Exposure to low-level ambient air pollution and the relationship with lung and bladder cancer in older men, in Perth, Western Australia.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution is a cause of lung cancer and is associated with bladder cancer. However, the relationship between air pollution and these cancers in regions of low pollution is unclear. We investigated associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon (BC), and both these cancers in a low-pollution city. METHODS: A cohort of 11,679 men ≥65 years old in Perth (Western Australia) were followed from 1996-1999 until 2018. Pollutant concentrations, as a time-varying variable, were estimated at participants' residential addresses using land use regression models. Incident lung and bladder cancer were identified through the Western Australian Cancer Registry. Risks were estimated using Cox proportional-hazard models (age as the timescale), adjusting for smoking, socioeconomic status, and co-pollutants. RESULTS: Lung cancer was associated with PM2.5 and BC in the adjusted single-pollutant models. A weak positive association was observed between ambient air pollution and squamous cell lung carcinoma but not lung adenocarcinoma. Positive associations were observed with bladder cancer, although these were not statistically significant. Associations were attenuated in two-pollutant models. CONCLUSION: Low-level ambient air pollution is associated with lung, and possibly bladder, cancer among older men, suggesting there is no known safe level for air pollution as a carcinogen.

Household use of biomass fuel, especially traditional stove is associated with childhood wheeze and eczema: a cross sectional study of rural communities in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Most households in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) rely on biomass fuel for daily cooking. Studies investigating the association between early life exposure to household air pollution and health outcomes in children in LMICs are limited. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of biomass fuel for cooking and different types of stoves on wheeze and allergies in children of rural Sri Lankan communities. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 452 children aged 5 years and younger in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Mothers completed a questionnaire on the use of biomass fuel and respiratory and allergic outcomes in children. The associations between biomass fuel and outcomes were analyzed using logistic regression models, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Use of biomass fuel for cooking was associated with increased risk of childhood wheeze (aOR 2.29; 95% CI 1.04-5.08) and eczema (aOR 4.57; 95% CI 1.24-16.89) compared with households that used clean fuel (liquid petroleum gas (LPG), electricity and/or biogas). Among households that used biomass fuel, use of traditional biomass stoves was associated with a higher risk of childhood wheeze (aOR 2.95; 95% CI 1.19-7.33), allergic rhinitis (aOR 3.01; 95% CI 1.42-6.39), and eczema (aOR 7.39; 95% CI 1.70-32.06) compared with households that used clean stoves. CONCLUSION: Children living in households that use biomass fuel, especially traditional biomass cookstoves, have a higher risk of wheeze and allergic diseases. Access to affordable clean energy sources that reduce air pollution may help improve the health of children in rural LMICs.Supplemental data for this article is available online at at www.tandfonline.com/ijas .

The Associations Between Workplace Noise, Ototoxic Chemicals, and Tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occupational risk factors associated with tinnitus in the Australian working population. DESIGN: The research was conducted using data collected from the Australian Workplace Exposure Survey-Hearing, a national cross-sectional study of 4970 workers conducted in 2016 to 2017. Workers were asked if they experienced tinnitus and if they answered affirmatively, they were asked about the frequency and length of the presentations. Based on their answers, each worker was categorized as having no tinnitus or any tinnitus, with an additional group of workers with any tinnitus subcategorized as having constant tinnitus. Exposure assessment was conducted using an automated expert assessment method. Exposures included daily noise (L Aeq,8h ), hand-arm vibration (A(8)), impulse noise, smoking status, styrene, trichloroethylene, toluene, n-hexane, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, lead, and carbon monoxide. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between workplace exposures and tinnitus. RESULTS: Workers with an estimated noise exposure above the workplace limit (L Aeq,8h > 85 dBA) had 1.73 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42 to 2.11) increased odds of any tinnitus and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.60 to 2.89) odds of constant tinnitus. The odds of workers having any tinnitus increased with increasing noise exposure levels in a dose-response relationship that strengthened when considering only those with constant tinnitus. In the fully adjusted model, statistically significant associations were seen for lead exposure with both any and constant tinnitus, toluene exposure with constant tinnitus, and carbon monoxide exposure with any tinnitus. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in addition to workplace noise, occupational exposures to lead, toluene, and carbon monoxide are associated with tinnitus.

The prevalence of tinnitus in the Australian working population.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of tinnitus in Australian working people; to identify occupational and demographic factors associated with tinnitus. DESIGN: Cross-sectional national telephone survey of self-reported frequency and duration of tinnitus. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Australian Workplace Exposure Survey (AWES) - Hearing; 4970 currently employed people aged 18-64 years, recruited by random digit dialling, representative by sex of the workforce population, 7 June 2016 - 20 March 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of occasional, intermittent, and constant tinnitus, and of any tinnitus, by occupational group, sex, and other demographic characteristics; estimated numbers of working people with constant or any tinnitus, by occupational group and sex. RESULTS: Of 4970 respondents, 1317 reported experiencing tinnitus (26.5%): 713 people had occasional tinnitus (14.3%), 259 intermittent tinnitus (5.2%), and 345 constant tinnitus (6.9%). The sample prevalence of constant tinnitus was greater among men (7.5%; 95% CI, 6.2-8.7%) than women (3.3%; 95% CI, 2.3-4.3%), and was higher in older age groups. After rake weighting our survey responses, we estimated that 2.4 million workers (24.8%; 95% CI, 23.2-26.4%) experience tinnitus, including 529 343 with constant tinnitus (5.5%; 95% CI, 4.6-6.3%). The estimated prevalence of constant tinnitus was highest for automotive workers (16.7%; 95% CI, 9.5-23.8%), drivers (13.0%; 95% CI, 7.3-18.6%), farmers (12.1%; 95% CI, 5.9-18.4%), and workers in other trades (10.4%; 95% CI, 4.6-16.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of tinnitus in the Australian workforce is high, particularly in certain occupations. Workplace practices and conditions that increase the risk of tinnitus should be examined, and targeted workplace prevention strategies developed.

Ambient air pollution and risk of incident dementia in older men living in a region with relatively low concentrations of pollutants: The Health in Men Study.

BACKGROUND: In areas with moderate to severe air pollution, pollutant concentrations are associated with dementia risk. It is unclear whether the same relationship is present in regions with lower ambient air pollution. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether exposure to air pollution is associated with risk of incident dementia in general, and Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in particular, in older men living in a relatively low ambient air pollution region. METHODS: The cohort comprised 11,243 men residing in Perth, Australia. Participants were aged ≥65 years and free of a dementia diagnosis at time of recruitment in 1996-1999. Incident dementia was identified from recruitment to 2018 via ICD diagnosis codes and subsequent study waves. Concentrations for three air pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), and black carbon (BC) were estimated at participants' home addresses using land-use regression models. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusting for smoking status, physical activity, BMI, education, and socio-economic status. RESULTS: Of 3053 (27.2%) incident cases of dementia, 1670 (54.7%) and 355 (11.6%) had documented Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The average concentration of NO2 was 13.5 (SD 4.4) µg/m3, of PM2.5 was 4.54 (SD 1.6) µg/m3 and of BC was 0.97 (SD 0.29) ×10-5 m-1. None of the air pollutants were associated with incident dementia or Alzheimer's disease. In the unadjusted model, increased exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of vascular dementia (for a 5 µg/m3 increase: HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.13, 2.31). However, this association was attenuated following adjustment for confounders (HR 1.39, 95% CI 0.93, 2.08). NO2 and BC were not associated with vascular dementia incidence. DISCUSSION: Exposure to air pollution is not associated with increased risk of incident dementia in older men living in a region with relatively low ambient air pollution.

Health and related economic benefits associated with reduction in air pollution during COVID-19 outbreak in 367 cities in China.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese government implemented nationwide traffic restrictions and self-quarantine measures from January 23 to April 8 (in Wuhan), 2020. We estimated how these measures impacted ambient air pollution and the subsequent consequences on health and the health-related economy in 367 Chinese cities. A random forests modeling was used to predict the business-as-usual air pollution concentrations in 2020, after adjusting for the impact of long-term trend and weather conditions. We calculated changes in mortality attributable to reductions in air pollution in early 2020 and health-related economic benefits based on the value of statistical life (VSL). Compared with the business-as-usual scenario, we estimated 1239 (95% CI: 844-1578) PM2.5-related deaths were avoided, as were 2777 (95% CI: 1565-3995) PM10-related deaths, 1587 (95% CI: 98-3104) CO-related deaths, 4711 (95% CI: 3649-5781) NO2-related deaths, 215 (95% CI: 116-314) O3-related deaths, and 1088 (95% CI: 774-1421) SO2-related deaths. Based on the reduction in deaths, economic benefits for in PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, O3, and SO2 were 1.22, 2.60, 1.36, 4.05, 0.20, and 0.95 billion USD, respectively. Our findings demonstrate the substantial benefits in human health and health-related costs due to improved urban air quality during the COVID lockdown period in China in early 2020.

No association between night shiftwork and mammographic density.

BACKGROUND: Increased mammographic density is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer. Night shiftwork and its related factors, which include light at night, phase shift and sleep disruption, are believed to increase breast cancer risk however, their effects on mammographic density have barely been studied. METHODS: This study included 1821 women enrolled in the Breast Cancer Environment and Employment Study between 2009 and 2011. Mammographic density was measured using the Cumulus software program. The association of night shiftwork factors with square root transformed absolute dense area (DA) and percentage dense area (PDA) were modelled using linear regression adjusted for confounders. RESULTS: Ever doing graveyard shiftwork (between 24:00 and 05:00 hours) was not associated with PDA (ß=-0.10; 95% CI -0.27 to 0.08)) and DA (ß=-0.12; 95% CI -0.33 to 0.09)). No association was found between night shiftwork related factors (light at night, phase shift and sleep disturbance) with PDA or DA. CONCLUSIONS: Shiftwork and its related factors are not associated with mammographic density. Using high-quality, comprehensive shiftwork data from a large population-based breast cancer case-control study, this study suggests that mammographic density does not play a role in the relationship between shiftwork and breast cancer risk.

Long-term Exposure to Low Air Pollutant Concentrations and the Relationship with All-Cause Mortality and Stroke in Older Men.

BACKGROUND: Long-term air pollution exposure has been associated with increased risk of mortality and stroke. Less is known about the risk at lower concentrations. The association of long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, NO2, and NOx with all-cause mortality and stroke was investigated in a cohort of men aged ≥ 65 years who lived in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. METHODS: Land use regression models were used to estimate long-term exposure to air pollutants at participant's home address (n = 11,627) over 16 years. Different metrics of exposure were assigned: baseline; year before the outcome event; and average exposure across follow-up period. The Mortality Register and Hospital Morbidity Data from the Western Australia Data Linkage System were used to ascertain mortality and stroke cases. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for age, smoking, education, and body mass index for all-cause mortality. For fatal and hospitalized stroke, the models included variables controlled for all-cause mortality plus hypertension. RESULTS: Fifty-four percent of all-participants died, 3% suffered a fatal stroke, and 14% were hospitalized stroke cases. PM2.5 absorbance increased the risk of all-cause mortality with adjusted HR of 1.12 (1.02-1.23) for baseline and average exposures, and 1.14 (1.02-1.24) for past-year exposure. There were no associations between PM2.5 absorbance, NO2, and NOx and stroke outcomes. However, PM2.5 was associated with reduced risks of fatal stroke. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 absorbance was associated with all-cause mortality among older men exposed to low concentrations; and exposure to PM2.5 was associated with reduced risk of fatal stroke.

Exposure to noise and ototoxic chemicals in the Australian workforce.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the current prevalence of exposure to workplace noise and ototoxic chemicals, including co-exposures. METHOD: A cross-sectional telephone survey of nearly 5000 Australian workers was conducted using the web-based application, OccIDEAS. Participants were asked about workplace tasks they performed and predefined algorithms automatically assessed worker's likelihood of exposure to 10 known ototoxic chemicals as well as estimated their full shift noise exposure level (LAeq,8h) of their most recent working day. Results were extrapolated to represent the Australian working population using a raked weighting technique. RESULTS: In the Australian workforce, 19.5% of men and 2.8% of women exceeded the recommended full shift noise limit of 85 dBA during their last working day. Men were more likely to be exposed to noise if they were younger, had trade qualifications and did not live in a major city. Men were more likely exposed to workplace ototoxic chemicals (57.3%) than women (25.3%). Over 80% of workers who exceeded the full shift noise limit were also exposed to at least one ototoxic chemical in their workplace. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that exposures to hazardous noise and ototoxic chemicals are widespread in Australian workplaces and co-exposure is common. Occupational exposure occurs predominantly for men and could explain some of the discrepancies in hearing loss prevalence between genders.

The effects of ambient temperatures on the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses: Evidence from Adelaide, Australia 2003-2013.

BACKGROUND: The thermal environment can directly affect workers' occupational health and safety, and act as a contributing factor to injury or illness. However, the literature addressing risks posed by varying temperatures on work-related injuries and illnesses is limited. OBJECTIVES: To examine the occupational injury and illness risk profiles for hot and cold conditions. METHODS: Daily numbers of workers' compensation claims in Adelaide, South Australia from 2003 to 2013 (n = 224,631) were sourced together with daily weather data. The impacts of maximum daily temperature on the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses was assessed using a time-stratified case-crossover study design combined with a distributed lag non-linear model. RESULTS: The minimum number of workers' compensation claims occurred when the maximum daily temperature was 25 °C. Compared with this optimal temperature, extremely hot temperatures (99th percentile) were associated with an increase in overall claims (RR: 1.30, 95%CI: 1.18-1.44) whereas a non-significant increase was observed with extremely cold temperatures (1st percentile, RR: 1.10 (95%CI: 0.99-1.21). Heat exposure had an acute effect on workers' injuries whereas cold conditions resulted in delayed effects. Moderate temperatures were associated with a greater injury burden than extreme temperatures. CONCLUSION: Days of very high temperatures were associated with the greatest risks of occupational injuries; whereas moderate temperatures, which occur more commonly, have the greatest burden. These findings suggest that the broader range of thermal conditions should be considered in workplace injury and illness prevention strategies.

Satellite-Based Land-Use Regression for Continental-Scale Long-Term Ambient PM2.5 Exposure Assessment in Australia.

Australia has relatively diverse sources and low concentrations of ambient fine particulate matter (<2.5 µm, PM2.5). Few comparable regions are available to evaluate the utility of continental-scale land-use regression (LUR) models including global geophysical estimates of PM2.5, derived by relating satellite-observed aerosol optical depth to ground-level PM2.5 ("SAT-PM2.5"). We aimed to determine the validity of such satellite-based LUR models for PM2.5 in Australia. We used global SAT-PM2.5 estimates (∼10 km grid) and local land-use predictors to develop four LUR models for year-2015 (two satellite-based, two nonsatellite-based). We evaluated model performance at 51 independent monitoring sites not used for model development. An LUR model that included the SAT-PM2.5 predictor variable (and six others) explained the most spatial variability in PM2.5 (adjusted R2 = 0.63, RMSE (µg/m3 [%]): 0.96 [14%]). Performance decreased modestly when evaluated (evaluation R2 = 0.52, RMSE: 1.15 [16%]). The evaluation R2 of the SAT-PM2.5 estimate alone was 0.26 (RMSE: 3.97 [56%]). SAT-PM2.5 estimates improved LUR model performance, while local land-use predictors increased the utility of global SAT-PM2.5 estimates, including enhanced characterization of within-city gradients. Our findings support the validity of continental-scale satellite-based LUR modeling for PM2.5 exposure assessment in Australia.

Night shift work and breast cancer: a pooled analysis of population-based case-control studies with complete work history.

Night shift work has been suspected to increase breast cancer risk but epidemiological studies have been inconsistent due to heterogeneous assessment of exposure to night work. To overcome this limitation, we pooled data of five population-based case-control studies from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Spain into a single harmonized dataset using a common definition of night work including 6093 breast cancer cases and 6933 population controls. The odds ratio for breast cancer in women who ever worked at night for at least 3 h between midnight and 5 a.m. as compared to never night workers was 1.12 (95% CI 1.00-1.25). Among pre-menopausal women, this odds ratio was 1.26 [1.06-1.51], increasing to 1.36 [1.07-1.74] for night shifts ≥ 10 h, 1.80 [1.20-2.71] for work ≥ 3 nights/week, and 2.55 [1.03-6.30] for both duration of night work ≥ 10 years and exposure intensity ≥ 3 nights/week. Breast cancer risk in pre-menopausal women was higher in current or recent night workers (OR = 1.41 [1.06-1.88]) than in those who had stopped night work more than 2 years ago. Breast cancer in post-menopausal women was not associated with night work whatever the exposure metric. The increase in risk was restricted to ER+ tumors, particularly those who were both ER+ and HER2+ . These results support the hypothesis that night shift work increases the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women, particularly those with high intensity and long duration of exposure. Risk difference between pre- and post-menopausal women deserves further scrutiny.

Questionnaire-based algorithm for assessing occupational noise exposure of construction workers.

OBJECTIVES: Occupational noise exposure is a major cause of hearing loss worldwide. In order to inform preventative strategies, we need to further understand at a population level which workers are most at risk. METHODS: We have developed a new questionnaire-based algorithm that evaluates an individual worker's noise exposure. The questionnaire and supporting algorithms are embedded into the existing software platform, OccIDEAS. Based on the tasks performed by a worker during their most recent working shift and using a library of task-based noise exposure levels, OccIDEAS estimates whether a worker has exceeded the full-shift workplace noise exposure limit (LAeq,8h≥85 dBA). We evaluated the validity of the system in a sample of 100 construction workers. Each worker wore a dosimeter for a full working shift and was then interviewed using the OccIDEAS software. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.81 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.90) indicating that the ability of OccIDEAS to identify construction workers with an LAeq,8h≥85 dBA was excellent. CONCLUSION: This validated noise questionnaire may be useful in epidemiological studies and for workplace health and safety applications.

Shift work that involves circadian disruption and breast cancer: a first application of chronobiological theory and the consequent challenges.

OBJECTIVES: In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified shift work involving circadian disruption (CD) as probably carcinogenic to humans. Circadian disruption could be conceptualised as the overlap of activity, such as work, with an individual's biological night. The latter can be approximated from a worker's chronotype (or morning/evening preference). Few previous studies have taken chronotype into account when assessing CD caused by shift work. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that women working during their biological night would be at increased risk of breast cancer. METHODS: We used data from our case-control study of breast cancer to investigate associations between shift work involving CD and breast cancer risks. Previously, we had assumed that everyone working in jobs which involved work for two or more shifts between midnight and 05:00 hours was equally exposed to CD. In the present analyses, we reclassified as unexposed those who had a late chronotype in which their preferred bedtime was 2 hours after the end of their shift. RESULTS: Only 30 of 1385 night jobs changed classification and the overall finding (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.41) was not different to the original finding when chronotype was not considered. CONCLUSIONS: We found virtually no difference between our new and old classifications of exposure. However, we were not able to calculate the total number of chronodisrupted shifts over a lifetime in order to assess dose and nor were we able to determine how many women were exposed to CD when doing shifts which began before midnight. Our first practical application highlights challenges for future chronobiology-based research.

Case-control study to assess the association between colorectal cancer and selected occupational agents using INTEROCC job exposure matrix.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in the world and is twice as common in developed countries when compared with low-income and middle-income countries. Few occupational risk factors for colorectal cancer have been identified. This case-control study aimed to assess the association between colorectal cancer and occupational exposure to selected solvents, combustion products, metals, dusts and other agents. METHODS: Cases (n=918) were enrolled from the Western Australian Cancer Registry from June 2005 to August 2007. Controls (n=1021) were randomly selected from the Western Australian electoral roll. We collected lifetime occupational history from cases and controls, in addition to their demographic and lifestyle characteristics. We applied the INTEROCC job exposure matrix to convert the occupational history to occupational exposure for 18 selected agents. Three exposure indices were developed: (1) exposed versus non-exposed; (2) lifetime cumulative exposure; and (3) total duration of exposure. The associations between colorectal cancer and the selected agents were estimated using logistic regression models adjusting for sex and age. RESULTS: None of the 18 selected agents showed an association with colorectal cancer. No dose-response relationships with lifetime cumulative exposure or duration of exposure were observed. CONCLUSION: There was no evidence to suggest that occupational exposure to 18 selected agents increased the risk of colorectal cancer.

Association between shiftwork and the risk of colorectal cancer in females: a population-based case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Research indicates that shiftwork may be associated with increased risks of adverse health outcomes, including some cancers. However, the evidence of an association between shiftwork and colorectal cancer risk is limited and inconclusive. Further, while several possible pathways through which shiftwork might result in cancer have been proposed, few studies have taken these factors into account. We investigated the association between two types of shiftwork (graveyard shiftwork and early-morning shiftwork) and six mechanistic shiftwork variables (including light at night and phase shift) and the risk of colorectal cancer among females in an Australian population-based case-control study. Graveyard shiftwork was the primary exposure of interest. METHODS: Participants (350 cases and 410 controls) completed a lifetime occupational history, and exposure to each of the eight shiftwork variables was assigned to participants through a job exposure matrix. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between different shiftwork variables and the risk of colorectal cancer, adjusting for potential demographic, lifestyle and medical confounders. RESULTS: Working in an occupation involving long-term exposure (>7.5 years) to graveyard shiftwork was not associated with colorectal cancer risk (adjusted OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.58). Similarly, no increased risks of colorectal cancer were seen for any of the other seven shiftwork variables examined. CONCLUSIONS: No evidence of an increased risk of colorectal cancer among females who had worked in occupations involving shiftwork was observed in this study.

Blending Multiple Nitrogen Dioxide Data Sources for Neighborhood Estimates of Long-Term Exposure for Health Research.

Exposure to traffic related nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution is associated with adverse health outcomes. Average pollutant concentrations for fixed monitoring sites are often used to estimate exposures for health studies, however these can be imprecise due to difficulty and cost of spatial modeling at the resolution of neighborhoods (e.g., a scale of tens of meters) rather than at a coarse scale (around several kilometers). The objective of this study was to derive improved estimates of neighborhood NO2 concentrations by blending measurements with modeled predictions in Sydney, Australia (a low pollution environment). We implemented the Bayesian maximum entropy approach to blend data with uncertainty defined using informative priors. We compiled NO2 data from fixed-site monitors, chemical transport models, and satellite-based land use regression models to estimate neighborhood annual average NO2. The spatial model produced a posterior probability density function of estimated annual average concentrations that spanned an order of magnitude from 3 to 35 ppb. Validation using independent data showed improvement, with root mean squared error improvement of 6% compared with the land use regression model and 16% over the chemical transport model. These estimates will be used in studies of health effects and should minimize misclassification bias.

Australian work exposures studies: occupational exposure to pesticides.

BACKGROUND: Pesticides are widely used in some occupational settings. Some pesticides have been classified as carcinogens; however, data on the number of workers exposed to pesticides are not available in Australia. The main aim of this study was to estimate the current prevalence of pesticide exposure in Australian workplaces. METHODS: The analysis used data from the Australian Work Exposures Study, a series of nationwide telephone surveys which investigated work-related prevalence and exposure to carcinogens and asthmagens, including pesticides, among current Australian workers. Information about the respondents' current job and various demographic factors was collected in a telephone interview using the web-based tool OccIDEAS. Workers were considered exposed to pesticides if they reported applying or mixing pesticides in their current job. RESULTS: Of the 10 371 respondents, 410 (4%) respondents were assessed as being exposed to pesticides in the workplace, with exposure being more likely among males, individuals born in Australia, individuals with lower education level and those residing in regional or remote areas. Glyphosate was the most common active ingredient used by workers. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to describe the prevalence of occupational pesticide exposure in Australia and one of the few recent studies internationally.

Women's beliefs about breast cancer causation in a breast cancer case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Our study sought to ascertain women's beliefs about breast cancer risk factors and whether these beliefs differed by demographic factors and personal and family history of breast cancer. METHODS: Participants in a case-control study of breast cancer rated the effect of 37 exposures on the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Chi-square tests were undertaken to measure differences in responses between cases and controls for each exposure. Logistic regression was undertaken to ascertain whether demographic factors and personal and family history of breast cancer affected participants' ability to correctly identify known breast cancer risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 2742 participants completed the questionnaire, comprising 1109 cases and 1633 controls. Significant differences (p < 0.05) between cases and controls were found for 16 of the 37 exposures. Younger women and university-educated women were more likely to correctly identify known breast cancer risk factors. Women's perceptions about the effect of alcohol consumption on breast cancer risk, particularly regarding red wine, differed from that reported in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: Beliefs about risk factors for breast cancer may differ between cases and controls. Public health initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of breast cancer risk factors should consider that women's beliefs may differ by demographic factors and family history of breast cancer.

Independent Validation of National Satellite-Based Land-Use Regression Models for Nitrogen Dioxide Using Passive Samplers.

Including satellite observations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in land-use regression (LUR) models can improve their predictive ability, but requires rigorous evaluation. We used 123 passive NO2 samplers sited to capture within-city and near-road variability in two Australian cities (Sydney and Perth) to assess the validity of annual mean NO2 estimates from existing national satellite-based LUR models (developed with 68 regulatory monitors). The samplers spanned roadside, urban near traffic (≤100 m to a major road), and urban background (>100 m to a major road) locations. We evaluated model performance using R2 (predicted NO2 regressed on independent measurements of NO2), mean-square-error R2 (MSE-R2), RMSE, and bias. Our models captured up to 69% of spatial variability in NO2 at urban near-traffic and urban background locations, and up to 58% of variability at all validation sites, including roadside locations. The absolute agreement of measurements and predictions (measured by MSE-R2) was similar to their correlation (measured by R2). Few previous studies have performed independent evaluations of national satellite-based LUR models, and there is little information on the performance of models developed with a small number of NO2 monitors. We have demonstrated that such models are a valid approach for estimating NO2 exposures in Australian cities.