Although the effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration on pollen production has been established in some plant species, impacts on fungal sporulation and antigen production have not been elucidated. Wolf et al. examined the effects of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations on the quantity and quality of fungal spores produced on timothy (Phleum pratense) leaves.

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events, but there is compelling evidence that people with diabetes are more vulnerable to these cardiovascular effects. Several biological pathways linking air pollution and cardiovascular disease, including systemic oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation, may also promote type 2 diabetes.

On 27 May 2010, with crude oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico after the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig, the Obama administration announced it would pause offshore drilling plans in the Arctic Ocean, one of the planet’s most pristine ecosystems.

Epidemiologic and health impact studies of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are limited by the lack of monitoring data, especially in developing countries. Satellite observations offer potentially valuable global information about PM2.5 concentrations. Van Donkelaar et al.

Although the toxic effects of metals, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, have been well established for higher level exposures, the demonstration of population-wide harmful effects at lower concentrations has been more difficult. One possible reason for this is that at comparatively lower levels of exposure, only some people are at risk. Whitfield et al. (p.

Previous research suggested a possible link between breast cancer and groundwater plumes in upper Cape Cod, Massachusetts. However, the geographic relationship between breast cancer clusters and groundwater plumes alone does not establish exposure.

Long-term neurotoxicity risks resulting from prenatal exposures to pesticides are uncertain, but a previous study of Ecuadorian schoolchildren suggested that blood pressure and visuospatial processing may be vulnerable to these exposures. Harari et al. conducted a cross-sectional study of cardiovascular and neurobehavioral functions among 84 Ecuadorian children 6

Synthetic pyrethroid insecticides are being used with greater frequency in the United States to replace residential and some agricultural organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate insecticides. The pyrethroids are considered to be less toxic to humans than the OPs and carbamates, but like many other classes of insecticides, they are acute neurotoxicants. Barr et al. (p.

Although tetraethyl lead was phased out of gasoline in Uganda in 2005, there are still concerns about the exposure of children through other sources. Graber et al. (p.

In a United States where climate change legislation, concerns about foreign oil dependence, and mandatory curbside recycling are becoming the