Socioeconomic Disparities in Exposures to PFAS and Other Unregulated Industrial Drinking Water Contaminants in US Public Water Systems.

Background: Unregulated contaminants in drinking water, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), can contribute to cumulative health risks, particularly in overburdened and less-advantaged communities. To our knowledge, there has been no nationwide assessment of socioeconomic disparities in exposures to unregulated contaminants in drinking water.

Objective: The goals of this study were to identify determinants of unregulated contaminant detection among US public water systems (PWSs) and evaluate disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Associations between solar and geomagnetic activity and cognitive function in the Normative Aging study.

Background: Studies show that changes in solar and geomagnetic activity (SGA) influence melatonin secretion and the autonomic nervous system. We evaluated associations between solar and geomagnetic activity and cognitive function in the Normative Aging Study from 1992 to 2013.

Methods: We used logistic and linear generalized estimating equations and regressions to evaluate the associations between moving averages of sunspot number (SSN) and K index (a measure of geomagnetic activity) and a binary measure for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (≤25 or > 25) and six other cognitive tests as continuous measures, combined into one global composite score and considered separately.

Sociodemographic Factors Are Associated with the Abundance of PFAS Sources and Detection in U.S. Community Water Systems.

Drinking water contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a widespread public health concern, and exposure-response relationships are known to vary across sociodemographic groups. However, research on disparities in drinking water PFAS exposures and the siting of PFAS sources in marginalized communities is limited. Here, we use monitoring data from 7873 U.

Programmatic conversion of crystal structures into 3D printable files using Jmol.

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) printed crystal structures are useful for chemistry teaching and research. Current manual methods of converting crystal structures into 3D printable files are time-consuming and tedious. To overcome this limitation, we developed a programmatic method that allows for facile conversion of thousands of crystal structures directly into 3D printable files.