Optical microfibers possess excellent optical and mechanical properties that have been exploited for sensing. We highlight the authors' recent work in the areas of current, temperature, acceleration, acoustic, humidity and ultraviolet-light sensing based on this exquisite technology, and the advantages and challenges of using optical microfibers are discussed.

A case-control study was undertaken to clarify reasons for a four-fold increased incidence of mesothelioma discovered among white males in coastal Tidewater, Va., from 1972 to 1978. Sixty-one cases were identified. Interviews with next of kin revealed that the excess was linked to employment in area shipyards. Three-fourths of the cases had been employed in the shipbuilding industry, nearly all...

This study was initiated to determine and compare daily occupational exposure (OE) and non-occupational exposure (NOE) of three employee groups of teachers, maintenance workers and secretarial staff in a Canadian school district. The time-weighted average (TWA) individual OE for subjects ranged from 0.4-3.8 milligauss (mG), and the TWA NOE ranged from 0.2-7.1 mG. TWA OE and NOE were 1.2 mG and ...

Several recent articles have critiqued the process employed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in determining Threshold Limit Values. Criticisms have included inadequate data collection, inadequate research, excessive corporate influence, and slow response to informational changes. In this article, the authors address the historical development of the American Conf...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Although past studies of workplace exposures have contributed greatly to our understanding of carcinogens, significant knowledge gaps still exist with regard to the actual extent of exposure among current workers, with no routinely collected population-based data being available in most countries. This study, the Australian Work Exposures Study (AWES), aimed to investi...

Experimental and epidemiologic evidence indicates that variations of absolute humidity account for the onset and seasonal cycle of epidemic influenza in temperate regions. A role for absolute humidity in the transmission of pandemic influenza, such as 2009 A/H1N1, has yet to be demonstrated and, indeed, outbreaks of pandemic influenza during more humid spring, summer, and autumn months might ap...

Owing to concerns about the safety and tolerability of exposure therapy, many clinicians deliver the treatment in an overly cautious manner, which may limit its effectiveness. Although didactic training in exposure reduces clinician concerns about the treatment to a moderate extent, improved training strategies are needed to minimize these concerns and improve exposure delivery. The present stu...

Toxic effects of formaldehyde in humans are discussed in relation to occupational exposure and tolerance to this agent. Carcinogenic and mutagenic properties of formaldehyde have been reported in animals and this has led to concern about a possible role in human cancer. The current state of affairs is reviewed in the light of a lack of direct evidence linking formaldehyde with cancer in man and...

Edi tor 's Note : NEHA strives to provide up-to-date and relevant in­ formation on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profes­ sion. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column from the Environmental Health Services Branch (EHSB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre­ vention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal. In this column, EHSB and guest authors from across CDC wi...