Suitability of public records for evaluating health effects of treated sewage sludge in North Carolina.

Background: Exposure to potentially harmful agents because of waste disposal practices is receiving increased attention. Treated sewage sludge (TSS), or biosolid material, is the solid waste generated during domestic sewage treatment after it has undergone processes to reduce the number of pathogens and vector attractants. Application of TSS to land, which is the most common method for disposal, is promoted as a soil amendment and fertilizer.

Health survey of workers exposed to mixed solvent and ergonomic hazards in footwear and equipment factory workers in Thailand.

A cross-sectional health study was performed at four footwear and one equipment factory in Thailand to evaluate the prevalence of chemical- and ergonomic-related symptoms in Thai factory workers and to investigate associations between these symptoms and exposures to organic solvents, isocyanates and ergonomic risks. A 10-page health questionnaire was administered to 1784 workers across the four footwear and equipment factories. A total of 1675 questionnaires were returned, yielding a 94% response rate.

Community health and socioeconomic issues surrounding concentrated animal feeding operations.

A consensus of the Workgroup on Community and Socioeconomic Issues was that improving and sustaining healthy rural communities depends on integrating socioeconomic development and environmental protection. The workgroup agreed that the World Health Organization's definition of health, "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity," applies to rural communities. These principles are embodied in the following main points agreed upon by this workgroup.

Lessons learned from the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study.

We examined 5 different ethical concerns about the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study and make some recommendations for future studies of exposure to hazardous environmental agents in the home. Researchers should seek community consultation and participation; make participants aware of all the risks associated with the research, including hazards discovered in the home and uncertainties about the risks of agents under investigation; and take steps to ensure that their studies will not have unfair representation of the poor or people of color. Researchers should also avoid even the appearance of a financial conflict of interest in studies that are likely to be controversial and make it clear to all parties that studies will not intentionally expose subjects to hazardous environmental agents.

Income, income inequality, and cardiovascular disease mortality: relations among county populations of the United States, 1985 to 1994.

Objectives: Despite the major contribution of cardiovascular disease (CVD) to total mortality, and reports demonstrating strong relations between income and CVD, the joint relations of population-level income and income inequality with CVD mortality are not well described. This study was undertaken to describe relations among population-level income, income equality, and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

Methods: County income distributions were determined from 1990 census data, and CVD mortality rates were obtained from the Compressed Mortality File.