TCAPP and CTIP business plans

노트 : National Renewable Energy Laboratory interagency agreementProject title: Technology cooperation agreement pilot (TCAPP

TCAPP and CTIP FY00 workplan

노트 : National Renewable Energy Laboratory interagency agreementProject title: Technology cooperation agreement pilot (TCAPP

Fish Consumption and Mercury Exposure among Louisiana Recreational Anglers

Ba c k g r o u n d: Methylmercury (MeHg) exposure assessments among average fish consumers in the United States may underestimate exposures among U.S. subpopulations with high intakes of region-ally specific fish. obj e c t i v e s: We examined relationships among fish consumption, estimated mercury (Hg) intake, and measured Hg exposure within one such potentially highlyexposed group, recreational anglers in the state of Louisiana, USA. Me t h o d s: We surveyed 534 anglers in 2006 using interviews at boat launches and fishing tourna-ments combined with an Internet-based survey method. Hair samples from 402 of these anglers were collected and analyzed for total Hg. Questionnaires provided information on species-specific fish consumption during the 3 months before the survey. re s u l t s: Anglers’ median hairHg concentration was 0.81 μg/g (n = 398; range, 0.02–10.7 μg/g);40% of participants had levels >1 μg/g, which approximately corresponds to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s reference dose. Fish consumption and Hg intake were significantly positively associated with hairHg. Participants reported consuming nearly 80 different fish types, many of which are specific to the region. Unlike the general U.S. population, which acquires most of its Hg from commercial seafood sources, approximately 64% of participants’ fish meals and 74% of their estimated Hg intake came from recreationally caught seafood. co n c l u s i o n s: Study participants had relatively elevated hairHg concentrations and reported con-sumption of a wide variety of fish, particularly locally caught fish. This group represents a highlyexposed subpopulation with an exposure profile that differs from fish consumers in other regions of the United States, suggesting a need for more regionallyspecific exposure estimates and public health advisories.ISSN:1552-9924ISSN:0091-676

Synergistic disruption of external male sex organ development by a mixture of four antiandrogens

Reproduced with permission from Environmental Health Perspectives.Background: By disrupting the action of androgens during gestation, certain chemicals present in food, consumer products, and the environment can induce irreversible demasculinization and malformations of sex organs among male offspring. However, the consequences of simultaneous exposure to such chemicals are not well described, especially when they exert their actions by differing molecular mechanisms. Objectives: To fill this gap, we investigated the effects of mixtures of a widely used plasticizer, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); two fungicides present in food, vinclozolin and prochloraz; and a pharmaceutical, finasteride, on landmarks of male sexual development in the rat, including changes in anogenital distance (AGD), retained nipples, sex organ weights, and malformations of genitalia. These chemicals were chosen because they disrupt androgen action with differing mechanisms of action. Results: Strikingly, the effect of combined exposure to the selected chemicals on malformations of external sex organs was synergistic, and the observed responses were greater than would be predicted from the toxicities of the individual chemicals. In relation to other hallmarks of disrupted male sexual development, including changes in AGD, retained nipples, and sex organ weights, the combined effects were dose additive. When the four chemicals were combined at doses equal to no observed adverse effect levels estimated for nipple retention, significant reductions in AGD were observed in male offspring. Conclusions: Because unhindered androgen action is essential for human male development in fetal life, these findings are highly relevant to human risk assessment. Evaluations that ignore the possibility of combination effects may lead to considerable underestimations of risks associated with exposures to chemicals that disrupt male sexual differentiation.European Union and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Arsenic Concentrations in Private Bedrock Wells in Southeastern New Hampshire

The quality of drinking water obtained from private wells in New Hampshire is not regulated; consequently, private wells are often not sampled for arsenic unless individual well owners choose to do so. To provide private well owners and Federal and State environmental and health officials with accurate information on arsenic concentrations from private wells in this region, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted an arsenic occurrence and distribution study, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA New England), New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), New Hampshire Estuaries Project, and with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS). This report describes the results of this study to determine the range of arsenic concentrations from ground water in the three counties of southeastern New Hampshire by analyzing water samples collected by a randomly selected group of well owners from this area

A Personal Perspective on the Initial Federal Health-Based Regulation to Remove Lead from Gasoline

Objective: This article describes the personal experience and perspective of the authors, who had primary responsibility for drafting the initial health-based regulation limiting lead content of gasoline during the early 1970s while employed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Data s o u r c e: Information used by the U.S. EPA in developing the initial health-based regulation limiting lead content of gasoline in December 1973 and studies documenting the impact of that and subsequent actions. Data extraction: Among the lessons learned from this experience is the importance of having input from independent scientists to the regulatory decision-making process. This also demonstrates the critical role of independent peer-reviewed research, such as that supported by the National Institutes of Health, as well as research conducted by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in delineating the consequences of lead exposure in the population. Data synthesis: Removal of lead from gasoline in the United States has been described as one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century, but it almost did not happen. The experience of the authors in developing this regulation may be helpful to others involved in developing health-based regulatory policy in the future. Co n c l u s i o n: The initial U.S. EPA health-based regulation to remove lead from gasoline is clearly an example where science successfully affected public policy. The leadership of the U.S. EPA at that time deserves much credit for establishing an atmosphere in which this was possible