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Volume 4 Number 6 October
2006
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Roots
are important, as the late Alex Haley once reminded us. NIOSH’s roots
are embedded in decades of accomplishments, including the legacy of
predecessor bureaus and offices whose responsibilities were transferred to
NIOSH in 1971 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Recent
events have spotlighted the heritage of NIOSH’s Morgantown, Pittsburgh,
and Spokane laboratories in mining safety and health research; some of that
history dates back nearly a century. In this year of celebrating
NIOSH’s 35th anniversary, we should also note the occupational health
contributions of our laboratories in Cincinnati.
NIOSH’s
Cincinnati family tree is planted in rich soil. It has been part of the local
landscape since the 1850s, when the federal government established a U.S.
Marine Hospital for river workers in the downtown area. The Marine Hospital
Service was the predecessor of the Public Health Service, of which NIOSH is a
part. Its mission in Cincinnati, in tending to the health of the boatmen who
plied America’s commerce on the Ohio River, was a clear forerunner of
our occupational safety and health charge.
The
Ohio was also a main artery of America’s booming industrial economy
after World War II. Keeping pace with stakeholder needs, the Public Health
Service dedicated the Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center in 1954,
named for the nationally respected Senator from Ohio. President Eisenhower
hailed the opening of this pioneering occupational and environmental health
laboratory as a milestone “of special importance to every
worker.” In 1962, the Public Health Service also began leasing space in
a second facility on Ridge Road, now known as the Alice Hamilton Laboratory.
After its creation in 1971, NIOSH occupied the Taft and Hamilton facilities,
sharing space for a time with other agencies. Eventually, both became NIOSH
laboratories exclusively.
The
dedicated scientists and engineers in the Cincinnati laboratories have
produced many of NIOSH’s signal achievements. For example, many tools
and techniques routinely used today across the U.S. to prevent work-related
illnesses, from analytical, exposure assessment, and epidemiologic methods to
risk assessment principles and engineering solutions, were developed or
significantly enhanced in Cincinnati. Thanks in substantial measure to our
research in Cincinnati, scientists and policymakers have been better able to
address the complex, emerging health issues of the modern economy. These
include indoor environmental quality, emergency preparedness, workstation
design, work-related stress, nanotechnology, and lingering concerns about
past occupational exposures in Cold War nuclear weapons plants. Cincinnati is
a hub of NIOSH's customer outreach services. In our activities over the
years, we have formed close professional and personal ties in the local
community.
Under
the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) and r2p, the laboratories
continue to promote collaborative, results-oriented research. Recent
accomplishments include these:
- Co-authoring an incisive
review of ethical and scientific issues associated with nanotechnology
in the workplace. The article is published in the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences’ peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Health
Perspectives, on line at http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/9456/abstract.html.
- Collaborating with local and
federal partners, including the University of Cincinnati, Ohio
University, and Ohio State University, on a major conference to be held
in Cincinnati in December 2006. The conference will further the national
and global dialogue on the occupational safety and health implications
of nanotechnology: http://www.uc.edu/noehs/.
- Gathering and assessing new
field data to determine how bacteria and fungi may flow through
ventilation systems on commercial aircraft, and to estimate when
potential exposures to flight crews may be greatest. Findings are
expected to be reported in the near future. The study is part of
strategic health research that NIOSH is conducting with airline
operators and employees: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flightcrew.
- Working with industry and state partners in the
growing truck-bed liner industry to identify effective ways to control
respiratory exposures to MDI, an agent associated with potential for
severe asthma symptoms, in liner-spraying operations. These efforts,
which included the development of an exhaust system that was found to
reduce exposures by up to 75 percent, underpin the findings and
recommendations in a new NIOSH Alert: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-149/.
As you may know, we are working
with CDC and the General Services Administration in early stages of planning
for a consolidated Cincinnati facility. In this, we are anticipating the
needs of our 21st Century stakeholders as the U.S. Marine Hospital
Service addressed the needs of the 19th Century, and the Taft and
Hamilton labs responded to those of the 20th Century. We look
forward to keeping you informed, and to soliciting your ideas, as we move
forward into our third century as part of the Cincinnati community.
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NIOSH Team Offers Control Banding
Training to Chilean Colleagues
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On
September 9-17, a five-member NIOSH interdivisional team traveled to
Santiago, Chile, to provide training and technical assistance to the
Occupational Health Department, Instituto de Salud Publica de Chile (ISP)
[Chile Public Health Institute] and the Ministerio del Salud de Chile [Chile
Ministry of Health] as part of the NIOSH 2006-2007 Program for Elimination of
Silicosis in the Americas.
The
team presented a 3-day course and included live translation during the two
classroom days and one field visit day to a quartz quarry and rock crushing
plant. Attendees learned about strategies for assessing and controlling
exposures to silica-containing dust in mines and other high-risk workplaces.
On following days, the team participated in joint field site visits with ISP
to a large underground and surface copper mine in the Andes and a rock
crushing small enterprise in the Santiago region.
Marilyn Fingerhut, NIOSH
International Coordinator, signed a letter of agreement on behalf of NIOSH
Director John Howard, MD for cooperation on silicosis elimination with the
Directors of ISP, the Chilean Ministry of Health, and PAHO-Chile. Plans are
being made for continued collaboration during 2007. The NIOSH team included
Aaron Sussell, Faye Rice, Leo Blade, Jay Colinet and Andrew Cecala.
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NIOSH Expands WTC Topic Page,
Includes New HHS Link
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 NIOSH has
expanded its Web topic page on information related to the NIOSH response to
the World Trade Center terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. The topic page
includes a link to a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Web site for information about HHS World Trade Center Health Resources. This
site serves as a central resource for responders, volunteers, their families,
health care professionals, and others seeking information about health
effects resulting from the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade
Center. The site includes information and addresses for medical monitoring
and treatment programs for responders, resources for health professionals who
serve the exposed populations, and links to published scientific reports
about health effects associated with the WTC exposures. The NIOSH page also
includes a draft technical document for standardizing postmortem examinations
of individuals dying after environmental exposures at the World Trade Center.
The draft document is currently undergoing scientific review and is a work in
progress. The NIOSH topic page can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/wtc.
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Benefits of Natural Compounds in
Fighting Cancer Studied
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NIOSH Director to Address National
Academy of Social Insurance
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NIOSH Director John Howard, MD
will speak to attendees at the Health and Income Security for Injured Workers
seminar on October 12-13 in Washington, DC. The seminar is sponsored by the
National Academy of Social Insurance. Dr. Howard is one of four speakers who
will discuss preparing for catastrophes in the workplace. More information on
the seminar is available http://www.nasi.org/calendar_reg3634/calendar_reg_show.htm?doc_id=395559.
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7th Annual Pilot
Research Project Symposium to be Held this Month
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The University of Cincinnati (UC)
Education and Research Center will host the 7th Annual Pilot Research Project
Symposium on October 12-13 at the Kettering Laboratory
on the UC campus. The symposium will feature presentations from the 2006 and
2007 Pilot Research Project Grant Program awardees. DeLon Hull, Ph.D., NIOSH
Associate Director for Research and Technology Transfer, will provide a
keynote address on October 12. The Program is designed to increase the
research capacity of research trainees and young investigators in
occupational safety and health research at UC and collaborating programs in
Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. More information on the symposium is available on
the UC Web site, http://eh.uc.edu/erc/2006_PRP_Symposium.pdf.
The UC Education and Research Center is one of 16 ERCs funded by NIOSH.
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NIOSH and NSC Offer Student
Scholarship to Upcoming NSC Congress and Expo
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NIOSH and the National Safety
Council have partnered to offer student scholarships to the 2006 National Safety Council
Congress and Expo, November 6-10 in San Diego,
CA. Students interested in occupational safety and health are
encouraged to apply. Eight students will be selected for the
scholarship, which will cover transportation and provide up to $400 for
registration and other travel related expenses. Awardees will be asked
to share their experiences through short reports. Applications must be
submitted to rssdept@xxxxxxx by October
15, 2006. More information on the application process can be obtained
from the NSC Research and Statistical Services Group at rssdept@xxxxxxx.
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NIOSH
Announces Proposed Study on Reusability of Filtering Facepiece Respirators
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 NIOSH is seeking
products or prototypes that disinfect or sterilize infectious aerosols, such
as viruses, for a new study on the reusability of filtering facepiece
respirators (FFR). Researchers at the NIOSH National Personal Protective
Technology Laboratory propose to study the effects of decontaminating a
diverse array of FFR including NIOSH-certified N95, P100, and N95 filtering
facepiece respirator/surgical mask. This project will also study the
survivability of a simulant influenza virus on FFR. Details on the proposed
study are available in the September 26, 2006 Federal Register Notice at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-15706.htm.
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2006 Federal
Women of the Year
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Four employees at the NIOSH
Pittsburgh research facilities have been honored as the 2006 Women of the
Year by the Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board. Millie Miller, Program
Analyst; Angie Shepherd, General Engineer; and Maryann D’Alessandro,
Associate Director of Science, from the NIOSH National Personal Protective
Technology Laboratory, and Suzanne Wargo, Program Support Assistant from the
Office of Administrative and Management Services, were recognized for their
accomplishments and contributions to women in the Federal Government.
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NIOSH and AIHA
at the New York State Fair
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NIOSH and the American Industrial
Hygiene Association (AIHA) cosponsored an exhibit at the New York State Fair
in Syracuse on August 24-September 4. NIOSH staff joined members of AIHA to
disseminate information about both organizations. Using the theme
“Detecting hazards in the workplace,” the exhibit included
stations representing research to address physical, biological and chemical hazards
in the workplace. Over 932,000 people attended the fair over the 12 days,
providing opportunity for interaction.
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Look
for the NIOSH exhibit booth at these upcoming conferences.
- Association of Occupational
Health Professionals, October 4-6, 2006, Sacramento, CA, Booth No. Table
A
- Future Farmers of America,
October 25-27, 2006, Indianapolis, IN, Booth No. H-35 in Exhibit Hall E
- National Safety Council
Congress and Expo, November 6-8, 2006, San Diego, CA, Booth No. 949
- Safety WebExpo and Conference, October 4, 2006, http://www.occupationalhazards.com/safetyexpo
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 New NIOSH Partnership with the National Homeland Security
Research Center
NIOSH and the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development recently teamed to
provide their unique expertise in methods and technologies that contribute to
homeland security. NIOSH researchers, providing expertise in air sampling
methods, are working to update a manual of “Standardized Analytical
Methods for Use During Homeland Security Events."
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 NORA Sector Council Corresponding Members
Several of the NORA Sector Councils have begun drafting occupational safety
and health research strategic plan. Those who volunteered to serve on a
council but have not been contacted will be contacted very soon. Although it
is not practical to invite all volunteers to serve as Council Members, we
hope that all will participate as Corresponding Members. As a Corresponding
Member, you will be well-informed of council activities via E-mail lists. The
council will request your thoughts on the specific topics to be discussed.
Some corresponding members may also be asked to serve on work groups and/or
as council members in the future. If you have not already volunteered to be
on a council but would like to be a Corresponding Member, please contact the
NIOSH Sector Coordinator or the NORA Coordinator as listed below.
As always, contact the NORA
Coordinator (NORACoordinator@xxxxxxx),
if you have any questions.
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American Welding Society to host session on new OSHA
Hexavalent Chromium Regulation
The American Welding Society (AWS) will hold a free session covering the new
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements pertaining
to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) exposure. The session, “Compliance with
OSHA's Hexavalent Chromium Standard,” will be held on November 1, 2006
as part of the FABTECH International and AWS Welding Show, which will run
from October 31 through November 2 in Atlanta, Georgia. More information on
the session and the AWS is available on their Web site, http://www.aws.org.
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 Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths
from Mobile Crane Tip-Over, Boom Collapse, and Uncontrolled Hoisted Loads
A new NIOSH Alert, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2006-142, provides
recommendations for reducing risk of work-related injury and death when
working on or around mobile cranes. The Alert describes six incidents
resulting in the deaths of eight workers and injuries to two workers. The
Alert can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-142.
 Bicycle Saddles and Reproductive Health Topic Page
NIOSH has developed a new topic page on bicycle saddles and reproductive health.
NIOSH researchers have investigated the potential health effects of prolonged
bicycling on police bicycle patrol units over the past few years. Updates and
published reports of these research studies are available on the topic page, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bike.
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Noise-Induced
Hearing Loss in Children at Work and Play
NIOSH and partners will cosponsor Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) in Children at
Work and Play, October 19–20, 2006, in
Cincinnati, Ohio. The conference will focus on the issue of NIHL in children
who sometimes begin working as early as age 10-12 years, often in noisy
environments, such as construction, agriculture, entertainment, and
landscaping. Other cosponsors for the conference include the National Hearing
Conservation Association, Oregon Health and Science University, the Marion
Downs Hearing Center, the University of Northern Colorado, and the National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. More information on
the conference is available at http://www.hearingconservation.org/conf_childrenconf.html.
International
Conference on Nanotechnology Occupational and Environmental Health and
Safety: Research to Practice
NIOSH and the University of Cincinnati will cosponsor the International Conference on
Nanotechnology Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety: Research to
Practice, December 3-8, 2006, in Cincinnati, Ohio. For
more information, visit the conference Web site at http://www.uc.edu/noehs. The conference
follows other successful international forums cosponsored by NIOSH in Buxton,
U.K., in 2004, Minneapolis in 2006, and Miami earlier in 2006.
Call for Papers: 2007 Johnson Conference:
Workplace Aerosol Sampling to Meet ISO Size-Selective Criteria
Abstracts will be accepted until December 15, 2006 for the 2007 Johnson Conference: Workplace
Aerosol Sampling to Meet ISO Size-Selective Criteria.
The conference will be held July 16-20, 2007 in Burlington, VT and is
sponsored by ASTM International. More information on the Call for Abstracts
is available by contacting Martin Harper, Conference Chairman, at MHarper@xxxxxxx. Additional information on
the conference can be found at http://www.astm.org
under Symposia and
Workshops.
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Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) is a
member of the anthocyanin family, the largest group of pigments present in
many edible berries, dark grapes, cabbages and other pigmented foods.
Anthocyanins serve as natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and
anti-mutagenic agents. Earlier studies have shown that anthocyanins are
beneficial in reducing age-associated oxidative stress, as well as in
improving neuronal and cognitive brain function.
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