EHP : The Researcher's Perspective

Predicting Effects of Climate Change, with Kristie Ebi

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:58:07 -0400

How do you visualize something you've never seen? That's the question facing policy makers who are charged with preparing for the potential public health effects of a warming climate. In this podcast, Kristie Ebi looks at various scenarios used to power models that predict effects of climate change. Ebi is the author of "Climate change, tropospheric ozone and particulate matter, and health impacts" [EHP 116:1449-1455 (2008)] and an independent consultant who has served on numerous scientific panels including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

A New Era at the NIEHS/NTP, with Linda Birnbaum

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:39:07 -0400

In January 2009 Linda Birnbaum took the reins as the new director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program. In this podcast, Birnbaum shares her thoughts on the challenges facing the NIEHS and how she sees the institute meeting those challenges. Prior to her appointment as NIEHS/NTP director, Birnbaum was director of the Experimental Toxicology Division of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Emerging Science of Nanotoxicology, with Günter Oberdörster

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 8 May 2009 15:15:07 -0400

In 2004 Günter Oberdörster and colleagues published a seminal review on the emerging discipline of nanotoxicology, which was later selected as EHP's 2008 Paper of the Year [EHP 113:823-839 (2005)]. In this podcast, Oberdörster tells why nanomaterials are so different from their larger chemical counterparts and describes the growing use of these materials in consumer products. Oberdörster is a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester, New York, and director of the University of Rochester Ultrafine Particle Center.

Fossil Fuel Emissions and Children's Health, with Frederica Perera

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:26:20 -0400

Children are generally more vulnerable to environmental insults because their bodies are still developing, but just as early exposures can cause lifelong adverse effects, so can early interventions produce lifelong benefits. In this podcast, Frederica Perera discusses the potential long-term benefits of reducing children's exposures to combustion emissions by mitigating modern society's reliance on fossil fuels. Perera is director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, at Columbia University in New York and the author of "Children are likely to suffer most from our fossil fuel addiction" [EHP 116:987-990 (2008)].

Phthalate Research Coming of Age? with Shanna Swan

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:50:00 -0400

In 2005 Shanna Swan and colleagues published groundbreaking research [EHP 113:1056-1061 (2005)] linking mothers' phthalate levels with altered genital development in their baby sons. In the four years since the publication of this paper, which was EHP's 2009 Paper of the Year, how much more have we learned about the health effects of phthalates? In this podcast, Swan discusses the state of the science. Swan is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of environmental medicine at New York's University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where she is also director of the Center for Reproductive Epidemiology.

Long-Term Effects of Bisphenol A Exposure, with Retha Newbold

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:38:00 -0400

Cities and states across the United States, as well as other nations abroad, are banning bisphenol A (BPA) due to concerns about adverse health effects of low doses of this widely used industrial compound, particularly among fetuses, infants, and young children. In this podcast, Retha Newbold describes the findings of one of the few studies to study long-term effects of prenatal exposure to BPA in mice. Newbold is a staff scientist/reproductive biologist in the NIEHS Toxicology Branch and the lead author of "Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A at environmentally relevant doses adversely affects the murine female reproductive tract later in life" [EHP 117:879-885 (2009)].

Public Health for the 21st Century, with Kenneth Olden

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:36:20 -0400

The global population is undergoing sweeping changes that are shifting the balance toward an older and more urbanized population that experiences more chronic disease and a greater gap between rich and poor. In this podcast, Kenneth Olden tells what these changes mean in terms of public health challenges and how he believes we must prepare to meet these challenges. Olden was director of the NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program from 1991 to 2005. He served as NIEHS director emeritus and continued his research activities at the institute until 2008, when he left to help establish a new school of public health at the Hunter College campus of the City University of New York.

Do PCBs Contribute to Childhood Leukemia? with Mary H. Ward

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:04:10 -0400

Although childhood leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, little is known about its causes. Incidence of acute lymphocytic leukemia, the most common childhood leukemia, is highest in industrialized countries and rose significantly between 1975 and 2004, suggesting environmental agents may play some role. In this podcast, Mary H. Ward explores the idea that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) could be one such agent. Ward is the lead author of "Residential exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides and risk of childhood leukemia" [EHP 117:1007-1013 (2009)] and a senior investigator in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Arsenic and Immune Response to Influenza: Implications for Human Health, with Josh Hamilton

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:28:19 -0400

The many adverse health effects caused by chronic arsenic exposure are a concern for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide whose drinking water contains elevated levels of this naturally occurring element. A new rodent study suggests arsenic may also contribute to immune suppression. In this podcast, Josh Hamilton describes the potential implications of this finding for human health, including the possibility that arsenic exposure could help explain why certain populations have been hit harder by pandemic novel H1N1 flu. Hamilton is the senior author of "Low-dose arsenic compromises the immune response to influenza A infection in vivo" [doi:10.1289/ehp.0900911] and a senior scientist at the Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, part of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Who's Hit Hardest by Heat Waves? with Colleen Reid

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:38:29 -0400

Heat waves kill more people in the United States each year than any other natural hazard, and many regions worldwide are experiencing more frequent and more severe heat waves. But not all people and not all places have the same vulnerability to heat-related health effects. Identifying those who are more vulnerable will be critical to effective public health interventions. In this podcast, Colleen Reid discusses an innovative method for mapping the sections of urban areas across the United States where residents are more likely to suffer heat-related health effects. Reid is the lead author of "Mapping community determinants of heat vulnerability" [EHP 117:1730-1736 (2009)] and a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley.

Breastfeeding: An Ancient Paradigm in Today's World, with Lynn R. Goldman

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:38:20 -0400

A number of recent studies have reported finding measurable levels of persistent organic pollutants in human milk, and many daily activities expose nursing women to toxic chemicals that can end up in their milk. Although many of these chemicals can cause adverse health effects in humans, studies consistently conclude that, overall, the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the potential toxicity threats posed to nursing children. In this podcast, Lynn R. Goldman discusses why breastfeeding is still the optimal method of infant feeding despite the presence of pollutants in human milk, and describes precautions that mothers can take to protect their milk. Goldman is a principal investigator for the Johns Hopkins University Center for the National Children's Study and a coauthor of "Global screening of human cord blood proteomes for biomarkers of toxic exposure and effect" [EHP 117:832-838 (2009)].

Industrial Farming: Implications for Human Health, with Peter Thorne

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:30:20 -0400

Industrial-scale farms known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have become an increasing focal point for environmental health research because of their emissions and concerns they may contribute to antibiotic resistance, adverse community impacts, and zoonotic disease outbreaks. They are also a source of political controversy in states including North Carolina and Missouri where government agencies are grappling with decisions about CAFO monitoring and permitting. In this podcast, Peter Thorne describes some of the health concerns surrounding these facilities. Thorne, director of the NIEHS-funded Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa, is the lead author of an EHP mini-monograph on environmental health effects of CAFOs [EHP 115:296–320 (2007)].

DDT: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown, with Brenda Eskenazi

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:02:20 -0400

DDT is unique among the "dirty dozen" compounds banned under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants because specific exceptions are made for the indoor spraying of DDT to control the mosquitoes that spread malaria. DDT is a cheap, effective weapon against the spread of this disease, which infects nearly 250 million people each year and kills nearly 1 million. However, little is known about the long-term human health effects of exposure to DDT in the context of indoor spraying. In this podcast, Brenda Eskenazi describes research issues surrounding the use of DDT to control disease vectors. Eskenazi is a member of the DDT Expert Group of the Stockholm Convention, and is the Maxwell Professor of Maternal and Child Health and Epidemiology and director of the Center for Children's Environmental Health Research at the University of California, Berkeley. She also is the first author of "The Pine River Statement: human health consequences of DDT use" [EHP 117:1359-1367 (2009)]

Studying Autism and Mercury, with Irva Hertz-Picciotto

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Mon, 1 Feb 2010 14:37:20 -0400

An estimated 1-1.5 million Americans live with autism, a neural disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication. Some research suggests environmental factors play a role in autism, while other findings point to a genetic basis. More recently there's been a heated public debate about whether autism is caused by the mercury in vaccines commonly given to children. In this podcast, Irva Hertz-Picciotto discusses the implications of research comparing blood mercury levels of autistic children with those of typically developing children. Hertz-Picciotto is an environmental epidemiologist with the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute at the University of California, Davis, and the first author of "Blood mercury concentrations in CHARGE Study children with and without autism" [EHP 118:161-166 (2010)]

Toxicity Forecast, with Robert Kavlock

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Mon, 1 Mar 2010 07:36:35 -0400

Every year about 2,000 new chemicals are submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for safety approval. Figuring out how a chemical might affect human health involves lab studies that can cost millions of dollars and take years to complete. Now a team of researchers at the EPA is working on a way to make the safety testing process more efficient and less expensive. In this podcast, Robert Kavlock describes the EPA ToxCast™ project, which uses existing toxicity knowledge as a blueprint for broad-scale chemical assessment. Kavlock is director of the EPA National Center for Computational Toxicology and coauthor of "In vitro screening of environmental chemicals for targeted testing prioritization: the ToxCast project"

Reflections of a Pioneer, with Theo Colborn

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 1 Apr 2010 07:23:35 -0400

In the 1950s biologists began noticing unusual behavior and various reproductive health problems in wild animals. Environmental health analyst Theo Colborn was one of the first to start asking what those trends might mean for humans. In this podcast marking the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Colborn discusses her research on the endocrine-disrupting effects of chemicals in the Great Lakes ecosystem-research that broke new ground in the field of environmental toxicology. Colborn, co-author of Our Stolen Future, now heads The Endocrine Disruption Exchange in Paonia, Colorado, and is a professor emeritus at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Human Exposure to PBDEs, with Heather Stapleton

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:08:32 -0400

Flame retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are added to products such as furniture, car seats, textiles, and electronics. These chemicals improve safety by giving consumers more time to react if a fire breaks out. But now they are also showing up in the food we eat, the dust in our houses, and the bodies of possibly the entire U.S. population; meanwhile, recent evidence suggests the potential for worrisome neurodevelopmental effects. In this podcast, Heather Stapleton discusses what we know about routes of PBDE exposure and how these exposures may affect human health. Stapleton is an assistant professor of environmental chemistry at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and coauthor of "Metabolism of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by human hepatocytes in vitro"

Fifty Thousand Strong: The Sister Study, with Dale Sandler

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 1 Jun 2010 07:08:32 -0400

In the United States more than 40,000 women die of breast cancer each year, and almost 200,000 women develop the disease. Although survival rates have improved and risk factors have been identified, the causes of breast cancer remain unclear. In 2004 researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) began recruiting sisters of breast cancer patients for a study to explore environmental and genetic factors behind this disease. Now that more than 50,000 women have been recruited, Dale Sandler discusses what comes next for the Sister Study. Sandler is the principal investigator of the Sister Study and chief of the Epidemiology Branch at the NIEHS.

Delayed Reaction: The Fetal Basis of Adult Disease, with Deborah Cory-Slechta

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 07:09:39 -0400

Exposure to certain chemicals or stressors in utero can cause immediate health effects for fetuses and babies including lowered birth weight, birth defects, and impaired neurodevelopment. New lines of research are now showing that prenatal exposures may also contribute to health problems that typically arise later in life—such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Parkinson disease—via changes to DNA transcription and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. In this podcast, Deborah Cory-Slechta discusses the phenomenon known as the fetal basis of adult disease. Cory-Slechta is a professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Dispersants in the Wake of the Deepwater Horizon Spill, with Dana Wetzel

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:41:31 -0400

Although dispersants have been used to help clean up oil spills since the 1960s, it wasn't until the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that these chemicals made their way into the public consciousness. Use of dispersants always involves an environmental tradeoff, but the Deepwater Horizon situation presents special considerations because the chemicals are being used a mile underwater for the first time ever. In this podcast, Dana Wetzel discusses the dispersants used in the Deepwater Horizon spill and research needs regarding how these chemicals may affect aquatic species. Wetzel is a senior scientist and program manager at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida.

Nine Years Later: Health Effects in World Trade Center Responders, with Philip Landrigan

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:41:11 -0400

As many as 70,000 volunteers and rescue workers responded to the 11 September 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks, many toiling for months to clear mountains of debris containing a range of toxic compounds. Health effects seen since that time in WTC responders include respiratory, gastrointestinal, chemosensory, and mental health problems; many of these effects have persisted for years. In this podcast, Philip Landrigan discusses his work with WTC responders as a physician and an epidemiologist and how lessons learned from the WTC cleanup may be applied to other disasters. Landrigan is the chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and dean for Global Health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Nine Years Later: Exposures after the World Trade Center Attacks, with Paul Lioy

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:11:11 -0400

The collapse of the World Trade Center buildings on 11 September 2001 created a massive cloud of dust that blanketed lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. That dust comprised a complex mixture of building materials, office equipment, jet fuel, and combustion by-products. In this podcast, Paul Lioy discusses how this dust differs from other particulate matter and how these differences may have affected the health of those who were exposed to the dust. Lioy is the deputy director of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers University. He is also the author of the book Dust: The Inside Story of Its Role in the September 11th Aftermath.

Neurobehavioral Effects of Artificial Food Dyes, with Bernard Weiss

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:38:39 -0400

In the past several decades there has been a sharp increase in the amount of artificial dyes and flavorings children encounter daily in foods, beverages, medicines, and toiletries such as toothpaste. Over the same period there has been a marked increase in the number of diagnoses of neurobehavioral disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Bernard Weiss began studying potential links between artificial food dyes and neurobehavioral effects in children in the late 1970s. In this podcast he discusses some of his earliest research and tells why he remains convinced the two are connected. Weiss is a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Risks and Benefits of Pool Chlorination, with Manolis Kogevinas

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:30:06 -0400

Chlorine is one of the most common disinfectants used to kill microbes in water and make it safe for humans to swim in and drink. But when chlorine and other disinfectants combine with organic matter in pools such as sweat, urine, and skin cells, the results are disinfection by-products (DBPs), which have been linked with adverse health effects in animals and humans. In this podcast, Manolis Kogevinas discusses recent research on the carcinogenic and genotoxic potential of DBPs, but he also explains why people don't necessarily need to stop swimming in pools. Kogevinas is a professor and co-director of the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, Spain.

ADHD and Environmental Risk Factors, with Susan Schantz

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:53:48 -0400

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is one of the most frequently diagnosed neurobehavioral problems in children and is thought to be largely hereditary. But only a small number of cases have been linked to specific genes, leading many researchers to explore the impact of environmental exposures. In this podcast, Susan Schantz discusses how the neurologic effects of lead and polychlorinated biphenyls compare with symptoms of ADHD and what environmental health researchers can learn from those similarities and differences. Schantz is a professor of veterinary biosciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

The San Antonio Statement, with Åke Bergman

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:53:48 -0400

Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants are widely used in upholstered furniture and foam products. These compounds have been found to accumulate in the bodies of humans , and although more information is needed on health effects, the available toxicity data are troubling. In this podcast, Åke Bergman discusses the San Antonio Statement on Brominated and Chlorinated Flame Retardants, drafted in September 2010, in which an international group of scientists calls for greater awareness of and responsibility for this group of chemicals, including better life-cycle management. Bergman is a professor of environmental chemistry at Stockholm University in Sweden.

A Better Understanding of BPA Metabolism, with Frederick vom Saal

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:40:52 -0400

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in a wide variety of consumer products, and biomonitoring studies indicate widespread exposure to the compound. Much of the hesitation to regulate BPA up to now has stemmed from uncertainty about whether health effects reported in laboratory animals-which include heart disease, obesity, diabetes, reproductive health problems, and several types of cancer—can be extrapolated to humans. In this podcast, Frederick vom Saal discusses recent findings that suggest mice, rhesus monkeys, and humans metabolize BPA at similar rates, raising the possibility that effects observed in animal models may be relevant to humans as well. Vom Saal is a Curator's Professor of biology at the University of Missouri.

Benchmarks of Toxicology, with Peter Goering

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:20:32 -0400

In honor of its fiftieth anniversary the Society of Toxicology teamed up with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Toxicology Program, and Environmental Health Perspectives to produce a poster celebrating some of the foremost "benchmarks" of the field. In this podcast Peter Goering tells host Ashley Ahearn how he and other members of the evaluation group chose from centuries' worth of accomplishments to select the people and events that best illustrate the promise and achievements of toxicology.

Asbestos Trends Worldwide, with Richard Lemen

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:20:32 -0400

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, and the Environmental Protection Agency all declared asbestos a known human carcinogen decades ago. Yet U.S. imports of crude chrysotile asbestos fibers rose by 235% between 2009 and 2010, and use is also on the rise in many industrializing, developing countries. Richard Lemen tells host Ashley Ahearn what's driving this growth and how asbestos is currently used worldwide.

Communicating about Chemical Body Burden, with Tracey Woodruff and Rachel Morello-Frosch

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Mon, 02 May 2011 07:08:25 -0400

Biomonitoring studies reveal what we've been exposed to, but the significance of these exposures is not always clear-and when the participants in such studies are children or pregnant women, this lack of certainty can be especially unnerving. Reporting body burden findings back to study participants and to the general public therefore poses major ethical and logistical dilemmas, as Tracey Woodruff and Rachel Morello-Frosch discuss with host Ashley Ahearn.

Air Pollution in China, with Junfeng (Jim) Zhang

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:58:44 -0400

Air pollution in China, one of the world's oldest civilizations, reflects a combination of traditional and modern-day factors. Severe air pollution in Chinese cities is the result of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and growth in vehicle use. At the same time, traditional indoor burning of solid fuels such as coal and dung presents acute, severe exposures to pollutants including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, arsenic, and mercury. In this podcast, Junfeng (Jim) Zhang tells host Ashley Ahearn about some of the factors that make air pollution a significant problem in China.

Chemical Contamination in Tohoku, with Lizzie Grossman and Winnie Bird

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:26:53 -0400

The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 devastated entire swaths of the Japanese coastline and killed thousands of people. Much of the attention following the disaster has focused on radiation exposures from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Now public health officials are beginning to assess another potential source of disaster-related exposures: hazardous chemicals that may have been released when major industrial centers along Japan's east coast were damaged or destroyed. In this podcast, journalists Lizzie Grossman and Winnie Bird talk with host Ashley Ahearn about their EHP feature story on the potential chemical contamination following the Tohoku disaster.

The Legacy of Waste Couture, with Luz Claudio

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:25:41 -0400

In the 2007 news feature "Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry," EHP explored the environmental and occupational health implications of producing cheap-indeed, virtually disposable-clothing. This story has gone on to become the journal's most popular article of all time. Author Luz Claudio tells host Ashley Ahearn about the inspiration for "Waste Couture," why this story has captured so much attention, and changes she has seen in fashion since its publication.

What Does Climate Change Have to Do With Human Health? with John Balbus

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:55:17 -0400

Climate change is not just a problem for rivers and reservoirs that are running dry, or forests and grasslands that are seeing an increased incidence of wildfire, or Arctic wildlife stressed by rapidly changing ecosystems. It's a problem for human health, too, as John Balbus discusses with host Ashley Ahearn. It can be tricky to attribute specific health effects to climate change, which reflects trends in the weather averaged over decades. But short-term weather fluctuations are known to alter the risk of several diseases. As short-term fluctuations become long-term patterns, health effects also may adopt new patterns.

Early Influences on Mammary Gland Development, with Suzanne Fenton

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:42:34 -0400

Studies are showing a trend of girls developing breasts and going through puberty earlier than they did in years past. Now researchers are investigating the role environmental exposures may play in this trend and the potential long-term health effects of earlier development. In this podcast, host Ashley Ahearn discusses with researcher Suzanne Fenton how research on environmental exposures and mammary gland development in rodents might be used to assess risks for humans.

Assessing the Science of Cell Phone Safety, with David Savitz

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 1 Nov 2011 07:41:34 -0400

Cell phones have become an integral part of many people's lives. But could our constant contact with these devices be affecting our health? That question has been the subject of international debate and intense study in recent years. In this podcast, David Savitz of Brown University discusses evidence from epidemiologic studies of cell phone safety with host Ashley Ahearn.

Climate Change, Crop Yields, and Undernutrition, with Sari Kovats

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 1 Dec 2011 07:41:34 -0400

With more than 1 billion people estimated to not have enough to eat, food security is a pervasive problem. An estimated one-third of the global burden of disease afflicting children under the age of 5 is caused by undernutrition. Climate change is anticipated to reduce cereal yields, further threatening food security and potentially increasing child undernutrition. In this podcast, host Ashley Ahearn discusses the connection between climate change and undernutrition with researcher Sari Kovats.

Mixed Metals Exposures in Children, with Robert O. Wright

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:31:34 -0400

In our daily lives we're rarely exposed to just one chemical at a time. Metals, for example, are ubiquitous in the environment, and most of us are exposed to different combinations of metals each day through air, water, and food. Simultaneous exposures to different metals may have synergistic effects in children, whose developing brains are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects from these potentially neurotoxic agents. In this podcast host Ashley Ahearn discusses the neurodevelopmental effects of metals mixtures with researcher Robert O. Wright.

Managing Wastewater from Fracking, with Robert B. Jackson

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 07:17:17 -0400

Hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") is a controversial practice used in natural-gas drilling. Fracking makes it much more feasible to free the vast reserves of natural gas locked underground, but the practice comes with concerns that the natural gas boom is proceeding too fast, before we understand the human health impacts. Discussions about fracking and community health typically involve questions about methane contamination of drinking water wells around drill sites. In this podcast, host Ashley Ahearn talks with Robert B. Jackson about another fracking-related water concern: the millions of gallons of contaminated wastewater generated by the process.

Phthalates in Medicinal Products, with Katherine Kelley

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 1 Mar 2012 07:19:12 -0400

Americans are widely exposed to phthalates in soft plastic products from toys to medical equipment. A perhaps lesser-known potential source of exposure is the timed-release coatings on certain pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, which enable active ingredients to reach the correct part of the gastrointestinal tract for working properly. In this podcast, host Ashley Ahearn talks to Katherine Kelley about her new study on the extent to which phthalates are used in medicinal products.

Global Mortality from Outdoor Smoke, with Fay Johnston and Sarah Henderson

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Mon, 2 Apr 2012 09:35:12 -0400

Burning forests, grasslands, and fields have been part of the landscape probably for as long as humans have been on the planet. But it’s only in recent years that we’ve begun to explore the health effects of exposure to landscape fire smoke, which is now known to exacerbate preexisting disease and induce new disease. In some parts of the world, people are chronically exposed to smoke from landscape fires that burn for a large portion of the year. In other areas, exposure is sporadic and short-term. In this podcast, host Ashley Ahearn talks to Fay Johnston and Sarah Henderson about their study in which they estimate the number of deaths worldwide attributable to smoke from landscape fires.

Bite of Arsenic, with Kathryn Cottingham

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 1 mAY 2012 08:48:05 -0400

Many organic foods and high-energy products are sweetened with brown rice syrup as an alternative to high-fructose corn syrup. Consumers who eat these products may be avoiding high-fructose corn syrup, but they also may be exposed to arsenic that’s been absorbed by the rice plants from which the syrup is made. In this podcast, Kathryn Cottingham talks with host Ashley Ahearn about her recent market-basket study of products containing brown rice syrup and other rice-based ingredients. Arsenic was detected in all the products tested, although Cottingham cautions it’s too soon to say what this means in terms of potential health effects.

Low-Dose Effects of Endocrine Disruptors, with Laura Vandenberg

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 1 Jun 2012 09:22:10 -0400

Reproduction, growth, behavior, and sleep patterns are just a few of the bodily functions controlled by hormones. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interrupt or imitate natural hormonal messages, and even at very low doses, endocrine disruptors may have very real effects that are not seen at higher doses. In this podcast, host Ashley Ahearn talks with Laura Vandenberg about her recent review of the evidence on health effects of low-dose exposures to endocrine disruptors.

What Do We Know about Obesogens? with Bruce Blumberg

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Mon, 2 Jul 2012 02:11:30 -0400

Human beings, as a species, are putting on weight. Obesity rates are rising in rich and poor countries alike for a variety of reasons, from changing dietary habits and activity levels to exposure to artificial nighttime light. Mounting evidence from over the past decade suggests that certain chemicals may be playing a role as well. For some people, so-called obesogens may be altering their metabolism and fat cell development, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. In this podcast, host Ashley Ahearn talks with Bruce Blumberg about the state of our understanding of obesogens.

Climate Change and Migration, with Celia McMichael and Jon Barnett

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Wed, 1 Aug 2012 11:21:05 -0400

Over the past million years humans have migrated in response to food shortages, droughts, ice ages, and many other reasons, but in the coming decades, migrations related to climate change are expected to increase, perhaps dramatically. Different circumstances—be it forced displacement, a planned resettlement, or migration into a city—can present different humanitarian and health adversities, but population movements also can offer benefits for migrants themselves, the communities they left, and the communities where they land. In this podcast, Celia McMichael and Jon Barnett tell host Ashley Ahearn about research and policy steps needed in advance of the rising tide of climate change–related migration.

Epigenomics and Maternal Smoking, with Bonnie Joubert and Stephanie London

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:38:38 -0400

Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to have problems like low birth weight, asthma, and possibly obesity, cancer, and high blood pressure. For clues into the mechanism behind these effects, scientists are looking to the epigenome, the personalized set of directions that tells our cells how and when to produce proteins, which is one of the ways gene activity is controlled. In this podcast Stephanie London and Bonnie Joubert discuss the results of their recent study in which they identified a set of genes with methylation changes present at birth in children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy.

Post-Katrina Asthma in the Children of New Orleans, with Patricia Chulada

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:39:00 -0400

New Orleans is already known as a hot, moist place—ideal growing conditions for mold. Now factor in Hurricane Katrina, which hit the city in August of 2005, leaving behind even more indoor mold and other asthma-causing allergens. Host Ashley Ahearn talks with Patricia Chulada about research to study and improve post-Katrina asthma symptoms in the children of New Orleans.

Exploring Links between Arsenic and Diabetes, with Ana Navas-Acien

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 10:39:00 -0400

Arsenic is a problem in communities around the world, from Bangladesh to New Hampshire. It’s one of the environmental chemicals the National Toxicology Program explored at a recent workshop as possibly contributing to the worldwide rise in diabetes. In this podcast, Ana Navas-Acien talks about a new review by investigators at that workshop, who summarize the evidence for a link between arsenic exposure and diabetes.

Leaded Aviation Gasoline and Child Blood Lead Levels, with Marie Lynn Miranda

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 09:21:00 -0400

Despite dramatic decreases in atmospheric lead levels over the past few decades, lead exposure remains a problem, especially for children. In this podcast, Marie Lynn Miranda discusses one remaining, albeit relatively minor, source of lead exposure: leaded aviation gasoline.

The Secret Life of Fat, with Michele La Merrill

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:14:00 -0400

Your bulges are busier than you may think . . . Many people see adipose tissue—fat—as nothing more than lumpy extra baggage. But fat serves several important functions in the body. It helps us store energy and endocrine hormones that can affect behavior, energy regulation, immune and vascular function—to name a few. It also protects against toxic effects of persistent organic pollutants, or POPs. In this podcast, Michele La Merrill talks with host Ashley Ahearn about the diverse ways that fat interacts with these chemicals as both a modulator and a target of POP toxicity.

An Unlikely Duo: Air Pollution’s Link to Low Birth Weight, with Tracey Woodruff

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:00:00 -0400

When you think about the health effects of air pollution, what comes to mind? Lung disease? Cancer? One health effect you might not immediately think of is low birth weight, a risk factor for a variety of other health problems later in life. Yet a growing body of evidence indicates that birth weight and other gestational outcomes can be influenced by a mother’s exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution. In this podcast Tracey Woodruff discusses new findings on this link from a global consortium of investigators who, between them, have analyzed more than 3 million births.

Phthalates and Childhood Asthma, with Randi Bertelsen

ehponline@niehs.nih.gov — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:29:00 -0700

Several studies have reported links between asthma in children and the presence of phthalates in dust from the children’s homes. But the presence of a chemical is not the same thing as exposure, so Norway’s Environment and Childhood Asthma Study has taken the research a step farther by measuring phthalates in the urine of children with and without asthma. In this podcast Randi Bertelsen discusses her recently published findings.