Pollution

Pacific Northwest wildfire smoke events have been increasing in prevalence and severity over the past three decades, resulting in documented negative health outcomes in adults. However, when examining the effect of wildfire smoke on pediatric health, the literature is scarce.

Background: Particulate matter (PM)-related health effects have been studied extensively, yet wildfire smoke-specific PM health effects and its dose-response relationship have not reached a consensus due to variations in exposure scenarios and health outcome measurements.

Staphylococcus aureus are both human commensal bacteria and potential pathogens. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) from coastal beach and river waters, anchialine pools, sand, and wastewater on the Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi.

Introduction: Air pollution is a significant contributor to adverse health outcomes in humans around the world. Particulate matter has been linked to numerous cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurological diseases and associated with increased systemic inflammation and direct cellular toxicity.

The contribution of transportation to ambient particulate matter (PM) has increased since 2000 in China. Over this time, Chinese cities have grown rapidly in size, population, car ownership and daily commute distance. These changes have led to increased travel times, exposures to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and combined uses of transportation modes during daily commutes.

Antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) can be shared between humans and animals through a common environment. The surveillance of ARB in the environment can inform us about contamination of shared ecosystems, like the Salish Sea, and how that contamination affects both the animals that rely on the ecosystem and humans who also live within it.

Background: Power plants are primary emitters of greenhouse gases and criteria air pollutants, which are associated with harmful health impacts including increased risk of premature mortality.

Dementia has been considered a major global public health priority (WHO, 2012). It is very common in older adults (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015b; Seshadri & Wolf, 2007; Weuve et al., 2014) and characterized by the progressive and irreversible loss of memory and mental abilities (Alzheimer’s Association, 2008).

Arsenic is a long-lasting environmental contaminant found in food, water, air, and soil. In Washington, there are multiple geographically unique sources of arsenic ranging from natural sources like sediments and groundwater to man-made sources.

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), affect over 47 million people worldwide, and this number is anticipated to reach 131.5 million by 2050.

Introduction: The incidence rates of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and cutaneous malignant melanoma are rapidly increasing. While inhaled particulate matter (PM) has been classified as a lung carcinogen, the associations between ambient PM (either PM2.5 and PM10) and skin cancers have not been studied thoroughly.

Background: The efficacy of the high-efficiency particle arresting (HEPA) air cleaner and its related health benefits have gotten some attention, yet the number of studies on this topic is still modest.

Wildfire events are increasing in prevalence in the western United States. Research has found mixed results on the degree to which exposure to wildfire smoke increases the risk of mortality.

Issues: Smartphones and other mobile devices have become important tools for collecting wellness and personal health information. To take advantage of this potential, an environmental justice organization is developing an app to help citizen scientists collect water samples and share water quality data.

Diesel exhaust (DE) is a major contributor to air pollution globally. Fine and ultrafine particulate matter make up a large portion of its components.

The Imperial Project was a collaboration between community organizations, academia, and state partners created to investigate levels of particulate matter, a criteria air pollutant, in the highly impacted community of Imperial County. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) techniques were used to ensure that community members were engaged in each step of the research process.

Escalating prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in recent decades has triggered increasing efforts in understanding the role played by environmental risk factors as a way to address this widespread public health concern. Several epidemiological studies show associations between developmental exposure to traffic-related air pollution and increased ASD risk.