National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

NIEHS Support for E-Waste Research

On March 16, NIEHS sponsored a panel on climate change as part of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH).  The panel featured four prominent speakers on global climate change adaptation, and explored perspectives on the role of local data, partnerships with the private sector, and how organizations are addressing climate change.

e-Factor Article

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2013/7/spotlight-ewaste/index.htm

GEH Podcast

Podcasts: Global Environmental Health Chat

Meeting website and presentations

https://www.cugh.org/

"Members of the Climate Change and Global Health Using Science to Protect Populations panel agreed on the urgency of the climate change issue, and the need to collaborate across disciplines and with local communities, to have an impact on health. Shown, left to right, are Dr. John Balbus, Dr. Kristie Ebi, Dr. Pamela Anderson, Dr. Gueladio Cisse, and Dr. Rao Aiyagari.
(Photo courtesy of Paula Whitacre)

E-Waste Recycling in China: A Health Disaster in the Making?

Guiyu, China, is the last stop for tens of millions of tons of discarded TVs, cell phones, batteries, computer monitors, and other types of electronic waste each year. In this area of Guangdong province in southeast China, the industry is characterized by thousands of small, family-run workshops interspersed with residences, schools, and stores. The workshops employ hundreds of thousands of local and migrant workers to extract copper, silver, gold, platinum, and other materials for resale, often burning or using acid baths to separate out the elements of interest. NIEHS-supported researcher Aimin Chen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, is studying the impacts of e-waste recycling on pregnant women and their children in Guiyu.

E-Factor Article:NIEHS spurs investigation into the health effects of e-waste recycling

E-Waste in India Short documentary - Youtube.com

Building India’s Public Health Capacity, with Dr. Rao Aiyagari

The GEH podcast series brings you the knowledge and experiences of people working to understand and combat environmental health problems that reach beyond national boundaries and contribute to the global burden of disease. The newest podcast features Dr. Rao Ayagari of the Public Health Foundation of India, who spoke at a recent Consortium of Universities on Global Health Conference, on efforts to build India’s public health capacity.

Podcasts: Global Environmental Health Chat

Scientists Work Together to Reveal Cause of a Lead Poisoning Outbreak in Nigeria

An interdisciplinary team of earth and health scientists helped define the major causes of a devastating lead poisoning outbreak linked to artisanal gold processing in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The 2010 outbreak, first discovered by Doctors Without Borders , killed hundreds of children under the age of 5, and left thousands more with permanent disabilities. The researchers attribute the mass lead poisoning to both the method in which villagers process the ores and the geology and climate of the region which influence how readily lead is absorbed into the body.

Other Research

• Water Flows, Energy Demand, and Market Analysis of the Informal Water Sector in Kisumu, Kenya. Sima LC, Kelner-Levine E, Eckelman MJ, McCarty KM, Elimelech M. Ecol Econ. 2013 Mar 1;87:137-144. Epub 2013 Jan 27 [Abstract Water Flows, Energy Demand, and Market Analysis of the Informal Water Sector in Kisumu, Kenya. Sima LC, Kelner-Levine E, Eckelman MJ, McCarty KM, Elimelech M. Ecol Econ. 2013 Mar 1;87:137-144. Epub 2013 Jan 27]
• Pilot Study of Pesticide Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Pregnant Women in Northern Thailand. Lorenz AN, Prapamontol T, Narksen W, Srinual N, Barr DB, Riederer AM. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2012 Sep 19;9(9):3365-83. doi: 10.3390/ijerph9093365. [Abstract Pilot Study of Pesticide Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Pregnant Women in Northern Thailand. Lorenz AN, Prapamontol T, Narksen W, Srinual N, Barr DB, Riederer AM. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2012 Sep 19;9(9):3365-83. doi: 10.3390/ijerph9093365.]
• Solid Fuel Use for Household Cooking: Country and Regional Estimates for 1980-2010 Bonjour S, Adair-Rohani H, Wolf J, Bruce NG, Mehta S, Prüss-Ustün A, Lahiff M, Rehfuess EA, Mishra V, Smith KR. Environ Health Perspect: .doi:10.1289/ehp.1205987 [Abstract Solid Fuel Use for Household Cooking: Country and Regional Estimates for 1980-2010 Bonjour S, Adair-Rohani H, Wolf J, Bruce NG, Mehta S, Prüss-Ustün A, Lahiff M, Rehfuess EA, Mishra V, Smith KR. Environ Health Perspect: .doi:10.1289/ehp.1205987]
• Environmental Pollution in Mongolia: Effects Across the Lifespan. Warburton D, Gilliland F, Dashdendev B. Environ Res. 2013 May 11. doi:pii: S0013-9351(13)00071-6. 10.1016/j.envres.2013.04.002. [Epub ahead of print] No abstract available. [Abstract Environmental Pollution in Mongolia: Effects Across the Lifespan. Warburton D, Gilliland F, Dashdendev B. Environ Res. 2013 May 11. doi:pii: S0013-9351(13)00071-6. 10.1016/j.envres.2013.04.002. [Epub ahead of print] No abstract available.]
• Phytotechnologies - Preventing Exposures, Improving Public Health. Henry, H.F., Burken, J.G., Maier, R.M., Newman, L.A., Rock, S., Schnoor, J.L., Suk, W.A. 2013 International Journal of Phytoremediation 15 (9) , pp. 889-899 [Abstract Phytotechnologies - Preventing Exposures, Improving Public Health. Henry, H.F., Burken, J.G., Maier, R.M., Newman, L.A., Rock, S., Schnoor, J.L., Suk, W.A. 2013 International Journal of Phytoremediation 15 (9) , pp. 889-899]

Focus on Trainees: Oleksii Motorykin

Oleksii Motorykin, traveled from Mariupol, Ukraine, to Corvallis, Oregon, to become an NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainee at Oregon State University (OSU). He is now a graduate student working on an OSU SRP project to understand the composition, exposure, and mutagenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in highly exposed populations.

Electronic waste, or E-Waste, the components of electronics that are discarded, is of growing concern worldwide, particularly as purchases of electronics increases and options for recycling remain limited.  E-waste is often globally traded and discarded in unhealthy and environmentally toxic ways. Toxic corrosives are often used to treat metals, and improper disposal and handling have severe health and environmental consequences for workers and the vulnerable people, particularly children, who live in nearby communities.

• Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health
• Fulbright-Fogarty Postdoctoral Research Awards in Public Health
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Global Health Short-Term Scientist Exchange Program (STSEP)
• Research on the Role of Epigenetics in Social, Behavioral, Environmental and Biological Relationships, throughout the Life-Span and across Generations (R21)
• The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation German Chancellor Fellowships
• Tobacco Control Regulatory Research (R03)

• 2013 Update: Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation
• The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
• Presidents Climate Action Plan