Health Risk Assessment Data Research Articles

Comparative assessment of acute neurotoxicity of real-world ultra-fine black carbon emitted from residential solid fuel combustion

Incomplete combustion of residential solid fuel is one of the main anthropogenic sources for black carbon (BC). Fresh BC, mainly enriched in ultra-fine fraction of particles, can directly cross blood-brain barrier and are reported to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Because of the difficulties in collection and purification of BC from ambient particles, there are still significant knowledge gaps in understanding neurotoxicity caused by real-world BC. The purpose of this study is to compare the neurotoxic effects caused by BCs emitted from combustion of six residential solid fuels, and try to reveal associated biological mechanisms in SH-SY5Y cells. Two straw BC (Wheat-BC and Corn-BC) showed highest neurotoxic effects followed by wood BC (Pine-BC and Aspen-BC) and coal BC (Xvzhou and Longkou Coal), as indicated by viability, lactic dehydrogenase, malondialdehyde, adenosine triphosphate and acetylcholine levels. Coal BC caused nearly no toxicity in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells within highest dose of 200 μg/mL. RNA sequence and bioinformatics analysis were applied to effectively identify differential genes and signaling pathways. Based on Gene Ontology (GO) annotation, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, Protein Protein Interaction network (PPI network) construction, we found biomass BC affected mitochondrial function, interfered with cellular metabolic processes, disturbed redox homeostasis, and finally resulted in cellular damages. Coal-BC mainly caused cytokine/chemokine related inflammatory responses. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting methods were further applied to find out related signaling pathways. Biomass BC activated IL6R/JAK3/STAT3 and JAK3/STAT6 pathways leading to oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Coal BC activated JAK3/STAT3 pathway leading to chemokine related responses. This study revealed the heterogeneity in neurotoxicity of BCs from different combustion sources and provided important data for health risk assessment. BC-related neurotoxicity should be considered when making air pollution emission control strategies, with residential biomass receiving more policy attention.

Classification of Heart Disease Diagnoses Using Gaussian Naïve Bayes

Machine learning, which is part of artificial intelligence, has been widely applied in various fields, especially the medical field. Machine learning helps doctors make more accurate diagnoses. Heart disease is one of the highest causes of death in the world, so the need for accurate diagnosis is absolute for this disease. There are many algorithms that have been applied in machine learning to classify and detect heart disease, such as Linear Discriminant Analysis [1], KNN, Decision Tree, Random Forest [2], and Logistic Regression [3]. One classification algorithm that has not been implemented is Gaussian Naive Bayes. So, in this research the Gaussian Naive Bayes algorithm will be tested on the cardio health risk assessment dataset. From the research results of applying the Gaussian Naive Bayes algorithm to cardio health risk assessment data, accuracy was 0.87%, precision was 0.88%, recall was 0.90%, and f1-score was 0.89%.

Justification of Temporary Deviations in Drinking Water Quality Given New Scientific Data for Health Risk Assessment

Justification of Temporary Deviations in Drinking Water Quality Given New Scientific Data for Health Risk Assessment

Influence of humic acid on the bioaccumulation, elimination, and toxicity of PFOS and TBBPA co-exposure in Mytilus unguiculatus Valenciennes

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are emerging contaminants which coexist in marine environments, posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health. The behavior of these contaminants in the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM), specifically the co-contamination of TBBPA and PFOS, is not well understood. The bioaccumulation, distribution, elimination, and toxic effects of TBBPA and PFOS on thick-shell mussels (Mytilus unguiculatus V.), with the absence and presence of humic acid (HA), a typical DOM, were studied. The results showed that the uptake of TBBPA decreased and the uptake of PFOS increased when exposed to 1 mg/L HA. However, at higher concentrations of HA (5 and 25 mg/L), the opposite effect was observed. Combined exposure to HA, TBBPA, and PFOS resulted in oxidative stress in the digestive gland, with the severity of stress dependent on exposure time and HA dose. Histological analysis revealed a positive correlation between HA concentration and tissue damage caused by TBBPA and PFOS. This study provides insights into the influence of HA on the bioaccumulation-elimination patterns and toxicity of TBBPA and PFOS in marine bivalves, offering valuable data for ecological and health risk assessments of combined pollutants in aquatic environments rich in DOM.

A systematic review of preclinical studies evaluating the association between nicotine and the initiation and progression of cancer.

The association between cigarette smoking and the increased risk of many cancers is well established. Conversely, epidemiological studies of smokeless tobacco demonstrate decreased risk, or no elevated risk, of certain cancers versus smoking. However, it is unclear what role, if any, nicotine plays in these associations. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the available evidence from preclinical studies that examined the potential association between nicotine and the initiation and/or progression of cancer. MEDLINE, Embase, PsychInfo, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for articles published from inception until February 13, 2022. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they evaluated animal cancer or tumor models, compared nicotine and non-nicotine groups, and evaluated measures of cancer initiation or progression. Among 1,137 identified articles, 61 were included in qualitative synthesis. Twelve studies reported data on tumor initiation, and 54 studies reported data on tumor progression. The majority of the tumor initiation studies did not identify an association between nicotine exposure and an increased risk of spontaneous tumor initiation. Results of tumor progression studies were inconsistent and varied across the reported measures, cancer type being evaluated, and animal cancer model used. Overall, the quality of reporting was poor, with many studies not demonstrating a high level of internal and/or external validity. In conclusion, although animal models have provided invaluable data for human health risk assessments of chemical exposures, the heterogeneity across the studies included in this systematic review make the interpretation and generalizability of the results difficult.

Reduction in the Residues of Penthiopyrad in Processed Edible Vegetables by Various Soaking Treatments and Health Hazard Evaluation in China

Tomato and cucumber are two vital edible vegetables that usually appear in people's daily diet. Penthiopyrad is a new type of amide chiral fungicide, which is often used for disease control of vegetables (including tomato and cucumber) due to its wide bactericidal spectrum, low toxicity, good penetration, and strong internal absorption. Extensive application of penthiopyrad may have caused potential pollution in the ecosystem. Different processing methods can remove pesticide residues from vegetables and protect human health. In this study, the penthiopyrad removal efficiency of soaking and peeling from tomatoes and cucumbers was evaluated under different conditions. Among different soaking methods, heated water soaking and water soaking with additives (NaCl, acetic acid, and surfactant) presented a more effective reduction ability than other treatments. Due to the specific physicochemical properties of tomatoes and cucumbers, the ultrasound enhances the removal rate of soaking for tomato samples and inhibits it for cucumber samples. Peeling can remove approximately 90% of penthiopyrad from contaminated tomato and cucumber samples. Enantioselectivity was found only during tomato sauce storage, which may be related to the complex microbial community. Health risk assessment data suggests that tomatoes and cucumbers are safer for consumers after soaking and peeling. The results may provide consumers with some useful information to choose better household processing methods to remove penthiopyrad residues from tomatoes, cucumbers, and other edible vegetables.

Considering developmental neurotoxicity invitro data for human health risk assessment using physiologically-based kinetic modeling: deltamethrin case study.

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) is a potential hazard of chemicals. Recently, an in vitro testing battery (DNT IVB) was established to complement existing rodent in vivo approaches. Deltamethrin (DLT), a pyrethroid with a well-characterized neurotoxic mode of action, has been selected as a reference chemical to evaluate the performance of the DNT IVB. The present study provides context for evaluating the relevance of these DNT IVB results for the human health risk assessment of DLT by estimating potential human fetal brain concentrations after maternal exposure to DLT. We developed a physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model for rats which was then translated to humans considering realistic in vivo exposure conditions (acceptable daily intake [ADI] for DLT). To address existing uncertainties, we designed case studies considering the most relevant drivers of DLT uptake and distribution. Calculated human fetal brain concentrations were then compared with the lowest benchmark concentration achieved in the DNT IVB. The developed rat PBK model was validated on in vivo rat toxicokinetic data of DLT over a broad range of doses. The uncertainty based case study evaluation confirmed that repeated exposure to DLT at an ADI level would likely result in human fetal brain concentrations far below the in vitro benchmark. The presented results indicate that DLT concentrations in the human fetal brain are highly unlikely to reach concentrations associated with in vitro findings under realistic exposure conditions. Therefore, the new in vitro DNT results are considered to have no impact on the current risk assessment approach.

Abstracts Teaching Kitchen Research Conference Los Angeles, California October 18–19, 2022

Abstracts Teaching Kitchen Research Conference Los Angeles, California <i>October 18–19, 2022</i>

Organochlorine pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in serum of Beijing population: Exposure and health risk assessment

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental contaminants, but large-scale human biomonitoring and health risk assessment data on these contaminants remain limited. In this study, concentrations of 6 OCPs and 5 PAHs were determined by GC–MS/MS in 1268 human serum samples which were collected from the participants in 2017 Beijing Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance. The detection frequencies of OCPs and PAHs ranged from 64.7 % to 96.5 % and 89.4 % to 99.6 %, respectively. The most abundant contaminants in OCPs and PAHs were pentachlorophenol (PCP) and pyrene (Pyr) with median concentrations reaching up to 3.13 and 8.48 μg/L, respectively. Nonparametric tests were employed to assess the correlations among contaminants levels, demographic characteristics (age, gender, body mass index, residence) and serum biochemical indexes. Significantly higher serum levels of all PAHs were observed in suburb residents than that in urban residents (P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (OR 2.17 [1.29, 3.63]), phenanthrene (OR 1.06 [1.02, 1.11]), fluoranthene (OR 1.04 [1.02, 1.07]) and Pyr (OR 1.02 [1.01, 1.03]) might increase the occurrence of hyperglycemia, and exposure to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (OR 1.53 [1.05, 2.22]) and pentachlorobenzene (OR 1.14 [1.02, 1.27]) were positively associated with hyperlipidemia. Furthermore, the hazard quotients (HQs) for serum HCB, PCP and p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene were calculated based on health-based guidance values to predict health risks. 0.2 % and 4.3 % of serum samples showed HQ values exceeding 1 for HCB and PCP, respectively, in case of the non-carcinogenic risk, while 23.1 % of HQs for HCB were above 1 in case of the carcinogenic risk for a risk level 10−5. Our study reveals that the body burden of the Beijing general population relative to OCPs and PAHs was nonnegligible. The past exposure of HCB and PCP might adversely affect the health status of the Beijing population.

Investigations of indoor air quality for office buildings in different climate zones of China by subjective survey and field measurement

This study investigated the indoor air environment of office buildings in different climate zones of China, including the indoor air pollutant concentrations, and its associated interactions with the staffs' feelings and health symptoms, which could provide basis to improve the indoor environments of office buildings. Thermal parameters and pollutant (including CO2, formaldehyde and TVOC) concentrations were monitored in different floors of sampled office buildings. Questionnaire were also surveyed to investigate humans' perception to the indoor air quality and the associated sick building syndrome. Furthermore, cancer risk assessments of these office buildings were carried out based on onsite air pollutants data. The results showed that indoor and outdoor pollutant concentrations are highly correlated, and the pollutants concentration levels vary over the time of the day, with poor indoor conditions observed in the morning and the afternoon. The questionnaire results suggested that actions should be taken to improve the indoor air environment of office buildings, and ventilation appears to be the most desirable strategy. The risk assessment results showed that health problems could exist even though the pollutant concentration levels in the indoor environment were within the standard limits. This paper investigated the discomfort reasons in the office buildings by providing pollutant concentrations and health risk assessment data together with information about the human's perception on the indoor environment. Finally, we noted that outdoor fresh air with purifiers/filters should be used to reduce the indoor pollutant concentrations.

Public Health Risk Assessment and Prevention Based on Big Data.

In order to improve the ability of public health risk assessment in the context of community collaborative prevention and control, a mathematical model of public health risk assessment in the context of community collaborative prevention and control based on the integration and balanced allocation of big data features in the prevention horizon is proposed. The constraint parameter model of public health risk assessment under the background of community collaborative prevention and control is constructed, the method of dynamic feature analysis of joint prevention and control is adopted to realize the dynamic risk point detection of public health risk assessment data and the integration of constraint mechanism related feature points, and the fuzzy dynamic statistical feature matching method is adopted to carry out the adaptive dynamic statistics and resource balanced allocation analysis of public health risk assessment set under the background of community collaborative prevention and control. A public health risk parameter fusion model is established under the background of community collaborative prevention and control, the methods of balanced resource allocation and joint management and control are combined to realize balanced scheduling and prevention area block matching in the process of dynamic parameter estimation of public health risk evaluation data under the background of community collaborative prevention and control, the correlation distribution of public health risk under the background of community collaborative prevention and control is taken as the cost function, and balanced allocation is realized according to the statistical information sampling results of public health risk evaluation data under the background of community collaborative prevention and control. Combined with differential clustering analysis, the data clustering and attribute merging of public health risk assessment under the background of community collaborative prevention and control are realized, and the mathematical modeling optimization of public health risk assessment under the background of community collaborative prevention and control is realized. The simulation results show that this method has good adaptability, high degree of parameter fusion, and strong ability of matching risk prevention areas and balancing resource allocation in the context of community collaborative prevention and control.

Generalizability and accuracy of IBM MarketScan health risk assessment instrument data for augmentation of commercial claims data.

We evaluated the generalizability and accuracy of the IBM® MarketScan® Health Risk Assessment (HRA) data to assess its suitability as supplement to linked claims data. We identified adult private insurance enrollees in the IBM® MarketScan® Commercial Claims & Encounters (CC&E) and HRA databases between 2012 and 2017. In the claims data, for each enrollee, we sampled the first calendar year with continuous enrollment indicating full capture of claims data and extracted linked HRA survey data if available. We compared HRA participants and non-participants considering demographics, prevalences of chronic conditions, and healthcare utilization. Including the subsample with HRA data only, we estimated the negative predictive value (NPV) of obesity and smoking reported in the HRA against diagnosis code in the claims data. Between 2012 and 2017, 2 693 444 and 31 450 000 of HRA and non-HRA participants were included in the study, respectively. Chronic diseases were similarly distributed between the two populations, with hypertension and hyperlipidemia representing the highest prevalence difference (1.4%). The two samples showed similar healthcare utilization. The proportion of false-negatives for obesity and smoking information when relying on the HRA data compared to patients with positive diagnosis based on claims data was low (<1%). Prevalence estimates of both variables were similar to national estimates. Our findings suggest that the overall HRA population may represent the overall claims population and HRA provides certain data elements with satisfactory accuracy.

Leveraging Health Risk Assessment Data to Describe Changes in Health Behaviors Associated With the COVID-19 Global Pandemic.

Leveraging Health Risk Assessment Data to Describe Changes in Health Behaviors Associated With the COVID-19 Global Pandemic.

Adsorption of EDCs on Reclaimed Water-Irrigated Soils: A Comparative Analysis of a Branched Nonylphenol, Nonylphenol and Bisphenol A

Nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) are two typical endocrine disrupter chemicals (EDCs) in reclaimed water. In this study, the adsorptions of NP, a branched NP (NP7) and BPA on reclaimed water-irrigated soils were studied by isothermal experiments, and the different environmental factors on their adsorptions were investigated. The results showed that the adsorptions of NP and NP7 on soils conformed to the Linear model, and the adsorption of BPA conformed to the Freundlich model. The adsorptions of NP, NP7 and BPA on soils decreased with increasing temperatures and pHs. Adsorption equilibrium constant (Kd or Kf) were maximum at pH = 3, temperature 25 °C and As(III)-soil, respectively. The adsorption capacity of NP, NP7 and BPA to soils under different cation valence were as follows: neutrally &gt; divalent cations &gt; mono-cations. Kd of NP7 on soil was less than that of NP under different pH and temperatures, while under different cation concentrations it was the inverse. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) analysis showed alkyl chains of NP and BPA seemed to form van der Waals interactions with the cavity of soil. Results of this study will provide further comprehensive fundamental data for human health risk assessment of NP and BPA in soil.

Evaluation of Estimated Survey Duration Equations Using a Health Risk Assessment

Survey duration—the time it takes to complete a survey—affects response and completion rates. Estimated survey duration equations may be used to estimate survey duration, however, there are no studies assessing their use. The objective of this study is to evaluate estimated survey duration equations using a health risk assessment. Six existing estimated survey duration equations were identified. Using health risk assessment data from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, an average participant profile was built to inform the inputs into the estimated survey duration equations. Estimated survey duration of the health risk assessment ranged from 7.64 minutes to 39.6 minutes. Using the same dataset, the estimated survey duration was compared to the actual completion time of the health risk assessment. The average completion time of the health risk assessment was 11.27 minutes. The estimated survey duration equations either under- or overestimated the completion time of the health risk assessment. The equation that is based on word count, number of questions, decisions, and open text boxes is recommended for use to estimate the duration of a health risk assessment although it was an overestimate. Using estimated survey duration equations appear to be a suitable alternative to pilot testing but future studies are needed to further evaluate these equations in other types of surveys.

Association between self-reported sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk in corporate executives.

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the association between self-reported sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk among men and women corporate executives and investigate potential lifestyle, work- and stress-related mediators thereof. Self-reported sleep duration and lifestyle, occupational, psychological and measured anthropometrical, blood pressure (BP) and blood marker variables were obtained from health risk assessment data of 3583 corporate executives. Sex-stratified regression analyses investigated the relationships between occupational and psychological variables with self-reported sleep duration, and sleep duration with individual cardiometabolic risk factors. Mediation analyses investigated the effects of work, psychological and lifestyle factors on the relationships between self-reported sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as a continuous cardiometabolic risk score calculated from the sum of sex-stratified z-standardized scores of negative fasting serum HDL, and positive plasma Glu, serum TG, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic BP. Longer work hours and work commute time, depression, anxiety and stress were associated with shorter sleep duration in both men and women (all p < 0.05). Shorter sleep duration was associated with higher BMI, larger waist circumference and greater cardiometabolic risk scores in both men and women (all p < 0.05), higher diastolic BP in men (p < 0.05) and lower HDL cholesterol in women (p < 0.05). Physical activity, working hours and stress significantly mediated the relationships between self-reported sleep duration and BMI, waist circumference, diastolic BP and cardiometabolic risk score in men only. In these corporate executives, shorter self-reported sleep duration is associated with poorer psychological, occupational and cardiometabolic risk outcomes in both men and women. Given that physical activity, working hours and stress mediate this association among the men, the case for sleep health interventions in workplace health programmes is warranted.

Organochlorine compounds pose health risks to the Qinling Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis).

To assess organochlorine compound (OC) contamination, its possible sources, and adverse health impacts on giant pandas, we collected soil, bamboo, and panda fecal samples from the habitat and research center of the Qinling panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis)-the rarest recognized panda subspecies. The polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) concentrations were comparatively low which suggests that moderate sources of OC pollution currently. OC levels were lower in samples from nature reserve than in those collected from pandas held in captivity, and OC levels within the reserve increased between functional areas in the order: core, buffer and experimental. The distribution patterns, and correlation analyses, combined with congener distributions suggested PCBs and OCPs originated from similar sources, were dispersed by similar processes, being transported through atmosphere and characterized by historical residues. Backward trajectory analyses results, and detected DRINs (aldrin, dieldrin, endrin and isodrin) both suggest long-range atmospheric transport of pollution source. PCBs pose potential cancer risk, and PCB 126 was the most notable toxicant as assessed be the high carcinogenic risk index. We provide data for health risk assessment that can guide the identification of priority congeners, and recommend a long-term monitoring plan. This study proposes an approach to ecotoxicological threats whereby giant pandas may be used as sentinel species for other threatened or endangered mammals. By highlighting the risks of long-distance transmission of pollutants, the study emphasizes the importance of transboundary cooperation to safeguard biodiversity.

Ten Modifiable Health Risk Factors and Employees' Medical Costs-An Update.

To estimate the relationship between employees' health risks and health-care costs to inform health promotion program design. An observational study of person-level health-care claims and health risk assessment (HRA) data that used regression models to estimate the relationship between 10 modifiable risk factors and subsequent year 1 health-care costs. United States. The sample included active, full-time, adult employees continuously enrolled in employer-sponsored health insurance plans contributing to IBM MarketScan Research Databases who completed an HRA. Study criteria were met by 135 219 employees from 11 employers. Ten modifiable risk factors and individual sociodemographic and health characteristics were included in the models as independent variables. Five settings of health-care costs were outcomes in addition to total expenditures. After building the analytic file, we estimated generalized linear models and conducted postestimation bootstrapping. Health-care costs were significantly higher for employees at higher risk for blood glucose, obesity, stress, depression, and physical inactivity (all at P < .0001) than for those at lower risk. Similar cost differentials were found when specific health-care services were examined. Employers may achieve cost savings in the short run by implementing comprehensive health promotion programs that focus on decreasing multiple health risks.

Radon survey in office room and effective dose estimation for staff

This study aims to: (1) Acquire the radon level in closed office rooms, providing radon exposure data for preliminary health risk assessment of office-working population. (2) Pre-analyze the relationship between radon concentration and indoor temperature, relative humidity. (3) Estimate seasonal, annual and total radon effective dose for ordinary office-working population. The results show that the 24-h or 8-h average radon concentrations in closed office rooms were about 32.0 Bq/m3 and 29.5 Bq/m3 during detection period, and the estimated effective doses in office rooms calculated by using 24-h and 8-h average radon concentrations were all far below that in residential environment.

Opioid Use Disorder and Employee Work Presenteeism, Absences, and Health Care Costs.

To measure the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and employee health care and productivity costs with and without OUD and to assess whether utilization of pharmacotherapy for OUD reduces those costs. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2016 to 2017 commercial enrollment, health care, and pharmacy claims and health risk assessment data using the IBM MarketScan Databases (Ann Arbor, MI). We estimated regression models to assess the association between OUD and annual employee health care and productivity costs. Health care and productivity costs for employees with OUD who did and did not receive pharmacotherapy were approximately $6294 and $21,570 more than for other employees, respectively. Employers can make a business case for expanding access to pharmacotherapy treatment for OUD based on our finding that receipt of pharmacotherapy significantly reduces overall health care costs.