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Biomedical subjects

J M Blondell

Publications and source records attributed to J M Blondell.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Acute hazards to young children from residential pesticide exposures.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed acute hazards to young children from pesticides toxic enough to require child-resistant packaging. METHODS: The names of pesticides meeting acute toxicity criteria were ascertained from the Environmental Protection Agency. Poison Control Center reports identified children younger than 6 years who were exposed to these pesticides. Toxicity category, medical outcome, sex, and age were examined. RESULTS: A higher proportion of children with exposure to the more toxic products had serious medical outcomes. Children 2 years and younger were the predominant age group exposed. CONCLUSIONS: Protective measures--substituting less lethal pesticides, reducing the concentration of the active ingredients, and improving packaging and storage--are recommended.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1988

Urban-rural factors affecting cancer mortality in Kentucky, 1950-1969.

Urban-rural factors associated with cancer mortality were studied in Kentucky to develop likely hypotheses on cancer prevention. Factor analysis was performed on county data for 25 variables which selected 17 variables for use in a multiple regression analysis. Age-adjusted cancer mortality rates used as outcome variables in this analysis included total and colorectal cancer (male, female, and both sexes combined) and female breast cancer. Each of these cancer sites was regressed against the 17 independent variables. Best predictive models for cancer outcome were selected on the basis of maximum total variance explained. Subsistence farming, where most of the farm produce is kept for home use rather than sold, was the single best predictor of low overall cancer rates for males, females, and both sexes combined in rural and Appalachian Kentucky. The subsistence farming diet is one based largely on milk and whole grains, rich in the following suspected anticarcinogens: selenium, magnesium, calcium, protease inhibitors, fiber, phenolics, and allelopaths. The diet lacks variety in fruits and vegetables and is low in vitamins A and C.

Demography↗
PubMed1983

Pesticides and breast cancer, popcorn and colorectal cancer: innovation versus fashion in dietary epidemiology.

Organochlorine insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found to be carcinogenic in animal studies. Eight of these insecticides and PCBs have been detected in human milk samples. Their possible contribution to breast cancer has never been seriously studied. Substances which cause scarring or provide anchorage when embedded in tissue can contribute to carcinogenesis. Sharp outer fragments of popcorn kernels may contribute to the type of tissue fibrosis associated with colorectal cancer. Lack of innovation in dietary cancer epidemiology is discussed.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1980

The anticarcinogenic effect of magnesium.

Evidence is reviewed supporting a hypothesis of an anticarcinogenic effect of magnesium. Animal studies reported increased cancer in rodents maintained on magnesium deficient diets and a preventive effect for rodents fed excess levels of magnesium. Epidemiologic evidence is presented that magnesium levels in water, food, and air are inversely related to cancer mortality. Magnesium may also have a role in the reduced cancer mortality experienced by people living at high altitudes. Two biologically plausible mechanisms are considered by which magnesium could prevent carcinogenesis. Intracellular magnesium may enhance the fidelity of DNA replication or magnesium on the cell membrane may prevent changes which trigger the carcinogenic process.

Air↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Problems encountered in the design of epidemiologic studies of cancer in pesticide users.

Epidemiologic studies of cancer in pesticide users suffer from three main difficulties: lack of appropriate controls, exposure ascertainment, and exposure to multiple pesticides. Principles of control selection are discussed in the context of cohort and case-control studies. Residence on a farm is associated with unique dietary and lifestyle factors which are important to account for in case-control studies of pesticides users on farms. Exposure ascertainment methods include information collected from job descriptions, interviews, pesticide suppliers, expert panels, application records, passive dosimetry, and biological monitoring. Sensitive methods based on cell receptor-pesticide complexes have been proposed, but have not yet been validated and field tested as methods of quantitative exposure assessment. Examination of studies which successfully helped demonstrate cancer causation is suggested as a means of determining which epidemiologic methods are most fruitful and efficient at identifying human carcinogens.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗