Inhalation of particulate matter has presented a challenge to human health for thousands of years. The underlying mechanism for biological effect following particle exposure is incompletely understood. We tested the postulate that particle sequestration of cell and mitochondrial iron is a pivotal event mediating oxidant generation and biological effect. In vitro exposure of human bronchial epit...

BACKGROUND To better understand the mechanism(s) of particulate matter (PM) associated cardiovascular effects, research priorities include identifying the responsible PM characteristics. Evidence suggests that metals play a role in the cardiotoxicity of fine PM (PM2.5) and in exposure-related decreases in heart rate variability (HRV). We examined the association between daytime exposure to the ...

The bioaccumulation of 10 metals in five fish species was experimentally evaluated following exposure to dietary or aqueous metal at environmentally realistic metal concentrations. A biokinetic model showed that, with few exceptions, >90% of a fish’s metal body burden was obtained from diet. Regulatory bodies need to consider these findings in setting appropriate water quality criteria. Metal u...

The objective of this paper is to provide an analysis of particulate metal emissions in the USA. The analysis will identify natural and industrial sources, environmental standards, emission trends, and controls of particulate emissions. Since the majority of airborne metal emissions originate from metal industries and electric utility facilities, environmental and worker assessments of exposure...

To develop a suitable biomonitor of metal pollution in watersheds, we examined trends in exposure to nine trace elements in the diet (benthic invertebrates and fish), feathers (n = 104), and feces (n = 14) of an aquatic passerine, the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), from the Chilliwack watershed in British Columbia, Canada. We hypothesized that key differences may exist in exposure to meta...

Depleted uranium (DU) is an important by product in uranium enrichment process. Due toits applications in civilian and also military activity, DU emerged as environmental pollutant.The exposure to DU can occur via external or internal pathways. In external exposure, mainlybeta radiation from the decay products contributes to DU toxicity. Internal exposure to DUis more im...

Conventional metal exposure assessment in terrestrial mammals is generally based on organ analyses of sacrificed animals. Few studies on mammals use nondestructive methodologies despite the growing ethical concern over the use of destructive sampling. Nondestructive methods involve minimal stress to populations and permit successive biomonitoring of the same populations and individuals. In the ...

BACKGROUND National analyses of mortality in England and Wales have repeatedly shown excess deaths from pneumonia in welders. During 1979-90 the excess was attributable largely to deaths from lobar pneumonia and pneumonias other than bronchopneumonia, limited to men of working age and apparent in other occupations with exposure to metal fumes. The findings for 1991-2000 were assessed and compar...

Dermal exposure to sensitizing metals is a serious occupational and public health problem. The usual approach to dermal exposure assessment is to process samples by chemical methods that use reactants to digest the metal particles and quantify the mass. In the case of dermal exposure assessment, these reactants are not representative of the skin surface film liquids and hence, may overestimate ...

Metals and metal compounds are part of our environment. Several metals are essential for physiological functions (e.g., zinc or magnesium); while the beneficial effects of others are uncertain (e.g., manganese), some metals are proven to be toxic (e.g., mercury, lead). Additionally there are organic metal compounds; some of them are extremely toxic (e.g., trimethyltin, methylmercury), but there...