiratory illness, indicating that silica pollution may adversely affect respiratory health, even at doses below allowable occupational standards in a healthy, young population.
Estrogenicity of Dental Sealants
Bisphenol-A diglycidylether methacrylate is a resin-based composite used as a dental sealant to reduce the occurrence of cavities in children's teeth and to cover dental pits and fissures in adults. Olea et al. used an in culture assay with human estrogen-sensitive MCF7 breast cancer cells to evaluate the estrogenic activity of the sealant. The authors report elevated estrogenic activity as measured by an increase in cell yields, progesterone receptor expression, and pS2 secretion. Bisphenol-A and bisphenol-A dimethacrylate monomers found in the base paste of the sealant were identified by mass spectrometry as the estrogenic components. Human saliva collected one hour after sealant treatment contained measurable amounts of bisphenol-A, suggesting that this procedure could contribute to xenoestrogen exposure.
Lead Exposure during Human Development
Children from a lead mining community in Australia were examined to determine the source and intensity of lead exposure. Gulson used lead isotopic composition from enamel or dentine portions of the children's baby teeth indicate whether the source of lead was the mother during pregnancy or hand-to-mouth ingestion of lead from nearby mining sites during infancy. Data from the Broken Hill lead mining community suggested that lead burdens were derived from the mine ore, leaded paint, and in utero exposure. Examination of lead in baby teeth that have been sliced into incisal and cervical secions, when combined with lead isotope analyses, provided an accurate history of children's lead exposure.
Neighborhood Lead Exposure in Children
Blood lead levels were examined in children living near a Los Angeles county battery recycling facility by Wohl and Flesel Comparison of their blood lead levels (< 5 g/dl) to those in a community without a stationary lead source indicated there was no public health impact due to the battery recycling facility. Although lead levels in surface soil were elevated near the plant, recently installed environmental controls appeared to be effective in preventing local contamination.
Benzene and Lead Exposure in Children
Weaver et al. conducted a pilot study in the Baltimore inner-city area to determine the utility of the benzene metabolite trans,trans-muconic acid as a biomarker for exposure in children with elevated lead levels; cotinine was also used as a biomarker for environmental tobacco smoke. Urine samples were analyzed for the two biomarkers and corrected for creatinine levels. Benzene metabolite concentrations were higher in the afternoon and in children who played near the street, but were not associated with elevated blood lead or with expsoure to environmental tobacco smoke. Validation by personal air sampling is necessary to establish the value of the biomarker for benzene, but present data suggest excessive benzene exposure may present a health risk for the children.
Last Update: May 20, 1997
