Publications by authors named "Castorina R"

Background: Endogenous and exogenous hormones may be present in beef. Human consumption of hormones has been linked to adverse health effects.

Objective: To estimate daily intake of hormonal growth promotants (HGP) from beef consumed by the US population.

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Background: The importance of building ventilation to protect health has been more widely recognized since the COVID-19 pandemic. Outdoor air ventilation in buildings dilutes indoor-generated air pollutants (including bioaerosols) and reduces resulting occupant exposures. Many countries and organizations have advisory guidelines or mandatory standards for minimum ventilation rates (VRs) to maintain indoor air quality (IAQ).

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Purpose: To investigate clinical and radiological differences between kidney metastases to the lung (RCCM +) and metachronous lung cancer (LC) detected during follow-up in patients surgically treated for Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: cM0 surgically-treated RCC who harbored a pulmonary mass during follow-up were retrospectively scrutinized. Univariate logistic regression assessed predictive features for differentiating between LC and RCCM + .

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Background: Diesel exhaust (DE) exposures pose concerns for serious health effects, including asthma and lung cancer, in California communities burdened by multiple stressors.

Objective: To evaluate DE exposures in disproportionately impacted communities using biomonitoring and compare results for adults and children within and between families.

Methods: We recruited 40 families in the San Francisco East Bay area.

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Background: Young children may be exposed to pesticides in child care centers, but little is known about determinants of pesticide contamination in these environments.

Objective: Characterize pesticide contamination in early care and education (ECE) centers and identify predictors of pesticide concentrations and loading in dust collected from classroom carpets.

Methods: Carpet dust samples were collected from 51 licensed child care centers in Northern California and analyzed for 14 structural and agricultural pesticides.

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This is dataset describing the levels of Food, Drug, & Cosmetic (FD&C) dye in juice drinks, breakfast cereals, frozen desserts, ice cream cones, fruit flavored soft drinks, frostings & icings, fruit snacks/candy, decoration chips for baking, water enhancers, and flavored fruit drink powder. Data values are organized by absolute values, averages, SDs and % RSD. High performance liquid chromatography with a photometric diode array detector (HPLC-PDA) was used to measure dye levels and generate the data.

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Organophosphosphorus pesticides (OPs) are widely used as insecticides in agriculture. Human exposure to OPs has been linked to adverse effects including poorer child neurodevelopment, reduced birth weight, altered serum hormone levels, and reduced semen quality. We measured six OP dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites [three dimethyl alkylphosphates (DMs) and three diethyl alkylphosphates (DEs)] in urine samples collected two times during pregnancy (~13 and ~26 weeks gestation) from 594 women participating in the CHAMACOS birth cohort study and resided in an agricultural community in the United States (U.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates artificial food colors (AFCs) in the United States. Exposure to AFCs has raised concerns about adverse behavioral effects in children. We quantified AFC exposure in women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and children and compared them to FDA and World Health Organization acceptable daily intakes (ADIs).

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Article Synopsis
  • A review by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) examined the effects of synthetic food dyes on children's behavior, highlighting concerns over potential negative impacts.
  • Out of 27 clinical trials analyzed, 16 found some evidence linking food dye exposure to adverse behavioral outcomes, with many studies showing statistically significant results.
  • The current FDA daily intake guidelines may not sufficiently protect children’s neurobehavior due to outdated research, indicating a need for further evaluation of food dye exposure and additional studies.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the exposure of children (ages 2-16) and pregnant women to synthetic color additives (SCAs) found in over-the-counter (OTC) medications and vitamins, an area previously under-researched compared to food sources.
  • It was found that a children's cold/cough/allergy syrup had the highest exposure level to FD&C Red No. 40, with certain dosages leading to exposures that are double the typical amounts from food.
  • Overall, while the estimated exposures were below acceptable daily intake levels set by health organizations, the findings suggest that OTC products can contribute significantly to children's total SCA exposure and should be considered in future studies.
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Background: There are growing health concerns about exposure to toxicants released from recycled tire rubber, which is commonly used in synthetic turf and playground mats. To better estimate children's exposure and risk from recycled tire rubber used in synthetic turf and playground mats, there is a need to collect detailed accurate information on mouthing activity and dermal contact behaviors. The objective of this study was to quantify and analyze micro-level activity time series (MLATS) data from children aged 1-12 years old while playing (non-sport-related games) at turf-like locations and playgrounds.

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Introduction: Young children may be exposed to pesticides used in child care centers and their family homes. We examined pesticide use and environmental and behavioral factors potentially associated with child exposures in these settings.

Method: Preschool-age children (n = 125) wore silicone wristbands to assess pesticide exposures in their child care centers and home environments.

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Background: Spot urine samples are often used to assess exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides in place of "gold standard" 24-hr samples, which are cumbersome to collect. Assessment of non-persistent chemicals using spot urine samples may result in exposure misclassification that could bias epidemiological analyses towards the null. Few studies have examined the validity of measurements of urinary metabolites in spot samples to estimate daily OP dose or the potential implications of reliance on spot samples for risk assessments.

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Food, Drug, & Cosmetic (FD&C) dyes can be found in various products outside of food that are consumed by children. The amount of FD&C dyes used in commercial products is proprietary. Determining the contribution of dye intake from commercial products requires direct assessment of FD&C dyes in the products.

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Objectives: To examine the relationship between residential proximity to agricultural fumigant use and respiratory symptoms and lung function in 7-year old children.

Methods: Participants were 294 children living in the agricultural Salinas Valley, California and enrolled in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children Of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study. We obtained information on respiratory symptoms and asthma medication use from maternal questionnaires and children performed spirometry to determine the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory flow 25-75% (FEF) at 7-years of age.

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Article Synopsis
  • Flame retardants are widely used in household products, especially substitutes like Firemaster 550 and organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) due to restrictions on older chemicals.
  • Research shows that these PFRs may negatively impact neurodevelopment, similar to some harmful pesticides, but there is limited understanding of their effects on humans.
  • In a study involving pregnant women and their children, high levels of certain PFR metabolites in urine were linked to lower intelligence and working memory scores in children, highlighting the need for further investigation.
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Although many U.S. children spend time in child care, little information exists on exposures to airborne particulate matter (PM) in this environment, even though PM may be associated with asthma and other respiratory illness, which is a key concern for young children.

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Objectives: Our objective was to examine the relationship between residential proximity to agricultural fumigant use and neurodevelopment in 7-year old children.

Methods: Participants were living in the agricultural Salinas Valley, California and enrolled in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children Of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study. We administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (4th Edition) to assess cognition and the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (2nd Edition) to assess behavior.

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Organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs), used in consumer products since the 1970s, persist in the environment. Restrictions on penta-polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants resulted in increased use of Firemaster 550 (FM 550), and the organophosphate triesters: tris(1,3- dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP); tris(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCIPP); tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP); and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP). The objectives of this study were to (1) identify determinants of flame retardants (4 PFRs, PentaBDEs and FM 550) in house dust, (2) measure urinary PFR metabolites in pregnant women, and (3) estimate health risks from PFR exposure.

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Little information exists about exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in early childhood education (ECE) environments. We measured 38 VOCs in single-day air samples collected in 2010-2011 from 34 ECE facilities serving California children and evaluated potential health risks. We also examined unknown peaks in the GC/MS chromatographs for indoor samples and identified 119 of these compounds using mass spectral libraries.

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Little information is available about air quality in early childhood education (ECE) facilities. We collected single-day air samples in 2010-2011 from 40 ECE facilities serving children ≤6 years old in California and applied new methods to evaluate cancer risk in young children. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were detected in 100% of samples.

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We conducted a randomized-controlled trial of a home-based intervention to reduce pesticide exposures to farmworkers' children in Monterey County, California (n=116 families). The intervention consisted of three home-based educational sessions delivered by community health workers in Spanish. Measurements of organophosphate (OP) insecticide metabolites in child urine (n=106) and pesticides in home floor wipes (n=103) were collected before and after the intervention.

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Article Synopsis
  • Recent studies indicate that organic diets can significantly reduce pesticide exposure in young children, particularly in suburban areas.
  • The study involved 40 Mexican-American children in California, where urine samples were collected over a 16-day period to analyze the impact of organic versus conventional diets on pesticide metabolite levels.
  • Results showed that while an organic diet led to significant reductions in certain pesticide metabolites, further research is necessary to fully understand the implications of these findings.
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Approximately 13 million U.S. children less than 6 years old spend some time in early childhood education (ECE) facilities where they may be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals during critical periods of development.

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