Jean Grassman | Brooklyn College of CUNY (original) (raw)

Papers by Jean Grassman

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

To assess levels of chlorinated contaminants in breast milk, we measured organochlorine pesticide... more To assess levels of chlorinated contaminants in breast milk, we measured organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinted biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofiuans (PCDFs) in breast milk samples collected in 1994 according to the World Health Organization protl from 92 donors that were representative of regional populations in southern Kazakstan. High levels (10-120 pglg ht) of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioin (TCDD), the most toxica of the PCDDIPCDF congeners, were found in breast milk samples from an agricultural region. TCDD was the major contributor (75%) to the intemational toxicityequivalents of these samples. The same distinctive PCDDIPCDF congener patern was found in 15 breast milk samples and 4 serum samples collected in 1996 in a follow-up study, and has now been: confirmed by three analytical laboratories. Ky wor bret mill; cop PCBs, dioxins, exposure assessment, furs, Kaakstan, TCDD. Environ Heal Pepta 106:797806 (1998). [Online 1...

Environmental Research, 2017

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) offers low-skilled workers an opportunity to elevate... more Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) offers low-skilled workers an opportunity to elevate themselves out of poverty. However, this industry operates with little to no pollution controls and the cost to the environment and human health can be large. The objectives of this study were to measure levels of arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in the environment and characterize health risks to miners and residents in an area with active ASGM operations. An exposure assessment was conducted at two different mining sites and a nearby village in the Bolivian Anders. The resulting measurements were then used to quantify cancerous and noncancerous health risks to children and adults working at and living near ASGM areas. Soil concentrations of As were well above background levels and showed great variations between the village and mining area. Mercury vapor levels at the two mining sites were approximately 30 times larger than the EPA reference concentration. The risk of developing non-cancerous health effects were primarily due to exposure to As and Hg. The probability of individuals developing cancer was considerably increased with adult miners having a probability of 1.3 out of 100. Cancer potential was driven by exposure to As, with de minimus cancer risk from all other elements. Based on the environmental characterization of elements in soils and Hg vapors, the risk of developing cancerous and non-cancerous health outcomes were above a level of concern based on EPA risk assessment guidance. Personal protective equipment was not worn by workers and Hg amalgam is commonly heated in workers' homes. Better education of the risks of ASGM is needed as well as simple controls to reduce exposure.

PloS one, 2015

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events researchers and pu... more As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events researchers and public health officials must work towards understanding the causes and outcomes of heat-related morbidity and mortality. While there have been many studies on both heat-related illness (HRI), there are fewer on heat-related morbidity than on heat-related mortality. To identify individual and environmental risk factors for hospitalizations and document patterns of household cooling. We performed a pooled cross-sectional analysis of secondary U.S. data, the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Risk ratios were calculated from multivariable models to identify risk factors for hospitalizations. Hierarchical modeling was also employed to identify relationships between individual and hospital level predictors of hospitalizations. Patterns of air conditioning use were analyzed among the vulnerable populations identified. Hospitalizations due to HRI increased over the study period compared to all other ho...

All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you... more All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.

Assessment of serum PCDD, PCDF and PCB levels in firefighters exposed to combustion products duri... more Assessment of serum PCDD, PCDF and PCB levels in firefighters exposed to combustion products during the 1992 "Irkutskcable " factory fire in the city of Shelekhov,

Organohalogen compounds, 2003

Toxicology, 1996

... and Haddow, JE (1993) Association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and exacerb... more ... and Haddow, JE (1993) Association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and exacerbations of asthma in children. ... III (1996) 253270 269 Idle, JR, Armstrong, M., Boddy, AV, Boustead, C., Chol erton, S., Cooper, J., Daly, AK, Ellis, J, Gregory, W, Hadidi, H., Hofer ...

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2000

The current study examines whether the occupation of firefighting contributes to exposure to poly... more The current study examines whether the occupation of firefighting contributes to exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). We compared serum dioxin concentrations and congener profiles of current firefighters (n=13) with those of men who have ceased employment as firefighters (n=17) and with men employed in occupations other than firefighter (n=10). We found that

lymphocyte DNA) as a method ofbiological monitoring is currently being investigated (Table 1) sin... more lymphocyte DNA) as a method ofbiological monitoring is currently being investigated (Table 1) since these adducts are important as biomarkers ofexposure. Immunoassays are well suited to detect biomarkers of exposure.