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Globally, nitrate levels in source water have increased as a result of agricultural intensification, which has subsequently increased nitrate contamination in drinking water.[sup.1] Recent epidemiological evidence suggests a link between [...]

ObjectivesExposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has inconsistently been associated with a decreased sex ratio of the offspring (number of male births divided by total births). We conducted a study among men and women who were employed in a New Zealand phenoxy herbicide production plant between 1969 and 1984, to study their offspring sex ratio in relation to their back-calculated TCDD serum concentrations determined in 2007/2008.MethodsA total of 127 men and 21 women reported that 355 children were conceived after starting employment at the plant. The association between their lipid-standardised TCDD serum concentrations back-calculated to the time of their offspring's birth and the probability of a male birth was estimated through logistic regression, adjusting for the age of the exposed parent at birth, current body mass index and smoking.ResultsThe overall sex ratio was 0.55 (197 boys, 158 girls). For fathers with serum TCDD concentrations ≥20 pg/g lipid at time of birth, the sex ratio was 0.47 (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.79). The probability of a male birth decreased with higher paternal serum TCDD at time of birth (

ObjectivesExposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has inconsistently been associated with a decreased sex ratio of the offspring (number of male births divided by total births). We conducted a study among men and women who were employed in a New Zealand phenoxy herbicide production plant between 1969 and 1984, to study their offspring sex ratio in relation to their back-calculated TCDD serum concentrations determined in 2007/2008.MethodsA total of 127 men and 21 women reported that 355 children were conceived after starting employment at the plant. The association between their lipid-standardised TCDD serum concentrations back-calculated to the time of their offspring's birth and the probability of a male birth was estimated through logistic regression, adjusting for the age of the exposed parent at birth, current body mass index and smoking.ResultsThe overall sex ratio was 0.55 (197 boys, 158 girls). For fathers with serum TCDD concentrations ≥20 pg/g lipid at time of birth, the sex ratio was 0.47 (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.79). The probability of a male birth decreased with higher paternal serum TCDD at time of birth (

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the risk of lymphoma and its major subtypes in relation to occupational exposure to specific organic dusts. METHODS: We explored the association in 1853 cases and 1997 controls who participated in the EpiLymph case–control study, conducted in six European countries in 1998–2004. Based on expert assessment of lifetime occupational exposures, we calculated the risk of the major lymphoma subtypes associated with exposure to six specific organic dusts, namely, flour, hardwood, softwood, natural textile, synthetic textile, and leather, and two generic (any types) groups: wood and textile dusts. Risk was predicted with unconditional regression modeling, adjusted by age, gender, study center, and education. RESULTS: We observed a 2.1-fold increase in risk of follicular lymphoma associated with ever exposure to leather dust [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–4.20]. After excluding subjects who ever worked in a farm or had ever been exposed to solvents, risk of B-cell lymphoma was elevated in relation to ever exposure to leather dust [odd ratio (OR) 2.2, 95% CI 1.00–4.78], but it was not supported by increasing trends with the exposure metrics. Risk of Hodgkin lymphoma was elevated (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.95–4.30) for exposure to textile dust, with consistent upward trends by cumulative exposure and three independent exposure metrics combined (P=0.023, and P=0.0068, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Future, larger studies might provide further insights into the nature of the association we observed between exposure to textile dust and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma.

This study aimed to assess pesticide exposure and its determinants in children aged 5–14 years. Urine samples (n = 953) were collected from 501 participating children living in urban areas (participant n = 300), rural areas but not on a farm (n = 76), and living on a farm (n = 125). The majority provided two samples, one in the high and one in the low spraying season. Information on diet, lifestyle, and demographic factors was collected by questionnaire. Urine was analysed for 20 pesticide biomarkers by GC–MS/MS and LC-MS/MS. Nine analytes were detected in > 80% of samples, including six organophosphate insecticide metabolites (DMP, DMTP, DEP, DETP, TCPy, PNP), two pyrethroid insecticide metabolites (3-PBA, trans-DCCA), and one herbicide (2,4-D). The highest concentration was measured for TCPy (median 13 μg/g creatinine), a metabolite of chlorpyrifos and triclopyr, followed by DMP (11 μg/g) and DMTP (3.7 μg/g). Urine metabolite levels were generally similar or low compared to those reported for other countries, while relatively high for TCPy and pyrethroid metabolites. Living on a farm was associated with higher TCPy levels during the high spray season. Living in rural areas, dog ownership and in-home pest control were associated with higher levels of pyrethroid metabolites. Urinary concentrations of several pesticide metabolites were higher during the low spraying season, possibly due to consumption of imported fruits and vegetables. Organic fruit consumption was not associated with lower urine concentrations, but consumption of organic food other than fruit or vegetables was associated with lower concentrations of TCPy in the high spray season. In conclusion, compared to other countries such as the U.S., New Zealand children had relatively high exposures to chlorpyrifos/triclopyr and pyrethroids. Factors associated with exposure included age, season, area of residence, diet, in-home pest control, and pets.

PurposeTo quantify serum concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and dioxin-like compounds in former phenoxy herbicide production plant workers and firefighters, 20 years after 2,4,5-T production ceased.MethodsOf 1025 workers employed any time during 1969-1984, 430 were randomly selected and invited to take part in a morbidity survey and provide a blood sample; 244 (57%) participated. Firefighters stationed in close proximity of the plant and/or engaged in call-outs to the plant between 1962 and 1987 also participated (39 of 70 invited). Reported here are the serum concentrations of TCDD and other chlorinated dibenzo-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Determinants of the serum concentrations were assessed using linear regression.ResultsThe 60 men who had worked in the phenoxy/TCP production area had a mean TCDD serum concentration of 19.1 pg/g lipid, three times the mean concentration of the 141 men and 43 women employed in other parts of the plant (6.3 and 6.0 pg/g respectively), and more than 10 times the mean for the firefighters (1.6 pg/g). Duration of employment in phenoxy herbicide synthesis, maintenance work, and work as a boilerman, chemist, and packer were associated with increased serum concentrations of TCDD and 1,2,3,4,7-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (PeCDD). Employment as a boilerman was also associated with elevated serum concentrations of PCBs.ConclusionsOccupations in the plant associated with phenoxy herbicide synthesis had elevated levels of TCDD and PeCDD. Most other people working within the plant, and the local firefighters, had serum concentrations of dioxin-like compounds comparable to those of the general population.

PurposeTo quantify serum concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and dioxin-like compounds in former phenoxy herbicide production plant workers and firefighters, 20 years after 2,4,5-T production ceased.MethodsOf 1025 workers employed any time during 1969-1984, 430 were randomly selected and invited to take part in a morbidity survey and provide a blood sample; 244 (57%) participated. Firefighters stationed in close proximity of the plant and/or engaged in call-outs to the plant between 1962 and 1987 also participated (39 of 70 invited). Reported here are the serum concentrations of TCDD and other chlorinated dibenzo-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Determinants of the serum concentrations were assessed using linear regression.ResultsThe 60 men who had worked in the phenoxy/TCP production area had a mean TCDD serum concentration of 19.1 pg/g lipid, three times the mean concentration of the 141 men and 43 women employed in other parts of the plant (6.3 and 6.0 pg/g respectively), and more than 10 times the mean for the firefighters (1.6 pg/g). Duration of employment in phenoxy herbicide synthesis, maintenance work, and work as a boilerman, chemist, and packer were associated with increased serum concentrations of TCDD and 1,2,3,4,7-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (PeCDD). Employment as a boilerman was also associated with elevated serum concentrations of PCBs.ConclusionsOccupations in the plant associated with phenoxy herbicide synthesis had elevated levels of TCDD and PeCDD. Most other people working within the plant, and the local firefighters, had serum concentrations of dioxin-like compounds comparable to those of the general population.

In recent decades, the possibility that use of mobile communicating devices, particularly wireless (mobile and cordless) phones, may increase brain tumour risk, has been a concern, particularly given the considerable increase in their use by young people. MOBI-Kids, a 14-country (Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain) case-control study, was conducted to evaluate whether wireless phone use (and particularly resulting exposure to radiofrequency (RF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF)) increases risk of brain tumours in young people. Between 2010 and 2015, the study recruited 899 people with brain tumours aged 10 to 24 years old and 1,910 controls (operated for appendicitis) matched to the cases on date of diagnosis, study region and age. Participation rates were 72% for cases and 54% for controls.The mean ages of cases and controls were 16.5 and 16.6 years, respectively; 57% were males. The vast majority of study participants were wireless phones users, even in the youngest age group, and the study included substantial numbers of long-term (over 10 years) users: 22% overall, 51% in the 20–24-year-olds.Most tumours were of the neuroepithelial type (NBT; n = 671), mainly glioma. The odds ratios (OR) of NBT appeared to decrease with increasing time since start of use of wireless phones, cumulative number of calls and cumulative call time, particularly in the 15–19 years old age group. A decreasing trend in ORs was also observed with increasing estimated cumulative RF specific energy and ELF induced current density at the location of the tumour.Further analyses suggest that the large number of ORs below 1 in this study is unlikely to represent an unknown causal preventive effect of mobile phone exposure: they can be at least partially explained by differential recall by proxies and prodromal symptoms affecting phone use before diagnosis of the cases. We cannot rule out, however, residual confounding from sources we did not measure.Overall, our study provides no evidence of a causal association between wireless phone use and brain tumours in young people. However, the sources of bias summarised above prevent us from ruling out a small increased risk.

Objectives Occupation is a poorly characterised risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) with females and indigenous populations under-represented in most research. This study assessed associations between occupation and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in males and females of the general and Māori (indigenous people of NZ) populations of New Zealand (NZ). Methods Two surveys of the NZ adult population (NZ Workforce Survey (NZWS); 2004–2006; n = 3003) and of the Māori population (NZWS Māori; 2009–2010; n = 2107) with detailed occupational histories were linked with routinely collected health data and followed-up until December 2018. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for IHD and “ever-worked” in any of the nine major occupational groups or 17 industries. Analyses were controlled for age, deprivation and smoking, and stratified by sex and survey. Results ‘Plant/machine operators and assemblers’ and ‘elementary occupations’ were positively associated with IHD in female Māori (HR 2.2, 95%CI 1.2–4.1 and HR 2.0, 1.1–3.8, respectively) and among NZWS males who had been employed as ‘plant/machine operators and assemblers’ for 10+ years (HR 1.7, 1.2–2.8). Working in the ‘manufacturing’ industry was also associated with IHD in NZWS females (HR 1.9, 1.1–3.7), whilst inverse associations were observed for ‘technicians and associate professionals’ (HR 0.5, 0.3–0.8) in NZWS males. For ‘clerks’, a positive association was found for NZWS males (HR 1.8, 1.2–2.7), whilst an inverse association was observed for Māori females (HR 0.4, 0.2–0.8). Conclusion Associations with IHD differed significantly across occupational groups and were not consistent across males and females or for Māori and the general population, even within the same occupational groups, suggesting that current knowledge regarding the association between occupation and IHD may not be generalisable across different population groups.

BackgroundRecently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also for the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that failures of IARC Working Groups to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans.ObjectivesThe authors of this Commentary are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We examined criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. Here, we present the results of that examination, review the history of IARC evaluations, and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed.DiscussionWe concluded that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various disciplines and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed.ConclusionsThe IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public's health.

AimTo estimate average infant daily intake of chlorinated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) through the consumption of breast milk in New Zealand.MethodBreast milk of 39 first-time mothers aged 20-30 years was collected during 2007-2010 and analysed for persistent organic pollutants including dioxin-like compounds and organochlorine pesticides. The quantity of POPs consumed by infants assuming exclusive breast feeding was estimated by calculating the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) expressed as amount consumed through breast milk per kilogram of body weight per day.ResultsOf all POPs quantified, the EDI of DDT (principally in the form of its metabolite p,p'-DDE) was the highest (1.6 mcg/kg/day), and above the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.5 mcg/kg/day. The mean EDI for dioxin-like compounds (including PCDD/Fs and PCBs) was 19.7 pg TEQ(toxic equivalency)/kg/day, which is among the lowest reported worldwide, yet above the TDI of 1 pg TEQ/kg/day. The EDI of HCH, HCB, dieldrin, heptachlor and mirex were 32.9, 37.9, 39.4, 2.0, and 0.9 ng/kg/day respectively, all of which were below the current TDI. Age of the mother was positively associated with higher EDIs for the infant, particularly for total-TEQ and total-DDT.ConcluisonInfant daily intakes of chlorinated POPs through breast milk estimated for New Zealand are low or average by international comparison, and 5 times lower than 25 years ago. Future breast milk monitoring will determine whether this diminishing trend is continuing as well as providing monitoring information on other POPs.

This study was explorative and aimed at in-depth understanding of personal resources students use to reach success, in the demanding context of honours education. Becoming successful in higher education demands a lot from students. Considering the Job Demands-Resources model it is expected that personal resources help students succeed. We explore which personal resources benefit students’ performance in demanding contexts of honours education. Using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, we asked thirteen honours students of three institutions which personal resources had helped them to achieve success. Results suggest that honours students use different personal resources. Most frequently mentioned resources could be grouped around five themes: self-directiveness, inquiry-mindedness, perseverance, social involvement and motivation. Especially resources in the themes self-directiveness, inquiry-mindedness and perseverance were perceived as important facilitators for educational success. The outcomes may inform interventions to help students develop personal resources needed to handle high educational demands. Further research is needed to identify the most effective interventions.

Introduction Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) is a leading cause of death in Western countries. Common occupational exposures such as loud noise, long working hours, and sedentary work have been associated with increased IHD risks, but inconsistently. Objectives and Approach This study examines associations between incident IHD and exposure to long working hours, sedentary work, and loud noise. Individual-level microdata from Statistics New Zealand Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) were extracted for adults (age 20-64 years) with occupation recorded on the 2013 Census. The number of working hours was extracted from the Census, and exposure to sedentary work and loud noise was assessed through job exposure matrices (JEMs). IHD events (from 2013 to end of 2018) were identified using hospitalisations, prescriptions and deaths. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using cox regression adjusted for age, socioeconomic status, and smoking. Results were stratified by sex and ethnicity. Results A total of 20,610 IHD cases were identified from 1,594,680 individuals employed at time of Census. Both short (90% of the time compared to 90dBA) compared to no exposure (

Summary: Background: Several small experimental studies and cross-sectional observational studies have shown that exposure to the natural environment might protect against attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or moderate the symptoms of ADHD in children. We aimed to assess whether exposure to the natural environment protects against ADHD and whether this hypothesised protective effect varies across a child's life course. Methods: We did a longitudinal study with data collected from all children born in New Zealand in 1998, excluding those without an address history, those who were not singleton births, and those who died or emigrated before 18 years of age. We used Statistics New Zealand's Integrated Data Infrastructure to identify children with ADHD and to define covariates. ADHD was defined according to hospital diagnosis or pharmacy records (two or more prescriptions for ADHD drugs). Exposure to green space for each year of a child's life (from gestation to 18 years of age) was estimated at the meshblock level (the smallest geographical unit for which the New Zealand Census reports data) using normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), and land-use data from Landcare Research New Zealand. We used logit models to assess the associations between ADHD prevalence and minimum, maximum, and mean lifetime NDVI, as well as rural living, controlling for sex, ethnicity, mother's educational level, mother's smoking status, mother's age at parturition, birth order, antibiotic use, and low birthweight. Findings: Of the 57 450 children born in New Zealand in 1998, 49 923 were eligible and had available data, and were included in the analysis. Children who had always lived in a rural area after 2 years of age were less likely to develop ADHD (odds ratio [OR] 0·670 [95% CI 0·461–0·974), as were those with increased minimum NDVI exposure after age 2 years (standardised OR for exposure vs first quartile: second quartile 0·841 [0·707–0·999]; third quartile 0·809 [0·680–0·963]; fourth quartile 0·664 [0·548–0·805]). In early life (prenatal to age 2 years), neither rural living nor NDVI were protective against ADHD. Neither mean nor maximum greenness was significantly protective against ADHD. Interpretation: Rurality and increased minimum greenness were strongly and independently associated with a reduced risk of ADHD. Increasing a child's minimum lifetime greenness exposure, as opposed to maximum or mean exposure, might provide the greatest increment of protection against the disorder. Funding: None.

Objective: Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is a leading cause of death in Western countries. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between occupational exposure to loud noise, long working hours, shift work, and sedentary work and IHD.Methods: This data linkage study included all New Zealanders employed and aged 20-64 years at the time of the 2013 census, followed up for incident IHD between 2013 and 2018 based on hospitalisation, prescription and death records. Occupation and number of working hours were obtained from the census, and exposure to sedentary work, loud noise and night shift work was assessed using New Zealand job exposure matrices. HRs were calculated for males and females using Cox regression adjusted for age, socioeconomic status, smoking and ethnicity.Results: From the 8 11 470 males and 7 83 207 females employed at the time of the census, 15 012 male (1.9%) and 5595 female IHD cases (0.7%) were identified. For males, there was a modestly higher risk of IHD for the highest category (>90 dBA) of noise exposure (HR 1.19; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.33), while for females exposure prevalence was too low to calculate an HR. Night shift work was associated with IHD for males (HR 1.10; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.14) and females (HR 1.25; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.34). The population attributable fractions for night shift work were 1.8% and 4.6%, respectively. No clear associations with working long hours and sedentary work were observed.Conclusions: This study suggests that occupational exposures to high levels of noise and night shift work might be associated with IHD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]