Mike Fay

Bio: Mike Fay is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Toluene toxicity & Parathion. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 6 publications receiving 407 citations.

Economics of Information

Abstract: The author systematically examines one of the important issues of information — establishing the market price. He introduces the concept of «search» — where a buyer wanting to get a better price, is forced to question sellers. The article deals with various aspects of finding the necessary information.

The Environmental Protection Agency

Abstract: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides access to information on a variety of topics related to the environment and strives to inform citizens of health risks. The EPA also has an extensive library network that consists of 26 libraries throughout the United States, which provide access to a plethora of information to EPA employees, scientists, and researchers. The EPA implemented a reorganization project to digitize their materials so they would be more accessible to a wider range of users, but this plan was drastically accelerated when the EPA was threatened with a budget cut. It chose to close and reduce the hours and services of some of their libraries. As a result, the agency was accused of denying users the “right to know” by making information unavailable, not providing an adequate strategic plan, and discarding vital materials. This case study explores the background of the digitization project, the practices implemented, and the critiques of the project.

Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution – REVIHAAP Project. Technical Report. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe 2013

Abstract: This document presents answers to 24 questions relevant to reviewing European policies on air pollution and to addressing health aspects of these policies. The answers were developed by a large group of scientists engaged in the WHO project “Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution – REVIHAAP”. The experts reviewed and discussed the newly accumulated scientific evidence on the adverse effects on health of air pollution, formulating science-based answers to the 24 questions. Extensive rationales for the answers, including the list of key references, are provided. The review concludes that a considerable amount of new scientific information on the adverse effects on health of particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, observed at levels commonly present in Europe, has been published in recent years. This new evidence supports the scientific conclusions of the WHO air quality guidelines, last updated in 2005, and indicates that the effects in some cases occur at air pollution concentrations lower than those serving to establish these guidelines. It also provides scientific arguments for taking decisive actions to improve air quality and reduce the burden of disease associated with air pollution in Europe. This publication arises from the project REVIHAAP and has been co-funded by the European Union.

Metal and Silicate Particles Including Nanoparticles Are Present in Electronic Cigarette Cartomizer Fluid and Aerosol

Abstract: Metal and Silicate Particles Including Nanoparticles Are Present in Electronic Cigarette Cartomizer Fluid and Aerosol Monique Williams 1 , Amanda Villarreal 1 , Krassimir Bozhilov 2 , Sabrina Lin 1 , Prue Talbot 1 * 1 Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America, 2 Central Facility for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America Abstract Background: Electronic cigarettes (EC) deliver aerosol by heating fluid containing nicotine. Cartomizer EC combine the fluid chamber and heating element in a single unit. Because EC do not burn tobacco, they may be safer than conventional cigarettes. Their use is rapidly increasing worldwide with little prior testing of their aerosol. Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that EC aerosol contains metals derived from various components in EC. Methods: Cartomizer contents and aerosols were analyzed using light and electron microscopy, cytotoxicity testing, x-ray microanalysis, particle counting, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results: The filament, a nickel-chromium wire, was coupled to a thicker copper wire coated with silver. The silver coating was sometimes missing. Four tin solder joints attached the wires to each other and coupled the copper/silver wire to the air tube and mouthpiece. All cartomizers had evidence of use before packaging (burn spots on the fibers and electrophoretic movement of fluid in the fibers). Fibers in two cartomizers had green deposits that contained copper. Centrifugation of the fibers produced large pellets containing tin. Tin particles and tin whiskers were identified in cartridge fluid and outer fibers. Cartomizer fluid with tin particles was cytotoxic in assays using human pulmonary fibroblasts. The aerosol contained particles .1 m m comprised of tin, silver, iron, nickel, aluminum, and silicate and nanoparticles (,100 nm) of tin, chromium and nickel. The concentrations of nine of eleven elements in EC aerosol were higher than or equal to the corresponding concentrations in conventional cigarette smoke. Many of the elements identified in EC aerosol are known to cause respiratory distress and disease. Conclusions: The presence of metal and silicate particles in cartomizer aerosol demonstrates the need for improved quality control in EC design and manufacture and studies on how EC aerosol impacts the health of users and bystanders. Citation: Williams M, Villarreal A, Bozhilov K, Lin S, Talbot P (2013) Metal and Silicate Particles Including Nanoparticles Are Present in Electronic Cigarette Cartomizer Fluid and Aerosol. PLoS ONE 8(3): e57987. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057987 Editor: Stephen J. Johnson, University of Kansas, United States of America Received August 31, 2012; Accepted January 30, 2013; Published March 20, 2013 Copyright: s 2013 Willliams et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by grants from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) to PT, a Cornelius Hopper Award to MW, a MARC National Institutes of Health (NIH) fellowship to AV, and a TRDRP Postdoctoral Fellowship to SL. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: talbot@ucr.edu As EC have evolved, the atomizer and cartridge have often been combined into a single unit called a ‘‘cartomizer’’ [6]. Recent studies have shown that EC can deliver nicotine to users, although not always as effectively as conventional cigarettes [7,8]. EC may help smokers overcome nicotine addiction and/or serve as nicotine delivery devices that are safer than tobacco burning cigarettes [9,10]. EC have helped some smokers stop using conventional brands and either quit smoking entirely or switch to the presumably safer EC [11,12]. Their effectiveness in this regard may be aided by the hand-mouth motion that the EC provides, unlike nicotine patches and gum. Some users have reported to us that EC have helped them break nicotine addiction, but not the hand-mouth addiction associated with smoking. Because EC do not burn tobacco, they do not produce the numerous chemicals found in conventional tobacco smoke. For Introduction Electronic cigarettes (EC) are generally manufactured in China and are rapidly gaining acceptance in many countries [1,2]. In the United States, EC are available on the Internet, in malls, and in local shops. They have become an integral part of the environment without much information regarding the quality control used in their manufacture or their health effects [3]. EC deliver aerosolized nicotine to users and may serve as a surrogate for conventional tobacco-containing cigarettes [4,5]. Puffing an EC activates a battery that in turn heats liquid containing flavoring, a humectant(s) such as propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin, and nicotine. Some models, such as the one used in this study, do not contain nicotine. Early models of EC had separate atomizers for heating and cartridges for holding fluid [3]. PLOS ONE | www.plosone.org March 2013 | Volume 8 | Issue 3 | e57987