Semen Uranium Concentrations in Depleted Uranium Exposed Gulf War Veterans: Correlations with Other Body Fluid Matrices.

Environmental metal exposure, as well as dietary metals, may adversely affect semen quality even as others play an essential role in normal spermatogenesis and fertility. Measures of seminal fluid metals have therefore been of high interest in the last several decades but have shown inconsistent results in correlations with some semen quality parameters. As well, environmental metal measures across various body fluid matrices have not been consistently correlated contrary to what one might hypothesize based on a systemic body burden of metal.

Metal Exposure in Veterans With Embedded Fragments From War-Related Injuries: Early Findings From Surveillance Efforts.

Objective: To characterize systemic metal exposures from retained fragments in a cohort of war-injured US Veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Embedded Fragment Registry.

Methods: Five hundred seventy nine registry-enrolled Veterans submitted an exposure questionnaire and urine sample for analyses of 14 metals often found in fragments. Urine metal results were compared with reference values of unexposed populations to identify elevations.

The U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs depleted uranium exposed cohort at 25 Years: Longitudinal surveillance results.

Background: A small group of Gulf War I veterans wounded in depleted uranium (DU) friendly-fire incidents have been monitored for health changes in a clinical surveillance program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore since 1994.

Methods: During the spring of 2015, an in-patient clinical surveillance protocol was performed on 36 members of the cohort, including exposure monitoring for total and isotopic uranium concentrations in urine and a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes.

Results: On-going mobilization of U from embedded fragments is evidenced by elevated urine U concentrations.

Measuring extent of surface contamination produced by the handling of antineoplastic drugs in low- to middle-income country oncology health care settings.

Antineoplastic drugs are known to cause detrimental effects to health care workers who are exposed through work tasks. Environmental monitoring studies are an excellent approach to measure the extent of surface contamination produced by the handling of antineoplastic drugs in the workplace and to assess the potential for occupational exposures in oncology health care settings. The main aim of the study was to establish the extent of surface contamination produced by the handling of antineoplastic drugs in a limited-resource oncology health care facility in Colombia by conducting an environmental monitoring study using affordable analytical instrumentation.

Mobilization of Metal From Retained Embedded Fragments in a Blast-Injured Iraq War Veteran.

A frequent comorbidity of traumatic injury due to a blast or explosion, commonly reported in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, is that of retained embedded fragments typically of unknown content. Because of concerns over both local and systemic health effects related to both the physical presence of and mobilization of materials from embedded fragments, the Department of Veterans Affairs established a surveillance program for this group of veterans. We present here the case of a surveillance-enrolled veteran who submitted: (1) three surgically removed fragments for content analyses, (2) tissue adhered to the fragments for histology and metal concentration evaluation, and (3) pre- and postfragment removal urine samples to assess concentrations of various metals often found in fragments.

Significance of dermatologic findings in a cohort of depleted uranium-exposed veterans of Iraqi conflicts.

Background: Depleted uranium (DU)-containing weapons have been used in military operations since 1991. There is interest in following veterans who were occupationally exposed to DU by either inhalation or retention of fragments. A cohort of DU-exposed Gulf War I veterans has been followed longitudinally at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center since 1993.

Mutagenicity monitoring following battlefield exposures: Molecular analysis of HPRT mutations in Gulf War I veterans exposed to depleted uranium.

Molecular studies that involved cDNA and genomic DNA sequencing as well as multiplex PCR of the HPRT gene were performed to determine the molecular mutational spectrum for 1,377 HPRT mutant isolates obtained from 61 Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, most of whom were exposed to depleted uranium (DU). Mutant colonies were isolated from one to four times from each Veteran (in 2003, 2005, 2007, and/or 2009). The relative frequencies of the various types of mutations (point mutations, deletions, insertions, etc.

Mutagenicity monitoring following battlefield exposures: Longitudinal study of HPRT mutations in Gulf War I veterans exposed to depleted uranium.

A total of 70 military Veterans have been monitored for HPRT T-cell mutations in five separate studies at 2-year intervals over an 8-year period. Systemic depleted uranium (DU) levels were measured at the time of each study by determining urinary uranium (uU) excretion. Each HPRT study included 30-40 Veterans, several with retained DU-containing shrapnel.

Biologic monitoring and surveillance results for the department of veterans affairs' depleted uranium cohort: Lessons learned from sustained exposure over two decades.

Background: A small group of Gulf War I veterans wounded in depleted uranium (DU) friendly fire incidents have been monitored in a clinical surveillance program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore since 1994.

Methods: An in-patient clinical surveillance protocol was performed on 35 members of the cohort, including exposure monitoring for total and isotopic uranium concentrations in urine and a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes.

Results: Although urine U concentrations continue to be elevated in this group, illustrating on-going in situ mobilization of U from embedded fragments, no consistent U-related health effects have been observed.

Detection of a wide variety of human and veterinary fluoroquinolone antibiotics in municipal wastewater and wastewater-impacted surface water.

As annual sales of antibiotics continue to rise, the mass of these specially-designed compounds entering municipal wastewater treatment systems has also increased. Of primary concern here is that antibiotics can inhibit growth of specific microorganisms in biological processes of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or in downstream ecosystems. Growth inhibition studies with Escherichia coli demonstrated that solutions containing 1-10 μg/L of fluoroquinolones can inhibit microbial growth.

Chapter 4 embedded metal fragments.

The continued evolution of military munitions and armor on the battlefield, as well as the insurgent use of improvised explosive devices, has led to embedded fragment wounds containing metal and metal mixtures whose long-term toxicologic and carcinogenic properties are not as yet known. Advances in medical care have greatly increased the survival from these types of injuries. Standard surgical guidelines suggest leaving embedded fragments in place, thus individuals may carry these retained metal fragments for the rest of their lives.

Pesticides, gene polymorphisms, and bladder cancer among Egyptian agricultural workers.

Unlabelled: This study examined the associations between pesticide exposure, genetic polymorphisms for

Nad(p)h: quinone oxidoreductase I (NQO1) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and urinary bladder cancer risk among male agricultural workers in Egypt. Logistic regression was used to analyze data from a multicenter case-control study and estimate adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Exposure to pesticides was associated with increased bladder cancer risk (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.

Comparative physicochemical and biological characterization of NIST Interim Reference Material PM2.5 and SRM 1648 in human A549 and mouse RAW264.7 cells.

The epidemiological association between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and adverse health effects is well-known. Here we report the size distribution, metals content, endotoxin content, and biological activity of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Interim Reference Material (RM) PM2.

Long-term exposure to depleted uranium in Gulf-War veterans does not induce chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Depleted uranium (DU) is a high-density heavy metal that has been used in munitions since the 1991 Gulf War. DU is weakly radioactive and chemically toxic, and long-term exposure may cause adverse health effects. This study evaluates genotoxic effects of exposure to DU by measuring chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes with fluorescence in situ hybridization whole-chromosome painting.

Agricultural workers and urinary bladder cancer risk in Egypt.

The authors examined the associations between farming and the risk for squamous cell (SCC) or urothelial cell (UC) carcinoma of the urinary bladder among Egyptians. The authors used data from a multicenter case-control study (1,525 male and 315 female cases, and 2,069 male and 547 female age- and residence-matched, population-based controls) to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Men in farming and who never smoked had increased risk for either SCC or UC (AOR [95% CI]: 4.

Pulmonary health effects in Gulf War I service members exposed to depleted uranium.

Objective: In a population of Gulf War I veterans who sustained inhalational exposure to depleted uranium during friendly fire incidents in 1991, we evaluated whether those with high body burdens of uranium were more likely to have pulmonary health abnormalities than those with low body burdens.

Methods: We compared self-reported respiratory symptoms, mean pulmonary function values, and prevalence of low-dose chest computed tomography abnormalities between high and low urine uranium groups.

Results: We found no significant differences in respiratory symptoms, abnormal pulmonary function values, or prevalence of chest computed tomography abnormalities between high and low urine uranium groups.

The Gulf War depleted uranium cohort at 20 years: bioassay results and novel approaches to fragment surveillance.

During the 1991 GulfWar, U.S. service members were exposed to depleted uranium (DU) through friendly-fire incidents involving DU munitions and vehicles protected by DU armor.

Uranium quantification in semen by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

In this study we report uranium analysis for human semen samples. Uranium quantification was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. No additives, such as chymotrypsin or bovine serum albumin, were used for semen liquefaction, as they showed significant uranium content.

Surveillance for long-term health effects associated with depleted uranium exposure and retained embedded fragments in US veterans.

Objective: To ensure that all veterans with retained embedded fragments are properly monitored for potential health effects of embedded materials.

Methods: Urine biomonitoring and health surveillance programs were developed to gather information about health risks associated with chemicals released from embedded fragments.

Results: Elevated systemic exposure to depleted uranium (DU) that continues to occur in veterans with DU fragments remains a concern, although no clinically significant DU-related health effects have been observed to date.

Potential health effects related to pesticide use on athletic fields.

Objectives: Children come in contact with athletic fields on a daily basis. How these fields are maintained may have an impact on children's potential exposure to pesticides and associated health effects.

Design And Sample: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study that utilized a survey to assess playing field maintenance practices regarding the use of pesticides.

Using systematic reviews and meta-analyses to support regulatory decision making for neurotoxicants: lessons learned from a case study of PCBs.

We examined prospective cohort studies evaluating the relation between prenatal and neonatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and neurodevelopment in children to assess the feasibility of conducting a meta-analysis to support decision making. We described studies in terms of exposure and end point categorization, statistical analysis, and reporting of results. We used this evaluation to assess the feasibility of grouping studies into reasonably uniform categories.

Measures of genotoxicity in Gulf war I veterans exposed to depleted uranium.

Exposure to depleted uranium (DU), an alpha-emitting heavy metal, has prompted the inclusion of markers of genotoxicity in the long-term medical surveillance of a cohort of DU-exposed Gulf War veterans followed since 1994. Using urine U (uU) concentration as the measure of U body burden, the cohort has been stratified into low-u (<0.10 μg U/g creatinine) and high-u groups (≥ 0.

Associations differ by sex for catechol-O-methyltransferase genotypes and bladder cancer risk in South Egypt.

Objectives: To examine associations between urinary bladder cancer risk and polymorphisms of the gene encoding the catechol estrogen-metabolizing enzyme, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), among Egyptian women and men.

Materials And Methods: We used questionnaire and genotype data from a case-control study in Egypt. This analysis focused on South Egypt cases with confirmed urothelial (UC) or squamous cell (SCC) carcinoma of the bladder, and controls frequency-matched on sex, 5-year age-group, and residence governorate.

A proposal to facilitate weight-of-evidence assessments: Harmonization of Neurodevelopmental Environmental Epidemiology Studies (HONEES).

The ability to conduct weight-of-evidence assessments to inform the evaluation of potential environmental neurotoxicants is limited by lack of comparability of study methods, data analysis, and reporting. There is a need to establish consensus guidelines for conducting, analyzing, and reporting neurodevelopmental environmental epidemiologic studies, while recognizing that consistency is likewise needed for epidemiology studies examining other health outcomes. This paper proposes a set of considerations to be used by the scientific community at-large as a tool for systematically evaluating the quality of proposed and/or published studies in terms of their value for weight-of-evidence assessments.

Patch testing with uranyl acetate in veterans exposed to depleted uranium during the 1991 Gulf war and the Iraqi conflict.

Background: The Depleted Uranium Follow-Up Program is a clinical surveillance program run by the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center since 1993 for veterans of the Gulf and Iraqi wars who were exposed to depleted uranium (DU) as a result of "friendly-fire" incidents.

Objectives And Methods: In 2009, 40 veterans from this cohort were screened for skin reactivity to metals by patch-testing with extended metal series and uranyl acetate (0.25%, 2.