Advances in Nanotechnology
NIEHS scientists are finding out that good things come in small packages: the NIEHS News (p. A450) reports on advances in the field of nanotechnology, in which items such as contaminant filters and DNA chips are constructed using building blocks the size of atoms and molecules.
Semiconductors and Health
The Focus (p. A452) takes a look at the human and environmental health risks associated with the world's largest and fastest-growing manufacturing sector--the $150 billion semiconductor manufacturing industry--which has recently come under attack by employees claiming occupationally caused cancer and birth defects.
Valid Concerns
According to the U.S. EPA, there are inadequate toxicity data for some 87,000 chemicals in use today, some of which may have endocrine-disrupting properties. The Spheres of Influence (p. A458) examines the EPA's proposed validation process for the assays being considered for use in testing these chemicals.
Food for Thought
The Innovations (p. A462) describes a new remediation process dubbed "Lasagna," which uses electric currents and layers of treatment media to strip the pollutant trichloroethylene from contaminated soil.
Diesel Exhaust and Rat Tumors
Valberg and Crouch (p. 693) used a meta-analysis to estimate the carcinogenic potential of lifetime exposure to diesel exhaust particulates in rats. They report that average ambient levels of diesel-engine exhaust particulate exposure are less than 1% of that associated with a threshold of tumor response in the rat bioassay.
Mutagens in the Yodo River
Ohe et al. (p. 701) examined two aromatic amine mutagens in the Yodo River system in Japan and report that water samples downstream from two sewage plants contained the mutagens and were mutagenic. Samples upstream were only weakly mutagenic and did not contain the mutagens, confirming the source of the contaminants and their decomposition downriver.
Arsenic and Cancer Risk in Finns
The potential association between arsenic well-water exposure and the risk of bladder and kidney cancers was examined in 61 bladder cancer cases, 49 kidney cancer cases, and 275 reference subjects by Kurttio et al. (p. 705). There was no risk for kidney cancer, and the risk for bladder cancer was only elevated among smokers.
Gene Assay for Pfiesteria Toxicity
Functional cell-based assays for fish-killing toxins produced by Pfiesteria piscicida were developed by Fairey et al. (p. 711). They used the c-fos-luciferase reporter gene construct in GH4C1 cells to detect toxic isolates of Pfiesteria collected from several North Carolina estuaries in 1997 and 1998.
Follow-Up of PCB Poisoning in Taiwan
In a 14-year follow-up of the 1979 Taiwan PCB/PCDF cooking oil poisoning, Guo and Yu (p. 715) report that Taiwanese people exposed to high pollutant levels had more frequent skin diseases, goiter, anemia, and joint and spine diseases.
Pesticides in House Dust Particles
Residential house dust collected from homes in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina by a cleaning service were separated into seven size fractions. Lewis et al. (p. 721) found that concentrations of nearly all target analytes increased gradually with decreasing particle size for the larger particles, and dramatically increased for the two smallest particle sizes. The synthetic pyrethroids cis- and trans-permethrin were the most abundant pesticide residues.
Drinking Water Arsenic in Bangladesh
There were 430 of 1,481 individuals with arsenic-associated skin lesions in four villages in Bangladesh as a result of exposure via drinking water. Tondel et al. (p. 727) report arsenic water concentrations of 10-2,040 µg/L, with higher prevalences of skin lesions in men than women, indicating the urgency for remediation practices.
Cancer Risk from Beryllium Exposure
McGavran et al. (p. 731) evaluated the risk of lung cancer from inhaled beryllium in people living near the Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado. Lifetime cancer incidence risk estimates from beryllium inhalation were less than 10-6, and predicted air concentrations were well below the EPA reference concentration for beryllium sensitization.
Fish Monitors for Aquatic Pollution
The potential effects of industrial pollution were evaluated in three species of fish in the Narva River in Estonia by measuring cytochromes and conjugation enzyme activities. Tuvikene et al. (p. 745) report no effects in caged trout or in feral perch and roach biochemistry, histopathology, or genotoxicity, despite polycyclic hydrocarbon and heavy metal pollution by oil shale processing.
Tumor Promoters in Plants
Native members of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) contain highly irritating and tumor-promoting diterpene esters. Vogg et al. (p. 753) examined 22 commercial cultivars of the indoor plants for tumor promoter contents to select less toxic varieties. The use of HPLC and bioassay detection methods may enable the development of less toxic indoor plant cultivars and lead to consumer-oriented labeling.
Children's Health
Air Pollution, Bronchitis, and Asthmatic Children
McConnell et al. (p. 757) collected questionnaires from parents of a total of 3,676 fourth, seventh, and tenth graders from classrooms in 12 communities to characterize histories of respiratory illness and associated risk factors. The authors suggest that children with a prior diagnosis of asthma are more likely to develop persistent lower respiratory tract symptoms when exposed to air pollution in Southern California.
Children's Health
GIS, Cars, and Children's Asthma
A geographic information system was used to determine whether childhood residence near busy roads was associated with asthma in low-income populations in San Diego County, California. English et al. (p. 761) suggest that higher traffic flows may be related to an increase in repeated medical visits in asthmatic children and that repeated exposure to traffic exhaust may aggravate asthmatic symptoms.
Grand Rounds
Methylene Chloride Poisoning
Mahmud and Kales (p. 769) describe methylene chloride poisoning in a cabinet worker who used compounds containing MeCl2. These exposures could be reduced by working in a well-ventilated area, wearing protective equipment such as gloves and a respirator, and using safer products when available.
Last Updated: August 19, 1999