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An editorial is presented regarding the lessons learned related to environmental health sciences based from the study entitled "Perceptions of science in America" conducted by American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Topics mentioned include the finding that shows the high confidence of adults in the U.S. on leaders of the scientific community, the funding support on scientific research, and the skepticism of political leaders on science.

Discusses insights on ethics and law as discussed in the book 'Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know that Liberals Don't,' by George Lakoff. Moral systems that influence attitudes towards public issues; Similarities and contrasts between given moral systems; Implications of the discussed insights for occupational health.

The article explores the extent of the impact and implications of Hurricane Katrina to the U.S. It notes the revelation of the hurricane regarding the possibility of natural disasters and public health crises to be as much threat to national security as intentional assaults. It also mentions the revelation of Katrina of the close interconnection between the natural environment and human health risk. An overview of the strike of the hurricane to the country is offered.

Physicians and public health professionals working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) received several telephone calls requesting information regarding the safety of recycled tire crumb as a playground surface constituent placed below children's play structures. There were no reported symptoms or adverse health effects in exposed children. The literature available on the safety and risk of exposure to crumb rubber constituents was limited and revealed no information quantifying exposures associated with product use. Callers were informed by the PEHSU that no evidence existed suggesting harm from intended use of the product, but gaps in knowledge about the product were identified and communicated. Here the case of crumb rubber on playgrounds is used as a model to present an approach to similar environmental medicine questions. From defining the question, to surveying traditional and nontraditional resources for information, synthesis of findings, and risk communication, the case provides a model to approach similar questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's perspectives on the implications of science in the U.S. He mentions that the taproot of science skepticism in the public field might be an attitude which derives from the self-perceived inability of Americans in keeping up with rapid technological alteration contrary to conventional wisdom. He states that there is much that science, especially the environmental sciences, can do in empowering people without necessarily deep education in science.

The author reflects on the possible causal relationship between multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and Sjõgren's syndrome (SS) in the U.S. According to the author, the underlying cause of MCS illness patter may have been caused by SS, thus, SS may predispose the patient to the MCS illness pattern. He inferred that MCS is mostly believed by observers as a chemophobic behavior pattern rather than a disease. Furthermore, an overview regarding the link between MCS and SS is also offered.

The article provides information concerning the scientific research paper in the U.S. Throughout its long history, the original research paper has served researchers well in science. However, one needs to recognize that a scientific research paper is a literary device with its own conventions. The modern scientific research paper in which the author describes an original contribution has evolved from letters written by individual investigators to the Royal Society or the Royal Academy and later the American Philosophical Society.

This article focuses on a paper by Richard P. Hermann, Frank DiVita and Jack O. Lanier published in the October 1, 2004 issue of the journal "Archives of Environmental Health," which calculates the potential risk for the Commonwealth of Virginia and its surrounding region of commissioning 29 proposed fossil fuel plants. The authors calculated the most likely exposure to fine particulate air pollution that would result from the construction of the proposed fossil fuel plants. In order to calculate the exposure they used emissions inventory predictions, applied a dispersion model, added the load to existing pollution levels, and projected the ambient levels of fine particulate matter that would result. The authors then assessed the exposure-response relationship between fine particulate air pollution and mortality. They concluded that there would be 17 excess deaths among almost 38 million residents of the U.S. The authors have demonstrated that under existing environmental conditions the impact of the plan would be likely to produce a risk of death for 17 people distributed among 12.9% of the population of the U.S.

Although medical care delivery by one's personal physician is the paradigmatic American healthcare arrangement, in the workplace setting, many Americans undergo medical evaluations to assess their fitness for duty or degree of impairment. This Article explores the complex and evolving legal status of occupational medical evaluations. Beginning with the legal and ethical frameworks of occupational medical practice, the Article then examines the effects of increasingly detailed legal regulation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act on employees, employers, and physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the recall bias in exposed subjects following toxic exposure incident in the United States. Examination of recall in subjects exposed to fumes from ruptured drums of nitric acid; Inconsistency of symptoms reported; Effects of time elapse before obtaining data on individual following exposure.

Focuses on the application of advanced scanning electron microscopy in the study of Welder's pneumoconiosis in Youngstown, Ohio. Efficacy of the device for the process; Impact of iron deposition on the disease; Performance of microbeam analysis of lung tissues.

With this issue, the Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health celebrates 100 years of continuous publication since its foundation as the Journal of Industrial Hygiene in 1919. During its first century, the Archives established an extraordinary legacy in the development of no less than three fields of research and practice: (1) occupational medicine, (2) industrial hygiene, and (3) air pollution studies and regulation. Its contribution to American environmental protection standards in air quality was particularly important, as the journal served as a major outlet for crucial air pollution research during the early years of the new United States Environmental Protection Agency. Its pages also chart the development of occupational health as an independent field, as well as the later emergence of modern environmental health as a related co-discipline. As the Archives moves into its second century of continuous publication, the journal will continue shaping the fields of environmental and occupational health; building on the solid foundation of evidence-based research from which humankind continues to benefit.

The American Thoracic Society (ATS), in collaboration with George Mason University, surveyed a random sample of ATS members to assess their perceptions of, clinical experiences with, and preferred policy responses to climate change. An e-mail containing an invitation from the ATS President and a link to an online survey was sent to 5,500 randomly selected U.S. members; up to four reminder e-mails were sent to nonrespondents. Responses were received from members in 49 states and the District of Columbia (n = 915); the response rate was 17%. Geographic distribution of respondents mirrored that of the sample. Survey estimates' confidence intervals were ±3.5% or smaller. Results indicate that a large majority of ATS members have concluded that climate change is happening (89%), that it is driven by human activity (68%), and that it is relevant to patient care ("a great deal"/"a moderate amount") (65%). A majority of respondents indicated they were already observing health impacts of climate change among their patients, most commonly as increases in chronic disease severity from air pollution (77%), allergic symptoms from exposure to plants or mold (58%), and severe weather injuries (57%). A larger majority anticipated seeing these climate-related health impacts in the next 2 decades. Respondents indicated that physicians and physician organizations should play an active role in educating patients, the public, and policy makers on the human health effects of climate change. Overall, ATS members are observing that human health is already adversely affected by climate change and support responses to address this situation.

To a toxicologist, "poisonings" are cases in which the child has a defined pattern of symptoms, corresponding to toxic effects at a mid to high level of exposure. "Toxicity" refers to a broader spectrum of effects. At lower levels of toxicity a child may have no specific, individual symptoms but may be affected subclinically. There are three basic strategies to protect children: individual intervention, the preventive medicine strategy, and the public health strategy. This article uses lead exposure as a model for discussing these differences in terminology and the three different protective strategies.

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel treat 22 million patients a year in the United States, yet little is known of their injury risks., Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of occupational injuries among EMS personnel, calculate injury rates, and compare the findings with those for other occupational groups., Methods: This was a retrospective review of injury records kept by two urban agencies. The agencies submitted all 617 case reports for three periods between January 1, 1998, and July 15, 2002. The agency personnel worked an estimated 2,829,906 hours during the study periods. Cases were coded according to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) criteria., Results: Four hundred eighty-nine cases met the DOL inclusion criteria. The overall injury rate was 34.6 per 100 full-time (FT) workers per year (95% confidence interval [CI] 31.5-37.6). "Sprains, strains, and tears" was the leading category of injury; the back was the body part most often injured. Of the 489 cases, 277 (57%) resulted in lost workdays, resulting in a rate of 19.6 (95% CI 17.3-21.9) per 100 FT workers; in comparison, the relative risks for EMS workers were 1.5 (95% CI 1.35-1.72) compared with firefighters, 5.8 (95% CI 5.12-6.49) compared with health services personnel, and 7.0 (95% CI 6.22-7.87) compared with the national average., Conclusions: The injury rates for EMS workers are higher than rates reported by DOL for any industry in 2000. Funding and additional research are critical to further defining the high risks to EMS workers and developing interventions to mitigate this serious problem.