Thursday, January 26, 2012
Casino Women
Monday, December 12, 2011
Guest Post | Asbestos Exposure and Occupational Safety
Due to the widespread use of asbestos, most workers within these industries may have been exposed to the toxic mineral at some point during their employment. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to a number of serious health conditions, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. While there are no immediate health effects after experiencing asbestos exposure, symptoms of these conditions can arise between 10 and 50 years from the time of someone’s initial exposure to asbestos. Recently, it has been found that being exposed later in life reduces the chances of developing mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the lining of the organs. The three main forms of mesothelioma affect the pleural lining of the lungs, the peritoneal lining of the stomach, and the pericardial lining of the heart.
There are very few treatment options for these conditions and early detection may offer patients a greater chance of survival. Since asbestos-related conditions are typically diagnosed during the later stages of development, prognosis is often poor. The average mesothelioma life expectancy ranges between 4 and 18 months following diagnosis.
If you suspect asbestos is present, treat the material in question as if it was asbestos and notify your supervisor. The only way to know if asbestos is present is by taking an air sample at your home or workplace. The air sample needs to be analyzed by a professional using polarized light microscopy or transmission electron microscopy.
Ben Leer is an outreach coordinator with the Mesothelioma Center. He has worked toward the education and awareness of mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases since 2009. The Mesothelioma Center is dedicated to provide the most up-to-date information regarding mesothelioma and asbestos.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Pesticide Exposures in the Yakima Valley
Originally posted on UW SPHA blog. Yakima Valley, Washington is one of the most productive and diverse agricultural regions in the country. Tree fruits and vegetables are have been stable crops, but unfortunately, the application of numerous toxic organophosphate pesticides (OPs) has become a common way to combat regional pests like the coddling moth. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected this area as one of ten Environmental Justice Showcase Communities due to multiple environmental health concerns of contaminated drinking water and air. Over the course of the last few years, my own research has been to identify cheap and safe air sampling methods for quantifying residential exposures to aid rural community-based health projects.
Scientists argue that the amount of OP pesticide use cannot go unnoticed because of the numerous health effects resulting from exposures. Data on residential exposures are important to look as associations with long-term health outcomes such as asthma, cancer and neurological disorders. Young children, genetically susceptible individuals, and farm workers and their families in the region may be particularly vulnerable– even if they are not involved in farm activities. They can be exposed to pesticides in outdoor and indoor environments if pesticides drift from nearby fields or family members bring home contaminated work clothing or materials.
During my field work experience, I had the chance to speak with many local residents who rely heavily on agricultural and food manufacturing industries to support jobs and sustain local livelihoods. Farmworkers often dream of transitioning to higher ranks and purchasing their own farmland, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation have been cultivating and leasing farmland for generations. In fact, the role of a pesticide applicator is usually one of the highest paid jobs on the farm.
Our research team recognized it was difficult to collect good air quality data in rural and remote areas. There are unstable electricity sources, variable housing quality, free-ranging farm animals and pets, and in homes with high residential density. Some farmworker families are surrounded by the constant anxieties of legal/non-legal status. They have busy lives with large families to support. It is important to develop new air quality measurement methods that are easy to deploy, inexpensive, and inconspicuous. Our prototype air samplers are not that glamorous– they don’t use electricity or high-tech equipment. These are called “passive air sampling” techniques.
It is our top priority to explain to local farmworkers and their families about their air quality and informing them of simple steps to improve what they are breathing indoors and outdoors. The use of passive air sampling techniques is a great way to cut costs and invasiveness for future air monitoring projects. With time and patience, we can only hope that better data on air quality will be well connected to health outcomes, especially in rural areas.
About Jenna Armstrong: I have always had a strong interest on the environmental health impacts of agriculture. Currently my research involves designing air monitoring projects to examine rural air quality, including: pesticide use and drift, agricultural occupational health and safety issues, bio-aerosols, and combustion byproducts. Outside school, I love to run– just qualified for my first Boston Marathon next year.
Friday, October 21, 2011
2011 NOHC Student Research Forum Winners
NWCOHS is pleased to announce the 2011 NOHC Student Research Forum Winners!
Premier Award
Graves, Janessa M. University of Washington
Co-authors: Fulton-Kehoe, D., Jarvik, J. G., Franklin, GM. "Washington
State workers with low back pain: one-year health and disability outcomes associated with early imaging".
Honorable Mentions
Sanon, Marie Anne. University of Washington
Co-author: de Castro, A. B.
"Nurses take home exposure: what can their scrubs tell us to help prevent the spread of infection into communities?"
Crollard, Allison. University of Washington
Co-authors: de Castro, A. B., and Tang, J.
"Occupational downgrading among immigrant workers"
Travel Award
Demsky, Caitlin. Portland State University
Co-authors: Ellis, A., and Fritz, C.
"The big five as moderators of the relationship between work-family
conflict and life satisfaction"
About the NOHC Student Research Forum
The Northwest Occupational Health Conference (NOHC) is held yearly in the fall by the Industrial Hygiene (IH), Occupational Medicine (OM), and Occupational Health Nursing (OHN) communities. An event organized by PNSAIHA, the NOHC is among the largest and most successful regional multidisciplinary conferences, attracting 250-300 attendees from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and British Columbia.
Each Year, the Northwest Center for Occupational Health & Safety (NWCOHS), in collaboration with the NOHC, hosts a 'Student Research Forum' open to graduate students and recent alumni of the northwest regional institutions and within the professional categories of IH, OM, OHN, OS and other related disciplines such as epidemiology, engineering, occupational health psychology, policy, and management. Graduate students and recent alumni are invited to submit research papers for presentation at the conference. Three exceptional papers are chosen to receive an award and scholarship to attend and present their work at the conference. All submissions are judged by a panel of OH&S professionals.
Record UW turnout at 2011 NOHC Conference
The University of Washington had a record turnout at the annual Northwest Occupational Health Conference (NOHC). The 2011 NOHC was held in Pasco, WA and along with award-winning papers being presented, current and former UW ERC trainees took part in many of the sessions and activities.
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