Download or read book Assessing Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers PBDEs in the Home Environment written by Joseph Gardner Allen and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of toxic fire retardant compounds commonly used in household furniture and electronics. Human exposure to PBDEs primarily occurs in the indoor environment and levels in household dust have been linked to PBDE levels in breast milk. Further investigation of the home environment was necessary to improve our understanding of how PBDE sources contribute to personal exposure via both air and dust. In our first paper, we reported the first personal air concentrations of PBDEs in a non- occupational setting, and the first air concentrations in the United States. Further, we reported on BDE 209, a congener not widely reported in air. Concentrations of PBDEs were higher in personal air than in area air, particularly for the less volatile compounds, consistent with a personal cloud effect. We found that inhalation exposure may account for up to 22% of BDE 209 exposure in adults, far higher than previously estimated. Our second paper evaluated factors critical to assessing exposure to PBDEs in house dust. Concentrations of PBDEs in dust did not exhibit temporal variability over an 8-month period suggesting that cross-sectional sampling may be representative of exposure. Researcher-collected dust was up to 3.3 times higher, on average, than dust from the home vacuum bag. Concentrations of PBDEs in dust were significantly higher in the main living area compared with the bedroom, indicating spatial heterogeneity within homes. PBDE concentrations in air and dust were correlated, but only for the pentaBDE congeners and not decaBDE. Lastly, two dust exposure metrics (ng/g and ng/m 2) were strongly correlated, suggesting similar dust loadings across homes in our sample. In our final paper, we used X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to quantify bromine in consumer products and then relate those measures to room-specific concentrations of PBDEs in dust. In the validation phase, we demonstrated that XRF is a reliable predictor of bromine in products compared with GC/MS. In the field study phase, we found associations between XRF-measured bromine content in furniture and pentaBDE concentrations in dust from the same room. We also found that XRF-measured bromine levels in televisions were associated with decaBDE concentrations in dust, with the number of residents acting as an effect modifier.

Download or read book Exposure of Humans to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers PBDEs Via Residential Indoor Environment in the U S written by Hua He and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book An Assessment of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers PBDEs in Sediments and Bivalves of the U S Coastal Zone written by K. L. Kimbrough and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report represents the first national assessment of PBDEs in the U.S. coastal zone. Results suggest that they are widely distributed nationally. Several regions, including the northern Mid-Atlantic, central Gulf of Mexico, Southern California, Pacific Northwest and the Great lakes have elevated PBDE concentrations compared with other coastal regions. Furthermore, PBDE concentrations are positively correlated with human population density along the U.S. coastline. The national and regional perspectives provided herein are intended to support research, local monitoring, and to assist resource managers and policy makers tasked with making regulatory decisions about these contaminants.

Download or read book Application of Systematic Review Methods in an Overall Strategy for Evaluating Low Dose Toxicity from Endocrine Active Chemicals written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-08-14 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To safeguard public health, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must keep abreast of new scientific information and emerging technologies so that it can apply them to regulatory decision-making. For decades the agency has dealt with questions about what animal-testing data to use to make predictions about human health hazards, how to perform dose-response extrapolations, how to identify and protect susceptible subpopulations, and how to address uncertainties. As alternatives to traditional toxicity testing have emerged, the agency has been faced with additional questions about how to incorporate data from such tests into its chemical assessments and whether such tests can replace some traditional testing methods. Endocrine active chemicals (EACs) have raised concerns that traditional toxicity-testing protocols might be inadequate to identify all potential hazards to human health because they have the ability to modulate normal hormone function, and small alterations in hormone concentrations, particularly during sensitive life stages, can have lasting and significant effects. To address concerns about potential human health effects from EACs at low doses, this report develops a strategy to evaluate the evidence for such low-dose effects.

Download or read book Child specific Exposure Factors Handbook written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Human Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers PBDES in the Indoor Environment written by Deborah Jean Watkins and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardants that have been widely added to consumer products such as polyurethane foam furniture and electronics. Exposure to PBDEs has been associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment and the endocrine system. House dust and diet are thought to be main sources of PBDE exposure, but the process by which these compounds are released from products and subsequently enter people is somewhat unclear. In addition, PBDE exposure in offices and vehicles has not been well characterized. The objectives of this work were to examine pathways of PBDE exposure in multiple indoor microenvironments among a population of 31 office workers. Associations between concurrent measures of PBDEs in office dust, air, and surface wipes, home dust, vehicle dust, handwipes, and serum were examined. Dietary exposure to PBDEs was also explored using a food frequency questionnaire. In Chapter 2 we report positive correlations between PBDEs in office air, dust, and surface wipes. Associations between the three samples types were influenced by the volatility of individual congeners, as well as characteristics of the surrounding environment. PentaBDEs in handwipes were equally correlated with office air, dust, and surface wipes, suggesting that the office microenvironment is a significant source of PentaBDE exposure among office workers. In Chapter 3 we explore relationships between PBDEs in office dust, handwipes, and serum. We found that handwipes collected in the office microenvironment were correlated with both office dust and serum, providing a link between the office microenvironment and body burden. This suggests that handwipes may provide a measure of personal exposure to PBDEs in the surrounding environment, and exposure likely occurs via hands, either through incidental ingestion or dermal absorption. In Chapter 4 we examine the relative contributions of diet and dust from the home, office, and car microenvironments to PentaBDE body burden. We found that the main living area and bedroom microenvironments of the home were the most predictive of PentaBDE concentrations in serum. Although previous studies found associations between meat and dairy intake and PentaBDE body burden, diet did not predict PentaBDEs in serum in this study population.

Download or read book Handbook of Psychoeducational Assessment written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2001-04-17 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Handbook of Psychoeducational Assessment is a practical guide for educational and psychological professionals using norm-referenced tests in the ability, achievement, and behavioral assessment of children. Written by key individuals involved in the construction and evolution of the most widely used tests, this book provides critical information on the nature and scope of commonly used tests, their reliability and validity, administration, scoring and interpretation, and on how the tests may differ and complement each other in their utility with specific populations. Part 1 of the Handbook of Psychoeducational Assessment focuses on ability assessment and the use of full battery intelligence tests as well as brief scales and short forms. Part 2 discusses achievement and the expanded role of psychologists in consultation with educators. Part 3 covers behavior assessment with special attention given to discussion of which tests are most suitable for assessing specific behavioral problems such as ADHD, anxiety, and depression. The final section recognizes the importance of context and person sensitive assessment practices, discussing cross-cultural assessment, neuropsychological assessment, and the usefulness of dynamic assessment for program planning and intervention delivery. Key Features: - Covers the most commonly used and newest assessment instruments - Describes the nature, scope, reliability, and validity of each test - Discusses the administration, scoring, and interpretation of tests - Provides empirical findings on patterns of performance with tested populations - Includes case studies to highlight the utility of specific tests for specific populations - Illustrates new developments in instrumentation and unique features - Covers the most commonly used and newest assessment instruments - Describes the nature, scope, reliability, and validity of each test - Discusses the administration, scoring, and interpretation of tests - Provides empirical findings on patterns of performance with tested populations - Includes case studies to highlight the utility of specific tests for specific populations - Illustrates new developments in instrumentation and unique features

Download or read book Assessing Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Polyfluorinated Compounds from Diet and the Indoor Environment written by Alicia June Fraser and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: This dissertation examines exposure of the general population to two classes of persistent organic pollutants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs), both of which are used in consumer products. Exposure is known to occur in the indoor environment and via diet, though the relative contribution of different exposure pathways and microenvironments to human body burdens is poorly understood. Chapter 2 investigates the association between diet and serum concentrations of PBDEs in the general U.S. population The study sample consists of 1,971 participants of the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using both a 24-hour food recall and a 1-year food frequency questionnaire, food categories were examined as predictors of five PBDEs (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, and 153), and their sum (ΣPBDE) while adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, and BMI. Consumption of poultry and red meat contributed significantly to PBDE body burdens and vegetarians had 25% lower ΣPBDE serum concentrations than omnivores. Chapters 3 and 4 investigate the role of indoor air and dust exposure to PFC body burdens among 31 individuals living and working in Boston, MA. Week-long, active air samples were collected from participant offices while dust samples were collected from offices, homes, and vehicles. Air samples were measured for the volatile PFC precursor compounds fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), sulfonamides (FOSAs), and sulfonamidoethanols (FOSEs). Dust samples were analyzed for 19 PFCs, including perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), FTOHs, FOSAs, and FOSEs. Serum samples were also collected from participants and analyzed for eight PFCs including PFOA and PFOS. FTOH concentrations in office air, particularly 8:2-FTOH, were much higher than FOSAs and FOSEs, and varied by building with the highest levels observed in a newly constructed and newly furnished building. FTOHs in air were significantly associated with PFOA in serum. PFOS in serum was not associated with air levels of FOSAs/FOSEs. PFC concentrations in dust varied by microenvironment and, in general, were found to be highest in offices and not associated with PFCs in serum. In conclusion, diet is an important exposure pathway for PBDEs, and office air may be an important contributor to PFOA body burden.

Download or read book Environmental Health Literacy written by Symma Finn and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-12 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores various and distinct aspects of environmental health literacy (EHL) from the perspective of investigators working in this emerging field and their community partners in research. Chapters aim to distinguish EHL from health literacy and environmental health education in order to classify it as a unique field with its own purposes and outcomes. Contributions in this book represent the key aspects of communication, dissemination and implementation, and social scientific research related to environmental health sciences and the range of expertise and interest in EHL. Readers will learn about the conceptual framework and underlying philosophical tenets of EHL, and its relation to health literacy and communications research. Special attention is given to topics like dissemination and implementation of culturally relevant environmental risk messaging, and promotion of EHL through visual technologies. Authoritative entries by experts also focus on important approaches to advancing EHL through community-engaged research and by engaging teachers and students at an early age through developing innovative STEM curriculum. The significance of theater is highlighted by describing the use of an interactive theater experience as an approach that enables community residents to express themselves in non-verbal ways.

Download or read book Indoor Environment written by Lidia Morawska and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2006-12-13 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering the fundamentals of air-borne particles and settled dust in the indoor environment, this handy reference investigates: * relevant definitions and terminology, * characteristics, * sources, * sampling techniques and instrumentation, * exposure assessment, * monitoring methods. The result is a useful and comprehensive overview for chemists, physicists and biologists, postgraduate students, medical practitioners, occupational health professionals, building owners and managers, building, construction and air-conditioning engineers, architects, environmental lawyers, government and regulatory professionals.

Download or read book Nondetects and Data Analysis written by Dennis R. Helsel and published by Wiley-Interscience. This book was released on 2005 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: STATISTICS IN PRACTICE Statistical methods for interpreting and analyzing censored environmental data Nondetects And Data Analysis: Statistics for Censored Environmental Data provides solutions for environmental scientists and professionals who need to interpret and analyze data that fall below the laboratory detection limit. Adapting survival analysis methods that have been successfully used in medical and industrial research, the author demonstrates, for the first time, their practical applications for studies of trace chemicals in air, water, soils, and biota. Readers quickly become proficient in these methods through the use of real-world examples that are solved using MINITAB® Release 14, a popular statistical software package, as well as other commonly used software packages. Everything needed to master these innovative statistical methods is provided, including: Accompanying Web site featuring answers to book exercises and datasets, as well as MINITAB® macros to perform methods, which are not available in the commercial version Methods for data with multiple detection limits Solutions for research studies in which all data are below detection limits Techniques for constructing confidence, prediction, and tolerance intervals for data with nond-tects Methods for data with multiple detection limits Chapters are organized by objective, such as computing intervals, comparing groups, and correlations, which enables readers to more easily apply the text to their particular research and goals. Extensive references to the literature for more in-depth research are provided; however, the text itself avoids complex math and calculus making it accessible to anyone in the environmental sciences. Environmental scientists and professionals will find the hands-on guidance and practical examples invaluable.

Download or read book Experimental Determinations of Henry s Law Constants of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers PBDEs to Evaluate Exposure to Aquatic Biota written by M. Judith Charles and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Toxicological Risks of Selected Flame Retardant Chemicals written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-07-06 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ignition of upholstered furniture by small open flames from matches, cigarette lighters, and candles is one of the leading causes of residential-fire deaths in the United States. These fires accounted for about 16% of civilian fire deaths in 1996. On average, each year since 1990, about 90 deaths (primarily of children), 440 injuries, and property losses amounting to 50 million dollars have resulted from fires caused by the ignition of upholstered furniture by small open flames. Certain commercial seating products (such as aircraft and bus seats) are subject to flammability standards and sometimes incorporate FR-treated upholstery cover materials, but there is no federal-government requirement for residential upholstered furniture, and it is generally not treated with FR chemicals. It is estimated that less than 0.2% of all U.S. residential upholstery fabric is treated with flame-retardant (FR) chemicals. The Consumer Product Safety Act of 1972 created the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as an independent federal regulatory agency whose mission is to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. CPSC also administers the Flammable Fabrics Act, under which it regulates flammability hazards and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), which regulates hazardous substances including chemicals. In 1993, the National Association of State Fire Marshals petitioned CPSC to issue a performance-based flammability standard for upholstered furniture to reduce the risk of residential fires. The Commission granted that portion of the petition relating to small open flame ignition risks. In response to concerns regarding the safety of FR chemicals, Congress, in the fiscal year 1999 appropriations report for CPSC, requested that the National Research Council conduct an independent study of the health risks to consumers posed by exposure to FR chemicals that are likely to be used in residential upholstered furniture to meet a CPSC standard. The National Research Council assigned the project to the Committee on Toxicology (COT) of the Commission on Life Sciences' Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology. COT convened the Subcommittee on Flame-Retardant Chemicals, which prepared this report. Subcommittee members were chosen for their recognized expertise in toxicology, pharmacology, epidemiology, chemistry, exposure assessment, risk assessment, and biostatistics. Toxicological Risks of Selected Flame-Retardant Chemicals is organized into 18 chapters and two appendices. Chapter 2 describes the risk assessment process used by the subcommittee in determining the risk associated with potential exposure to the various FR chemicals. Chapter 3 describes the method the subcommittee used to measure and estimate the intensity, frequency, extent, and duration of human exposure to FR chemicals. Chapters 4-19 provide the subcommittee's review and assessment of health risks posed by exposure to each of the 16 FR chemicals. Data gaps and research needs are provided at the end of these chapters.

Download or read book Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Chemicals written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-11-30 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biomonitoring—a method for measuring amounts of toxic chemicals in human tissues—is a valuable tool for studying potentially harmful environmental chemicals. Biomonitoring data have been used to confirm exposures to chemicals and validate public health policies. For example, population biomonitoring data showing high blood lead concentrations resulted in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) regulatory reduction of lead in gasoline; biomonitoring data confirmed a resultant drop in blood lead concentrations. Despite recent advances, the science needed to understand the implications of the biomonitoring data for human health is still in its nascent stages. Use of the data also raises communication and ethical challenges. In response to a congressional request, EPA asked the National Research Council to address those challenges in an independent study. Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Chemicals provides a framework for improving the use of biomonitoring data including developing and using biomarkers (measures of exposure), research to improve the interpretation of data, ways to communicate findings to the public, and a review of ethical issues.

Download or read book Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers PDBEs and Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs in the Serum of Domestic Canines sentinels for Evaluating Environmental Pollutant Exposure written by Grace Christina Lau and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are human-made chemicals that are environmentally persistent and ubiquitous in nature due to their resistance to degradation and lipophilic nature. Since household dogs share the human environment, they may serve as biosentinels of human exposure to these contaminants. Serum samples were collected from client-owned dogs visiting the University of California Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital during 2012 to 2016 for routine appointments. The relationship between the concentrations of 14 PBDEs and 23 PCBs in serum of domestic canines diagnosed with hypothyroidism was investigated. Of the 51 dogs enrolled in this study, 15 dogs were diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The median concentrations of total PBDE and PCB in the hypothyroid group were 660 and 1371 ng/g lipid, respectively, which were higher than concentrations detected in the control group. However, logistic regression analysis determined that current concentrations of PBDEs and PCBs in canines were not associated with hypothyroidism diagnosis. BDE 183 was the only congener showing near significance (p = 0.068). PBDE and PCB congeners were detected in all canine samples confirming ongoing exposure to these pollutants. Because of the high metabolic capabilities of dogs, metabolism of PBDEs and PCBs via hydroxylation and dehalogenation may have resulted in formation of metabolites interfering with thyroid function. Since household dogs share the human environment, they may serve as biosentinels of human exposure to these contaminants.

Download or read book Emerging Pollutants in the Environment written by Marcelo Larramendy and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2015-09-02 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited book, Emerging Pollutants in the Environment Current and Further Implications, includes overviews by significant researchers on the topic of emerging pollutants toxicology, which covers the hazardous effects of common emerging xenobiotics employed in our every day anthropogenic activities. We hope that this book will meet the expectations and needs of all those who are interested in the negative implications of several emerging pollutants on living species.

Download or read book Global Contamination Trends of Persistent Organic Chemicals written by Bommanna G. Loganathan and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2011-08-09 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental pollution by man-made persistent organic chemicals (POCs) has been a serious global issue for over half a century. POCs are prevalent in air, water, soil, and organisms including wildlife and humans throughout the world. They do not degrade and cause long-term effect in organisms. Exposure to certain POCs may result in serious environ