Current Environmental Health Reports 
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This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.Nutrition Transition and Climate Risks in Nigeria: Moving Towards Food Systems Policy Coherence
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to describe the combined impacts of the nutrition transition and climate change in Nigeria and analyze the country ’s national food-related policy options that could support human and planetary health outcomes.Recent FindingsThis paper uses a food systems framework to analyze how the nutrition transition and climate change interact in Nigeria affecting both diets and the double burden of malnutrition, resulting in what has been termed the syndemic. Interactions between climate change and the nutrition transition in Nigeria are exacerbating diet-related inequities and...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - September 30, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Mapping Thermal Physiology of Vector-Borne Diseases in a Changing Climate: Shifts in Geographic and Demographic Risk of Suitability
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo describe a collection of recent work published on thermal suitability for vector-borne diseases, in which mapping approaches illustrated the geographic shifts, and spatial approaches describe the demographic impact anticipated with a changing climate.Recent FindingsWhile climate change predictions of warming indicate an expansion in VBD suitability risk in some parts of the globe, while in others, optimal temperatures for transmission may be exceeded, as seen for malaria in Western Africa, resulting in declining risk. The thermal suitability of specific vector-pathogen pairs can have large impac...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - September 8, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Little to Give, Much to Gain —What Can You Do With a Dried Blood Spot?
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTechnological advances have allowed dried blood spots (DBS) to be utilized for various measurements, helpful in population-based studies. The following is a review of the literature highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of DBS and describing their use in multiple areas of research.Recent FindingsDBS can track pollutant exposure to understand their impact on health. DBS can also be used for (epi-)genetic studies, to measure clinical biomarkers, and to monitor drug adherence. Advantages of DBS include being minimally invasive, requiring low blood volume, and being cost-effective to collect, t...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - August 26, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Their Effects on the Placenta, Pregnancy, and Child Development: a Potential Mechanistic Role for Placental Peroxisome Proliferator –Activated Receptors (PPARs)
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review summarizes studies highlighting perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their effects on the placenta, pregnancy outcomes, and child health. It highlights human population-based associations as well as in vitro-based experimental data to inform an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these health effects. Among the mechanisms by which PFAS may induce toxicity is via their interaction with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), nuclear receptors that regulate lipid metabolism and placental functions important to healthy pregnancies, as well as fetal and chi...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - August 17, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Cell Types in Environmental Epigenetic Studies: Biological and Epidemiological Frameworks
This article introduces the roles of perinatal DNA methylation in human health and disease, highlights the challenges of tissue and cellular heterogeneity to studying DNA methylation, summarizes approaches to overcome these challenges, and offers recommendations in conducting research in environmental epigenetics.Recent FindingsEpigenetic modifications are essential for human development and are labile to environmental influences, especially during gestation. Epigenetic dysregulation is also a hallmark of multiple diseases. Environmental epigenetic studies routinely measure DNA methylation in readily available tissues. How...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - August 12, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Air Pollution and Adverse Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: Mediation Analysis Using Metabolomic Profiles
AbstractPurpose of ReviewReview how to use metabolomic profiling in causal mediation analysis to assess epidemiological evidence for air pollution impacts on birth outcomes.Recent FindingsMaternal exposures to air pollutants have been associated with pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Causal mediation analysis enables us to estimate direct and indirect effects on outcomes (i.e., effect decomposition), elucidating causal mechanisms or effect pathways. Maternal metabolites and metabolic pathways are perturbed by air pollution exposures may lead to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, thus they...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - August 7, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Arsenic and Obesity: a Review of Causation and Interaction
AbstractPurpose of ReviewArsenic is associated with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other outcomes that are also related to obesity. These similar effects raise the possibility that arsenic plays a role in obesity causation. They also raise the possibility that obesity may be an important effect modifier of arsenic-caused disease. This review summarizes the complex relationship between arsenic and obesity, with an emphasis on current research from human studies.Recent FindingsExperimental studies provide some evidence that arsenic could play a role in obesity pathogenesis. To date, however, these associations have not...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - August 6, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Fisheries and Policy Implications for Human Nutrition
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review brings together recent key research related to the role of fisheries as a source of nutrients to improve human health and discusses the implications of fisheries policy on food- and nutrient-security.Recent FindingsRecent studies highlight the critical role of fisheries to support human nutrition, describing the nutrient composition of hundreds of species of fish, the global distribution of these fish, and the strategic role of fisheries in addressing micronutrient deficiencies.SummaryIn many developing regions and emerging economies, fisheries can address malnutrition with local suppli...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - August 2, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Circadian Rhythms in Environmental Health Sciences
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review aims to explore how circadian rhythms influence disease susceptibility and potentially modify the effect of environmental exposures. We aimed to identify biomarkers commonly used in environmental health research that have also been the subject of chronobiology studies, in order to review circadian rhythms of relevance to environmental health and determine if time-of-day is an important factor to consider in environmental health studies. Moreover, we discuss opportunities for studying how environmental exposures may interact with circadian rhythms to structure disease pathology and etiol...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - July 12, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Broadening the Mandate of the Incident Command System to Address Community Mental and Behavioral Health Effects as Part of the Federal Response to Disasters
AbstractPurpose of ReviewIn the United States, the Federal Incident Command System (ICS) directs response to major oil spills. Its initial imperative is to prevent immediate impacts on human health and safety. Subsequently, the ICS primarily turns its attention to environmental concerns, including considering vulnerable ecosystems. There is a growing body of evidence that disasters such as major oil spills lead to adverse psychosocial effects; yet, preventing such effects has not been formally incorporated into ICS disaster mitigation considerations.Recent FindingsCommunity mental and behavioral effects are increasingly re...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - June 26, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Machine Learning Within Studies of Early-Life Environmental Exposures and Child Health: Review of the Current Literature and Discussion of Next Steps
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe goal of this article is to review the use of machine learning (ML) within studies of environmental exposures and children ’s health, identify common themes across studies, and provide recommendations to advance their use in research and practice.Recent FindingsWe identified 42 articles reporting upon the use of ML within studies of environmental exposures and children ’s health between 2017 and 2019. The common themes among the articles were analysis of mixture data, exposure prediction, disease prediction and forecasting, analysis of complex data, and causal inference.SummaryWith the incre...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - June 22, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Microbial Indicators of Fecal Pollution: Recent Progress and Challenges in Assessing Water Quality
AbstractPurpose of ReviewFecal contamination of water is a major public health concern. This review summarizes recent developments and advancements in water quality indicators of fecal contamination.Recent FindingsThis review highlights a number of trends. First, fecal indicators continue to be a valuable tool to assess water quality and have expanded to include indicators able to detect sources of fecal contamination in water. Second, molecular methods, particularly PCR-based methods, have advanced considerably in their selected targets and rigor, but have added complexity that may prohibit adoption for routine monitoring...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - June 14, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Projections of Ambient Temperature- and Air Pollution-Related Mortality Burden Under Combined Climate Change and Population Aging Scenarios: a Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewClimate change will affect mortality associated with both ambient temperature and air pollution. Because older adults have elevated vulnerability to both non-optimal ambient temperature (heat and cold) and air pollution, population aging can amplify future population vulnerability to these stressors through increasing the number of vulnerable older adults. We aimed to review recent evidence on projections of temperature- or air pollution-related mortality burden (i.e., number of deaths) under combined climate change and population aging scenarios, with a focus on evaluating the role of population a...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - June 14, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Minimally Invasive Biospecimen Collection for Exposome Research in Children ’s Health
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe advent of low-volume biosampling and novel biomarker matrices offers non- or minimally invasive approaches to sampling in children. These new technologies, combined with advancements in mass spectrometry that provide high sensitivity, robust measurements of low-concentration exposures, facilitate the application of untargeted metabolomics in children ’s exposome research. Here, we review emerging sampling technologies for alternative biomatrices—dried capillary blood, interstitial fluid, saliva, teeth, and hair—and highlight recent applications of these samplers to drive discovery in popu...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - June 12, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
A Scoping Review of Non-Occupational Exposures to Environmental Pollutants and Adult Depression, Anxiety, and Suicide
AbstractPurpose of ReviewDespite a call for better understanding of the role of environmental pollutant influences on mental health and the tremendous public health burden of mental health, this issue receives far less attention than many other effects of pollutants. Here we summarize the body of literature on non-occupational environmental pollutant exposures and adult depression, anxiety, and suicide —in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsychINFO through the end of year 2018.Recent FindingsOne hundred twelve articles met our criteria for further review. Of these, we found 88 articles on depression, 33 on anxiety, an...
Source: Current Environmental Health Reports - June 11, 2020 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
