Safeguarding Female Reproductive Health against Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-The FREIA Project.

Currently available test methods are not well-suited for the identification of chemicals that disturb hormonal processes involved in female reproductive development and function. This renders women's reproductive health at increasing risk globally, which, coupled with increasing incidence rates of reproductive disorders, is of great concern. A woman's reproductive health is largely established during embryonic and fetal development and subsequently matures during puberty. The endocrine system influences development, maturation, and function of the female reproductive system, thereby making appropriate hormone levels imperative for correct functioning of reproductive processes. It is concerning that the effects of human-made chemicals on the endocrine system and female reproductive health are poorly addressed in regulatory chemical safety assessment, partly because adequate test methods are lacking. Our EU-funded project FREIA aims to address this need by increasing understanding of how endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can impact female reproductive health. We will use this information to provide better test methods that enable fit-for-purpose chemical regulation and then share our knowledge, promote a sustainable society, and improve the reproductive health of women globally.

Summary of night noise guidelines for Europe.

Considering the scientific evidence on the threshold of night noise exposure indicated by L night as defined in the Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC), L night value of 40 dB should be the target of the night noise guideline (NNG) to protect the public, including the most vulnerable groups such as children, the chronically ill and the elderly. L night value of 55 dB is recommended as an interim target for countries which cannot follow NNG in the short term for various reasons and where policy-makers choose to adopt a stepwise approach. These guidelines may be considered an extension to the previous World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for community noise (1999).

Aircraft noise effects on sleep: mechanisms, mitigation and research needs.

There is an ample number of laboratory and field studies which provide sufficient evidence that aircraft noise disturbs sleep and, depending on traffic volume and noise levels, may impair behavior and well-being during the day. Although clinical sleep disorders have been shown to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, only little is known about the long-term effects of aircraft noise disturbed sleep on health. National and international laws and guidelines try to limit aircraft noise exposure facilitating active and passive noise control to prevent relevant sleep disturbances and its consequences. Adopting the harmonized indicator of the European Union Directive 2002/49/EC, the WHO Night Noise Guideline for Europe (NNG) defines four Lnight , outside ranges associated with different risk levels of sleep disturbance and other health effects ( < 30, 30-40, 40-55, and> 55 dBA). Although traffic patterns differing in number and noise levels of events that lead to varying degrees of sleep disturbance may result in the same Lnight , simulations of nights with up to 200 aircraft noise events per night nicely corroborate expert opinion guidelines formulated in WHO's NNG. In the future, large scale field studies on the effects of nocturnal (aircraft) noise on sleep are needed. They should involve representative samples of the population including vulnerable groups like children and chronically ill subjects. Optimally, these studies are prospective in nature and examine the long-term consequences of noise-induced sleep disturbances. Furthermore, epidemiological case-control studies on the association of nocturnal (aircraft) noise exposure and cardiovascular disease are needed. Despite the existing gaps in knowledge on long-term health effects, sufficient data are available for defining limit values, guidelines and protection concepts, which should be updated with the availability of new data.

Aerotoxic syndrome, discussion of possible diagnostic criteria.

Introduction: The term aerotoxic syndrome (ATS) was proposed 20 years ago to describe a constellation of symptoms reported by pilots and cabin crew following exposure to hydraulic fluids, engine oil, and pyrolysis products during flight. Hydraulic fluids and engine oil contain a large number of potentially toxic chemicals, including various organophosphate compounds (OPCs). However, ATS is not yet recognised as a valid diagnosis in aviation or general medicine, because the incidence and aetiology continues to be debated.Discussion: Early studies report findings from symptom surveys or cognitive assessments of small samples of self-selected aircrew, but objective measures of exposure were lacking. Over the last decade, researchers have used more sophisticated techniques to measure exposure, such as on board monitoring studies and biomarkers of exposure (e.g., reduced levels of serum butyrylcholinesterases [BChE]) and more sophisticated techniques to detect nervous system injuries such as fMRI and autoantibody testing. Consideration has also been given to inter-individual differences in the ability to metabolise certain chemical compounds as a result of genetic polymorphisms and exclusion of other potential causes of ill health.Conclusions: We discuss factors which suggest a diagnosis of probable ATS; recommend an assessment protocol which incorporates the aforementioned techniques; and propose diagnostic criteria for probable ATS, based on our previously reported findings in aircrew and the results of recent studies.