Differential Inflammatory Cytokine Elaboration in Serum from Brick Kiln Workers in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Previous studies involving workers at brick kilns in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal have investigated chronic exposure to hazardous levels of fine particulate matter (PM) common in ambient and occupational environments. Such exposures are known to cause and/or exacerbate chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the status of systemic inflammation observed in exposed workers at brick manufacturing facilities within the country.

Respirable dust and crystalline silica concentrations among workers at a brick kiln in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Exposure to respirable dust and crystalline silica (SiO) has been linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, silicosis, cancer, heart disease, and other respiratory diseases. Relatively few studies have measured respirable dust and SiO concentrations among workers at brick kilns in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to measure personal breathing zone (PBZ) respirable dust and SiO concentrations among workers at one brick kiln in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Development of a job-exposure matrix-like exposure assessment method for the US general population based on Occupational Information Network (O*NET) job tasks.

Background: Job-exposure matrices (JEMs) are often used for exposure assessment in occupational exposure and epidemiology studies. However, general population JEMs are difficult to find and access for workers in the United States of America.

Objective: We aimed to use publicly available information to develop a JEM-like exposure assessment method to determine exposure to a wide range of occupational agents in a wide range of occupations for US general population studies.

Gaseous Air Pollutants and Respirable Crystalline Silica Inside and Outside Homes at Brick Kilns in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Household and ambient air pollution remain public health problems in much of the world. Brick kiln employees in Nepal may be particularly at risk of high air pollution exposures and resulting health effects due to high levels of outdoor air pollution, substandard housing, and indoor biomass cooking. We conducted a cross-sectional study of indoor and outdoor air pollution concentrations at workers' homes at four fixed chimney Bull's trench brick kilns in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID-19 risk, death risk, and case-fatality proportion: An international, ecological study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in 2019 with several unknown factors. The World Health Organization (WHO) subsequently developed COVID-19 occupational safety and health (OSH) guidelines to reduce occupational COVID-19 transmission. Many countries also developed their own COVID-19 OSH guidelines, but whether these guidelines included WHO's guidelines and whether including WHO's guidelines in countries' COVID-19 OSH guidelines reduced COVID-19 transmission is unknown.

Associations Between School Characteristics and Classroom Radon Concentrations in Utah's Public Schools: A Project Completed by University Environmental Health Students.

Radon (²²²Rn), a radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. Classroom radon concentrations in public schools in our target area had never been measured or had not been measured in many years.

Comparison of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cookstoves and Wood Cooking Fires on PM Trends in Brick Workers' Homes in Nepal.

Prior studies document a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms among brick workers in Nepal, which may be partially caused by non-occupational exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) from cooking. In this study, we compared PM levels and 24 h trends in brick workers' homes that used wood or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooking fuel. PM filter-based and real-time nephelometer data were collected for approximately 24 h in homes and outdoors.

Air-Quality Assessment of On-Site Brick-Kiln Worker Housing in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Chemical Speciation of Indoor and Outdoor PM Pollution.

Brick workers and their families in Nepal generally live in poorly ventilated on-site housing at the brick kiln, and may be at higher risk for non-occupational exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution and subsequent respiratory diseases due to indoor and outdoor sources. This study characterized non-occupational exposure to PM by comparing overall concentrations and specific chemical components of PM inside and outside of brick workers' on-site housing. For all samples, the geometric mean PM concentration was 184.

Associations between evaporative cooling and dust-mite allergens, endotoxins, and β-(1 → 3)-d-glucans in house dust: A study of low-income homes.

Recent work suggests that evaporative coolers increase the level and diversity of bioaerosols, but this association remains understudied in low-income homes. We conducted a cross-sectional study of metropolitan, low-income homes in Utah with evaporative coolers (n = 20) and central air conditioners (n = 28). Dust samples (N = 147) were collected from four locations in each home and analyzed for dust-mite allergens Der p1 and Der f1, endotoxins, and β-(1 → 3)-d-glucans.

Association of pulmonary, cardiovascular, and hematologic metrics with carbon nanotube and nanofiber exposure among U.S. workers: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Commercial use of carbon nanotubes and nanofibers (CNT/F) in composites and electronics is increasing; however, little is known about health effects among workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 108 workers at 12 U.S.

Carbon nanotube and nanofiber exposure and sputum and blood biomarkers of early effect among U.S. workers.

Background: Carbon nanotubes and nanofibers (CNT/F) are increasingly used for diverse applications. Although animal studies suggest CNT/F exposure may cause deleterious health effects, human epidemiological studies have typically been small, confined to single workplaces, and limited in exposure assessment.

Objectives: We conducted an industrywide cross-sectional epidemiological study of 108 workers from 12 U.

Exposure assessments for a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of US carbon nanotube and nanofiber workers.

Background: Recent animal studies have suggested the potential for wide-ranging health effects resulting from exposure to carbon nanotubes and nanofibers (CNT/F). To date, no studies in the US have directly examined the relationship between occupational exposure and potential human health effects.

Objectives: Our goal was to measure CNT/F exposures among US workers with representative job types, from non-exposed to highly exposed, for an epidemiologic study relating exposure to early biologic effects.

Outbreak of Severe Histoplasmosis Among Tunnel Workers-Dominican Republic, 2015.

Background: Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection associated with exposure to bat guano. An outbreak of an unknown severe febrile illness occurred among tunnel workers in the Dominican Republic, and resulted in several deaths. We conducted an investigation to confirm etiology and recommend control measures.

Blood Lead, Bone Turnover, and Survival in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Blood lead and bone turnover may be associated with the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We aimed to assess whether these factors were also associated with time from ALS diagnosis to death through a survival analysis of 145 ALS patients enrolled during 2007 in the National Registry of Veterans with ALS. Associations of survival time with blood lead and plasma biomarkers of bone resorption (C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX)) and bone formation (procollagen type I amino-terminal peptide (PINP)) were estimated using Cox models adjusted for age at diagnosis, diagnostic certainty, diagnostic delay, site of onset, and score on the Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale.

Military service, deployments, and exposures in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis survival.

Background: Military veterans may have higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mortality than non-veterans. Few studies, with sparse exposure information and mixed results, have studied relationships between military-related factors and ALS survival. We evaluated associations between military-related factors and ALS survival among U.

Mortality from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease Among Different Occupation Groups - United States, 1985-2011.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease, both progressive neurodegenerative diseases, affect >1 million Americans (1,2). Consistently reported risk factors for ALS include increasing age, male sex, and cigarette smoking (1); risk factors for Parkinson's disease include increasing age, male sex, and pesticide exposure, whereas cigarette smoking and caffeine consumption are inversely associated (2). Relative to cancer or respiratory diseases, the role of occupation in neurologic diseases is much less studied and less well understood (3).

Assessing the Potential for Bias From Nonresponse to a Study Follow-up Interview: An Example From the Agricultural Health Study.

Prospective cohort studies are important tools for identifying causes of disease. However, these studies are susceptible to attrition. When information collected after enrollment is through interview or exam, attrition leads to missing information for nonrespondents.

Body Mass Index and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Study of US Military Veterans.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be associated with low body mass index (BMI) at the time of diagnosis. However, the role of premorbid BMI in the development of ALS and survival after diagnosis remains unclear. In 2005-2010, we interviewed 467 patients with ALS from the US National Registry of Veterans with ALS and 975 frequency-matched veteran controls.

Blood levels of trace metals and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Some trace metals may increase risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), whereas others may be beneficial. Our goal was to examine associations of ALS with blood levels of selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn). We conducted a case-control study of 163 neurologist confirmed patients from the National Registry of Veterans with ALS and 229 frequency-matched veteran controls.

Military service, deployments, and exposures in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etiology.

Background: Factors underlying a possible excess of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among military veterans remain unidentified. Limitations of previous studies on this topic include reliance on ALS mortality as a surrogate for ALS incidence, low statistical power, and sparse information on military-related factors.

Objectives: We evaluated associations between military-related factors and ALS using data from a case-control study of U.

Military service, deployments, and exposures in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etiology and survival.

Rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been reported to be higher among US military veterans, who currently number more than 21 million, but the causal factor(s) has not been identified. We conducted a review to examine the weight of evidence for associations between military service, deployments, and exposures and ALS etiology and survival. Thirty articles or abstracts published through 2013 were reviewed.

Dietary fat intake and risk for Parkinson's disease.

Previous epidemiological studies have generated inconsistent results regarding the associations between dietary fat intakes and risk for Parkinson's disease (PD). We therefore prospectively examined these associations in the National Institutes of Health-American Association of Retired Persons (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study. A 124-item food frequency questionnaire was administered at baseline in1995 to 1996, and PD diagnosis was self-reported at the follow-up survey in 2004 to 2006.

Pesticide exposure and depression among male private pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study.

Background: Pesticide exposure may be positively associated with depression. Few previous studies have considered the episodic nature of depression or examined individual pesticides.

Objective: We evaluated associations between pesticide exposure and depression among male private pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.

Pesticide exposure and self-reported incident depression among wives in the Agricultural Health Study.

Background: Depression in women is a public health problem. Studies have reported positive associations between pesticides and depression, but few studies were prospective or presented results for women separately.

Objectives: We evaluated associations between pesticide exposure and incident depression among farmers' wives in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort study in Iowa and North Carolina.