In a seminar session, one second-year master’s student from each of the academic programs was selected to present an oral summary of his or her thesis research. The remainder of the graduating master’s students and selected PhD students presented posters of their work. Thesis abstracts are online. Faculty preceptors are listed in parentheses.
Pathways of Exposure
Joseph A. Smith III, MS, Environmental Health
(John Kissel)
A recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency left lingering questions. The EPA measured children’s exposure to pollutants at homes and daycare centers in North Carolina and Ohio. Exposure to the organophosphorous pesticide chlorpyrifos was detected by testing for the urinary biomarker 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy). The EPA study found that children excreted more TCPy than could be explained by inhalation, soil ingestion, and foods. Smith’s study constructed a probabilistic exposure model to see if exposure pathways such as dermal absorption, dust ingestion, or hand-to-mouth transfer might explain these missing sources. When the analysis is complete, it could be useful to parents and policy makers.
Training Methods Compared
Maggie Trabeau, MS, Industrial Hygiene (Noah Seixas)
The construction industry often uses a “train-the-trainer” approach to teach workers about noise induced hearing loss, but the effectiveness of this method hasn’t been
adequately evaluated. Trabeau’s study compares the effectiveness of a “train-the-trainer” approach with an expert trainer using the same materials. Results showed that training increased workers’ knowledge about noise exposures, improved their attitudes about hearing protection devices (HPDs), increased self-reported intent to wear HPDs, and increased use of HPDs. She did not find the effectiveness of the hearing conservation program to be dependent on the training method.
Mercury Exposure & Fish
Ami Tsuchiya, MS, Toxicology (Thomas Burbacher)
Methylmercury can pose risks to the developing nervous
system, which has led to fish advisories for women of child-bearing age, infants, and children, especially in communities that eat a high amount of fish. This study examines exposures among women of childbearing age and of Japanese descent In a seminar session, one second-year master’s student from each of the academic programs was selected to present an oral summary of his or her thesis research. The remainder of the graduating master’s students and selected PhD students presented posters of their work. Thesis abstracts are online at http://depts.washington.edu/envhlth/news/researchday06.html. Faculty preceptors are listed in parentheses. who reside in the greater Seattle area. According to the preliminary analysis of 66 women tested, about half were above the reference dose for seafood consumption. The percentage of women who were above EPA’s reference dose blood level for mercury was three times higher than a previous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. At the end of the study, Tsuchiya, a registered dietician, plans to develop culturally appropriate recommendations for diet and health education for this population (A Basis For Counseling).
Bioterrorism Response
Alfredo T. Fernandez, Jr., MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health (William Daniell)
This study examines the attitudes, opinions, and knowledge of emergency personnel in King County, using a tabletop exercise and a scenario involving activation of a biodetection system at a postal distribution center. A tabletop exercise is a scenario-driven evolution where representatives of the various first responder and support organizations would respond to information introduced over time. After the exercise, participants questioned existing communication plans and showed increased understanding of the roles and responsibilities of different agencies. Participants reported significant gains in knowledge about bioterrorism events, response, and planning.
Air Pollution & Heart Disease
Spencer Olsen, MPH, Occupational and Environmental Medicine (Joel Kaufman)
This epidemiologic study looked at the association of ambient air pollution, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in a large cohort of older US veterans. Dr. Olsen hypothesized that those with diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease would be more susceptible to the cardiovascular effects of air pollution. He analyzed data on more than 30,000 veterans from a Veterans Affairs database. Although he didn’t find associations between community air pollution and mortality with this data, he thinks further study can inform policy decision making regarding chronic exposure to ambient air pollution among susceptible populations.
STUDENT POSTER SESSION
Environmental Health, MS
Laura McLaughlin (John Scott Meschke) Chlorine and UV-disinfection as drinking water treatment options for rural areas of less developed countries
Graduate students Chris Ballew and Alison Scherer discuss Ballew’s research on pesticide exposures in cherry orchards.
Photo by Kathy Hall.
Michael Paulsen (Christopher Simpson) Development of an assay for 1-nitropyrene metabolites as biomarkers of exposure to diesel exhaust
Yolanda Sanchez (Matthew Keifer) Temporal patterns of asthma hospitalizations in the Yakima valley community of Washington
John Shultz (John Scott Meschke) Pathogen prevalence and antibiotic resistance in ready-to-eat food products
Whitney Webber (L-J Sally Liu) How much on-bus air pollution comes from the bus itself? A pilot study of diesel school buses
Industrial Hygiene, MS
James (Chris) Ballew (Richard Fenske) A simple intervention to aid in the reduction of organophosphate pesticides from take-home pathways
Elizabeth Gray (Michael Morgan) Exposure assessment and exhaled breath analysis of solvent-exposed workers
Peter Lang (Michael Morgan) Glove permeation: Comparing an empiric and predictive method
Amy Sly (John Scott Meschke) Collection of B. subtilis using an aerodynamic lens concentrator and polyurethane foam
Jason Woodruff (Noah Seixas) Validation of task-based noise exposure predictions in the construction trades
Safety and Ergonomics, MS
Cheng (Robin) Han (Peter Johnson) The development of testing software to measure and characterize differences in computer mouse use proficiency: Comparison of children and adults
Toxicology, MS
Mary Trute (Evan Gallagher) Characterization of hepatic and olfactory glutathione S-transferases of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Environmental and Occupational Health, MPH
Elizabeth Hom (Matthew Keifer) Analysis of environmental and occupational health concerns in key informant interviews with community advisory board (CAB) members of El Proyecto Bienestar
Sinang Lee (Richard Fenske) Translation of the fluorescent tracer technique from a research dermal exposure method to a pesticide safety educational tool
McKinley (Mac) Rainey (Richard Fenske) Evaluating training improvement and assessment tools in hands-on pesticide handler training
Phayong Thepaksorn (Matthew Keifer) Occupational injuries in Thailand
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, MPH
Jason Allen (Joel Kaufman) Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in controlled human diesel exhaust exposure: A randomized, blinded, cross-over experiment
Chris Carlsten (Joel Kaufman) Cell markers, cytokines, and immune parameters in cement mason apprentices
Hieu Hoang (Matthew Keifer) Will power: Is personal motivation associated with retention in the Army?
Son Phan (Matthew Keifer) A study of silicosis risk in Vietnamese refractory brick workers
Dung Tri Phung (Matthew Keifer) The patterns of at-work injuries in Vietnamese communities
Troy Ross (William Daniell) Hazards to hearing and threshold shifts: The results of deployment to a combat environment
Satish Subramaniam (Harvey Checkoway) Baseline characteristics and predictors of occurrence of mesothelioma among asbestos-exposed men in the beta-carotene and retinol efficacy trial
Environmental and Occupational Hygiene, PhD
Ming-Yi Tsai (Michael Yost) Modeling deposition from an aerial spray application
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