Los Angeles Times Editorial: Residential Development Near Freeways is Bad for Health

As many people who read this blog and follow the work of USC Environmental Health Centers know, our researchers spend much of their time and energy studying the health effects of outdoor air pollution. In particular, our researchers have published many studies on how pollution near busy roads and freeways can affect people's health both in the short term and over the lifespan.

Therefore, we take particular note when media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times not only cover stories that relate to the impact of the environment on health but publish editorials about them.

The LA Times editorial below describes important information that people living in urban areas should consider when choosing where to live, as well as how cities and urban developers can influence and protect or (or alternatively create health risks for) local residents.
Editorial: L.A.'s freeway-adjacent residents need more protection from pollution

Feature and background article on the DaVinci apartment complex fire:
Da Vinci developer packs apartment complexes next to freeways 

Cancer - What You Need to Know About Its Causes

The word cancer is a broad term used to describe a complex but common group of more than 100 different diseases that can affect just about every organ in the body. Organs that cancer has a high rate of infection include the lungs, breast, and skin but it also affects other organs like throat, eyes, brain, and so on; each with its own causes, symptoms, and methods of treatment.

Causes of cancer

Cancer can affect any type of tissue in the body - and sometimes, is not restricted to a particular tissue alone but can spread over time to other parts of the body. However, what causes cancer in some cases may not cause cancer in other organs. For example, tobacco smoke is the leading cause of lung cancer but certainly cannot cause skin cancer.

Causes of cancer include:

Genetic make-up

Changes in the DNA structure in a gene can mean serious problems for the entire body. Such changes or errors are called mutations, and these mutations can be passed down from a parent to an offspring. That doesn't mean that all the children will have cancer, but this indicates a predisposition to having cancer. What this means is: their chances of infection are higher.

Immune system

Generally, a weak immune system means the body cannot effectively fight diseases. That goes for cancer too. A weak immune system is like a ranch house surrounded by skyscrapers, the chances of the house getting a space in the landscape is slim.

Smoking, diet and physical activity

People with lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and unhealthy diet are prone to different types of cancers. Too much red meat and processed food without enough fruits and vegetables increase the risk of cancer. Excessive alcohol can be responsible for cancer too.

Age

As you age, your body undergoes changes whereby gene mutations and cancerous cells have increased. The older you get, the more cases of abnormal cell growth there will be. A typical example is prostate cancer which affects men mostly in middle age. Environmental factors

Believe it or not, even something as pleasurable as a deep sun tan can be dangerous. This is because excessive exposure to sunlight can cause melanoma which is a form of skin cancer. Exposure to ultra violet rays of the sun and radiation made by man are very well-known carcinogens (cancer causing agents).

Cancer can be prevented in simple ways and also, sometimes, with the use of new surgical means. Knowledge is the core of cancer prevention, that is: knowing the causes and the risk factors. Medically, breakthroughs in gene mapping are allowing doctors identify cancer causing genes and those studies will no doubt lead to better ways of eliminating the genetic factors that increase predisposition to cancer.

7 Misunderstandings About Cancer

When it comes to diagnosis and treatment of cancer there are a number of misunderstandings. These misunderstandings, be them from doctors or patients, can only serve to keep the cancer returning post-treatment if indeed there has not been death. To avoid this it is necessary to identify and act on these misunderstandings. Not an exhaustive account, but here are 7 common misunderstandings about cancer.

1. Early detection saves lives

The claim that early detection saves lives is simply untrue because it is impossible to tell whether or not the cancer will turn out to be benign or malignant. Don't be fooled or misguided by the early detection myth. For example, Pathologists will tell you that some 30-40 times more cancers; prostate, pancreatic, and thyroid cancers were found during autopsy. These individuals, when alive, never went to the doctors because due to healing abilities their bodies had been able to encapsulate the cancer, rendering it as benign and symptomless.

2. The symptoms are the cause of the illness

Oh no! Many people don't realize that cancer is only a symptom of some underlying root-cause. In other words cancer is a knock on effect or warning sign and is the body's way of trying to heal itself... Heal itself of what, did I hear you say? -Read on

3. Treating the symptoms is the cure

No again! Many doctors make this mistake. Yes, it's important to treat the symptoms but the cancer will eventually return because the underlying root-cause is ignored. This is what is happening when patients are treated using conventional medicine. The root-cause of cancer is nutritional deficiency and toxicity which indeed needs to be addressed to be sure that the patient is cured.

4. Natural cures don't work

To say that natural cures don't work is nothing more than disinformation. The medical pharmaceutical establishment don't want you finding out about inexpensive, natural, non-toxic and non-evasive cures because it undercuts their business, so, to counter this, they spread disinformation through the mass media... Doctors found treating patients with unapproved natural cures could be struck off the list even if the treatment works...

5. Nutrition does not have much of an effect

How doctors, cancer research and people suchlike can basically ignore nutrition, one of the things that makes up our very being truly amazes me. As I've been saying in previous articles with backed up evidence cancer is the result of long-term nutritional deficiency and toxicity. Therefore the cancer needs to be addressed by treating the cancer patient with a strict dietary regimen of specific foods and supplements to heal the body as well as detoxification.

6. One day there will be a magic bullet cure for cancer

Many, falling for the cancer research con, think that one day there will be a magic bullet cure for cancer or something like that. Every so often, you see something in mainstream media that promotes the latest drug that could turn out to be the 'miracle cure' of the future but nothing ever comes of it. That's because curing cancer doesn't work like that. A multi-factorial holistic approach is needed; one that addresses the nutritional deficiency, toxicity, stress handling, the mind-body-spirit connection and exercise... to cure the patient.

7. Mobile phone use does not cause cancer

A source that's often used to support the above misunderstanding is a Dutch study conducted by Patrizia Frei et al in 2011. The study found that mobile phone frequent / heavy use did not cause cancer. However, the study was criticized by Professor Dennis Henshaw et al at Bristol University, pointing out that there had been a number of major flaws in the study. This was ignored by mainstream media.

Some studies such as those conducted by Yaniv Hamzany and colleagues at Tel-Aviv University (2013) concluded that long-term frequent / heavy mobile phone use was harmful and could cause cancer. Also, a Swedish study headed by Stefan Lonn published in the American Journal of Epidemiology(2005) found that long-term frequent / heavy mobile phone use for 2 plus hours each day meant a 250-1 greater chance of getting brain cancer.

Then there's the 2012 Bio-Initiative report that puts any doubts laid to rest. This documents 1000's of pages of primary source studies, showing harmful effects...

Lifesaving Procedures: Early Cancer Detection Through Mammography

At some point in her life, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Take a good look around you. You probably see at least eight women in your office building or walking down the street at any given time. One of these eight women will come face to face with a brutal, remorseless killer. Forty thousand women will die of this terrible cancer this year, and another 220,000 will be diagnosed with it. Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women worldwide, and it is the second most common cause of death, right behind heart disease. Mammography can and does save lives every single day!

The Key to Beating Cancer: Early Detection

Like every other cancer, if breast cancer is caught early, the prognosis tends to be very positive. Mammography is the best early-detection resource available to women. It consists of a low energy x-ray beam that is fired at the patient's breasts. The x-ray beams make any abnormalities that may be present in the fatty tissues stand out in the resulting x-ray image.

Digital vs. Traditional

Besides the traditional breast cancer tests, a second digital method has been developed. The digital tests are just as effective and as safe as traditional testing procedures, but the images are better and are produced much faster. This allows for your doctor to go over the images with you before you even leave the office. Digital testing practices take early detection to the next level!

Diagnostic Tests and Screenings

There is a major difference between these two types of exams. It is highly recommended that all women between the ages of 35 and 40 get a baseline mammogram and then get a routine screening every single year after their 40th birthday, since age is one of the main risk factors for women. Screenings are for women who have never had breast cancer or other issues with their breasts. They are not as comprehensive as diagnostic tests, but if you have never had a problem, they should be more than sufficient for you.

Diagnostic tests are for women who have had breast cancer, other breast issues, or breast implants. These tests obtain images from multiple angles. In the case of a cancer survivor, diagnostic tests are used to ensure the cancer has not come back. In the case of someone with breast implants, diagnostic tests ensure that the cancer doesn't slip by a screening, since breast implants can make it harder for an accurate screening. There is no evidence that links implants to breast cancer, but it makes it harder to detect with traditional screenings.

Affordable Annual Mammography

Don't worry about not being able to afford your annual tests: because these tests are so vital in fighting the disease, the Affordable Care Act has mandated coverage for breast cancer screenings. Monetary issues will not prevent you from ensuring you are clear of breast cancer.

Forgive Cancer to Be Free of Its Heaviness

Often pride hinders freeing ourselves from the burden of resentment associated with sustaining a grudge. Finding how to begin to consider forgiving cancer for most remains difficult as life seems turned upside down. In many cases the cause of cancer is indeterminable to further intensify a common question of asking, why me. Not knowing the cause exacerbates the burden of resentment and for some the feeling of guilt from thinking was it something I did to have this disease. Some cancer cases have no determinable cause as genetics may have played a role as a gene mutation could be responsible for expressing normal cells to become cancerous. This is no fault of our own or our family tree, yet some people hold a grudge from genes being passed down.

No matter the cause of resentment the burden becomes heavier as time passes. Attempting to cope with cancer carrying this persisting burden aggravates the struggle of coping to the point of possibly becoming debilitating. Help to ease the struggle of coping begins with the heart to acquaint ourselves with compassion and wisdom to direct us to the desired destination of forgiveness. The heart is the gyroscope of goodness for effectively navigating through this emotional maze of conflict tempting us to consider excuses to dismiss forgiveness. Clarity will gradually emerge for a sense of calmness and peace for the grace to forgive. The heaviness of the burden from sustained resentment dissipates to completely be removed for freedom from its constrictive influence. Forgiveness releases feelings that exerted unfavorable influence toward feelings with encouraging goodness to live again in peace and happiness free of resentment and bitterness. Forgiveness is critical to the healing process. Once we forgive life begins to slow down to where we feel less worrisome to relax some to cherish each day and moment. We learn to mange the journey leading to enhanced awareness to recognize goodness and live again.

Since cancer significantly impacts us to become a part of life it seems difficult or impossible to forget. Understand that it is not imperative to forget cancer. Instead use cancer as a reminder to encourage us to reach higher to go beyond our expectations. Discover inner strength for the faith to persist throughout this challenge to never give up. Forgiveness frees the burden to seek balance of mind, heart, and soul to draw strength from the positives in life and from the goodness within and surrounding us to improve the journey for overall well-being.

Carrying a heavy grudge of resentment and bitterness toward cancer effects the quality of your journey and quality of life. Learn the grace of forgiveness to become free of the constrictive influence of sustaining a grudge.

Cancer Causing Foods You Are Eating

According to the American Cancer Society, "in 2014, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed and 585,720 cancer deaths in the US. Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths."

If you - or someone you love - have been among any cancer statistic, you know that the disease is awful. And chances are you have asked - how did this happen?

Unfortunately there is no definite answer, but there are some suggestions on how you can change your eating habits to decrease your chances of cancer.

Here are some foods that are believed to cause cancer:

Non-organic fruit - It's no surprise that fruit is sprayed with pesticides, but organic fruit is sprayed with safe, natural pesticides. Chemical pesticides are the ones to watch out for because they're known to be linked to cancer, Alzheimer's, ADHD and birth defects. Pesticides build up in your body and affect your nervous, reproductive and endocrine systems.

Canned tomatoes - Canned tomatoes lined with a chemical known as BPA. In 2010, the FDA "identified possible hazards to fetuses, infants and young children." However, they still have not banned them.

Deli meat - I have already warned you about the link between deli or processed meat and Alzheimer's, but meats like hot dogs, sausage, bacon and most cold cuts contain carcinogens. Processed meats look so yummy because of preservatives with nitrates and unfortunately these are well-known carcinogens.

Diet beverages - many people choose a diet drink to save the calories, but what if I told you that you're actually better off drinking the full-calorie drink (if you have to, it's better to avoid these types of drinks all together). Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin have been found to cause cancer.

Farmed Salmon - I know, you may have been eating salmon because you've been told that fatty fish are good for your heart but the director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the State University of New York at Albany established that farmed salmon (instead of wild) are grown using harmful chemicals, pesticides and antibiotics.

Hydrogenated oils - Since vegetable oils are chemically removed from their source and then they are deodorized to become hydrogenated, you'll want to avoid them.

Refined white flour - which unfortunately are found in lots of processed foods. Processed flour actually has a very high glycemic rate, which has been found to feed cancer cell growth.

Refined sugar - many researchers have stated that cancer has a sweet tooth and feeds off sweet foods that contain ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup. Luckily manufacturers have been listening and there are now plenty of snacks, cereals and juices made without high fructose corn syrup.

Alcohol - no worries, in moderation a glass of wine is OK to enjoy. It's when alcohol is abused in excess when it can cause heart disease, a stroke and even cancer. The American Cancer Society has alcoholic beverages listed as a "known human carcinogen".

Corn and Soy GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) - According to the USDA, approximately 94% of soy and 89% of corn products are genetically modified. These foods have been chemically grown and modified with chemicals. There have been oodles of arguments about GMOs, but the bottom line is that 30 other countries have banned them and the "FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale."

So there you have it. You may love many of these items, but believe me, they are easy to give up. And when it comes to cancer - better safe than sorry.

Outreach program and community partners host “Diesel and Your Health” lunch forum

On November 24, the community/academic collaborative the “Trade, Health and Environment (THE) Impact Project” partners hosted the first of an ongoing lunch series. The Community Outreach and Engagement Program of USC’s Environmental Health Centers is a longstanding part of THE Impact Project. The meeting focused on the urgency of addressing health impacts from diesel emissions, and brought together organizations and concerned community members from impacted areas.

Moderator Michele Prichard, director of Common Agenda for the Liberty Hill Foundation, kicked off the program by asking participants to introduce themselves and tell the others on a scale of 1-10 how much they thought they already knew about the health effects of diesel emissions. (Attendees were much too modest in their assessments!) Presenter Andrea Hricko of USC then did a presentation on the Health Effects of Diesel, highlighting the national, state and local history of the path that diesel emission reduction has taken. She noted that although progress has been made in reducing overall diesel emissions in the Southern California regions, there is still a long way to go in terms of reducing diesel emissions in specific diesel “hot spots” around the region. Such “hot spots ” receive the brunt of diesel emissions, thereby raising health risks in the most impacted communities, near the ports, rail yards, warehouses and traffic corridors.

These risks were highlighted in the recently released MATES IV report from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, found here. The report has an interactive map, allowing viewers to click on their communities and see the overall cancer risk from air toxics, including diesel particulate matter.

Professor Martha Matsuoka from Occidental College outlined the history of THE Impact Project whose efforts included hosting conferences that were the impetus for developing a nationwide Moving Forward Network. Matsuoka explained that the Network serves as a resource, bringing environmental, community, academic, and other groups from around the country together to share information, resources, trainings and workshops.

To round out the featured presentations, mark! Lopez, Director of East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, spoke to the participants, many of whom live in areas impacted by heavy diesel emissions, of the need for community change to push for environmental justice for people living around ports, freeways, and goods movement centers. Lopez spoke about not accepting “the way things are,” but changing the environment to be a healthy place in which people live, work, play and go to school.

At the conclusion of the presentations, participants discussed their concerns and questions. The following themes emerged for future activities and further information:

• Strategies for healthy living in polluted and disadvantaged communities
• Advances in technology to deal with port/goods movement pollution
• Local forums hosted in affected communities
• Updates on the current status of goods movement projects in the area
• Scientific information in easy-to-access form for community

THE Impact Project Partners include:
Coalition For A Safe Environment (CFASE)
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ)
Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA)
University of Southern California (USC) Centers for Environmental Health, Community Outreach Program
Urban & Environmental Policy Institute (UEPI), Occidental College

Thanks to sponsorship by the Luce China-Environment Program at the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute (UEPI) at Occidental College.

NEWS RELEASE: Research links tobacco smoke and roadway air pollution with childhood obesity

LOS ANGELES — New research from Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) bolsters evidence that exposure to tobacco smoke and near-roadway air pollution contribute to the development of obesity.

The study, to be posted online Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014 in Environmental Health Perspectives, (click here) shows increased weight gain during adolescence in children exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke or near-roadway air pollution, compared to children with no exposure to either of these air pollutants. The study is one of the first to look at the combined effects on body mass index of exposure to both near-roadway air pollution and tobacco smoke. The effects were substantially greater in children exposed to both air pollutant mixtures than to either alone.

“Vehicle miles traveled, exposure to some components of the near-roadway air pollutant mixture, and near roadway residential development have increased across the United States over the last several decades corresponding to the epidemic of childhood obesity,” said Rob McConnell, M.D., professor of preventive medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC and lead author on the study. “The potential for near-roadway air pollution to be among several factors contributing to the epidemic of obesity merits further investigation.”

The research builds on previous studies showing that exposure to secondhand smoke and particulate air pollution cause heart and lung disease.

Childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obese youth are more likely to suffer from health challenges, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, bone and joint problems, social stigmatization and self-esteem problems. Obesity for children is defined by the CDC as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.

The USC study examined exposure of more than 3,000 children to tobacco smoke during their mothers’ pregnancy and to secondhand smoke, as well as air pollution effects from busy roadways, and looked for associations with body mass index. The children were enrolled at age 10 in the Southern California Children’s Health Study, started in 1992 to study the long-term effects of air pollution on children. The children were followed yearly over an eight-year period through high school graduation at age 18. Most of the children were non-Hispanic white or Hispanic.

The researchers estimated near-roadway pollution exposure, taking into account traffic volume, how close the children lived to roadways and predominant wind direction. At study entry, a parent-completed questionnaire was used to determine lifetime tobacco smoke exposure.

“Further research is needed to determine if our findings can be replicated in other populations,” McConnell said, “and to assess both the potential contribution of combustion sources to the epidemic of obesity and the potential impact of interventions to reduce exposure.”

Funding for the research comes from the National Institutes of Health (grants P01ES022845, P30ES007048, P01ES009581, P01ES011627, P50 CA180905, R01ES016535, R01HD061968 and R03ES014046), the Environmental Protection Agency (grants RD83544101, R826708 and RD831861) and the Hastings Foundation.

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McConnell, R., Shen, E., Gilliland, F.D., Jerrett, M., Wolch, J., Chang, C., Lurmann, F., Berhane, K. (2014). A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Body Mass Index and Childhood Exposure to Secondhand Tobacco Smoke and Air Pollution: The Southern California Children’s Health Study. Environmental Health Perspectives. Published online Nov. 12, 2014.

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ABOUT KECK MEDICINE OF USC
Keck Medicine of USC is the University of Southern California's medical enterprise, one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area. Encompassing academic, research and clinical excellence, the medical system attracts internationally renowned experts who teach and practice at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the region’s first medical school.

For more information, go to www.keckmedicine.org/beyond

This news release was prepared by USC Health Sciences Public Relations & Marketing and the Division of Environmental Health.

Hong Kong Air Quality Researcher, Simon Ng Visits USC

Simon Ng, Chief Research Officer at Hong Kong-based nonprofit Civic Exchange, visited the Environmental Health Division on November 3 to present and share information on port air pollution surrounding Hong Kong. Civic Exchange is an “independent public policy think tank undertaking research to advance civic education and engage society to shape public policy.” During Ng’s presentation, researchers at USC Environmental Health and community partners were interested to hear about factors that make Hong Kong both similar and quite different compared to the ports of LA and Long Beach. Being surrounded by water on three sides, Hong Kong is greatly impacted by pollution that is generated from ships traveling to ports on either side of the city, not to mention ships that travel directly to Hong Kong’s port. This makes for some unique challenges in that Ng and colleagues at Civic Exchange must work with a wide variety of local and international stakeholders as they seek to reduce port emissions in and around Hong Kong.

Ng and Civic Exchange have published several reports on the public health impacts of ship emissions in the area, a hot topic for cities with large ports around the world. The reports provide a detailed look at the scope of the problem and control options; valuable information for those looking at policy options and government interventions at ports.

In recent years, Ng and Civic Exchange have partnered with the University of Hong Kong Public Health School on developing a website: The Hedley Environmental Index, which quantifies the financial burden that air pollution places on the region around Hong Kong. This unique site gives the viewer a real-time view of the ever increasing factors and costs such as deaths, hospital bed days, doctor visits and total economic loss. When visiting this site, one can also see real-time concentrations of specific pollutants around Hong Kong.

Civic Exchange is collaborating with the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College on a China – Environment project funded by the LUCE foundation which sponsored Simon’s week long activities in Southern California.

CENTER MEMBER RESEARCH: Dr. Heather Volk - Autism and Air Pollution

USC Assistant Professor Heather Volk is on a roll. Dr. Volk recently secured major funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to lead a study that could potentially have implications for the prevention of autism. This research seeks to further explore the role traffic-related air pollution may play in causing autistic traits and cognitive delays in children from birth to 3 years of age. This study comes on the heels of Volk's most recently published research which focused on the frequency of how a particular genetic risk factor for autism combined with prenatal exposure to air pollution may increase the incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Drs. Volk and Rob McConnell (USC professor and air pollution epidemiologist) and colleagues from universities across the country have been awarded more than $2 million by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences over the course of the next four years (July 2014-July 2018) to implement their study entitled "Prospective Evaluation of Air Pollution, Cognition, and Autism from Birth Onward.” This study will combine the cohorts of two multi-year (longitudinal) studies that are being conducted at UC Davis , Kaiser Permanente in Northern California , Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. See also this USC News article about the study.

The two studies include participants who live near research sites across the country including: multiple counties in southwest Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, northeast Maryland, and people who live within a two hour radius of the San Francisco Bay Area. (MARBLES study and EARLI study)

Dr. Volk explains: “This study looks at the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children whose mothers have had one child with ASD and looks at their early development.” She adds: “Air pollution modeling techniques will be used to measure the pollution levels of kids being followed in these studies across time as well as the levels of air pollution their mothers were exposed to when they were pregnant. “ Mothers who have been exposed to similar pollution will have biomarkers in their blood analyzed for various pollutants related to traffic, including ultrafine particulate matter. Results of this research will aim to identify specific characteristics related to autism that may be caused by pollution that the children and their mothers are exposed to.

“We hope that by studying the relationships between air pollution, autism, and neurodevelopment in several areas of the country where a broad range of air pollution is present we will be able to impact the health and development of children even in highly polluted areas like Southern California,” said Volk.

"Prospective Evaluation of Air Pollution, Cognition, and Autism from Birth Onward" is an NIEHS RO1 grant funded study. Participating investigators include: USC (Heather Volk – PI, Rob McConnell), UC Davis (Irva Hertz-Picciotto), Drexel (Craig J. Newschaffer), Kaiser (Lisa Croen), Johns Hopkins (M. Daniele Fallin), and Duke (Jufeng Zhang).

In addition, on November 10, Dr. Volk, along with Linda Birnbaum, Director of the NIEHS and Leonardo Trasande, M.D., MPP Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Environmental Medicine & Health Policy, NYU School of Medicine will be testifying at a Congressional Briefing hosted by Representative David Price (D-NC). The presentation, “Ensuring a Healthy Start for Every Child: How the Environment Influences Health & Development,” is co-sponsored by Friends of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Thoracic Society, and the National Center for Environmental Health Strategies. Stay tuned for move coverage of this important event.

USC Researchers to do a New Study on LAX Air Pollution and Asthma

We are announcing the launch of a pilot study looking at how exposure to ultrafine particles from plane landings at LAX affects lung function and inflammation in adults with asthma. Our official launch date is November 15th, for an initial one month phase.

Those interested in participating, please contact Dr. Rima Habre to obtain information. Click on the images below to read more...

Click on image to enlarge.

Click on image to enlarge.

Dr. Ite Laird-Offringa Gives Lecture about Epigenetics and Lung Cancer Research

The SCEHSC sponsors monthly lectures featuring researchers from USC and other universities that relate to Environmental Health research. On Friday, October 3, Dr. Ite Laird-Offringa, of USC Norris Cancer Center visited the SCEHSC to lecture on "The Promise of Epigenomics to Dissect Human Tissue Function in Health and Disease."

Dr. Laird-Offringa and her team of researchers are studying the role of DNA methylation and other epigenetic events in the development and progression of lung cancer. During her lecture, Dr. Laird-Offringa pointed out that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United states and world wide, and that the American Cancer Society estimates that 27% of all cancer deaths in the USA in 2014 will be from lung cancer. The long term objective of Dr. Laird's research is to better understand the epigenetic control of cellular development in both cancerous and normal lung cells and to provide information that will enable lung cancer to be diagnosed earlier and therefore treated sooner. In the majority of instances, lung cancer is diagnosed too late along the continuum of the disease, resulting in high mortality rates.

Several faculty members commented on Dr. Laird-Offringa’s line of research. Dr. Carrie Breton, an assistant professor in the EH Division, explained, “While Dr. Laird’s approach has focused on understanding differences in epigenomic regulation in lung cancer, these same tools are of interest to researchers in Environmental Health. Environmental exposures may cause alterations to the epigenome that then affect downstream health outcomes of interest.”

Professor Ed Avol, organizer of the Center seminar series, noted, “One of the research areas of Center investigators is cancer and the importance of environmental exposures in cancer development. Lung cancer, and the obvious association with respiratory health, provides an ideal opportunity to see how our Center can gain new perspectives from other investigators that might re-frame our research directions.”

In addition giving a lecture, Dr. Laird-Offringa, spent time meeting with EH Division faculty members and researchers. Division research associates who are involved in the SCEHSC Career Development program had dedicated time to dialogue with Dr. Laird-Offringa about her experiences in the field, her career trajectory, and what has brought her the most challenge and reward over the course of her career. Among others she advised postdoctoral fellows to keep an active eye on their publication records: “Not every paper has to be a Cell, Science, or Nature paper; when your findings are only moderately interesting but solidly executed, consider publishing them to create a body of work you can build upon”.


LEARN MORE: For a basic explanation of Epigenetics, check out this short video: Engaging Epigenetics: A Tool for Stakeholder Education

Upcoming SCEHSC sponsored lectures include:
November 7: 

“Outcome-based Design of Instruments for Measuring Exposures to Fine and Ultrafine Particles” 

Dr. Richard Flagan, McCollum/Corcoran Professor, Depts of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, California Institute of Technology.
Friday, November 7, 2014, 

2001 N. Soto Street , Los Angeles, CA 90032, SSB 116

December 5: 

Dr. W. James Gauderman, Director - Division Of Biostatistics, Dept of Preventive Medicine, USC

(Time and Location are the same as above)

EJSI Summer Institute Culminating Projects and Presentation

On Wednesday July 23 the Environmental Justice Summer Institute drew to a close. The hard work of the student and intern participants was showcased through a presentation at Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas' 2nd District main office during the Environmental Committee meeting of the Empowerment Congress.

The youth gave a presentation (below) and showcased the videos that they made (below) that summarized their EJSI experiences. Committee members listened intently and engaged in a question/answer session with the youth participants, giving them a chance to speak about what they learned and how they think they might utilize the knowledge and experiences gained during the program.  The youth were challenged to articulate not only what they learned, but the lessons they intend on taking away and applying to their lives in the near future.

Some of the lessons learned were:

• With knowledge they have a chance to make a difference. 
• The communities that they live in have higher than average levels of air and noise pollution.
• All it takes is the effort of one person to make a difference to the environment such as walking to the store instead of having one's parents drive them down the street. 
• Some who were already interested in environmental justice felt more equipped with knowledge and confidence to take leadership roles among their peers. One participant intends to start an Environmental Justice club at her school.

Prior to the last day of the program, the participants were visited by Dr. Joseph Lyou, President and CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air and board member of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.  Dr. Lyou spoke about the role of community organizations and future opportunities for the students.









The Environmental Justice Summer Institute program is a partnership of USC Environmental Health,
Asian and Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance (APIOPA), From Lot to Spot (FLTS), and Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI). Learn more about the institute in these blog posts and Resource Page:
Environmental Justice Summer Institute: Youth Workshops
Youth Pollution Monitoring Activities across the Southland
Teaching Environmental Justice through Building Model Cities

USC Environmental Health gratefully thanks the NIEHS, U.S. EPA, The Kresge Foundation and The
California Wellness Foundation for their combined support which has allowed the Centers’ participation in these efforts to educate youth about air pollution.

by Wendy Gutschow

Youth Pollution Monitoring Activities across the Southland

In communities around the Southland this summer and past spring, students have been learning about air pollution and doing their own hands-on monitoring. These areas included Alhambra, Hacienda Heights, Boyle Heights, Lennox, Inglewood, and more. Outreach Program coordinator Carla Truax visited several high schools and community organizations to give a presentation on “Air Pollution 101,” USC’s latest scientific research findings, and demonstrate air monitoring equipment for the students. The students then came up with creative monitoring projects of their own.

At Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, the students were part of a youth team from a group called Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ). After monitoring around their school, which is located adjacent to the I-10 Freeway, the students then presented their research at a “Family Empowerment Festival” organized by AAAJ at Cal State Los Angeles in May.

Air pollution is measured on a overpass of the 10 freeway near Mark Keppel High School.

Last year, another group of students from Mark Keppel High School did a monitoring project with
USC, interviewed experts, and created this video:

At Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, students in the Advanced Environmental Studies class learned about the health risks of exposure to air pollution, and how to assess the numbers of ultrafine particles near their school using monitoring devices.  They also learned about the studies conducted by the environmental health sciences centers based at USC about the health effects of living or going to school near a busy freeway. Wilson High is located just a few feet from the 60 Freeway. These high school visits were organized by partner organization Asian and Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance.

Legacy L.A. is a non-profit organization focused on youth and leadership development which offers academic support to students in Boyle Heights (on the East side of LA), in particular to students who live at Ramona Gardens. After a training session by USC on the health effects of air pollution, the youth talked about some critical issues they are working on: access to healthy food, environmental justice, and safe walkable streets in their community. The group also had questions about creating a buffer zone to help mitigate the effects of traffic emissions from the freeway that borders their housing development and a newly constructed playground. Using what they had learned, the youth developed an action plan for addressing the pollution issues in their community and presented it at a town hall meeting for key policy and decision makers in June. The meeting was covered by Boyle Heights Beat.

Environmental Justice Summer Institute (EJSI) is a program focused on educating, engaging, and empowering youth to be environmental health leaders in their neighborhoods of Inglewood, Hawthorne, and Lennox. The youth developed hands-on experience with two days of ultrafine particle pollution and noise monitoring at 14 locations around their neighborhoods. The students chose locations for monitoring and mapped them before setting out for their field work. The selected locations included places they live, learn, and hang out, such as parks, schools, and homes.  These areas are in the flyover path for jets landing at LAX airport.

Students participating in the EJSI wrote about their monitoring experiences:

“As we spent two sessions going around our community measuring pollution, the thought that kept
stirring in my mind was that there is not much being done to keep our homes safe. I only wonder how
our community will be if we do not take action, so I think people should be more aware of the dangers around them.” –Vanessa Sanchez

Prior to measuring pollution, students mapped healthy and unhealthy spaces in their communities to identify where they wanted to take pollution measurements.

“While doing the air and noise pollution, I was surprised a few times by the measurement and the
locations. I never thought our communities were that polluted by these moving engines. What surprised me more was the bus pollution measurement was quite low. But some locations were heavily polluted and can have a negative effect on people’s health.” –Khanh Nguyen

A sound level meter is used to measure the number of decibels from the airplane.

“My emotion about knowing the air pollution was “surprise!” because I didn’t know that our air was
not as clean as it should be. For example the beach has 4,000 pt/cc [number of particles per cubic centimeter] of ultrafine particles on average. I asked myself why doesn't the city enjoy that kind of healthy air? All the data gathered concerned me about the environment and it made me see that we have a problem.” –Abigail Diaz
[Note: the average levels of ultrafine particles in Lennox and Inglewood was 45,000 pt/cc.]

A P-Trak monitor is used to measure the ultrafine particles.

“My thoughts and emotions weren’t thrilled because I was expecting to get the result that we got
because I know the community. The only one I was surprised was at the beach because it was really low. It was 2,000-6,000 (pt/cc).” –Eder Juarez

The Environmental Justice Summer Institute program is a partnership of USC Environmental Health,
Asian and Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance (APIOPA), From Lot to Spot (FLTS), and Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI). Learn more about the institute in this post.

The EJSI's next project is creating a student-produced video, so stay tuned!

USC Environmental Health gratefully thanks the NIEHS, U.S. EPA, The Kresge Foundation and The
California Wellness Foundation for their combined support which has allowed the Centers’ participation in these efforts to educate youth about air pollution.

Teaching Environmental Justice through Building Model Cities

On the first day of the Environmental Justice Summer Institute, high school students from Lennox, Hawthorne and Inglewood gathered in a room at the Lennox Library.  As a partnership program between non-profit groups and USC, each student had to apply for this opportunity – and give up three days a week for 5 weeks of their summer vacation to participate.

Pictured here, James Rojas (front row, 2nd from left) with EJSI students and staff.

While the students would be learning the more technical side to environmental health and justice in the following weeks, on day one they took a deep dive into their memory, to understand their experiences, values, and intuitive sense of the environment.  James Rojas was the leader who guided the students through several learning experiences using "PLACE IT!," a design-based urban planning initiative. For the initial team building activity, students were asked to build their favorite childhood memory. He noted that this was an “urban planning exercise,” even though they did not realize how they could envision at this point what their environment might look like, instead of what it DID look like.  This exercise revealed the students’ history of who they are, where they come from, and what they value.

Click here to read more about EJSI from a previous blog post.

“We are going to look at the places where you live – but through a unique perspective,” Rojas said. “Let’s start with all of you creating a memory. What was the most fun activity you remember doing as a child?”

Using construction paper as a base and choosing from hundreds of small items with which to build, the participants were given fifteen minutes for their creations. This short period of time allowed them to think on their feet to build the physical and social details that created their memories. As participants finished building the representations of their childhood days, they began to talk, look around at the other dioramas created by their colleagues and pull out their cell phones to take pictures of their models.

Rojas asked each participant to share his/her memory with the group. Builders spoke with conviction as they told compelling, entertaining stories illustrated through the objects, colors, textures, and layouts of their models. Everyone listened with enthusiasm to these visceral details that engaged the group visually and orally. The group members began to learn about each other by sharing these stories and bonded through common themes.  They commented:

“My childhood memory was when I would go to a park with my dad and my brother. I learned that being a child and being outside is a lot better than how kids my age [today] are always inside and on their phones/laptops. I used a lot of grassy material to represent the trees, flowers, and a blue toy to represent a pool.” -Vanessa Sanchez

“My memory was building cars with my dad, going to the zoo, playing with dogs and going to the beach. I learned that every kid played with friends and didn’t worry about [pollution from] planes or factories. We used toys. I used little wood cars to represent me and my dad. I used animals to represent the zoo, and snakes for my memory of Santa Monica. I used a spring because I used to go on trampolines and jump off.” –Eder Juarez

“My experience of building a favorite childhood memory was fabulous. I built my favorite zoo location. Thanks to the activity, I was able to remember all the sweet memories that I have with my parents. I never thought I would ever think about those memories, due to the fact that life is too busy for anyone to sit down and think about the past. I’m very appreciative of this activity.” – Khan Nguyen

Participants discovered that as children they had very similar experiences created by interactions with people, and the built and natural environments. They realized they had a deep relationship with nature around them. As children many of the participants sought fun, intimacy, shelter, and challenges in the environment.

 “I learned from my experience that little by little without us noticing, beautiful places are not part of our surroundings anymore. I like the park with flowers I constructed, but there are no such beautiful parks that are accessible after I get out of school just to release some stress. I learned from my experience that many people don’t have the opportunity to relax in a good place like a park, and therefore have a stressful routine of going to work and then going home every day.” -Abigail Diaz

Through this activity participants were able to personalize the urban planning process based on their experiences and imagination. This approach gave everyone access to the exercise and validated their knowledge of the built environment. This acknowledgement supported their contribution to the planning process: everyone had something to share and contribute.

“The memory I built was the moment when I first cooked a special meal for my grandmother. What I learned from this experience was that that was the first time I created something for someone else. I feel that cooking for oneself is boring but to cook for someone else is fun and it makes it special.” –Eduardo Vazquez

Through the activity, participants were able to see the greater potential within themselves and their colleagues with which to draw upon in the coming weeks of the Institute. The workshops provided a foundation that the content of the institute will further build upon in order to educate and empower the students to seek paths toward environmental justice in their respective communities.

Students were then placed into two teams and asked to work together to create their “ideal city.”  Each team had time to reflect, examine, and build a city that was designed to promote environmental health and justice. To achieve this they again used construction paper and hundreds of pieces of toys/building blocks provided by James Rojas to build their solution.  The teams were given no constraints or rules.

Team One built a city centered around “activities.” From basketball courts to roller coasters as one time member said “We never get bored.”

Team Two built a city based on “experiences.” It was clean and green, full of flowers, plants, and gardens. They build a beautiful mono-rail system with other urban design enhancements.

Once all the teams presented their projects, Rojas synthesized the findings and asked the participants what they learned about themselves, each other, and the built environment. By building together, students identified many opportunities and challenges in the built environment. The workshop brought out the students’ intuitive sense of the built environment.

For participants, these exercises turned the city into a blank canvas, letting students build their own images of healthy spaces.

The hundreds of small colorful, vibrant, tactile, objects triggered the participant’s emotional connections to the built environment. Participants connected and synthesized how they experience urban space by seeking and touching these objects. They created small vignettes of urban life. The high school participants gained satisfaction from this process because they were able to translate memories, visions, and ideas into a physical form. As soon as students realized this connection, they realized they could actually transform their environment.  One participant asked,

“Why isn’t the city I live in like the city I want to live in?”

Stay tuned for future blog posts documenting the students’ activities over the course of the summer.

by James Rojas and Wendy Gutschow

NEWS RELEASE: Research raises new concerns about air pollution impacts at Los Angeles International Airport

Study shows air quality from ultrafine particles extends further than demonstrated by previous research

PRESS: Los Angeles Times , Daily Breeze, For more news coverage, click over to our summary on Storify.

LOS ANGELES — For the first time, research conducted by scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) shows that airliner activity at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) worsens air quality over a far larger area than previously assumed.

The study, published May 29, 2014, in the journal Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T) and conducted with University of Washington (UW) researchers, found a doubling of ultrafine particle number concentrations extended east more than 10 miles downwind from the airport boundary over a 20-square mile area, encompassing communities including Lennox, Westmont, parts of South L.A., Hawthorne and Inglewood, and, in certain wind conditions, areas south of LAX.
 
“Our research shows that airport impacts extend more than 5 times further than previously assumed,” said Scott Fruin, D. Env., lead researcher and assistant  professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.  “Effects from planes that are landing appear to play a major role in this large area of impact.”

To put this large area of impact into perspective, the researchers calculated that one-quarter to one-half of the entire L.A. County freeway system produces an equivalent increase in ultrafine particle numbers on a concentration-weighted basis.

Graphic depicting ultrafine particle increase downwind of LAX relative to urban background air quality

“LAX may be as important to L.A.’s air quality as the freeway system,” said Fruin. “The impact area is large, and the airport is busy most hours of the day. That makes it uniquely hard for people to avoid the effects of air pollution in affected areas.”

Most previous research on the air quality impacts of airports focused on measuring air quality near where jet takeoffs occur. Takeoffs produce immense plumes of exhaust but only intermittently, and pollution concentrations downwind have been observed to fall off rapidly with distance. The assumption has been that total airport impacts also fall off rapidly with distance. The new research finds that this assumption is wrong.

The study found that concentrations of ultrafine particles were more than double over 20 square miles compared to background concentrations in nearby areas outside the area of LAX impact. Also, ultrafine particle number concentrations four times higher than background extended a distance of six miles.

“Given the existing concern about the possible health effects of urban ultrafine particle levels, living in an area with two to four times the average L.A. levels of ultrafine particles is of high public health concern,” said first author Neelakshi Hudda, Ph.D., research associate in preventive medicine at the Keck School.

Ultrafine particles are currently unregulated, but are of concern because they appear to be more toxic than larger particles on an equal mass basis in animal and cellular studies, and because they appear able to enter the bloodstream, unlike large particles that lodge in the lungs.

The research team used vehicles equipped with special measurement devices to capture data not available using traditional fixed monitors. The team was able to take moving measurements for more than 5 hours under consistent wind conditions to fully capture the extent of the impact boundaries.
 
“Other airports generally have less steady wind directions, which would make these measurements more difficult,” said Hudda. “Similar impacts are probably happening, but their location likely shifts more rapidly than in Los Angeles.”

“The on-shore westerly winds cause this impact regularly in communities east of LAX, because the impact’s location corresponds to the wind direction,” Hudda added. “In the winter months, when the winds were different, impacts were measured south of the airport during northerly winds.”

The research was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

UW researchers included Tim Larson, Ph.D. and Tim Gould, Ph.D. in the Department of Civil Engineering, and Kris Hartin, Ph.D. in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences.

###

Hudda, N., Gould, T., Hartin, K. Larson, T.V., and Fruin, S. A. (2014). Environmental Science and Technology, Published online May 29, 2014; dx.doi.org/10.1021/es5001566

ABOUT KECK MEDICINE OF USC

Keck Medicine of USC is the University of Southern California's medical enterprise, one of only two university-owned academic medical centers in the Los Angeles area. Encompassing academic, research and clinical entities, it consists of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the region’s first medical school; the renowned USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the first comprehensive cancer centers established in the United States; the USC Care Medical Group, the medical faculty practice; the Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes two acute care hospitals: 401-licensed bed Keck Hospital of USC and 60-licensed bed USC Norris Cancer Hospital; and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, a 158-licensed bed community hospital. It also includes outpatient facilities in Beverly Hills, downtown Los Angeles, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, and the USC University Park Campus. USC faculty physicians and Keck School of Medicine departments also have practices throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. The Keck Medicine of USC world-class medical facilities are staffed by nearly 600 physicians who are faculty at the renowned Keck School of Medicine of USC and part of USC Care Medical Group. They are not only clinicians, but cutting-edge researchers, leading professors and active contributors to national and international professional medical societies and associations. For more information, go to www.keckmedicine.org/beyond

NEWS  RELEASE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Contact: Leslie Ridgeway at (323) 442-2823 or lridgewa@usc.edu
For a copy of the study, contact Environmental Science and Technology at (phone or email)

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