Showing papers in "Environmental Health Perspectives in 2017"
TL;DR: A research agenda on nature contact and health is proposed, identifying principal domains of research and key questions that, if answered, would provide the basis for evidence-based public health interventions.
Abstract: Background: At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantia...
653 citations
Monash University1, University of Queensland2, University of London3, University of Ottawa4, Health Canada5, University of São Paulo6, Peking University7, Seoul National University8, Nagasaki University9, University of Tsukuba10, National Institutes of Health11, National Taiwan University12, Harvard University13, Yale University14, University of Hong Kong15, Brunel University London16, Dublin Institute of Technology17, Duy Tan University18, Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University19, Queensland University of Technology20, Shanghai Jiao Tong University21
TL;DR: Results indicate that high temperatures create a substantial health burden, and effects of high temperatures over consecutive days are similar to what would be experienced if high temperature days occurred independently.
Abstract: Background: Few studies have examined variation in the associations between heat waves and mortality in an international context. Objectives: We aimed to systematically examine the impacts of heat ...
315 citations
Heriot-Watt University1, University of Edinburgh2, University of Fribourg3, University of Rochester Medical Center4, University of Copenhagen5, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology6, Norwegian Institute of Public Health7, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven8, University of Rome Tor Vergata9, Instituto Politécnico Nacional10, Paris Diderot University11
TL;DR: There is now an opportunity to apply knowledge from NM toxicology and use it to better inform PM health risk research and vice versa.
Abstract: Background: A rich body of literature exists that has demonstrated adverse human health effects following exposure to ambient air particulate matter (PM), and there is strong support for an importa...
257 citations
TL;DR: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with nonaccidental, CVD, lung cancer, and COPD mortality in China and the HR estimate from this cohort was consistently higher than IER predictions.
Abstract: Background: Cohort studies in North America and western Europe have reported increased risk of mortality associated with long-term exposure to fine particles (PM2.5), but to date, no such studies h...
247 citations
TL;DR: The available evidence on the role of arsenic metabolism in individual susceptibility to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes has not been formally and compre... as discussed by the authors, however, the role has not yet been formally evaluated.
Abstract: Background: The available evidence on the role of arsenic metabolism in individual susceptibility to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes has not been formally and compre...
237 citations
TL;DR: Evidence of neurotoxicity of the mixture, as well as potential synergism between arsenic and manganese, is found, suggesting that arsenic might be a potentiator of mangansese toxicity.
Abstract: Background: Exposure to chemical mixtures is recognized as the real-life scenario in all populations, needing new statistical methods that can assess their complex effects. Objectives: We aimed to ...
234 citations
TL;DR: There was sufficient evidence supporting an association between developmental PBDE exposure and reduced IQ, and the body of evidence was of “moderate” quality for ADHD with “limited” evidence for an association with PBDEs.
Abstract: Background: In the United States, one in six children are affected by neurodevelopmental disorders, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in flame-retardant chemicals are measured ubiquitously...
224 citations
University of Southern California1, Emory University2, University of Washington3, Stanford University4, University of California, Berkeley5, University of Michigan6, Columbia University7, University of California, Davis8, National Institutes of Health9, University of California, San Francisco10, Duke University11, University of Colorado Denver12
TL;DR: The state of the science in environmental epigenetics research is considered and the collective observations of many studies being conducted within the Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers, as they relate to the Developmental Origins of Health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis are focused on.
Abstract: Background:Characterization of the epigenome is a primary interest for children’s environmental health researchers studying the environmental influences on human populations, particularly those stu...
215 citations
TL;DR: Robust evidence of higher nonaccidental and cardiovascular mortality in association with short-term exposure to ambient ozone in China is provided, and associations between ozone and daily cause-specific mortality were positive but imprecise and nonsignificant.
Abstract: Background: Few large multicity studies have been conducted in developing countries to address the acute health effects of atmospheric ozone pollution. Objective: We explored the associations betwe...
211 citations
TL;DR: The findings suggest that the potential magnitude of health benefits of air quality policies targeting O3, health co-benefits of climate mitigation policies, and health implications of climate change-driven changes in O3 concentrations, are larger than previously thought.
Abstract: Background: Relative risk estimates for long-term ozone (O3) exposure and respiratory mortality from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II (ACS CPS-II) cohort have been used to est...
185 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that ambient air pollution was not associated with death from most nonlung cancers, but associations with kidney, bladder, and colorectal cancer death warrant further investigation.
Abstract: Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified both outdoor air pollution and airborne particulate matter as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) for lung cancer. There may be a...
Arizona State University1, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill2, University of Minnesota3, Medical University of South Carolina4, State University of New York System5, California Department of Public Health6, University of Rhode Island7, ETH Zurich8, Science & Environmental Health Network9, University of Massachusetts Amherst10, University of California, Berkeley11
TL;DR: It is concluded that triclosan and triclocarban are environmentally persistent endocrine disruptors that bioaccumulate in and are toxic to aquatic and other organisms.
Abstract: The Florence Statement on Triclosan and Triclocarban documents a consensus of more than 200 scientists and medical professionals on the hazards of and lack of demonstrated benefit from common uses of triclosan and triclocarban. These chemicals may be used in thousands of personal care and consumer products as well as in building materials. Based on extensive peer-reviewed research, this statement concludes that triclosan and triclocarban are environmentally persistent endocrine disruptors that bioaccumulate in and are toxic to aquatic and other organisms. Evidence of other hazards to humans and ecosystems from triclosan and triclocarban is presented along with recommendations intended to prevent future harm from triclosan, triclocarban, and antimicrobial substances with similar properties and effects. Because antimicrobials can have unintended adverse health and environmental impacts, they should only be used when they provide an evidence-based health benefit. Greater transparency is needed in product formulations, and before an antimicrobial is incorporated into a product, the long-term health and ecological impacts should be evaluated. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1788.
TL;DR: Gaining a better understanding of the size, timing, and distribution of the climate change burden of disease and injury requires reliable long-term data sets, more knowledge about the factors that confound and modify the effects of climate, and refinement of analytic techniques for detection and attribution.
Abstract: Background: Detection and attribution of health impacts caused by climate change uses formal methods to determine a) whether the occurrence of adverse health outcomes has changed, and b) the extent...
TL;DR: Evidence of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences in model-based estimates of noise exposure throughout the United States is found, and for daytime and nighttime noise and robust to different spatial weight and neighbor definitions.
Abstract: Background: Prior research has reported disparities in environmental exposures in the United States, but, to our knowledge, no nationwide studies have assessed inequality in noise pollution. Object...
TL;DR: The Sister Study is a unique cohort designed to efficiently study environmental and genetic risk factors for breast cancer, and extensive exposure data over the life-course and baseline specimens provide important opportunities for studying breast cancer and other health outcomes in women.
Abstract: Background: The Sister Study was designed to address gaps in the study of environment and breast cancer by taking advantage of more frequent breast cancer diagnoses among women with a sister histor...
TL;DR: This study identified potential relationships between maternal residential proximity to agricultural use of neurotoxic pesticides and poorer neurodevelopment in children.
Abstract: Background: Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use has been associated with neural tube defects and autism, but more subtle outcomes such as cognition have not been studied. Objectives...
TL;DR: Using IVF to investigate human reproduction and pregnancy outcomes, it was found that concentrations of some urinary PFR metabolites were negatively associated with proportions of successful fertilization, implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth.
Abstract: Background: Evidence from animal studies suggests that exposure to organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) can disrupt endocrine function and impair embryo development. However, no epidemiologic st...
TL;DR: Modeling shows that dietary intake levels for Cd exceed the levels associated with kidney damage and many other adverse outcomes, and the threshold level of urinary Cd should be re-evaluated.
Abstract: Background:Cadmium (Cd), a food-chain contaminant, is a significant health hazard. The kidney is one of the primary sites of injury after chronic Cd exposure. Kidney-based risk assessment establish...
TL;DR: Elevated atmospheric CO2 may widen the disparity in protein intake within countries, with plant-based diets being the most vulnerable.
Abstract: Background: Crops grown under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (eCO2) contain less protein. Crops particularly affected include rice and wheat, which are primary sources of dietary protein f...
TL;DR: A positive association between residential transportation noise and diabetes is found, adding to the growing body of evidence that noise pollution exposure may be independently linked to metabolic health and should be considered when developing public health interventions.
Abstract: Background: Evidence for an association between transportation noise and cardiovascular disease has increased; however, few studies have examined metabolic outcomes such as diabetes or accounted fo
TL;DR: A nested case–control study in the prospective Dongfeng-Tongji cohort suggested that incident CHD was positively associated with plasma levels of titanium and arsenic, and inversely associated with selenium.
Abstract: Background: Circulating metals from both the natural environment and pollution have been linked to cardiovascular disease. However, few prospective studies have investigated the associations betwee...
TL;DR: Exposure to residential outdoor light at night may contribute to invasive breast cancer risk, and an association between LAN and breast cancer appeared to be limited to women who were premenopausal at the time of a case.
Abstract: Background: Animal and epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to light at night (LAN) may disrupt circadian patterns and decrease nocturnal secretion of melatonin, which may disturb estrogen r...
TL;DR: Findings suggest that absolute NO2 Exposure disparities by race-ethnicity decreased from 2000 to 2010, but relative NO2 exposure disparities persisted, with higher NO2 concentrations for nonwhites than whites in 2010.
Abstract: Background: Disparities in exposure to air pollution by race-ethnicity and by socioeconomic status have been documented in the United States, but the impacts of declining transportation-related air...
TL;DR: Serum concentrations of PFASs and antibodies generally declined from 7 y to 13 y; however, 68 subjects had visited the emergency room and had likely received a vaccination booster, and a total of 202 children showed higher vaccine antibody concentrations at 13 y than at 7 y, so separate analyses were conducted after exclusion of these two subgroups.
Abstract: Background: Postnatal exposure to perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs) is associated with lower serum concentrations of specific antibodies against certain childhood vaccines at 7 y. Objectiv...
TL;DR: In this article, some evidence suggests that fluoride may be neurotoxic to children, but none of the epidemiologic studies have been longitudinal, had individual measures of fluoride exposure, addressed the...
Abstract: Background: Some evidence suggests that fluoride may be neurotoxic to children. Few of the epidemiologic studies have been longitudinal, had individual measures of fluoride exposure, addressed the ...
TL;DR: Personal heat exposure research provides more valid and precise insights into how often people encounter heat conditions and when, where, to whom, and why these encounters occur.
Abstract: Background: Environmental heat exposure is a public health concern. The impacts of environmental heat on mortality and morbidity at the population scale are well documented, but little is known abo...
TL;DR: The GuLF STUDY provides a unique opportunity to study potential adverse health effects from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and is being followed for changes in health status.
Abstract: Background:The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster led to the largest ever marine oil spill. Individuals who worked on the spill were exposed to toxicants and stressors that could lead to adverse effec...
TL;DR: Investigators should consider sexual heterogeneity of confounder associations when choosing an analytic approach to estimate sex-specific effects of endocrine disruptors on health, and the augmented product term approach may be advantageous over stratification when there is prior knowledge available to fit reduced models or when investigators seek an automated test for effect measure modification.
Abstract: Background: When a biologic mechanism of interest is anticipated to operate differentially according to sex, as is often the case in endocrine disruptors research, investigators routinely estimate ...
TL;DR: Current regulations are insufficient for addressing chemical exposures from FCAs, and exposures to hazardous substances migrating from FC as well as developing novel approaches for assessing the safety of chemicals in FCAs are recommended.
Abstract: Background: Food contact articles (FCAs) are manufactured from food contact materials (FCMs) that include plastics, paper, metal, glass, and printing inks. Chemicals can migrate from FCAs into food...
TL;DR: The observed associations between BPA, MnBP, and behavior in boys are consistent with previous findings and further health impact assessment studies based on dose–response functions corrected for exposure misclassification are required to quantify the public health burden possibly entailed by such associations.
Abstract: Background: Sex-specific associations have been reported between phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and child behavior. No data on large study populations are available for other phenols with possible ...