Impact of air manganese on child neurodevelopment in East Liverpool, Ohio.

BACKGROUND: East Liverpool, Ohio, the site of a hazardous waste incinerator and a manganese (Mn) processor, has had air Mn concentrations exceeding United States Environmental Protection Agency reference levels for over a decade. Save Our County, Inc., a community organization, was formed to address community environmental health concerns related to local industry. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati partnered with Save Our County to determine if air Mn had an impact on the neurocognitive function of children in the community. METHODS: Children 7-9 years of age from East Liverpool and its surrounding communities, were enrolled (N=106) in the Communities Actively Researching Exposure Study from between March 2013-June 2014. Blood and hair were analyzed for Mn and lead, and serum was analyzed for cotinine. We used linear regression to assess associations between biological measures and IQ subscale scores. RESULTS: Geometric mean blood lead (n=67), blood Mn (n=66), hair Mn (n=98), and serum cotinine (n=69) concentrations were 1.13±1.96µg/dL, 10.06±1.30µg/L, and 360.22±2.17ng/g, 0.76±6.12µg/L respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, hair Mn was negatively associated with Full Scale IQ. CONCLUSIONS: Hair Mn was negatively associated with child IQ scores. Community partners were instrumental in the conception and implementation of this study.

Community Engagement and Data Disclosure in Environmental Health Research.

Federal funding agencies increasingly support stakeholder participation in environmental health studies, and yet there is very little published research on engagement of community members in the development of data disclosure (DD) strategies. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency reported airborne manganese (Mn) concentrations in East Liverpool, Ohio, 30 times higher than the reference concentration, which led to an academic­community research partnership to address community concern about Mn exposure, particularly among children. Children and their families were recruited to participate in a pilot study. Samples of blood and hair were collected from the children and analyzed for metals. DD mechanisms were developed using an iterative approach between community and academic partners. Individual DD letters were mailed to each participating family, and a community meeting was held. A post-meeting survey was administered to gauge community perception of the DD strategies. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the effectiveness of engaging community partners in the conduct of environmental health research and in the development of DD strategies for individuals and the community at large. Scientists should include community partners in the development of DD strategies to enhance translation of the research findings and support the right of study participants to know their individual results.

Increased 5S rRNA oxidation in Alzheimer's disease.

It is widely accepted that oxidative stress is involved in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is one of the most abundant molecules in most cells and is affected by oxidative stress in the human brain. Previous data have indicated that total rRNA levels were decreased in the brains of subjects with AD and mild cognitive impairment concomitant with an increase in rRNA oxidation. In addition, level of 5S rRNA, one of the essential components of the ribosome complex, was significantly lower in the inferior parietal lobule (IP) brain area of subjects with AD compared with control subjects. To further evaluate the alteration of 5S rRNA in neurodegenerative human brains, multiple brain regions from both AD and age-matched control subjects were used in this study, including IP, superior and middle temporal gyro, temporal pole, and cerebellum. Different molecular pools including 5S rRNA integrated into ribosome complexes, free 5S rRNA, cytoplasmic 5S rRNA, and nuclear 5S rRNA were studied. Free 5S rRNA levels were significantly decreased in the temporal pole region of AD subjects and the oxidation of ribosome-integrated and free 5S rRNA was significantly increased in multiple brain regions in AD subjects compared with controls. Moreover, a greater amount of oxidized 5S rRNA was detected in the cytoplasm and nucleus of AD subjects compared with controls. These results suggest that the increased oxidation of 5S rRNA, especially the oxidation of free 5S rRNA, may be involved in the neurodegeneration observed in AD.