Search

The article presents a case study which examines the role of benzene exposure in causing leukemia and multiple myeloma (MM) in Italy. The study involves the assessment of patients' exposure at individual level to a range of chemicals. The authors claim that they found no association between exposure to any solvent and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). They also found elevated point estimates for the associations between medium/high benzene exposure and chronic lymphatic leukemia.

Evaluates the environmental risk factors potentially involved in male infertility in Florence, Italy. Relationship between infertility and lifestyle; List of relative risk factors associated with male infertility; Effects of x-rays to gonads.

We evaluated the role played by background exposure (i.e. exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke, ETS, from sources other than parental smoking) when evaluating the effect of parental smoking on lung function of adolescents. We performed a cross-sectional survey (937 adolescents) in the Lazio Region. Data were collected by a questionnaire, lung function tests and urinary cotinine to creatinine ratios (CCR) were measured. We found that 62.1% of subjects were exposed to current parental smoke. Among the 355 adolescents not exposed to parental smoke, a total of 92 (25.9%) had CCR levels greater than the median value of the distribution (17.3 ng/mg). Subjects with smoking parents had higher FVC and significant lower FEV(1)/FVC ratios than subjects without smoking parents. When "Background" ETS exposure was removed from the unexposed group by separately studying those without parental exposure but with CCR>17.3, results showed a reduction in lung function due to parental smoking which is greater compared to the previous model. Our study adds further evidence regarding the detrimental effect of ETS on lung function of adolescents. Negative results on the effect of parental smoking on lung function should be revisited if background exposure has not been considered in the analysis.

Background: A number of studies have shown possible associations between occupational exposures, particularly solvents, and lymphomas. The present investigation aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to solvents and lymphomas (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin) in a large population-based, multicenter, case-control study in Italy., Methods: All newly diagnosed cases of malignant lymphoma in men and women age 20 to 74 years in 1991-1993 were identified in 8 areas in Italy. The control group was formed by a random sample of the general population in the areas under study stratified by sex and 5-year age groups. We interviewed 1428 non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases, 304 Hodgkin disease cases, and 1530 controls. Experts examined the questionnaire data and assessed a level of probability and intensity of exposure to a range of chemicals., Results: Those in the medium/high level of exposure had an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with exposure to toluene (odds ratio = 1.8; 95% confidence interval = 1.1-2.8), xylene 1.7 (1.0-2.6), and benzene 1.6 (1.0-2.4). Subjects exposed to all 3 aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, and xylene; medium/high intensity compared with none) had an odds ratio of 2.1 (1.1-4.3). We observed an increased risk for Hodgkin disease for those exposed to technical solvents (2.7; 1.2-6.5) and aliphatic solvents (2.7; 1.2-5.7)., Conclusion: This study suggests that aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons are a risk factor for non-Hodgkin lymphomas, and provides preliminary evidence for an association between solvents and Hodgkin disease.