Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Relation to Family Characteristics, Stressors and Chemical Co-Exposures in California Girls.

Childhood environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes and may disproportionately burden lower socioeconomic status groups, exacerbating health disparities. We explored associations of demographic factors, stressful life events, and chemical co-exposures, with cotinine levels, among girls in the CYGNET Study. Data were collected from families of girls aged 6-8 years old in Northern California, through clinic exams, questionnaires and biospecimens (n = 421). Linear regression and factor analysis were conducted to explore predictors of urinary cotinine and co-exposure body burdens, respectively. In unadjusted models, geometric mean cotinine concentrations were higher among Black (0.59 ug/g creatinine) than non-Hispanic white (0.27), Asian (0.32), or Hispanic (0.34) participants. Following adjustment, living in a rented home, lower primary caregiver education, and lack of two biologic parents in the home were associated with higher cotinine concentrations. Girls who experienced parental separation or unemployment in the family had higher unadjusted cotinine concentrations. Higher cotinine was also associated with higher polybrominated diphenyl ether and metals concentrations. Our findings have environmental justice implications as Black and socio-economically disadvantaged young girls experienced higher ETS exposure, also associated with higher exposure to other chemicals. Efforts to reduce ETS and co-exposures should account for other disparity-related factors

Elevated mercury levels in pregnant woman linked to skin cream from Mexico.

Mercury exposure during pregnancy can have serious health effects for a developing fetus including impacting the child's neurologic and cognitive development. Through biomonitoring in a low-income Latina population in California, we identified a patient with high levels of mercury and traced the source to face creams purchased in a pharmacy in Mexico

Mortality during a Large-Scale Heat Wave by Place, Demographic Group, Internal and External Causes of Death, and Building Climate Zone

Mortality increases during periods of elevated heat. Identification of vulnerable subgroups by demographics, causes of death, and geographic regions, including deaths occurring at home, is needed to inform public health prevention efforts. We calculated mortality relative risks (RRs) and excess deaths associated with a large-scale California heat wave in 2006, comparing deaths during the heat wave with reference days. For total (all-place) and at-home mortality, we examined risks by demographic factors, internal and external causes of death, and building climate zones. During the heat wave, 582 excess deaths occurred, a 5% increase over expected (RR = 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.08). Sixty-six percent of excess deaths were at home (RR = 1.12, CI 1.07–1.16). Total mortality risk was higher among those aged 35–44 years than ≥65, and among Hispanics than whites. Deaths from external causes increased more sharply (RR = 1.18, CI 1.10–1.27) than from internal causes (RR = 1.04, CI 1.02–1.07). Geographically, risk varied by building climate zone; the highest risks of at-home death occurred in the northernmost coastal zone (RR = 1.58, CI 1.01–2.48) and the southernmost zone of California’s Central Valley (RR = 1.43, CI 1.21–1.68). Heat wave mortality risk varied across subpopulations, and some patterns of vulnerability differed from those previously identified. Public health efforts should also address at-home mortality, non-elderly adults, external causes, and at-risk geographic regions

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in relation to anthropometric measures and pubertal development in a cohort of Northern California girls.

BackgroundPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of ubiquitous, environmental chemicals that may have endocrine disrupting capabilities. We investigated whether childhood exposure to PAHs was associated with adiposity and pubertal timing in a longitudinal study of 404 girls enrolled in the Northern California site of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program cohort.MethodsBaseline urinary samples from girls aged 6-8-years-old were assayed for 2-naphthol, fluorene metabolites, phenanthrene metabolites, 1-hydroxypyrene, and sum of PAH metabolites. Mixed-effects linear models were used to estimate how concentrations of PAH metabolites were related to changes in girl's body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio from age 7 through 16 years old. Accelerated failure time models were used to estimate age of pubertal onset (Tanner stages 2 or higher for breast and pubic hair development).ResultsHigher adiposity measurements among high tertiles of baseline PAH metabolites were evident at age 7 years old and increased thereafter (i.e., BMI for all PAH metabolites, waist-to-height ratio for fluorene and phenanthrene metabolites) or leveled off (i.e., waist-to-height ratio for 2-naphthol, 1-hydroxypyrene, sum of PAHs). Among girls overweight/obese at baseline, median age of breast development onset for high tertiles was 9.1-9.4 years old compared with 10-10.2 years old for low tertiles for all PAH metabolites; in contrast, found no association or slightly later onset of breast development for girls with normal weight at baseline.DiscussionThese results suggest that exposure to specific PAHs during childhood may influence adiposity throughout adolescence and effect pubertal timing

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in relation to anthropometric measures and pubertal development in a cohort of Northern California girls.

BackgroundPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of ubiquitous, environmental chemicals that may have endocrine disrupting capabilities. We investigated whether childhood exposure to PAHs was associated with adiposity and pubertal timing in a longitudinal study of 404 girls enrolled in the Northern California site of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program cohort.MethodsBaseline urinary samples from girls aged 6-8-years-old were assayed for 2-naphthol, fluorene metabolites, phenanthrene metabolites, 1-hydroxypyrene, and sum of PAH metabolites. Mixed-effects linear models were used to estimate how concentrations of PAH metabolites were related to changes in girl's body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio from age 7 through 16 years old. Accelerated failure time models were used to estimate age of pubertal onset (Tanner stages 2 or higher for breast and pubic hair development).ResultsHigher adiposity measurements among high tertiles of baseline PAH metabolites were evident at age 7 years old and increased thereafter (i.e., BMI for all PAH metabolites, waist-to-height ratio for fluorene and phenanthrene metabolites) or leveled off (i.e., waist-to-height ratio for 2-naphthol, 1-hydroxypyrene, sum of PAHs). Among girls overweight/obese at baseline, median age of breast development onset for high tertiles was 9.1-9.4 years old compared with 10-10.2 years old for low tertiles for all PAH metabolites; in contrast, found no association or slightly later onset of breast development for girls with normal weight at baseline.DiscussionThese results suggest that exposure to specific PAHs during childhood may influence adiposity throughout adolescence and effect pubertal timing