Waterborne outbreaks: a public health concern for rural municipalities with unchlorinated drinking water distribution systems.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to describe an important waterborne outbreak of gastrointestinal illness observed in a rural municipality of Quebec.

Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted to identify risk factors associated with acute gastroenteritis. Indirect surveillance data were used to estimate the extent and the resolution of the epidemic.

Deriving A Drinking Water Guideline for A Non-Carcinogenic Contaminant: The Case of Manganese.

Manganese is a natural contaminant of water sources. It is an essential oligo-element, which may exert toxicity at high doses, particularly via inhalation. Its toxicity by the oral route is less known, but epidemiological and experimental studies tend to support its neurodevelopmental toxicity in infants and children.

Public Health Consequences of Lead in Drinking Water.

Purpose Of Review: Lead can enter drinking water from lead service lines and lead-containing plumbing, particularly in the presence of corrosive water. We review the current evidence on the role of drinking water as a source of lead exposure and its potential impacts on health, with an emphasis on children. Drinking water guidelines and mitigation strategies are also presented.

Indoor swimming pool environments and self-reported irritative and respiratory symptoms among lifeguards.

A web survey was conducted among 870 lifeguards (current and former) to assess the relationship between exposure to indoor swimming pool environments and respiratory health. Associations between respiratory symptoms and asthma with varying lengths of occupational exposure were assessed by multiple logistic regression. Lifeguards exposed more than 500 hours in the previous 12 months experienced more cough (adjustedOR = 2.

Investigation of Air Quality Problems in an Indoor Swimming Pool: A Case Study.

Introduction: Trichloramine (NCl3) is the contaminant suspected the most to cause irritative respiratory symptoms among swimmers and swimming pool workers. Following complaints by employees working in an indoor swimming pool, this study set out to identify the determinants of NCl3 air concentrations in that particular swimming pool.

Methods: To document NCl3 air levels, air samples (n = 26) were collected once or twice a day for 3 h, at least 3 days per week, between October and December 2011.

Prospective study of acute health effects in relation to exposure to cyanobacteria.

We conducted a study to investigate the relationship between exposure to cyanobacteria and microcystins and the incidence of symptoms in humans living in close proximity to lakes affected by cyanobacteria. The design was a prospective study of residents living around three lakes (Canada), one of which has a water treatment plant supplying potable water to local residents. Participants had to keep a daily journal of symptoms and record contact (full or limited) with the water body.

The impact of drinking water, indoor dust and paint on blood lead levels of children aged 1-5 years in Montréal (Québec, Canada).

Lead is neurotoxic at very low dose and there is a need to better characterize the impact of domestic sources of lead on the biological exposure of young children. A cross-sectional survey evaluated the contribution of drinking water, house dust and paint to blood lead levels (BLLs) of young children living in old boroughs of Montréal (Canada). Three hundred and six children aged 1 to 5 years and currently drinking tap water participated in the study.

Contamination of public whirlpool spas: factors associated with the presence of Legionella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli.

This work explores the factors associated with contamination of public spas by Legionella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters were measured in water samples from 95 spas inQuébec, Canada.

Microbiological guideline values for recreational bathing in Canada: Time for change?

Recreational bathing is an activity practiced by thousands of Canadians every year. While its health benefits are numerous, bathing in polluted water can also be a source of health problems. These problems are generally nonspecific and are difficult to detect through usual health monitoring systems.

Housing characteristics and indoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde in Quebec City, Canada.

Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde were determined in a study of 96 homes in Quebec City, Canada, between January and April 2005. In addition, relative humidity, temperature, and air change rates were measured in homes, and housing characteristics were documented through a questionnaire to occupants. Half of the homes had ventilation rates below 7.

Exposure to carbon monoxide during indoor karting.

Karting is a recreational activity of increasing popularity and it is often practiced indoors leading to build up of toxic gases in ambient air. This study was realised to verify the level of exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) in ten male racers (Age: 15 to 49 years old) during a 45-min race. The alveolar concentration of CO (alvCO) for each participant was measured before and after the race.

Experimental validation of a statistical model for evaluating the past or future magnetic field exposures of a population living near power lines.

This study was designed to provide an experimental validation for a statistical model predicting past or future exposures to magnetic fields (MF) from power lines. The model estimates exposure, combining the distribution of ambient MF in the absence of power lines with the distribution of past or future MF produced by power lines. In the study, validation is carried out by comparing exposures predicted by the model with the actual measurements obtained from a large-scale epidemiological study.

Estimating the mercury exposure dose in a population of migratory bird hunters in the St. Lawrence River region, Québec, Canada.

St. Lawrence River hunters (Québec, Canada) are exposed to the pollutants, especially mercury, that contaminate birds and fish. However, the health risks of this have remained unclear because of a lack of information about the hunters' duck, geese, and sportfish consumption habits.