Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Environmental Health Workforce: Mapping the Literature and Moving Toward Liberation.

Introduction: Diversity, equity, and inclusion, also known as DEI, is an essential topic being discussed across society. The field of environmental health (EH) should certainly not be excluded from the conversation. Objective: The purpose of this mini-review was to map the literature and identify gaps on the topic of DEI in the EH workforce. Methods: A rapid scoping review was conducted using standard synthesis science methods to search and map the published literature. All study titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened by 2 independent reviewers among the authorship team. Results: The search strategy yielded 179 English language papers. Of those, 37 met all inclusion criteria after full text screening. Overall, the majority of the articles had weak or moderate DEI engagement and only 3 articles had strong DEI engagement. Discussion: There is a significant need for additional research in this realm. Future studies should explicitly focus on workforce issues, and attempt to achieve the highest level of the evidence possible for this field. Conclusion: Although DEI initiatives are a step in the right direction, the current evidence suggests that inclusivity and liberation may prove to be more impactful and meaningful constructs to fully advance equity in the EH workforce.

The characteristic properties of waste rock piles in terms of metal leaching.

Surface/ground waters could be polluted when rain-water and/or snow-melt water infiltrate through waste rock piles at mine sites and dissolve secondary minerals (salts) from rock surfaces. It is important to reduce solute loading by the optimal configuration of waste rock piles. This requires the proper definition and determination of the characteristic properties of waste rock piles in terms of metal leaching and, in particular, rate control mechanisms and scaling laws, and their dependence upon configuration variables. For revealing these characteristic properties this paper proposes a pile-scale C-Q relation: C = Cs(1 - e-P/Q), (P ≡ kλßψ), where C and Cs are respectively solute concentration and particle's saturation concentration, Q is the flow rate of the water through a waste rock pile, k represents the effective or average dissolution coefficient of a mineral specie from rock surfaces, ß represents rock pile depth, λ represents the ratio of the sum of the surface areas of rocks to the volume that the rocks occupy, and ψ is the sum of the cross-sections of water-flow channels in a waste rock pile. The two characteristic properties revealed by the C-Q relation are: (1) P, the product of k, λ, ß, and ψ (P ≡ kλßψ), which is the characteristic property of a waste rock pile in terms of metal leaching, named here the solute production potential; and (2) the ratio of P to Q, P/Q, a non-dimensional number, designated as α (α ≡ P/Q), named here the rate control quotient, which is the scaling law and the rate control mechanism indicator. The value of α quantitatively indicates what controls the rate of mineral dissolution, and it also relates smaller-scale metal-leaching testing results to their corresponding full scales. When α becomes small, say α < 0.5, the rate of solute production potential P becomes in control, and the solute loading is nearly independent of Q; when α becomes larger, say α > 2.5, solute concentration would become close to its saturation concentration Cs, and Q determines solute loading (that is, the solute loading is proportional to Q). When 0.5 < α < 2.5, both Q and P are in control, a mixed control mechanism. The 20 years of measurements of mine drainage chemistry from the main waste rock piles at the Equity Silver mine, BC, Canada, are used to illustrate how to determine the two characteristic properties P and α, and how well they are able to describe the waste rock piles in terms of metal leaching.

The relationship of physical activity to mental health: A 2015 behavioral risk factor surveillance system data analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Available literature has repeatedly ascertained the inverse relationship of physical activity to mental health. Engaging in regular physical activity decreases symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress in a dose-responsive manner. METHODS: Cross-sectional, national data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed to establish the relationship between physical activity and days of poor mental health. The association between physical activity and days of poor mental health was assessed by multiple linear regression using SAS. RESULTS: Findings support the assumption of an inverse dose-response relationship between physical activity levels and self-reported days of poor mental health. Individuals who engage in higher levels of physical activity reported significantly fewer days of poor mental health when compared to those who reported low or no physical activity (e.g. -2.23, 95%CI (-2.31, -2.15)) for highly active vs. inactive individuals (unadjusted model)). Furthermore, individuals who only met the guidelines for aerobic exercise reported significantly fewer days of poor mental health than those who only met the muscle strengthening guidelines (-0.85 (95% CI: -0.98, -0.73)). LIMITATIONS: Due to the cross-sectional study design, the direction of the relationship is unknown and reverse causation is possible. CONCLUSION: Higher physical activity levels were associated with fewer self-reported days of poor mental health, which reiterates the important association between physical activity and mental health with national data. The findings of this study could prove to be valuable for developing interventions aimed at improving mental health. Nonetheless, several research gaps persist that warrant further empirical inquiry.

Cognitive impacts of ambient air pollution in the National Social Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) cohort.

BACKGROUND: Pathways through which air pollution may impact cognitive function are poorly understood, particularly with regard to whether and how air pollution interacts with social and emotional factors to influence cognitive health. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between air pollutant exposures and cognitive outcomes among older adults participating in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) cohort study. METHODS: Measures of cognitive function, social connectedness, and physical and mental health were obtained for each NSHAP participant starting with Wave 1 of the study in 2005. Cognitive function was assessed using the Chicago Cognitive Function Measure (CCFM) for 3377 participants. Exposures to fine particles (PM2.5) were estimated for each participant using GIS-based spatio-temporal models, and exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were obtained from the nearest EPA monitors. RESULTS: In adjusted linear regression models, IQR increases in 1 to 7year PM2.5 exposures were associated with a 0.22 (95% CI: -0.44, -0.01) to a 0.25 (95% CI: -0.43, -0.06) point decrease in CCFM scores, equivalent to aging 1.6years, while exposures to NO2 were equivalent to aging 1.9years. The impacts of PM2.5 on cognition were modified by stroke, anxiety, and stress, and were mediated by depression. The impacts of NO2 were mediated by stress and effect modification by impaired activities of daily living for NO2 was found. CONCLUSIONS: Exposures to long-term PM2.5 and NO2 were associated with decreased cognitive function in our cohort of older Americans, and individuals who experienced a stroke or elevated anxiety were more susceptible to the effects of PM2.5 on cognition. Additionally, mediation results suggest that PM2.5 may impact cognition through pathways related to mood disorders.

Erectile dysfunction and exposure to ambient Air pollution in a nationally representative cohort of older Men.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between air pollution and erectile dysfunction (ED), a disorder occurring in 64% of men over the age of 70, and to date, no studies have been published. To address this significant knowledge gap, we explored the relationship between ED and air pollution in a group of older men who were part of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative cohort study of older Americans. METHODS: We obtained incident ED status and participant data for 412 men (age 57-85). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were estimated using spatio-temporal models based on participants' geocoded addresses, while nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) concentrations were estimated using nearest measurements from the Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality System. The association between air pollution and incident ED (newly developed in Wave 2) was examined and logistic regression models were run with adjusted models controlling for race, education, season, smoking, obesity, diabetes, depression, and median household income of census tract. RESULTS: We found positive, although statistically insignificant, associations between PM2.5, NO2, and O3 exposures and odds of incident ED for each of our examined exposure windows, including 1 to 7 year moving averages. Odds ratios (OR) for 1 and 7 year moving averages equaled 1.16 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.55) and 1.16 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.46), respectively, for an IQR increase in PM2.5 exposures. Observed associations were robust to model specifications and were not significantly modified by any of the examined risk factors for ED. CONCLUSIONS: We found associations between PM2.5, NO2, and O3 exposures and odds of developing ED that did not reach nominal statistical significance, although exposures to each pollutant were consistently associated with higher odds of developing ED. While more research is needed, our findings suggest a relationship between air pollutant exposure and incident cases of ED, a common condition in older men.

Mass arsenic poisoning and the public health response in Maine.

Created in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Maine's Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness within the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention undertook a major reorganization of epidemiology and laboratory services and began developing relationships with key partners and stakeholders, and a knowledgeable and skilled public health emergency preparedness workforce. In 2003, these newly implemented initiatives were tested extensively during a mass arsenic poisoning at the Gustav Adolph Lutheran Church in the rural northern community of New Sweden, Maine. This episode serves as a prominent marker of how increased preparedness capabilities, as demonstrated by the rapid identification and administration of antidotes and effective collaborations between key partners, can contribute to the management of broader public health emergencies in rural areas.

A toolkit to assess Medical Reserve Corps units' performance.

OBJECTIVES: The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of community-based units created to promote the local identification, recruitment, training, and activation of volunteers to assist local health departments in public health activities. This study aimed to develop a toolkit for MRC coordinators to assess and monitor volunteer units' performance and identify barriers limiting volunteerism. METHODS: In 2008 and 2009, MRC volunteers asked to participate in influenza clinics were surveyed in 7 different locations throughout the United States. Two survey instruments were used to assess the performance of the volunteers who were able to participate, the specific barriers that prevented some volunteers from participating, and the overall attitudes of those who participated and those who did not. Validity and reliability of the instruments were assessed through the use of factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Two survey instruments were developed: the Volunteer Self-Assessment Questionnaire and the Barriers to Volunteering Questionnaire. Data were collected from a total of 1059 subjects, 758 participated in the influenza clinics and 301 were unable to attend. Data from the 2 instruments were determined to be suitable for factor analysis. Factor solutions and inter-item correlations supported the hypothesized domain structure for both survey questionnaires. Results on volunteers' performance were consistent with observations of both local health departments' staff and external observers. CONCLUSIONS: The survey instruments developed for this study appear to be valid and reliable means to assess the performance and attitudes of MRC volunteers and barriers to their participation. This study found these instruments to have face and content validity and practicality. MRC coordinators can use these questionnaires to monitor their ability to engage volunteers in public health activities.

Recovery and sequence analysis of hepatitis a virus from springwater implicated in an outbreak of acute viral hepatitis.

An outbreak of acute hepatitis A virus in North Carolina was linked to drinking water from a contaminated shallow spring by phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis A virus (HAV) genomic sequences. Detection of HAV and fecal indicators in the water provided useful and timely information to assist with public health prevention and control measures.