BACKGROUND: While much research has been done to identify individual workplace lung carcinogens, little is known about joint effects on risk when workers are exposed to multiple agents. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the pairwise joint effects of occupational exposures to asbestos, respirable crystalline silica, metals (i.e., nickel, chromium-VI), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on lung cancer risk, overall and by major histologic subtype, while accounting for cigarette smoking. METHODS: In the international 14-center SYNERGY project, occupational exposures were assigned to 16,901 lung cancer cases and 20,965 control subjects using a quantitative job-exposure matrix (SYN-JEM). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for ever vs. never exposure using logistic regression models stratified by sex and adjusted for study center, age, and smoking habits. Joint effects among pairs of agents were assessed on multiplicative and additive scales, the latter by calculating the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). RESULTS: All pairwise joint effects of lung carcinogens in men were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. However, asbestos/metals and metals/PAH resulted in less than additive effects; while the chromium-VI/silica pair showed marginally synergistic effect in relation to adenocarcinoma (RERI: 0.24; CI: 0.02, 0.46; p = 0.05). In women, several pairwise joint effects were observed for small cell lung cancer including exposure to PAH/silica (OR = 5.12; CI: 1.77, 8.48), and to asbestos/silica (OR = 4.32; CI: 1.35, 7.29), where exposure to PAH/silica resulted in a synergistic effect (RERI: 3.45; CI: 0.10, 6.8). DISCUSSION: Small or no deviation from additive or multiplicative effects was observed, but co-exposure to the selected lung carcinogens resulted generally in higher risk than exposure to individual agents, highlighting the importance to reduce and control exposure to carcinogens in workplaces and the general environment. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13380.

• MeSH
• azbest * toxicita   MeSH
• chrom toxicita   MeSH
• karcinogeny toxicita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory plic * chemicky indukované   epidemiologie   MeSH
• oxid křemičitý toxicita   MeSH
• plíce MeSH
• polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky * toxicita   MeSH
• pracovní expozice * MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• metaanalýza MeSH

BACKGROUND: Despite reductions in exposure for workers and the general public, radon remains a leading cause of lung cancer. Prior studies of underground miners depended heavily upon information on deaths among miners employed in the early years of mine operations when exposures were high and tended to be poorly estimated. OBJECTIVES: To strengthen the basis for radiation protection, we report on the follow-up of workers employed in the later periods of mine operations for whom we have more accurate exposure information and for whom exposures tended to be accrued at intensities that are more comparable to contemporary settings. METHODS: We conducted a pooled analysis of cohort studies of lung cancer mortality among 57,873 male uranium miners in Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, and the United States, who were first employed in 1960 or later (thereby excluding miners employed during the periods of highest exposure and focusing on miners who tend to have higher quality assessments of radon progeny exposures). We derived estimates of excess relative rate per 100 working level months (ERR/100 WLM) for mortality from lung cancer. RESULTS: The analysis included 1.9 million person-years of observation and 1,217 deaths due to lung cancer. The relative rate of lung cancer increased in a linear fashion with cumulative exposure to radon progeny (ERR/100 WLM=1.33; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.88). The association was modified by attained age, age at exposure, and annual exposure rate; for attained ages <55 y, the ERR/100 WLM was 8.38 (95% CI: 3.30, 18.99) among miners who were exposed at ≥35 years of age and at annual exposure rates of <0.5 working levels. This association decreased with older attained ages, younger ages at exposure, and higher exposure rates. DISCUSSION: Estimates of association between radon progeny exposure and lung cancer mortality among relatively contemporary miners are coherent with estimates used to inform current protection guidelines. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10669.

• MeSH
• dceřiné produkty radonu MeSH
• horníci * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory plic * MeSH
• nádory vyvolané zářením * epidemiologie   etiologie   MeSH
• nemoci z povolání * epidemiologie   etiologie   MeSH
• pracovní expozice * MeSH
• radon * MeSH
• uran * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) formed from anthropogenic or biogenic gaseous precursors in the atmosphere substantially contribute to the ambient fine particulate matter [PM ≤2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)] burden, which has been associated with adverse human health effects. However, there is only limited evidence on their differential toxicological impact. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to discriminate toxicological effects of aerosols generated by atmospheric aging on combustion soot particles (SPs) of gaseous biogenic (β-pinene) or anthropogenic (naphthalene) precursors in two different lung cell models exposed at the air-liquid interface (ALI). METHODS: Mono- or cocultures of lung epithelial cells (A549) and endothelial cells (EA.hy926) were exposed at the ALI for 4 h to different aerosol concentrations of a photochemically aged mixture of primary combustion SP and β-pinene (SOAβPIN-SP) or naphthalene (SOANAP-SP). The internally mixed soot/SOA particles were comprehensively characterized in terms of their physical and chemical properties. We conducted toxicity tests to determine cytotoxicity, intracellular oxidative stress, primary and secondary genotoxicity, as well as inflammatory and angiogenic effects. RESULTS: We observed considerable toxicity-related outcomes in cells treated with either SOA type. Greater adverse effects were measured for SOANAP-SP compared with SOAβPIN-SP in both cell models, whereas the nano-sized soot cores alone showed only minor effects. At the functional level, we found that SOANAP-SP augmented the secretion of malondialdehyde and interleukin-8 and may have induced the activation of endothelial cells in the coculture system. This activation was confirmed by comet assay, suggesting secondary genotoxicity and greater angiogenic potential. Chemical characterization of PM revealed distinct qualitative differences in the composition of the two secondary aerosol types. DISCUSSION: In this study using A549 and EA.hy926 cells exposed at ALI, SOA compounds had greater toxicity than primary SPs. Photochemical aging of naphthalene was associated with the formation of more oxidized, more aromatic SOAs with a higher oxidative potential and toxicity compared with β-pinene. Thus, we conclude that the influence of atmospheric chemistry on the chemical PM composition plays a crucial role for the adverse health outcome of emissions. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9413.

• MeSH
• aerosoly analýza   MeSH
• endoteliální buňky chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• látky znečišťující vzduch * analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pevné částice analýza   MeSH
• plíce metabolismus   MeSH
• saze * MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• stárnutí MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: Trihalomethanes (THMs) are widespread disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water, and long-term exposure has been consistently associated with increased bladder cancer risk. OBJECTIVE: We assessed THM levels in drinking water in the European Union as a marker of DBP exposure and estimated the attributable burden of bladder cancer. METHODS: We collected recent annual mean THM levels in municipal drinking water in 28 European countries (EU28) from routine monitoring records. We estimated a linear exposure-response function for average residential THM levels and bladder cancer by pooling data from studies included in the largest international pooled analysis published to date in order to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for bladder cancer associated with the mean THM level in each country (relative to no exposure), population-attributable fraction (PAF), and number of attributable bladder cancer cases in different scenarios using incidence rates and population from the Global Burden of Disease study of 2016. RESULTS: We obtained 2005-2018 THM data from EU26, covering 75% of the population. Data coverage and accuracy were heterogeneous among countries. The estimated population-weighted mean THM level was 11.7μg/L [standard deviation (SD) of 11.2]. The estimated bladder cancer PAF was 4.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5, 7.1] overall (range: 0-23%), accounting for 6,561 (95% CI: 3,389, 9,537) bladder cancer cases per year. Denmark and the Netherlands had the lowest PAF (0.0% each), while Cyprus (23.2%), Malta (17.9%), and Ireland (17.2%) had the highest among EU26. In the scenario where no country would exceed the current EU mean, 2,868 (95% CI: 1,522, 4,060; 43%) annual attributable bladder cancer cases could potentially be avoided. DISCUSSION: Efforts have been made to reduce THM levels in the European Union. However, assuming a causal association, current levels in certain countries still could lead to a considerable burden of bladder cancer that could potentially be avoided by optimizing water treatment, disinfection, and distribution practices, among other possible measures. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4495.

• MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu * MeSH
• čištění vody MeSH
• Evropská unie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory močového měchýře epidemiologie   MeSH
• pitná voda chemie   MeSH
• trihalomethany * MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH

BACKGROUND: There is strong experimental evidence that physiologic stress from high temperatures is greater if humidity is higher. However, heat indices developed to allow for this have not consistently predicted mortality better than dry-bulb temperature. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to clarify the potential contribution of humidity an addition to temperature in predicting daily mortality in summer by using a large multicountry dataset. METHODS: In 445 cities in 24 countries, we fit a time-series regression model for summer mortality with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) for temperature (up to lag 3) and supplemented this with a range of terms for relative humidity (RH) and its interaction with temperature. City-specific associations were summarized using meta-analytic techniques. RESULTS: Adding a linear term for RH to the temperature term improved fit slightly, with an increase of 23% in RH (the 99th percentile anomaly) associated with a 1.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8, 1.3] decrease in mortality. Allowing curvature in the RH term or adding terms for interaction of RH with temperature did not improve the model fit. The humidity-related decreased risk was made up of a positive coefficient at lag 0 outweighed by negative coefficients at lags of 1-3 d. Key results were broadly robust to small model changes and replacing RH with absolute measures of humidity. Replacing temperature with apparent temperature, a metric combining humidity and temperature, reduced goodness of fit slightly. DISCUSSION: The absence of a positive association of humidity with mortality in summer in this large multinational study is counter to expectations from physiologic studies, though consistent with previous epidemiologic studies finding little evidence for improved prediction by heat indices. The result that there was a small negative average association of humidity with mortality should be interpreted cautiously; the lag structure has unclear interpretation and suggests the need for future work to clarify. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5430.

• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mortalita trendy   MeSH
• nelineární dynamika MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• velkoměsta MeSH
• vlhkost * MeSH
• vysoká teplota * MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• velkoměsta MeSH

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made chemicals that contain at least one perfluoroalkyl moiety, [Formula: see text]. To date, over 4,000 unique PFASs have been used in technical applications and consumer products, and some of them have been detected globally in human and wildlife biomonitoring studies. Because of their extraordinary persistence, human and environmental exposure to PFASs will be a long-term source of concern. Some PFASs such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been investigated extensively and thus regulated, but for many other PFASs, knowledge about their current uses and hazards is still very limited or missing entirely. To address this problem and prepare an action plan for the assessment and management of PFASs in the coming years, a group of more than 50 international scientists and regulators held a two-day workshop in November, 2017. The group identified both the respective needs of and common goals shared by the scientific and the policy communities, made recommendations for cooperative actions, and outlined how the science-policy interface regarding PFASs can be strengthened using new approaches for assessing and managing highly persistent chemicals such as PFASs. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4158.

• MeSH
• fluorokarbony * MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• znečištění životního prostředí prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: Food contact articles (FCAs) are manufactured from food contact materials (FCMs) that include plastics, paper, metal, glass, and printing inks. Chemicals can migrate from FCAs into food during storage, processing, and transportation. Food contact materials' safety is evaluated using chemical risk assessment (RA). Several challenges to the RA of FCAs exist. OBJECTIVES: We review regulatory requirements for RA of FCMs in the United States and Europe, identify gaps in RA, and highlight opportunities for improving the protection of public health. We intend to initiate a discussion in the wider scientific community to enhance the safety of food contact articles. DISCUSSION: Based on our evaluation of the evidence, we conclude that current regulations are insufficient for addressing chemical exposures from FCAs. RA currently focuses on monomers and additives used in the manufacture of products, but it does not cover all substances formed in the production processes. Several factors hamper effective RA for many FCMs, including a lack of information on chemical identity, inadequate assessment of hazardous properties, and missing exposure data. Companies make decisions about the safety of some food contact chemicals (FCCs) without review by public authorities. Some chemical migration limits cannot be enforced because analytical standards are unavailable. CONCLUSION: We think that exposures to hazardous substances migrating from FCAs require more attention. We recommend a) limiting the number and types of chemicals authorized for manufacture and b) developing novel approaches for assessing the safety of chemicals in FCAs, including unidentified chemicals that form during or after production. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP644.

• MeSH
• bezpečnost potravin metody   MeSH
• hodnocení rizik MeSH
• kontaminace potravin analýza   statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nebezpečné látky analýza   MeSH
• obaly potravin * MeSH
• plastické hmoty MeSH
• veřejné zdravotnictví MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH
• Spojené státy americké MeSH

• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• poruchy růstu chemicky indukované   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• tělesná výška MeSH
• uhlí toxicita   MeSH
• znečištění vzduchu ve vnitřním prostředí * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• Publikační typ
• zprávy MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

BACKGROUND: Oxidative damage to placental DNA can result in negative pregnancy outcomes, including intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and low birth weight (LBW). OBJECTIVE: We investigated associations between the levels of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2´-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), a marker of oxidative DNA damage, in placental DNA, exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy, genetic polymorphisms in 94 selected genes, and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: We studied 891 newborns who were IUGR- or LBW-affected or normal weight and were born between 1994 and 1999 in the Czech Republic in two districts with different levels of air pollution. RESULTS: We found nonsignificantly elevated 8-oxodG levels in the IUGR-affected group compared with the non-IUGR group (p = 0.055). Similarly, slightly elevated 8-oxodG levels were found in the LBW-affected group compared with the non-LBW group (p < 0.050). In univariate analyses, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with 8-oxodG levels, IUGR, and LBW. Exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 µm was associated with increased 8-oxodG levels in placental DNA and LBW. However, multivariate-adjusted logistic regression revealed that above-median 8-oxodG levels were the only factor significantly associated with IUGR [OR = 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-2.37; p = 0.022]. Above-median levels of 8-oxodG were associated with LBW (OR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.15-3.06; p = 0.011). Other variables associated with LBW included sex and gestational age of the newborn, maternal smoking, and haplotypes in the promoter region of the gene encoding mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2). The role of air pollutants in the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes seemed to be less important. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of 8-oxodG in placental DNA were associated with the risk of IUGR as well as LBW. Newborn's sex, gestational age, maternal smoking, and genetic polymorphisms in the promoter region of the MBL2 gene were associated with LBW incidence.

• MeSH
• deoxyguanosin analogy a deriváty   analýza   MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec s nízkou porodní hmotností metabolismus   MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• pevné částice toxicita   MeSH
• růstová retardace plodu chemicky indukované   metabolismus   MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• výsledek těhotenství MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: The number of newborn boys was higher than that of girls in the Czech Republic each month from 1950 to 2005. The only exception was November 1986, when the number of newborn boys was significantly reduced. This has been explained by a selective negative impact of the Chernobyl accident in April 1986 on male fetuses during the third month of their prenatal development. OBJECTIVES: The first and most radioactive cloud passed over the Czech Republic during 30 April-1 May 1986. Concurrent rainfall multiplied the radioactivity by up to > 10,000-fold in specific regions. We verified a hypothesis that the decrease in the male birth fraction in November 1986 correlated with the level of radiation in eight Czech regions after the Chernobyl disaster. RESULTS: We found a relationship between the level of radiation and the decrease in the number of newborn boys. The number of newborn boys was decreased in the six eastern regions where the radiation was strongly increased due to rain that accompanied the radioactive cloud. In contrast, the number of newborn boys was not reduced in the two western regions where the radioactivity was markedly lower. CONCLUSIONS: A negative impact of radiation on the prenatal population was manifested as a selective loss of newborn boys in November 1986. This loss correlated with level of radioactivity. The 131I probably played the most important role because of its up-take during primary saturation of fetal thyroid by iodine, which accompanies the onset of the gland function in 3-month-old fetuses.

• MeSH
• černobylská havárie MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• gestační stáří MeSH
• hormony štítné žlázy metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• porodnost MeSH
• radioaktivní spad MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• samovolný potrat MeSH
• záření MeSH
• zeměpis MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH