Environmental Health Indicators Research Articles

Regional Model Development of Plastic Waste Monitoring: Basic Framework from Population and Public Market in Central Java-Indonesia

Recently, Intention to accelerate SGDs achievement and also mitigate climate change impact concerning to regional health, increasing significantly. One of the regional health issues for those is concerning to impcat of plastic waste. Event though plastic is one of the principal materials in the regional market and industry, but then plastic waste arise to be principal problem for regional environmental health indicators since they linked living from land to coastal and to oceans. Many tons of plastic from land accounted enter to costal and or ocean then attack to all living thinks. Moreover they may be able to return to the land as microplastic consumed by fish. Today, quick respond to manage plastic waste have a high assosiation with effort to manage green food cycle as of covering basic regional food and cereal cycle. This study goal is to provide basic model for regional plastic waste degree monitoring. The model is developed by using “online” population data from regional statistical data and number of public market. GIS tools is used to degree of plastic waste in spatial map. For detail, Central Java Provice was then selected for model assessment. To monitor the plastic waste generation in spatial pattern, online data population for year 1990, 2000, 2010, 2018 and number of traditional market was utilized. The study calculated that the highest degree of plastic waste generation with population-base approach for year 2018 is located in Brebes Regency with estimated 161.53 Ton per day. Semarang city contributed 160.04 Ton per day and total plastic waste generation in Central Java is estimated 3, 090.38. According to the public market location, this study founded that Surakarta, Semarang, Pekalongan and Tegal clasify as high degree of plastic waste ggeneration.

Heavy-Metals as Environmental Health Indicator of the Lagos Lagoon Complex, Nigeria

The study was conducted on heavy metals contents of water, fish tissues and sediment from Lagos lagoon complex, Nigeria. The aim was to assess the current environmental health/pollution status of the lagoon from three sample stations: Ologe lagoon [1], Badagry creek [2] and Lagos island [3]; each having three (3) hotspots. In all, twelve (11) heavy metals were determined between June and November, 2018. Heavy metals: Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu, Na, Potassium, Ca, Mn, Cd, Hg and Nickel were determined using Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Results of mean Heavy metals in fish tissues were: Zn (0.741±0.38), Fe (5.59±8.32), Pb (0.12±0.17mg/l), Cu (0.16±0.25), Na (9.38±0.25), Ca (116.68±41.53), Mn (0.76±0.96), Pb (0.01±0.0), Cd (0.02±0.0), Potassium (12.09±2.34), Ni (0.02±0.02) and Hg (0.01±0.0). Statistical analysis showed variations in the distribution of Heavy metals which are mostly within recommended limits of WHO, FME, & LASEPA. Except for iron (Fe), which was found in excess in fish tissues, and other metals (lead), found in higher conc. in sediments than in water and fish tissues combined. This is indicative of heavy metals bio-accumulation in the study area.

Heavy-Metals as Environmental Health Indicator of the Lagos Lagoon Complex, Nigeria

The study was conducted on heavy metals contents of water, fish tissues and sediment from Lagos lagoon complex, Nigeria. The aim was to assess the current environmental health/pollution status of the lagoon from three sample stations: Ologe lagoon [1], Badagry creek [2] and Lagos island [3]; each having three (3) hotspots. In all, twelve (11) heavy metals were determined between June and November, 2018. Heavy metals: Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu, Na, Potassium, Ca, Mn, Cd, Hg and Nickel were determined using Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Results of mean Heavy metals in fish tissues were: Zn (0.741±0.38), Fe (5.59±8.32), Pb (0.12±0.17mg/l), Cu (0.16±0.25), Na (9.38±0.25), Ca (116.68±41.53), Mn (0.76±0.96), Pb (0.01±0.0), Cd (0.02±0.0), Potassium (12.09±2.34), Ni (0.02±0.02) and Hg (0.01±0.0). Statistical analysis showed variations in the distribution of Heavy metals which are mostly within recommended limits of WHO, FME, & LASEPA. Except for iron (Fe), which was found in excess in fish tissues, and other metals (lead), found in higher conc. in sediments than in water and fish tissues combined. This is indicative of heavy metals bio-accumulation in the study area.

Richness in recent foraminifera from different locations along Venezuelan coastal ecosystems

The total number of recent foraminifera species for Venezuelan marine areas is counted and summarized by major taxonomic groups. Samples from different locations associated with contrasting marine settings were used to review the species richness of the foraminiferal community. Atotal of 930 species were compiled and their synonyms updated. Of this total, 392 species belong to the Rotaliida (42%), 234 to theMiliolida (25%), 155 to the Textulairida (17%), and 79 species to the Lagenida (8%), while the Nodosairida has 18 species (2%), the Spirilinida has 17 (2%), the Polymorphinida has 14 (2%), and the rest belong to the Vaginulinida, Robertinida, Carterinida and Involutinida (12, 6, 2 and 1 species each, respectively). Atotal of 271 species have been identified as endemic to theVenezuelan marine coastal area. This basic diversity analysis of species indicates that the Rotaliida dominate the foraminiferal assemblages along the coast line, followed by the Miliolida and Textulariida, with minor representation of other groups of foraminifera. The distribution of the foraminiferal species, especially benthic, is associated with the different ecoregions and can help serve as indicators for environmental health, marine restoration, and preservation of environmental quality.

Environmental health indicator for the evaluation of neighborhoods in urban areas: a case study in Caruaru (PE), Brazil

The environment, over the years, has been subjected to strong negative impacts caused by economic policies that have promoted an uncontrolled growth of urbanization in the cities and abusive exploration of the natural resources. In this context, developing socio-environmental indicators to subsidize the formulation of municipal public policies which consider, specifically, the environmental (in)salubrity of each neighborhood or locality of municipalities is imperative. The present paper presents the construction and application of an environmental health indicator for residential neighborhoods in two localities of Caruaru City, Pernambuco State. The data adopted in research were obtained from databases of City Hall institutions, from interviews with the population of the localities and water quality analyses. The results indicated that the neighborhoods analyzed presented characteristics of medium health; water supply, the disposal of solid waste, and socioeconomic aspects require attention and priority of public policies. In conclusion, the proposed indicator can be an instrument to assist in urban planning and environmental management of Brazilian municipalities, because it can guide the performance of public managers and the civil society to identify priority actions for improving the infrastructure of the most unhealthy neighborhoods. Keywords: healthiness; environmental health; environmental sanitation; environmental management; environmental health indicator.

Environmental health indicator for the evaluation of neighborhoods in urban areas: a case study in Caruaru (PE), Brazil

The environment, over the years, has been subjected to strong negative impacts caused by economic policies that have promoted an uncontrolled growth of urbanization in the cities and abusive exploration of the natural resources. In this context, developing socio-environmental indicators to subsidize the formulation of municipal public policies which consider, specifically, the environmental (in)salubrity of each neighborhood or locality of municipalities is imperative. The present paper presents the construction and application of an environmental health indicator for residential neighborhoods in two localities of Caruaru City, Pernambuco State. The data adopted in research were obtained from databases of City Hall institutions, from interviews with the population of the localities and water quality analyses. The results indicated that the neighborhoods analyzed presented characteristics of medium health; water supply, the disposal of solid waste, and socioeconomic aspects require attention and priority of public policies. In conclusion, the proposed indicator can be an instrument to assist in urban planning and environmental management of Brazilian municipalities, because it can guide the performance of public managers and the civil society to identify priority actions for improving the infrastructure of the most unhealthy neighborhoods. Keywords: healthiness; environmental health; environmental sanitation; environmental management; environmental health indicator.

Local Perception of Climate Change, COVID-19 and their Impact on Birds in Jammu and Kashmir

Weather is of major significance for the population dynamics of birds, but the implications of climate change have only recently begun to be addressed. There is already compelling support that birds have been affected by recent climate changes. The metabolic rate of birds is not only affected by weather (e.g. cold weather requiring increased energy expenditure for body maintenance)but also exerts other direct and indirect effects on bird behaviour. The extreme weather events, like prolonged frozen spells and droughts, can have catastrophic effects on bird populations, including long-term effects on whole cohorts. Birds are generally admired for their beauty, songs, and the beauty of their near miraculous ability to fly without recognizing their role direct or indirect to the Ecosystem Services. Birds are marvellous indicators of environmental health which offer humans pleasure, joy and spiritual motivation. The main reason to study climate change, COVID-19 and their impact on birds is to promote understanding of the ecosystems that support all life on earth, including human beings. In this study, a well designed and validated questionnaire was used to collect the information from a sample of 400 local people from Kashmir valley. The main aim of writing this paper was to find out the perception and approach of local people towards climate change, COVID-19 and their impact on birds. The data collected from the survey was analyzed using standard statistical tools. The result of our study revealed from people perception that increase in temperature, unpredictable rainfall, increase in frequency of disaster and decrease in food production has direct impact on birds. Further, the study revealed that local people showed interest towards birds, nature and wildlife preservation. The respondents in majority reported the sudden increase in bird sightings during COVID-19 lockdown. Finally, to cope with climate change impact, it was suggested that education programmers be introduced among the people to increase awareness about the role played by bird in our lives, significance of wildlife conservation and management amidst changing climate. Further, to cope with COVID-19 threat, the research advised to follow WHO and health ministry guidelines.

An Environmental Health Typology as a Contributor to Sustainable Regional Urban Planning: The Case of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP)

The recognition of metropolitan regions and their growth as a necessary scale of analysis for their integrated management has become a central characteristic of urban planning. The current metropolitan landscape warrants the use of instruments beyond the municipal scale, especially since the economic integration of cities and their development are accentuating urban problems that affect the sustainability of cities. The São Paulo Metropolitan Region (MRSP), one of the world’s megacities, is used as a case study to identify how typologies can contribute to integrated sustainable urban planning and management at the metropolitan level. It applies the territorial analytical typology based on the Driving-Force-Pressure-Situation-Exposure-Effect-Actions (DPSEEA) Environmental Health Matrix to identify the heterogeneity of conditions encountered in large metropolitan regions such as the MRSP. The results show a great variety of environmental and social conditions present in the municipalities of the MRSP that condition the sustainability and health of the urban environment. This typology constitutes a first step to characterize metropolitan regions in socioenvironmental terms using as a conceptual basis a matrix of environmental health indicators, being a precursor in the largest metropolitan region of Brazil.

River Pollution: Big Cost of Future (Light on Mumbai Metropolis Rivers)

Water is one of necessity of life without which it is not possible for life to sustain. Approximately 71% part of the earth is enclosed with water in which 97% seawater, 2% polar ice caps, and 1% is fresh water. Water quality is an indicator of environmental health and well being of society. The environment nearby river area are very productive, beside this they also have economically values for fisheries, tourism, and recreational activities (Donde and Patil, 2018). In India, approximately 1000 rivers are present which are source of livelihood for large number of population.

Development of a Food Security Indicator Framework in British Columbia

Food security is complex in both content and governance, making it difficult to measure and monitor. In 2016, the Population and Public Health Program of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Provincial Health Services Authority, sought to identify or construct an evidence-based conceptual frame­work to guide the systematic selection of food security indicators for British Columbia (BC), Canada. A systemized scan of the literature found no existing conceptual frameworks specific to food security indica­tors appropriate to the Global North. The most relevant indicator frameworks for food security in the litera­ture were environmental health indicator frameworks. These formed the foundation for the conceptual framework for food security indicators in BC. The framework is a matrix that combines an adaptation of the environmental health casual network (i.e., determinants–current state–impact–response) with food security elements (i.e., (i) individual and household food insecurity; (ii) food systems, and (iii) capacity). Use of this framework can enable program planners and policy-makers to be clear about where and how they are attempting to assess, influence, and monitor food security. It also illustrates interconnectedness between indicators. The creation of this framework has laid the foundation for the development of a set of indicators for BC Public Health. Its wide scope allows for the potential of various sectors to populate the framework with indicators and thus create a comprehensive assessment of food security in BC.

Microbial assemblages and bioindicators as proxies for ecosystem health status: potential and limitations.

Microorganisms play fundamental roles in the diversity and functional stability of environments, including nutrient and energy cycling. However, microbial biodiversity loss and change because of global climate and land use change remain poorly understood. Many microbial taxa exhibit fast growth rates and are highly sensitive to environmental change. This suggests they have potential to be efficient biological indicators to assess and monitor the state of the habitats within which they occur. Here, we describe and illustrate a range of univariate and multivariate statistical approaches that can be used to identify effective microbial indicators of environmental perturbations and quantify changes in microbial communities. We show that the integration of multiple approaches, such as linear discriminant analysis effect size and indicator value analysis, is optimal for the quantification of the effects of perturbation on microbial communities. We demonstrate the most prevalent techniques using microbial community data derived from soils under different land uses. We discuss the limitations to the development and use of microbial bioindicators and identify future research directions, such as the creation of reliable, standardised reference databases to provide baseline metrics that are indicative of healthy microbial communities. If reliable and globally-relevant microbial indicators of environmental health can be developed, there is enormous potential for their use, both as a standalone monitoring tool and via their integration with existing physical, chemical and biological measures of environmental health.

Mercury, Lead and Cadmium Concentrations in Talpa occidentalis and in Their Digeneans of the Genus Ityogonimus.

Many parasites living in aquatic ecosystems are useful indicators of environmental health. On the other hand, information is scarcer with respect to the use of helminth parasites of vertebrates living in terrestrial ecosystems as monitoring tools for toxic element environmental pollution. The present study evaluates the suitability of the model Talpa occidentalis/Ityogonimus spp. as a bioindicator system for mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils from Asturias (Spain). Kidney and liver samples collected from T. occidentalis specimens (n=36) and Ityogonimus spp. samples collected from 14 infected hosts were analyzed by ICP-MS. The highest mean levels of Hg and Pb were found in Ityogonimus individuals (20.9 and 12.4µgg-1 wet weight, respectively). Considering renal and hepatic concentrations in T. occidentalis, bioaccumulation factors of Ityogonimus for Hg were 83.7 and 58.6, respectively, whereas concerning Pb bioaccumulation factors were 38.2 and 82.9, respectively. No bioaccumulation was detected in Ityogonimus in the case of Cd. More studies involving digenean parasites of small mammals are needed, especially when biomonitoring environmental toxic element pollution in terrestrial ecosystems. The present results support the above-mentioned model as a suitable biomonitoring system to evaluate environmental Hg and Pb contamination in terrestrial non-urban Iberian habitats. Similar models involving other species (Talpa spp./Ityogonimus spp.) might be used in a much wider geographical range.

Metazoan parasite infracommunities of the dusky flounder (Syacium papillosum) as bioindicators of environmental conditions in the continental shelf of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

BackgroundWe assessed metrics of the metazoan parasite infracommunities of the dusky flounder (Syacium papillosum) as indicators of aquatic environmental health of the Yucatan Shelf (YS) prior to oil extraction. We sampled the dusky flounder and its parasites along the YS, mostly during the 2015 north wind season (November–April). Our aims were: (i) to determine whether the parasite infracommunity metrics of S. papillosum exhibit significant differences among YS subregions; (ii) to determine whether the probability of the occurrence of its parasite species and individuals were affected by environmental variables, nutrients, heavy metals and hydrocarbons at the seascape level; and (iii) to determine whether there were statistical differences between the parasite infracommunity metrics of S. papillosum from YS and those of Syacium gunteri from the Campeche Sound. Multivariate statistical analyses and generalised additive models (GAMs) were used to examine the potential statistical associations between the contaminants, environmental variables and parasite community metrics, and the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) was used to characterise the habitat’s suitability for the parasite’s probability of occurrence.ResultsWe recovered 48 metazoan parasite species from 127 S. papillosum, with larval cestodes and digeneans being the most numerically-dominant. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences in parasite infracommunity metrics among Western YS, Mid YS and Caribbean subregions, with the latter being the richest in species but not in individuals. The GAM and MaxEnt results indicated a negative effect of top predators (e.g. sharks and rays) removal on parasite metrics. The parasite infracommunities of S. papillosum were twice as rich in the number of species and individuals as those reported for S. gunteri from the Campeche Sound.ConclusionsThe significant differences among subregions in parasite metrics were apparently due to the interruption of the Yucatan current during the north wind season. The fishing of top predators in combination with an influx of nutrients and hydrocarbons in low concentrations coincides with an increase in larval cestodes and digeneans in S. papillosum. The dusky flounder inhabits a region (YS) with a larger number of metazoan parasite species compared with those available for S. gunteri in the Campeche Sound, suggesting better environmental conditions for transmission in the YS.

Developing environmental health indicators [EHIs] for Iran based on the causal effect model.

Environmental health monitoring and its effects on health are very important in health systems. Relationship between environment and health can be done by simplifying data in understandable indicators for people and policy-makers. The present study presents the general framework for formulating environmental health quality index for Iran. This study was implemented through expert panel at two levels: indicator domain determination and domain specific variables selection. Domain specific variables were selected based on the Driving force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA) framework from the list of national and international variables. Seven environmental health issues [air quality, drinking water, sewage disposal, food, radiation management and housing and human settlements] were determined, and three variables were selected for air quality, 8 variables for water quality, 5 variables for sanitation, 1 variable for food quality, 3 variables for housing and human settlements, 4 variables for solid waste management and 3 variables for radiation management. Environmental health indicators determination based on the causal effect model leads to a better understanding of the relationship between the environment and health by simplifying data in an understandable format for public and improves prioritization of policy-making in the environmental health. In this study, environmental health indicators for Iran were proposed.

Benthic Foraminifera Response to Ecosystem Pollution in the Uppanar Estuary, Tamil Nadu Coast, India

A total of 14 surface (0-1cm) sediment grab samples and bottom water samples were collected at water depths varying from 0.8 to 2.5m in the Uppanar estuary. All the samples were analyzed to recognize the spatial distribution of benthic foraminifer assemblages and their relationship with environmental variables. The values of physicochemical parameters of bottom waters revealed that normal marine to hyposaline, low DO and high pH conditions were prevailing at the water-substrate interface at the time of sampling. The pH varies from 8.3 to 7.8, salinity from 32.46 PSU to 20.24 PSU, the DO from 5.4ml/L to 2ml/L from estuarine mouth to upstream direction. A total of 54 benthic foraminifer species belonging to 18 genera are identified and the faunal assemblages are dominated by Ammonia parkinsoniana, A. beccarii, A. tepida and Quinqueloculina spp. The dominance of Ammonia at all stations infer that it has a high tolerance to environmental variables and also reproduces more periodically than other taxa. The abundance and diversity (species richness) of living and total benthic foraminifera roughly corroborate the trends of salinity, pH and DO, indicating that these ecological variables largely affect the distribution of foraminiferal assemblages. The relative richness of species is high in lower estuary (stns.1–3), moderate in the middle estuary (stns. 4–7) and low in upper estuary (stns.8–14). The species richness in comparable samples is an indicator of environmental health, thus low values signifying deteriorated environmental conditions in the middle and upper estuarine zones. These estuarine zones are proximal to outfall of industrial effluents, resulting in low species richness and frequency. Four biotopes are recognized by cluster analysis of the total (live+dead) foraminiferal abundance data and their distribution are closely related to variations in salinity, DO and other parameters related to the hydrodynamics of the region. The unsystematic grouping of stations as disclosed by cluster analysis for total foraminifera suggests that the middle and upper estuarine zones are severely stressed due to industrial pollution. The FORAM index (FI) ranging from 1 to 1.45 indicates that estuary is environmentally stressed and inhospitable for symbiotic foraminifera. The Foram Stress Index (FSI) ranges from 0 to 4.23 and the decreasing trend of values indicate that severity of pollution increases in the upstream direction. Stations 1,2 and 4 are moderately polluted and the remaining are highly polluted. Ammonia-Elphidium index (AEI) with >90 at stns. 3–13 indicates increased hypoxic conditions, probably prevailed due to the mixing of industrial effluents. The species diversity indices (H’, M, D and J) show a positive correlation with each other and low values of these indices clearly denote serious environmental degradation of the ecosystem. The foraminifer distribution data of this study will form the baseline against which future environmental monitoring of the Uppanar estuary will be compared.

Regional Environmental Features and Health Indicators Dynamics. Pollution of the Earth’s Atmosphere and International Air Quality Standards

The article conducting the problem of maintaining health and increasing the life expectancy of the population continues, which is relevant at the present time. There are many important questions in the world to which countries should jointly seek answers, but one of the main areas of interaction between countries is the environment. According to the world health organization data for 2014, approximately 3.7 million people die each year in the world due to air pollution. The level and dynamics of indicators of air quality can be used to assess the situation in the region or in the territory, to analyse the effectiveness of environmental activities, for competent and effective planning of the system of actions to improve the quality of life of the population.

Insights Into Dolphins' Immunology: Immuno-Phenotypic Study on Mediterranean and Atlantic Stranded Cetaceans.

Immunology of marine mammals is a relatively understudied field and its monitoring plays an important role in the individual and group management of these animals, along with an increasing value as an environmental health indicator. This study was aimed at implementing the knowledge on the immune response in cetaceans stranded along the Italian coastline to provide a baseline useful for assessing the immune status of bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and striped (Stenella coeruleoalba) dolphins. In particular, since the Mediterranean Sea is considered a heavily polluted basin, a comparison with animals living in open waters such as the Atlantic Ocean was made. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded spleen, thymus, and lymph node tissues from 16 animals stranded along Italian and 11 cetaceans from the Canary Island shores were sampled within 48 h from death. Information regarding stranding sites, gender, and age as well as virologic, microbiological, and parasitological investigations, and the cause and/or the death mechanism were also collected in order to carry out statistical analyses. Selected tissues were routinely stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and with immunohistochemical techniques (IHC). For IHC analysis, anti-human CD5 monoclonal mouse antibody to identify T lymphocytes, CD20 monoclonal mouse antibody for the identification of mature B lymphocytes and HLA-DR antigen (alpha-chain) monoclonal mouse antibody for the identification of the major histocompatibility complex type II were previously validated for both species by Western-blotting technique. T-test method applied to quantitative evaluation of IHC positive cells showed a significant relationship between the number of (expression) of CD20 stained lymphocytes and normal and hypoplastic lymph nodes, respectively. No other significant correlations were noticed. Analyses for organochlorines (OC) compounds were performed in animals (n°5) having frozen blubber tissue available. A simple linear regression was calculated to predict if the amount of OCs could influence the number of inflammatory cell subpopulations and a moderate negative correlation was found between the presence of high quantity of contaminants and the number of T lymphocytes. Future analysis should be aimed to understand the effect of the major immunomodulatory pathogens on sub-populations of B and T cells.

Environmental Health Indicators for China: Data Resources for Chinese Environmental Public Health Tracking.

SummaryMany developed countries use environmental public health tracking to gain a better understanding of the link between environmental hazards and public health. To respond to complicated environmental health issues, the National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEH), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), has begun to build a Chinese Environmental Public Health Tracking (CEPHT) system. On behalf of the CEPHT, authors provide insight into the CEPHT’s development, current status, and future plans. In the initial stage of CEPHT, an indicator framework linking environment and public health that included a list of publicly available data sources regarding environmental hazards, public health outcomes, and risk factors in China was developed. An analysis of data availability, along with a comparison between CEPHT’s indicator system and other tracking networks, revealed the existence of barriers and gaps in data integration that affect China’s ability to track environmental public health. The lack of access to data, combined with inadequate data quality, has led to difficulties linking environmental hazards to their effects on public health. Current CEPHT efforts will help integrate environmental factors and exposure data with public health outcomes. For the near future, CEPHT plans to focus on increasing collaboration among data tracking agencies, improving data quality, and expanding proper data sharing. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4319

Association of serum levels of p,p’- Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) with type 2 diabetes in African American and Caucasian adult men from agricultural (Delta) and non-agricultural (non-Delta) regions of Mississippi

ABSTRACTEpidemiological associations were reported in several studies between persistent organochlorine organic pollutants and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Mississippi is a highly agricultural state in the USA, particularly the Delta region, with previous high usage of organochlorine (OC) insecticides such as p,p’- dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). In addition, there is a high proportion of African Americans who display elevated prevalence of T2D. Therefore, this State provides an important dataset for further investigating any relationship between OC compounds and metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess whether soil and serum levels of OC compounds, such as p,p’- dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), arising from the heavy historical use of legacy OC insecticides, might serve as an environmental public health indicator for T2D occurrence. Soil samples from 60 Delta and 60 non-Delta sites randomly selected were analyzed for the presence of OC compounds. A retrospective cohort study of adult men (150 from each region) was recruited to provide a blood sample for OC compound quantitation and select demographic and clinical information including T2D. Using multivariable logistic regression, an association was found between increasing serum DDE levels and T2D occurrence in non-Delta participants (those subjects with lower serum DDE levels), as opposed to Delta participants (individuals with higher serum DDE levels). Thus, while there was a relationship between serum DDE levels and T2D in those with lower burdens of DDE, the lack of association in those with higher levels of DDE indicates a complex non-monotonic correlation between serum DDE levels and T2D occurrence complicating the goal of finding a public health marker for T2D.Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CVD, cardiovascular disease; CDC, Center for Disease Control, United States of America; DDE, p,p’- dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; DDT, p,p’- dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; GC/MS, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; GIS, geographic information system; GPS, global positioning system; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HTN, hypertension; IDW, inverse distance weighting; IRB, Institutional Review Board; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; LOQ, limit of quantitation; NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys; POPs, persistent organic pollutants; OC, organochlorine; PCB, polychlorinated biphenyl; SIM, single-ion monitoring; T2D, type 2 diabetes mellitus; USA, United States of America.

Childhood and Adolescent Cancer in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil: Incidence, Geographical Distribution, and Association With Environmental Health Indicators.

Childhood and Adolescent Cancer in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil: Incidence, Geographical Distribution, and Association With Environmental Health Indicators.