In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children’s deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. The goal of the study was to determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children

Data on insecticide use for vector control are essential for guiding pesticide management systems on judicious and appropriate use, resistance management, and reduction of risks to human health and the environment. The researchers studied the global use and trends of insecticide use for control of vector-borne diseases for the period 2000 through 2009.

Many epidemiological studies have linked daily counts of hospital admissions to particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), but relatively few have investigated the relationship of hospital admissions with coarse PM (PMc; 2.5–10 μm aerodynamic diameter). The researchers conducted this study to estimate the health effects of PMc on emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Hong Kong after controlling for PM2.5 and gaseous pollutants.

Understanding the health impacts of heat waves is important, especially given anticipated increases in the frequency, duration, and intensity of heat waves due to climate change. The researchers examined mortality from heat waves in seven major Korean cities for 2000 through 2007 and investigated effect modification by individual characteristics and heat wave characteristics (intensity, duration, and timing in season).

Evidence is limited that long-term human exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, without poisoning, is associated with adverse peripheral nervous system (PNS) function. The researchers investigated associations between OP pesticide use and PNS function by administering PNS tests to 701 male pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS).

Epidemiological studies emphasize the possible role of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in obesity and the metabolic syndrome. These pollutants are stored in adipose tissue (AT). The aim of the paper was to study the effects of POPs on human adipose cells and rodent AT.

Environmental exposure to arsenic has been linked to hypertension in persons living in arsenic-endemic areas. The researchers summarized published epidemiologic studies concerning arsenic exposure and hypertension or blood pressure (BP) measurements to evaluate the potential relationship.

The Marcellus Shale is a vast natural gas field underlying parts of Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. Rapid development of this field has been enabled by advances in hydrofracking techniques that include injection of chemical and physical agents deep underground. Response to public concern about potential adverse environmental and health impacts has led to the formation of state and national advisory committees.

Healthy ecosystems provide us with fertile soil, clean water, timber, and food. They reduce the spread of diseases. They protect against flooding. Worldwide, they regulate atmospheric concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide. They moderate climate. Without these and other “ecosystem services,” we’d all perish.

The first global estimates of deaths from non-domestic smoke exposure are surprisingly high, say researchers, who warn the casualties will increase as temperatures rise because of climate change.