Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Three Organochlorine Pesticides in Fish from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides, have been shown to have many adverse human health effects. These contaminants therefore may pose a risk to Alaska Natives that follow a traditional diet high in marine mammals and fish, in which POPs bioaccumulate.This study examined the levels of PCBs and three pesticides [p, p'-DDE, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)] in muscle tissue from nine fish species from several locations around the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The highest median PCB level was found in rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata, 285 ppb, wet weight), while the lowest level was found in rock greenling (Hexagrammos lagocephalus, 104 ppb, wet weight). Lipid adjusted PCB values were also calculated and significant interspecies differences were found. Again, rock sole had the highest level (68,536 ppb, lipid weight). Concerning the PCB congener patterns, the more highly chlorinated congeners were most common as would be expected due to their greater persistence. Among the pesticides, p, p'-DDE generally dominated, and the highest level was found in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka, 6.9 ppb, wet weight). The methodology developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was used to calculate risk-based consumption limits for the analyzed fish species. For cancer health endpoints for PCBs, all species would trigger strict advisories of between two and six meals per year, depending upon species. For noncancer effects by PCBs, advisories of between seven and twenty-two meals per year were triggered. None of the pesticides triggered consumption limits.The fish analyzed, mainly from Adak, contain significant concentrations of POPs, in particular PCBs, which raises the question whether these fish are safe to eat, particularly for sensitive populations. However when assessing any risk of the traditional diet, one must also consider the many health and cultural benefits from eating fish

LBNP HRF - LBHRF-RIBRE-0029. Entwicklung, Fertigung und Qualifikation des Lower Body Negative Pressure Systems (LBNP) fuer HRF Final report

With CD-ROMSIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F03B248 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany); Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Osnabrueck (Germany)DEGerman

Utilizing harmonization and common surveillance methods to consolidate 4 cohorts: the Western Alaska Tribal Collaborative for Health (WATCH) study

Background. According to health status reports, chronic disease prevalence appears to be rising in western Alaska Native (AN) people, and accurate population-based data are needed. Four cohort studies of western AN people were conducted in the Norton Sound and Yukon-Kuskokwim regions, but none have been large enough to allow reliable estimates of rates of chronic diseases and evaluate their risk factors. Objective. In this article, the methods used to combine 4 major cohort studies of rural western AN people are described and the benefits and challenges encountered in combining data and standardizing surveillance methods for these studies are discussed. Design. Tribal permission was obtained for each cohort study and the consolidated study. Data from baseline exams were directly combined or harmonized into new variables. Common surveillance methods were developed and implemented to identify incidence and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and type 2 diabetes. Results. A cohort of 4,569 western AN participants (2,116 men and 2,453 women), aged 18–95 years, was established to study CVD and diabetes prevalence. Prospective surveillance data over an average 6.7-year follow-up can now be used to study CVD and diabetes incidence and associated risk factors in a subset of 2,754 western AN participants (1,218 men and 1,536 women) who consented to initial surveillance. Conclusions. The combined cohort provides statistical power to examine incidence rates and risk factors for CVD and diabetes and allows for analyses by geographic region. The data can be used to develop intervention programmes in these populations and others

Stroke Mortality Among Alaska Native People

Objectives. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of stroke among Alaska Natives, which is essential for designing effective stroke prevention and intervention efforts for this population

Deutsche Spacelab Mission D-2. D-2 Systemaufgaben und Nutzlastintegration Schlussbericht

The central objective of the project ''D-2 System Activities and Payload Integration'' was to both analytically and physically assemble the supplied payload elements and components into an overall payload. All technical and analytical tools required were to be provided, and the proper functioning of the payload and the compatibility of system interfaces were to be verified by analysis and/or test. In the process, in accordance with the successful approach of D1, an integration and test sequence optimized in terms of time and technology was to ensure that the probability of accomplishing the mission becomes sufficiently high and that the risk of expensive additional activities at the launch site due to problems unrecognized so far is reduced to a reasonable level. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F95B1740+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDeutsche Agentur fuer Raumfahrtangelegenheiten (DARA) GmbH, Bonn (Germany); Bundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Deutsche Spacelab Mission D-2. D-2 KSC-Aktivitaeten, Missionsunterstuetzung und Deintegration Schlussbericht

The SPACELAB, built in Europe by the European partners of ESA under the system management of ERNO, with its pressurized module is a manned laboratory for universal use in a wide variety of experimental research tasks. Installed in the NASA Space Shuttle, without requiring any measures for extended missions by carrying additional energy supplies, missions of up to 10 days with 7 astronauts are possible on a low orbit. Within the framework of the national space program of the Federal Republic of Germany, ''D1'' was the first German Spacelab mission to be successfully accomplished from 30 October to 06 November 1985. This mission demonstrated that complete Spacelab payloads can be assembled, tested and responsibly operated even outside the U.S.A. This and the mostly excellent scientific results led to a confirmation of the national German space program and consistently to the planning of the second German Spacelab mission ''D-2''. The firm ERNO Raumfahrttechnik GmbH again was awarded a contract for integrating the complete payload experiment train and for carrying out the resulting interdisciplinary system tasks. The present final report describes the accomplished tasks of Phase E and was prepared by the D-2 project team. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F95B1758+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDeutsche Agentur fuer Raumfahrtangelegenheiten (DARA) GmbH, Bonn (Germany); Bundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman