A pilot occupational health service for small enterprises: first year experience--the Givat Shaul project.

An experimental Occupational Health and Safety Center was established as a pilot project for Israel in the Givat Shaul industrial area of Jerusalem. The center provides occupational health services to those working in its vicinity and is particularly oriented to employees of small enterprises (i.e.

Changes in pattern of organochlorine residues in blood of general Israeli population, 1975-1986.

This study reviews data on the changes with time of the blood levels of some organochlorine compounds (OCCs) in the general Israeli population. All the studied OCC residues, except for p,p'-DDD, were significantly lower in 1985-1986 than in 1975. A decline in blood residues of organochlorine pesticides was observed mainly in the second half of the 1970s, whereas a fall in the polychlorinated biphenyl residue levels took place in the first half of the 1980s.

Prevention of occupational cancer: a different approach.

The dominant strategy for preventing occupational cancer in the United States is agent-based. An alternative set of preventive strategies based on a more healthful workplace can replace this approach, and not only provides practical guidance on what to do, but also criteria for the prevention of cancer from known or suspected agents and from suspected occupations, not now covered by agent-oriented strategies. The strategy is based on preventing the occurrence of any unfavorable health effect from known or possible carcinogenic exposures.

Mesothelioma in children.

A literature review of mesothelioma in children is presented. The role of nonoccupational exposure to asbestos fibres in the etiology of mesothelioma, and the relatively short latent period of the disease in children are discussed. The transplacental transfer of asbestos fibres and the physiology of the immunological system during intrauterine life and infancy may explain some of the differences between mesotheliomas in children and those in adults.

Organochlorine compounds in human blood plasma and milk.

Organochlorine insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's were assessed in human blood and milk collected from Israeli mothers 2-4 days ater childbirth during 1975. The concentration of total DDT (sigma DDT) was similar in whole plasma and milk (74 ppb versus 72 ppb) and higher in plasma-extracted lipids than in milk-extracted lipids: 15.12 ppm versus 5.

Ultrastructure of beta-cells of the endocrine pancreas in rats receiving polychlorinated biphenyls.

A morphological study of the beta-cell of the pancreas in rats chronically exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is presented. In rats who received 200 p.p.