PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Fumes from military small arms lead to decline in lung function

2013-09-09
(Press-News.org) Barcelona, Spain: Exposure to fumes released during the firing of military small arms can lead to a decline in lung function, according to a new study.

The research, which will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Barcelona today (9 September 2013), suggests that members of the armed forces who are regularly firing small arms could be putting their lung health at risk.

Over the last 5 years, the armed forces in Norway have started to report ill health after live firing training. This new study aimed to characterise the health effects from the use of these weapons and investigate which components in the emissions were causing the health effects.

Researchers from Oslo University Hospital and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment examined 55 healthy, non-smoking men from the Norwegian Armed Forces. They tested the exposure to fumes from three different types of ammunition, one leaded and two lead-free, used in an assault rifle.

Each participant had a spirometry test, which measures lung function, before the shooting, immediately after and 24 hours after. A tent was used during the shooting to control other exposures.

The findings revealed that there were no significant differences in the types of ammunition used, but all groups experienced a decline in lung function shortly after shooting and at 24 hours after exposure, compared with the pre-test levels. The results showed that lung function, measured by (FEV1)*, declined by a mean average of 5% across all groups at 1𔃀 hours after shooting and by 7% at 24 hours after shooting.

Anne-Katrine Borander, lead author of the study from the Oslo University Hospital, said: "The findings from our small sample show that fumes from military arms are causing a decline in lung function shortly after firing practice."

"These lung function changes are comparable to the effects caused by other occupational risk factors, such as organic dusts in farming and cotton workers. Although we noticed this decline for all types of ammunition, further research can now be undertaken to look at specific exposure components to help design better ammunition, and to continue implementation of other measures for avoiding these effects."

### Notes to editors:

* FEV1 is the maximal amount of air you can forcefully exhale in one second. It is then converted to a percentage of normal. This is the standard measure of lung function.

Abstract: Decline in lung function after exposure to fumes from military small arms Session: Occupational respiratory diseases: asthma, silicosis and asbestosis Date and time: Monday 9 September, 08:30-10:30 Room: 3.7


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Argan powder found in some cosmetics linked with occupational asthma

2013-09-09
Barcelona, Spain: Argan powder, which is used by the cosmetic industry in the production of foundation products, could be linked with occupational asthma. A small study, presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Barcelona today (9 September 2013), has found the first evidence of a risk associated with the use of argan powder during the industrial production of cosmetics. A sample of nine patients from a cosmetic factory in France were analysed in the study. All participants were exposed to the product in three different forms: crude ...

MERS-CoV treatment effective in monkeys, NIH study finds

2013-09-09
WHAT: National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists report that a combination of two licensed antiviral drugs reduces virus replication and improves clinical outcome in a recently developed monkey model of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Their study, which appears as a letter in the Sept. 8 edition of Nature Medicine, expands on work published in April showing that a combination of ribavirin and interferon-alpha 2b stops MERS-CoV from replicating in cell culture. Both antivirals are routinely used together to treat viral diseases such ...

Climate change will upset vital ocean chemical cycles

2013-09-09
New research from the University of East Anglia shows that rising ocean temperatures will upset natural cycles of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and phosphorous. Plankton plays an important role in the ocean's carbon cycle by removing half of all CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and storing it deep under the sea – isolated from the atmosphere for centuries. Findings published today in the journal Nature Climate Change reveal that water temperature has a direct impact on maintaining the delicate plankton ecosystem of our oceans. The new research means that ocean ...

Team IDs 2 pathways through which chromosomes are rearranged

2013-09-09
SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 8, 2013) — Biologists reported today in Nature that they have identified two pathways through which chromosomes are rearranged in mammalian cells. These types of changes are associated with some cancers and inherited disorders in people. "Our finding provides a target to prevent these rearrangements, so we could conceivably prevent cancer in some high-risk people," said senior author Edward P. (Paul) Hasty, D.V.M., of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Partial funding came from the Cancer Therapy ...

Researchers uncover genetic cause of childhood leukemia

2013-09-09
NEW YORK, September 8, 2013 — For the first time, a genetic link specific to risk of childhood leukemia has been identified, according to a team of researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Washington, and other institutions. The discovery was reported online today in the journal Nature Genetics. "We're in unchartered territory," said study author Kenneth Offit, MD, MPH, Chief of the Clinical Genetics Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. "At the very least this discovery gives us a new window into inherited ...

Disparities in lung function found worldwide may impact health

2013-09-09
Hamilton, ON (September 8, 2013) – A global study led by McMaster University researchers has found large differences in lung function between healthy people from different socioeconomic and geographical regions of the world which could impact their health. The highest lung function was found in individuals from North America and Europe. This was followed by South America, Middle East, China, sub-Saharan Africa, Malaysia and South Asia. South Asians had the lowest lung function, by 30% compared to North Americans and Europeans. The large differences in lung function ...

Study uncovers value of mammogram screening for younger women

2013-09-09
A new analysis has found that most deaths from breast cancer occur in younger women who do not receive regular mammograms. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that regular screening before age 50 should be encouraged. The use of mammograms to prevent breast cancer deaths has been controversial, especially after the United States Preventive Services Task Force proposed in 2009 to limit screening to women aged 50 to 74 years. Studies show varying benefits, and advances in treatment may have diminished ...

Is bigger really better when it comes to size of labor wards?

2013-09-09
New research reveals that large labor wards—those handling 3,000 to 3,999 deliveries annually—have better overall approval rates compared to small, intermediate or very large obstetric units. The study, appearing in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, suggests that greater access to in-house obstetricians and auxiliary specialists contributes to the lower obstetric injury claims from patients at large labor wards in Denmark. Nearly one million children ...

Children referred for chest pain rarely have cardiac disease

2013-09-09
Boston, Mass. —Employing a unique quality improvement methodology, called Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plans (SCAMPs), physicians have demonstrated that chest pain in children, rarely caused by heart disease, can be effectively evaluated in the ambulatory setting using minimal resources, even across a diverse patient population. So found a multi-institutional study, led by cardiologists throughout New England and published September 9 in Pediatrics. "Previous research has shown that children referred for chest pain infrequently leads to a diagnosis ...

Obese teenagers who lose weight at risk for developing eating disorders

2013-09-09
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Obese teenagers who lose weight are at risk of developing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, Mayo Clinic researchers imply in a recent Pediatrics article. Eating disorders among these patients are also not being adequately detected because the weight loss is seen as positive by providers and family members. In the article, Mayo Clinic researchers argue that formerly overweight adolescents tend to have more medical complications from eating disorders and it takes longer to diagnose them than kids who are in a normal weight ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Anna Krylov and Mikhail Yampolsky are the new George Gamow award laureates

Methane from overlooked sources higher than predicted in Osaka

World’s largest rays may be diving to extreme depths to build mental maps of vast oceans

Can we hear gravitational-wave "beats" in the rhythm of pulsars?

New survey shows many are unaware of advancements in obstetrics care

New combination therapy shows promise for aggressive lymphoma resistant to immunotherapy

Photocatalytic olefin double bond cleavage acylation

Unveiling the impact of compound drought and wildfire events on PM2.5 air pollution in the era of climate change

A bioadhesive sponge inspired by mussels and extracellular matrix offers a new way to stop internal bleeding

Poorer health linked to more votes for Reform UK, 2024 voting patterns suggest

Loneliness and social isolation linked to heightened risk of death in those with cancer

Ditch ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach to women’s running shoes, manufacturers urged

Domestic abusers forge ‘trauma bonds’ with victims before violence begins

UK food needs radical transformation on scale not seen since Second World War, new report finds

New AI tool makes medical imaging process 90% more efficient

Nitrogen-fortified nanobiochar boosts soil health and rice productivity

Generative art enhances virtual shopping experience

Fluid-based laser scanning for brain imaging

Concordia study links urban heat in Montreal to unequal greenspace access

Hidden patterns link ribosomal RNAs to genes of the nervous system

Why does losing the Y chromosome make some cancers worse? New $6.5 million NIH grant could provide clues

Xiao receives David W. Robertson Award for Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry

Boron isotopes reveal how nuclear waste glass slowly dissolves over time

Biochar helps Mediterranean vineyards hold water and fight erosion

Checking the quality of materials just got easier with a new AI tool

Does hiding author names make science fairer?

Fatal Attraction: Electric charge connects jumping worm to aerial prey

Rice physicists probe quark‑gluon plasma temperatures, helping paint more detailed picture of big bang

Cellular railroad switches: how brain cells route supplies to build memories

Breast cancer startup founded by WashU Medicine researchers acquired by Lunit

[Press-News.org] Fumes from military small arms lead to decline in lung function