Energy policies are in transition worldwide based on a convergence of factors including static oil production coupled with increased demand, a desire for energy independence, and growing awareness of climate change. Making energy choices that improve human health, the environment, and economic development is possible if we understand the complex interplay between systems for energy delivery and sustainable, healthy human environments. (Editorial)

Ultrafine particles (UFP) may contribute to the cardiovascular effects of exposure to particulate air pollution, partly because of their relatively efficient alveolar deposition and potential to enter the pulmonary vascular space. This study tested the hypothesis that inhalation of elemental carbon UFP alters systemic vascular function. March 2008

Benzene is a human carcinogen. Exposure to benzene occurs in occupational and environmental settings. The researcher evaluated data from a cohort of 1,845 rubber hydrochloride workers. Benzene exposure

Over the past decade there has been mounting evidence that ambient air pollution during pregnancy influences fetal growth. This study was designed to examine possible associations between fetal ultrasonic measurements collected from 15,623 scans (13

Low-level developmental lead exposure is linked to cognitive and neurological disorders in children. However, the long-term effects of gestational lead exposure (GLE) have received little attention. The goal of the research was to establish a murine model of human equivalent GLE and to determine dose

Research indicate that developmental exposures to apparently nontoxic doses of DZN compromise neural cell development and alter ACh synaptic function in adolescence and adulthood. The patterns seen here differ substantially from those seen in earlier work with chlorpyrifos, reinforcing the concept that the various organophosphates have fundamentally different effects on the developmental trajectories of specific neurotransmitter systems, unrelated to their shared action as cholinesterase inhibitors. March 2008

An increasing number of people are exposed to aircraft and road traffic noise. Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and even a small contribution in risk from environmental factors may have a major impact on public health. The HYENA (Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports) study aimed to assess the relations between noise from aircraft or road traffic near airports and the risk of hypertension. March 2008

In this population-based study the researchers aimed to elucidate the effect of nutrition on As methylation among women in Matlab, Bangladesh, where people are chronically exposed to iAs via drinking water. March 2008

Lindane, a persistent, highly toxic, and bioaccumulative organochlorine insecticide, was used in agriculture and as a topical treatment for human head lice and scabies beginning in the 1940s. As its toxicity became better known, manufacture and use declined in the United States; in 2002, California banned the pharmaceutical use of lindane altogether. According to a new study, that ban appears to have resulted in steep drops in concentrations of lindane in Southern California's wastewater and a dramatic reduction in calls to the California Poison Control System. March 2008

The distribution of microorganisms, and especially pathogens, over airborne particles of different sizes has been ignored to a large extent, but it could have significant implications regarding the dispersion of these microorganisms across the planet, thus affecting human health. March 2008