Health effects and burden of disease due to exposure to chemicals at the workplace - an exploratory study

Dit rapport bevat een erratum d.d. 25-1-2005 op de laatste paginaHet RIVM heeft onderzocht wat het aandeel zou kunnen zijn van blootstelling aan chemische stoffen op de werkplek op het ontstaan van een tiental ziekten. Dit verkennende onderzoek is uitgevoerd in opdracht van het Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid en geeft voor het eerst een integrale schatting van de ziektelast door blootstelling aan stoffen in de arbeidssituatie.De uitkomst van het onderzoek is dat voor negen onderzochte ziekten de blootstelling aan stoffen in de arbeidssituatie een geschatte ziektelast oplevert van ongeveer 47.000 DALY's per jaar, inclusief naar schatting circa 1.900 sterfgevallen. DALY staat voor 'Disability Adjusted Life Years', waarin vroegtijdige sterfte en jaren doorgebracht met ziekte op gewogen wijze bij elkaar worden opgeteld. De grootste bijdragen worden gevormd door borstvlieskanker, longkanker, astma en chronische luchtwegobstructie.De marge van onzekerheid in de genoemde uitkomsten is erg groot, wat vooral veroorzaakt wordt door de onvolledige gegevens, en bedraagt ongeveer een factor 5.Voor reproductiestoornissen was het niet mogelijk om een schatting te maken van de ziektelast tengevolge van werkgerelateerde blootstelling aan stoffen. De resultaten van recent onderzoek naar de relatie tussen blootstelling aan stoffen en reproductiestoornissen geven echter aanleiding tot zorg.The RIVM investigated the probable contribution of exposure to chemicals at the workplace as the cause of some ten diseases. This exploratory study was requested by of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, and presents for the first time an integrated estimation of the burden of disease due to occupational exposure to chemicals.For nine investigated diseases the study resulted in a burden of disease of approximately 47,000 DALYs, including about 1,900 deaths, due to exposure to chemicals at the workplace. DALY stands for 'Disability Adjusted Life Years', in which premature death and years with disease are weighted counted up. The largest contributions are formed by mesothelioma, lung cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The margin of uncertainty in the results is very large, mainly caused by the scarce and incomplete data, and amounts about a factor of 5.It was not possible to estimate the burden of disease due to reproductive disorders following occupational exposure to chemicals. However, results of recent research in this area indicate concern.SZ

Health effects and burden of disease due to exposure to chemicals at the workplace - an exploratory study

The RIVM investigated the probable contribution of exposure to chemicals at the workplace as the cause of some ten diseases. This exploratory study was requested by of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, and presents for the first time an integrated estimation of the burden of disease due to occupational exposure to chemicals.For nine investigated diseases the study resulted in a burden of disease of approximately 47,000 DALYs, including about 1,900 deaths, due to exposure to chemicals at the workplace. DALY stands for 'Disability Adjusted Life Years', in which premature death and years with disease are weighted counted up. The largest contributions are formed by mesothelioma, lung cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The margin of uncertainty in the results is very large, mainly caused by the scarce and incomplete data, and amounts about a factor of 5.It was not possible to estimate the burden of disease due to reproductive disorders following occupational exposure to chemicals. However, results of recent research in this area indicate concern.Het RIVM heeft onderzocht wat het aandeel zou kunnen zijn van blootstelling aan chemische stoffen op de werkplek op het ontstaan van een tiental ziekten. Dit verkennende onderzoek is uitgevoerd in opdracht van het Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid en geeft voor het eerst een integrale schatting van de ziektelast door blootstelling aan stoffen in de arbeidssituatie.De uitkomst van het onderzoek is dat voor negen onderzochte ziekten de blootstelling aan stoffen in de arbeidssituatie een geschatte ziektelast oplevert van ongeveer 47.000 DALY's per jaar, inclusief naar schatting circa 1.900 sterfgevallen. DALY staat voor 'Disability Adjusted Life Years', waarin vroegtijdige sterfte en jaren doorgebracht met ziekte op gewogen wijze bij elkaar worden opgeteld. De grootste bijdragen worden gevormd door borstvlieskanker, longkanker, astma en chronische luchtwegobstructie.De marge van onzekerheid in de genoemde uitkomsten is erg groot, wat vooral veroorzaakt wordt door de onvolledige gegevens, en bedraagt ongeveer een factor 5.Voor reproductiestoornissen was het niet mogelijk om een schatting te maken van de ziektelast tengevolge van werkgerelateerde blootstelling aan stoffen. De resultaten van recent onderzoek naar de relatie tussen blootstelling aan stoffen en reproductiestoornissen geven echter aanleiding tot zorg

Natural enemies from South Africa for biological control of Lagarosiphon major (Ridl.) Moss ex Wager (Hydrocharitaceae) in Europe

The non-native invasive plant, Lagarosiphon major (Hydrocharitaceae) is a submersed aquatic macrophyte that poses a significant threat to water bodies in Europe. Dense infestations prove difficult to manage using traditional methods. In order to initiate a biocontrol programme, a survey for natural enemies of Lagarosiphon was conducted in South Africa. Several phytophagous species were recorded for the first time, with at least three showing notable promise as candidate agents. Amongst these, a leaf-mining fly, Hydrellia sp. (Ephydridae) that occurred over a wide distribution causes significant leaf damage despite high levels of parasitism by braconid wasps. Another yet unidentified fly was recorded mining the stem of L. major. Two leaf-feeding and shoot boring weevils, cf. Bagous sp. (Curculionidae) were recorded damaging the shoot tips and stunting the growth of the stem. Several leaf-feeding lepidopteran species (Nymphulinae) were frequently recorded, but are expected to feed on a wide range of plant species and are not considered for importation before other candidates are assessed. The discovery of several natural enemies in the country of origin improves the biological control prospects of L. major in Europe

Alterations in cognitive performance during passive hyperthermia are task dependent

The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the effect of passive heating upon attention and memory task performance, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the application of cold packs to the head on preserving these functions. Using a counterbalance design 16 subjects underwent three trials: a control (CON, 20°C, 40% rH), hot (HOT, 50°C, 50% rH) and hot with the head kept cool (HHC). In each condition, three attention tests and two memory tests were performed. Mean core, forehead and tympanic temperatures were all significantly higher (p< 0.05) during HOT (38.6° ±0.1°, 39.6° ±0.2° and 38.8°±0.1°C, respectively) and HHC (38°±0.2, 37.7°±0.3° and 37.7°C, respectively) than in CON (37.1°±0.6°, 33.3° ±0.2° and 35.9°±0.3°C, respectively). Results indicate that there was impairment in working memory with heat exposure (p < 0.05) without alteration in attentional processes. The regular application of cold packs only prevented the detrimental effect of hyperthermia on short-term memory. Our results show that impairments in cognitive function with passive hyperthermia and the beneficial effect of head cooling are task dependent and suggests that exposure to a hot environment is a competing variable to the cognitive processes

PCB-containing wood floor finish is a likely source of elevated PCBs in residents' blood, household air and dust: a case study of exposure

© 2008 Rudel et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Recent advances in the genetics of SDH-related paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma

The last 10 years have seen enormous progress in the field of paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma genetics. The identification of the first gene related to paraganglioma, SDHD, encoding a subunit of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), was quickly followed by the identification of mutations in SDHC and SDHB. Very recently several new SDH-related genes have been discovered. The SDHAF2 gene encodes an SDH co-factor related to the function of the SDHA subunit, and is currently exclusively associated with head and neck paragangliomas. SDHA itself has now also been identified as a paraganglioma gene, with the recent identification of the first mutation in a patient with extra-adrenal paraganglioma. Another SDH-related co-factor, SDHAF1, is not currently known to be a tumor suppressor, but may shed some light on the mechanisms of tumorigenesis. An entirely novel gene associated with adrenal pheochromocytoma, TMEM127, suggests that other new paraganglioma susceptibility genes may await discovery. In addition to these recent discoveries, new techniques related to mutation analysis, including genetic analysis algorithms, SDHB immunohistochemistry, and deletion analysis by MLPA have improved the efficiency and accuracy of genetic analysis. However, many intriguing questions remain, such as the striking differences in the clinical phenotype of genes that encode proteins with an apparently very close functional relationship, and the lack of expression of SDHD and SDHAF2 mutations when inherited via the maternal line. Little is still known of the origins and causes of truly sporadic tumors, and the role of oxygen in the relationships between high-altitude, familial and truly sporadic paragangliomas remains to be elucidated

AhR transcriptional activity in serum of Inuits across Greenlandic districts

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human exposure to lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated dibenzo-<it>p</it>-dioxins/furans (PCDDs/PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticide is ubiquitous. The individual is exposed to a complex mixture of POPs being life-long beginning during critical developmental windows. Exposure to POPs elicits a number of species- and tissue-specific toxic responses, many of which involve the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The aim of this study was to compare the actual level of integrated AhR transcriptional activity in the lipophilic serum fraction containing the actual POP mixture among Inuits from different districts in Greenland, and to evaluate whether the AhR transactivity is correlated to the bio-accumulated POPs and/or lifestyle factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study included 357 serum samples from the Greenlandic districts: Nuuk and Sisimiut (South West Coast), Qaanaaq (North Coast) and Tasiilaq (East Coast). The bio-accumulated serum POPs were extracted by ethanol: hexane and clean-up on Florisil columns. Effects of the serum extract on the AhR transactivity was determined using the Hepa 1.12cR mouse hepatoma cell line carrying an AhR-luciferase reporter gene, and the data was evaluated for possible association to the serum levels of 14 PCB congeners, 10 organochlorine pesticide residues and/or lifestyle factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In total 85% of the Inuit samples elicited agonistic AhR transactivity in a district dependent pattern. The median level of the AhR-TCDD equivalent (AhR-TEQ) of the separate genders was similar in the different districts. For the combined data the order of the median AhR-TEQ was Tasiilaq > Nuuk ≥ Sisimiut > Qaanaaq possibly being related to the different composition of POPs. In overall, the AhR transactivity was inversely correlated to the levels of sum POPs, age and/or intake of marine food.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>i) We observed that the proportion of dioxin like (DL) compounds in the POP mixture was the dominating factor affecting the level of serum AhR transcriptional activity even at very high level of non DL-PCBs; ii) The inverse association between the integrated serum AhR transactivity and sum of POPs might be explained by the higher level of compounds antagonizing the AhR function probably due to selective POP bioaccumulation in the food chain.</p

Auditory-Motor Mapping Training as an Intervention to Facilitate Speech Output in Non-Verbal Children with Autism: A Proof of Concept Study

Although up to 25% of children with autism are non-verbal, there are very few interventions that can reliably produce significant improvements in speech output. Recently, a novel intervention called Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT) has been developed, which aims to promote speech production directly by training the association between sounds and articulatory actions using intonation and bimanual motor activities. AMMT capitalizes on the inherent musical strengths of children with autism, and offers activities that they intrinsically enjoy. It also engages and potentially stimulates a network of brain regions that may be dysfunctional in autism. Here, we report an initial efficacy study to provide ‘proof of concept’ for AMMT. Six non-verbal children with autism participated. Prior to treatment, the children had no intelligible words. They each received 40 individual sessions of AMMT 5 times per week, over an 8-week period. Probe assessments were conducted periodically during baseline, therapy, and follow-up sessions. After therapy, all children showed significant improvements in their ability to articulate words and phrases, with generalization to items that were not practiced during therapy sessions. Because these children had no or minimal vocal output prior to treatment, the acquisition of speech sounds and word approximations through AMMT represents a critical step in expressive language development in children with autism