Visualizing Extreme Precipitation for Climate Storytelling

Precipitation can have adverse effects in the climate ecosystem. Too much can impose concerns such as flooding and landslides, resulting in damaged property, agricultural losses, and loss of life. Too little, and drought becomes an issue, inducing wildfires, poor air quality, agricultural losses, and health degradation. The contiguous United States has experienced an increase in precipitation since 1900, and much of this has occurred in the most recent decades. By the end of the 21st Century, it is expected that more winter and spring precipitation will occur over the northern portion of the U.S., and less in the southwest. While much work has been performed on historical and projected analysis of heavy precipitation, few interactive visualizations exist for end users to better understand local impacts. The goal of this project is to create a visualization tool that easily demonstrates how precipitation extremes have changed and might change in the future. The Global Historical Climatology Network-Daily dataset was used to calculate a historical record of extreme precipitation variables at over 3500 locations in the United States. Among these variables calculated are annual accumulation percentiles based on 1981-2010 Normals, annual 1-day and 5-day maximum daily precipitation, and annual consecutive wet and dry days

Agricultural Workplace Compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency\u27s Worker Protection Standard: An Idaho Analysis

Agricultural workers are at high risk for occupational pesticide exposure and pesticide-related illness. The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is the primary federal regulation aimed at reducing pesticide exposure among agricultural workers. Agricultural employers are responsible for complying with the nearly 100 WPS requirements, including the provision of pesticide safety training, personal-protective equipment, and decontamination supplies to employees. Despite the potential health implications of WPS violations, information is limited regarding compliance levels in Idaho. We aim to fill this gap by describing compliance trends according to WPS inspection results archived by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). We analyzed 557 WPS inspections conducted on Idaho farms between 2001-2019 using SAS and STATA statistical software. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to describe the frequency and characteristics of violations observed collectively and during each inspection. According to inspection reports, approximately 46% of inspections (n=266) resulted in at least one WPS violation. An average of 3 of 55 (5.4%) requirements were violated during Tier 1 inspections (SD=7.22), and an average of 7 of 55 (12.7%) requirements were violated during Tier 2 inspections (SD =9.08). Farm employers most frequently violated the sections of the WPS pertaining to pesticide safety training and the central location (an accessible area where pesticide information is to be displayed). Nearly 50% of WPS inspections resulted in at least one violation, suggesting that WPS noncompliance is common across farms in Idaho. Training and central location requirements may have been most frequently violated due to the logistical challenges of complying with these sections, or because of the relative ease in which they could be accurately monitored. Additional WPS research, education, and outreach is needed, not just for the purpose of improving reported compliance rates, but in fact to better protect farmworkers from pesticide exposure and related illness

Effect of a 24-Week Randomized Trial of an Organic Produce Intervention on Pyrethroid and Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure Among Pregnant Women

Background: Introduction of an organic diet can significantly reduce exposure to some classes of pesticides in children and adults, but no long-term trials have been conducted. Objectives: To assess the effect of a long-term (24-week) organic produce intervention on pesticide exposure among pregnant women. Methods: We recruited 20 women from the Idaho Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program during their first trimester of pregnancy. Eligible women were nonsmokers aged 18–35 years who reported eating exclusively conventionally grown food. We randomly assigned participants to receive weekly deliveries of either organic or conventional fruits and vegetables throughout their second or third trimesters and collected weekly spot urine samples. Urine samples, which were pooled to represent monthly exposures, were analyzed for biomarkers of organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid insecticides. Results: Food diary data demonstrated that 66% of all servings of fruits and vegetables consumed by participants in the “organic produce” group were organic, compared totrans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid, was detected more frequently in women in the conventional compared to the organic produce groups (16% vs 4%, p=0.05). In contrast, we observed no statistically significant differences in detection frequency or concentrations for any of the four biomarkers of OP exposure quantified in this trial. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first long-term organic diet intervention study, and the first to include pregnant women. These results suggest that addition of organic produce to an individual\u27s diet, as compared to conventional produce, significantly reduces exposure to pyrethroid insecticides

Visualizing Extreme Precipitation for Climate Storytelling

Precipitation can have adverse effects in the climate ecosystem. Too much can impose concerns such as flooding and landslides, resulting in damaged property, agricultural losses, and loss of life. Too little, and drought becomes an issue, inducing wildfires, poor air quality, agricultural losses, and health degradation. The contiguous United States has experienced an increase in precipitation since 1900, and much of this has occurred in the most recent decades. By the end of the 21st Century, it is expected that more winter and spring precipitation will occur over the northern portion of the U.S., and less in the southwest. While much work has been performed on historical and projected analysis of heavy precipitation, few interactive visualizations exist for end users to better understand local impacts. The goal of this project is to create a visualization tool that easily demonstrates how precipitation extremes have changed and might change in the future. The Global Historical Climatology Network-Daily dataset was used to calculate a historical record of extreme precipitation variables at over 3500 locations in the United States. Among these variables calculated are annual accumulation percentiles based on 1981-2010 Normals, annual 1-day and 5-day maximum daily precipitation, and annual consecutive wet and dry days

Recognizing and Reducing Safety Hazards in Northwest Potato Production

In collaboration with the Idaho and Washington State Potato Commissions, our research team is investigating safety hazards in potato production. The primary goals of this project are to understand potato growers’ perceptions of hazards on their farms and to encourage safe practices. We first developed and distributed a Hazard Perception Survey (HPS) to potato growers, which asked them to indicate their level of concern regarding the frequency and severity of injuries associated with various potato production tasks. We also created ten Potential Hazard Sheets that provide recommendations for minimizing or eliminating hazards that were identified in the HPS

Grower Perceptions of Safety Hazards and Associated Injuries Among Farmworkers Involved in Northwest Potato Production

Background: Potatoes are a vital part of the Pacific Northwest’s agricultural economy. As in many agricultural industries, workers involved in potato production may be at risk for illness and injuries. Methods: A Hazard Perception Survey (HPS) was completed by 63 potato growers in Washington (n = 26) and Idaho (n = 37) during the fall and winter of 2017–2018. Participants were asked to indicate their level of concern regarding the frequency and severity of injuries associated with various potato production tasks. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to identify operations and tasks that potato growers perceived to be most hazardous. Results: The majority of growers (70.9%) indicated that they were very concerned about injuries on their farm. Growers reported that tasks requiring bending, twisting, and lifting resulted in the most common and severe injuries, followed by potato sorting during harvest and falling during planting operations. Conclusions: Potato growers were concerned with potential hazards related to a variety of potato production tasks. In response to these concerns, we developed educational materials to assist growers in identifying and mitigating safety hazards on their own establishments. Future research is needed to evaluate the utility of these tools on reducing potential hazards and injury rates among workers in the Northwest potato industry

Synthetic Pesticides and Health in Vulnerable Populations: Agricultural Workers

Purpose of Review: This review aims to summarize epidemiological literature published between May 15, 2018 and May 14, 2019 that examines the relationship between exposure to synthetic pesticides and health of agricultural workers. Recent Findings: Current research suggests that exposure to synthetic pesticides may be associated with adverse health outcomes. Agricultural workers represent a potentially vulnerable population, due to a combination of unique social and cultural risk factors as well as exposure to hazards inherent in farm work. Pesticide exposure among agricultural workers has been linked to certain cancers, DNA damage, oxidative stress, neurological disorders, as well as respiratory, metabolic, and thyroid effects. Summary: This review describes literature suggesting that agricultural workers exposed to synthetic pesticides are at an increased risk of certain cancers and neurological disorders. Recent research on respiratory effects is sparse, and more research is warranted regarding DNA damage, oxidative stress, metabolic outcomes and thyroid effects

A randomized pilot trial of a moderate carbohydrate diet compared to a very low carbohydrate diet in overweight or obese individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus or prediabetes.

We compared the effects of two diets on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and other health-related outcomes in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (HbA1c>6%). We randomized participants to either a medium carbohydrate, low fat, calorie-restricted, carbohydrate counting diet (MCCR) consistent with guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (n = 18) or a very low carbohydrate, high fat, non calorie-restricted diet whose goal was to induce nutritional ketosis (LCK, n = 16). We excluded participants receiving insulin; 74% were taking oral diabetes medications. Groups met for 13 sessions over 3 months and were taught diet information and psychological skills to promote behavior change and maintenance. At 3 months, mean HbA1c level was unchanged from baseline in the MCCR diet group, while it decreased 0.6% in the LCK group; there was a significant between group difference in HbA1c change favoring the LCK group (-0.6%, 95% CI, -1.1% to -0.03%, p = 0.04). Forty-four percent of the LCK group discontinued one or more diabetes medications, compared to 11% of the MCCR group (p = 0.03); 31% discontinued sulfonylureas in the LCK group, compared to 5% in the MCCR group (p = 0.05). The LCK group lost 5.5 kg vs. 2.6 kg lost in MCCR group (p = 0.09). Our results suggest that a very low carbohydrate diet coupled with skills to promote behavior change may improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes while allowing decreases in diabetes medications. This clinical trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01713764

A randomized pilot trial of a moderate carbohydrate diet compared to a very low carbohydrate diet in overweight or obese individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus or prediabetes.

We compared the effects of two diets on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and other health-related outcomes in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (HbA1c>6%). We randomized participants to either a medium carbohydrate, low fat, calorie-restricted, carbohydrate counting diet (MCCR) consistent with guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (n = 18) or a very low carbohydrate, high fat, non calorie-restricted diet whose goal was to induce nutritional ketosis (LCK, n = 16). We excluded participants receiving insulin; 74% were taking oral diabetes medications. Groups met for 13 sessions over 3 months and were taught diet information and psychological skills to promote behavior change and maintenance. At 3 months, mean HbA1c level was unchanged from baseline in the MCCR diet group, while it decreased 0.6% in the LCK group; there was a significant between group difference in HbA1c change favoring the LCK group (-0.6%, 95% CI, -1.1% to -0.03%, p = 0.04). Forty-four percent of the LCK group discontinued one or more diabetes medications, compared to 11% of the MCCR group (p = 0.03); 31% discontinued sulfonylureas in the LCK group, compared to 5% in the MCCR group (p = 0.05). The LCK group lost 5.5 kg vs. 2.6 kg lost in MCCR group (p = 0.09). Our results suggest that a very low carbohydrate diet coupled with skills to promote behavior change may improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes while allowing decreases in diabetes medications. This clinical trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01713764