Exposure to World Trade Center (WTC) dust has been linked to respiratory disease in humans. In the present studies we developed a rodent model of WTC dust exposure to analyze lung oxidative stress and inflammation, with the goal of elucidating potential epigenetic mechanisms underlying these responses. Exposure of mice to WTC dust (20μg, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCommuting in automobiles can contribute substantially to total traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure, yet measuring commuting exposures for studies of health outcomes remains challenging. To estimate real-world TRAP exposures, we developed and evaluated the robustness of a scripted drive protocol on the NJ Turnpike and local roads between April 2007 and October 2014. Study participants were driven in a car with closed windows and open vents during morning rush hours on 190 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere are multiple components to emergency preparedness and the response to chemical and biological threat agents. The 5Rs framework (rescue, reentry, recovery, restoration, and rehabitation) outlines opportunities to apply exposure science in emergency events. Exposure science provides guidance and refined tools for characterizing, assessing, and reducing risks from catastrophic events, such as the release of hazardous airborne chemicals or biological agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExposure to fine particulate matter (PM ) is a major contributor to the global human disease burden. The indoor environment is of particular importance when considering the health effects associated with PM exposures because people spend the majority of their time indoors and PM exposures per unit mass emitted indoors are two to three orders of magnitude larger than exposures to outdoor emissions. Variability in indoor PM intake fraction (iF ), which is defined as the integrated cumulative intake of PM per unit of emission, is driven by a combination of building-specific, human-specific, and pollutant-specific factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough all chromite ore processing residue (COPR) sites near residential neighborhoods in Jersey City, New Jersey have undergone remediation, recent studies found widespread, but low levels of hexavalent chromium (Cr(+6)) in house dust both in Jersey City and in communities with no known sources of Cr(+6). This study was designed as a follow-up to determine whether there is an association between current Cr(+6) levels in house dust and urinary chromium concentrations in young children. Dust samples (N=369) were collected from 123 homes.
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