Racial Disparities and Welfare Reform in Mississippi

This research is a part of a much larger study which has been conducted on the implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Welfare Reform in the state of Mississippi. The study on the implementation of TANF employs qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. One of the quantitative components of that study is a statewide survey of former and current TANF and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients which includes 1688 respondents. This number represents roughly 10 percent of the 15,000 families on welfare in the state of Mississippi (the most available data). The sample is overwhelmingly African-American and female and we posit that this is a realistic reflection of the current welfare population. As the survey was disaggregated by congressional districts, some patterns relative to access of supports emerged which reflected racial disparities. This pattern inspired researchers to look deeper and to analyze data from the five congressional districts and the state as a whole which most closely illustrated the issue of disparity

Health Risk Assessment of Pesticide Usage in Menia El-Kamh Province of Sharkia Governorate in Egypt

Abstract: Menia El-Kamh province of the Sharkia Governorate constitutes one of the largest agricultural areas in Egypt. About 88% of the nearly 472,000 people living in this province rely on agricultural activities for subsistence. Several pesticides including organochloride, organophosphorus, carbamate, and pyrethroid insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides are commonly used in citrus, vegetable and other crop-growing areas to increase agricultural productivity. However, their use has also been associated with several cases of pesticide poisoning. In this research, we conducted a field survey to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the farmer’s community regarding the safe use of pesticides. We also evaluated the residual concentrations of selected pesticides in water, soil, milk, fish, and orange samples, and estimated the potential health risks associated with the exposure to these pesticides. Data obtained from the field survey indicate that more than 95% of farm workers do not practice safety precautions during pesticide formulation and application; leading to a considerable prevalence of pesticide-related illnesses in this agricultural community. Pesticide residues in various environmental samples varied greatly; from below detection levels (3-5 ng) to as high as 325 ppb depending on the matrix of interest, and the specific pesticide of concern. The analysis of health risk estimates indicated that chlorpyrifos, DDT, dimethoate, methomyl, and larvin did not pose a direct hazard to human health, although present in water, milk, orange, and/or fish. However, aldicarb, and carbosulfan levels exceeded the reference doses, indicating a great potential for systemic toxicity, especially in children who are considered to be the most vulnerable population subgroup. The upper-bound values of cancer risk from DDT exposure were estimated to be about 8 (adults), and 55 (children) excess cancers in a population of one million