Many foodborne outbreaks of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection have been associated with the consumption of contaminated vegetables. On-farm contaminations through contaminated manure or irrigation water application were considered likely sources of the pathogen for several outbreaks. Field studies were done to determine the survival of E. coli O157:H7 on two subterranean crop...

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of feeding diets containing grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins to fryer rabbits. The efficacy of a glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent (GMA) was also examined. Thirty 5-wk-old male New Zealand White rabbits were fed a control diet, a contaminated diet, or a contaminated diet + 0.2% GMA for 21 d. Experimental diets c...

The discovery of a letter intentionally filled with dried Bacillus anthracis spores in the office of a United States senator prompted the collection and quarantine of all mail in congressional buildings. This mail was subsequently searched for additional intentionally contaminated letters. A microbiological sampling strategy was used to locate heavy contamination within the 642 separate plastic...

Soils contaminated with radionuclides, particularly 137Cs and 90Sr, pose a long-term radiation hazard to human health through exposure via the foodchain and other pathways. Remediation of radionuclide-contaminated soils has become increasingly important. Removal of the contaminated surface soil (often up to 40 cm) or immobilization of radionuclides in soils by applying mineral and chemical amen...

Relatively little is known about the microbial communities adapted to soil environments contaminated with aged complex hydrocarbon mixtures, especially in the subsurface soil layers. In this work we studied the microbial communities in two different soil profiles down to the depth of 7 m which originated from a 30-year-old site contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) and from a clean si...

Reports have described apparent biological effects of (137)Cs (the most persistent dispersed radionuclide) irradiation in people living in Chernobyl-contaminated territory. The sensitive analytical technology described here should now help assess the relation of this contamination to the observed effects. A rat model chronically exposed to (137)Cs through drinking water was developed to identif...

We intended to assess how exposure of piglets to deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated feed impacted their growth, immune response and gut development. Piglets were fed traditional Phase I, Phase II and Phase III diets with the control group receiving 0.20-0.40 ppm DON (referred to as the Control group) and treatment group receiving much higher level of DON-contaminated wheat (3.30-3.80 ppm; referr...

Associations between contaminated land and socio demographics are well documented in high-income countries. In low- and middle-income countries, however, little is known about the extent of contaminated land and possible demographic correlations. This is an important yet sparsely researched topic with potentially significant public health implications as exposure to pollution remains a leading ...

BACKGROUND The role of hands in disease transmission is well established, and the importance of handwashing is recognized. However, the exits of paper-towel dispensers used in hand drying may be contaminated, and the functionality of handwashing equipment increasingly is being questioned. OBJECTIVES We sought to study the transfer and cross-contamination potential between hands, towels, and d...

Chemical contamination has impaired ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and the provisioning of functions and services. This has spurred a movement to restore contaminated ecosystems and develop and implement national and international regulations that require it. Nevertheless, ecological restoration remains a young and rapidly growing discipline and its intersection with toxicology is even more ...