Little Kids Are Big Priority
Recent NIEHS initiatives, described in the NIEHS News (p. A258), investigate possible links between the environment and the rising tide of neurodevelopmental disorders being diagnosed among children. In related news, the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction is preparing its final report on seven phthalate esters, one of which has been found to be of serious concern in regards to reproductive development in infants.
CCA Controversy Continues
The controversy over the safety of CCA-treated wood--particularly as it pertains to children, who encounter the material often in treated-wood play sets--rages on. The Focus (p. A262) examines the concerns raised over CCA, industry's response, and the current state of the science on the chemical's potential effects.
For the Sake of the Children
In accordance with a 1997 executive order, federal agencies are focusing more attention on children's health needs and ways to protect them. The Spheres of Influence (p. A270) takes a look at a spate of new legislation designed to guard children against environmental harm.
Woodworking: The Challenge of CCA
Current disposal methods for CCA-treated wood include some unsafe alternatives, so researchers are looking for new ways to deal with this widely used construction material. The Innovations (p. A274) describes three promising techniques that may take the environmental bite out of CCA disposal.
The Aral Sea Environmental Disaster
In a Commentary Small et al. (p. 547) explore the environmental catastrophe of the dried-up Aral Sea area in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The authors assess the impact on human health in order to help the population cope with their environment and to establish a medical program to improve the health of the population and to conduct research on the relationship between the disaster and human health.
Water and Risk of Brain Tumors in Children
Mueller et al. (p. 551) examined the potential association between N-nitroso compounds and childhood brain tumors in two locations in California and in one location in Washington State. There was an indication that offspring of women who relied exclusively on well water from western Washington were at increased risk for tumors, but further studies are required for confirmation. (Also see Science Selections, p. A278)
Secondhand Smoke Impairs Child Development
Jaakkola et al. (p. 557) investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke on fetal growth and length of gestation. Tobacco smoke exposure during the third trimester of pregnancy was indicated by the nicotine concentrations in maternal hair sampled after delivery. The risk of preterm birth was associated with high and medium exposures to tobacco smoke. (Also see Science Selections, p. A278)
Blood Lead in Bangladesh Children
Kaiser et al. (p. 563) measured blood lead levels in 779 schoolchildren in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and found that 87% had levels above 10 µg/dL; these levels are similar to those in other countries that use leaded gasoline, the most likely source of lead. More similar surveys are needed to develop and evaluate intervention policies to improve human health.
Health of Children Living near Coal Mines
The relationship between children's visits to doctors and their proximity to open-cast coal mines in England was evaluated by Howel et al. (p. 567). The doctor visits were higher in open-cast communities for respiratory, skin, and eye conditions over a 6-week period but not over a 52-week period. The authors suggested that this was due to the different lengths of time the five open-cast sites were active.
Risk of Infection in German Children
Herbarth et al. (p. 573) administered a questionnaire and a Helicobacter pylori [13C] urea breath test to the entire population of children (3,347) entering school in 1998 in Leipzig, Germany. Risk of infection was associated with fecal-oral transmission and living conditions.
Tobacco Smoke and Childhood Asthma
The modification of environmental exposure by genetic constitution was investigated by Jaakkola et al. (p. 579) in a 4-year study of 2,531 children in Norway. The joint effect of parental atopy, defined as a history of parental asthma or hay fever, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke had a substantial effect on bronchial obstruction and asthma in the children. The authors suggest that there was a gene-environment interaction and that some genetic markers could be used to indicate susceptibility to environmental factors.
Children's Exposure to Pesticides
Adgate et al. (p. 583) analyzed urinary metabolites of insecticides and herbicides, including those from carbamates, atrazine, malathion, and chlorpyrifos, in 3- to 13- year-old children enrolled in the Minnesota Children's Pesticide Exposure Study. Over a 5-day sampling period, metabolites of chlorpyrifos and malathion were higher in children than in recent adult studies, and carbamate metabolites were lower.
Atmospheric Circulation and Greek Mortality
The relationship between weather systems and mortality between 1987 and 1991 in Greece was examined by Kassomenos et al. (p. 591). Daily meteorologic conditions characterized by the directional flow of atmospheric circulation using either large-scale or medium-scale weather systems proved to be a useful tool in studying the weather-health associations in a warm Mediterranean climate.
Exposure to Disinfection By-Products in Women
Lynberg et al. (p. 597) evaluated chlorinated and brominated trihalomethanes in blood samples from mothers who gave birth to healthy infants. The interdisciplinary study enabled examination of the relationships between trihalomethane levels in tap water, water consumption, and water use activities, and provided information for estimating risks of exposure to the contaminants in future epidemiologic studies.
Eating PCB-Contaminated Fish Impairs Memory
Schantz et al. (p. 605) investigated the impact of ingesting PCB-contaminated fish on intellectual functioning in adults. In adult Michigan residents who ate > 24 pounds of Lake Michigan fish per year, PCB exposure was associated with lower scores on several measures of memory and learning, which is consistent with previous research on the neurotoxicity of in utero PCB exposure.
Succimer Decreases GI Absorption of Lead
To determine whether succimer (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) is safe as a chelating agent for treatment of lead poisoning, Cremin et al. (p. 613) evaluated gastrointestinal absorption and retention in lead-exposed monkeys. The authors found that succimer reduced the GI absorption of lead, increased the urinary excretion of lead about 4-fold over controls while decreasing fecal lead excretion about 33%, and reduced whole-body retention of lead by about 10%.
Dioxin Exposure Causes Developmental Defects
Markowski et al. (p. 621) investigated the behavioral effects of dioxin in offspring of maternally exposed rats and report reduced operant response for reinforcement behavior. The authors suggest that there is a need for expanded exploration of behavioral end points in rats to better assess developmental toxicity in humans and to improve the assessment of other non-cancer risks for dioxin exposure in humans. (Also see Science Selections, p. A279)
Drinking Water Arsenic and Pregnancy Outcome
For drinking water the people of Bangladesh rely on tube wells installed by the government. The wells were installed to prevent bacterial contamination and reduce diarrheal diseases. However, Ahmad et al. (p. 629) report that because of high levels of arsenic in groundwater, chronic exposure of females to well water increases the rates of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and preterm births.
GIS Tracks Air Pollution in Sweden
Bellander et al. (p. 633) used a geographic information system to assess exposure to several components of air pollution. The authors collected data from over 1,000 lung cancer cases and over 2,000 controls and found that GIS was useful for exposure assessment in environmental epidemiology studies.
The Hazards of Fungi in a Water-Damaged Building
Trout et al. (p. 641) report the case of bioaerosol-related respiratory illness in a hotel manager who worked in a water-damaged building. The authors documented fungal contamination in the building, predominantly Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Stachybotrys species. Further research is needed to develop better methods for assessing health effects related to bioaerosol exposures.
Last Updated: June 27, 2001
