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

Toxic air in Texas high schools

Study finds that students and teachers may be exposed to semivolatile organic compounds released by furniture and building materials in schools

2024-12-09
(Press-News.org) AUSTIN, TX, Dec 9, 2024 – Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are found in building materials and consumer products like carpeting, furniture and electronics. Gases released by these chemicals in homes, offices and schools pose potential human health risks such as cancers, reproductive disorders, and nervous system damage.  

A recent study of the indoor air in central Texas high schools revealed that two groups of SVOCs, phthalates and PBDEs, are prevalent in high school environments. The research will be presented in early December at the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis in Austin, Texas. 

High school students, in a critical period of growth and development such as impacts on memory and behavior, may be vulnerable to the adverse health effects of SVOCs. Yet little research has been done to monitoring SVOCs in school environments.  

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma collected and analyzed samples of settled dust, HVAC filter dust, and indoor air in seven high schools at four different time periods from 2015 to 2017. They targeted 42 SVOCs — including phthalates, PBDEs, OPFRs, and pesticides – using gas chromatization and mass spectrometry to measure precise quantities. Their study examined correlations between SVOC concentrations in different media and assessed the influence of building characteristics, such as flooring type and classroom type (permanent vs. portable), as well as seasonal variations. 

OPFRs showed higher concentrations in carpeted classrooms, while PBDEs were more prevalent in computer classrooms. Portable classrooms exhibited higher SVOC levels than permanent ones. Seasonal variations were significant, with higher SVOC concentrations in settled dust during colder seasons.  

“These findings highlight the presence of potentially harmful chemicals in spaces where students and staff spend substantial time, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to reduce exposure in school environments,” says lead author Hongwan (Melody) Li, assistant professor in the Hudson College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma.  

### 

Hongwan Li, Ying Xu, Richard Corsi, Atila Novoselac, Kerry Kinney, Chenyang Bi, Michael Wade, are presenting this research on Monday, December 9, from 1:30 pm, at the JW Marriot Austin, Texas 

Semivolatile organic compounds in U.S. high schools: Concentrations and associations with building characteristics and seasonal variations — Monday, Dec. 9, 1:30 p.m. 

(Part of a symposium on Indoor Air Pollution Monitoring, Health Effects and Interventions) 

About SRA   

The Society for Risk Analysis is a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, scholarly, international society that provides an open forum for all those interested in risk analysis. SRA was established in 1980. Since 1982, it has continuously published Risk Analysis: An International Journal, the leading scholarly journal in the field. For more information, visit www.sra.org.   

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

What motivates Americans to eat less red meat?

2024-12-09
AUSTIN, TX, Dec 9, 2024 – Limiting red meat consumption is key to a sustainable and healthy diet, yet Americans are among the world’s largest consumers of red meat. A new study reveals the demographics of American adults who choose not to eat red meat and finds that environmental concerns may matter more to them than health risks.   Researchers at Baruch College and the University of Southern California (USC) surveyed more than 7,500 adults as part of the Understanding America Study – a probability-based Internet panel of individuals 18 and older. They will present ...

Sugary drinks significantly raise cardiovascular disease risk, but occasional sweet treats don’t, scientists find

2024-12-09
A little of what you fancy does you good… unless it’s a fizzy drink. Scientists studying the impact of sugar on the risk of cardiovascular disease have found that eating too much added sugar increases your risk of stroke or aneurysm, but eating a few treats is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile, drinking sweetened beverages raises your risk of stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation.   “The most striking finding from our study is the divergent relationship between different sources of added sugar and cardiovascular ...

Falsifying anthropics

Falsifying anthropics
2024-12-09
In short: “We exist, therefore the universe is made to host us”: the anthropic principle has sparked intense debate in cosmology since its first formulation. A new paper published in JCAP proposes a way to test it. To falsify it, all three of the following conditions must be confirmed by observations: • Cosmic inflation occurred • Axions exist • Dark matter is not made of axions If all these conditions are proven true, the anthropic principle would lose its validity, and our universe would appear ...

New West Health-Gallup poll reveals most Americans worried about often hidden healthcare fees

2024-12-09
WASHINGTON, DC – Monday, December 9, 2024 – More than half of Americans (52%) worry about affording the cost of often hidden healthcare fees, increasingly pervasive charges that could add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to their medical bills a new West Health-Gallup poll finds. Hospitals typically add these fees on top of charges for routine medical services like lab tests or physical examinations provided at outpatient centers, clinics, and medical offices that they own. This means patients end up paying more for the same medical service than they would at independent providers or freestanding clinics – and some may not even ...

Developing wastewater treatment units that treat right where it's generated

Developing wastewater treatment units that treat right where its generated
2024-12-09
Conventional wastewater treatment involves the centralized collection of wastewater from sources through pipes to large-scale treatment plants, where it is treated in bulk. However, this is not feasible in small, decentralized areas such as rural areas. Simple treatment units installed at small non-point sources of pollution mainly focus on disinfection and turbidity improvement, and do not properly decompose the recalcitrant organic matter in wastewater. In addition, even if industrial wastewater is treated in-house, the treatment efficiency is low, and highly ...

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers find rotavirus vaccine is safe for use in NICU babies

2024-12-09
Philadelphia, December 9, 2024 – Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that transmission of rotavirus vaccine strains in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is rare and without clinical consequences, strongly suggesting that giving the rotavirus vaccine to eligible infants during their hospitalization provides immune benefits that outweigh any risks. The findings, published today in the journal Pediatrics, could serve as the basis for a change in clinical practice. Rotavirus is a virus that infects the lining of the intestines and is typically ...

New international guidelines announced for Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

2024-12-09
New guidelines on the diagnosis and management of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) –  developed by the Centre for Research Excellence in Women’s Health in  Reproductive Life (CRE-WHiRL) at Monash University, and key international women’s health organisations with an international team of experts including women with lived experience – will be published today (TBC) simultaneously in three leading journals. POI is defined as loss of ovarian function before 40 years. This is much earlier than the usual age of menopause; occurring at an average age of 48-51 years in women globally. POI affects approximately 4 per cent ...

Supporting parents through “unimaginable pain” of losing child – new toolkit developed for clinicians involved in Child Death Review

2024-12-08
Parents who face the heartbreaking loss of their child should get a specific keyworker to support them through bereavement, wherever they are in the country, according to a set of recommendations informed by new research.   In an academic paper published in Archives of Disease in Childhood today, bereaved parents and academic experts from the University of Birmingham, University of Bristol and Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have outlined their recommendations for support that all bereaved parents ...

Could online technology be a clue as to why boys in Norway are outperforming girls in learning English as a second language?

2024-12-08
Bucking conventionality, boys in Norway are making early gains in reading English as a second language and even outperforming girls at age 10 and 13 – a new a study of more than one million students suggests. Publishing their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, experts from the University of Oslo propose the perhaps unexpected results might be explained by online gaming and experiences with other digital technologies such as YouTube – with English being the language of the internet. “Our ...

A healthy diet helps the weighty battle with chronic pain

2024-12-08
Chronic pain is an acute and debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. And while pain interventions are available, many people struggle without treatment at all.   Now new research from the University of South Australia shows that adopting a healthy diet can reduce the severity of chronic pain, presenting an easy and accessible way for sufferers to better manage their condition.   Exploring associations between body fat, diet, and pain, researchers found that a greater consumption of foods within the Australian Dietary Guidelines was directly associated with lower levels of body ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI model offers accurate and explainable insights to support autism assessment

Process for dealing with sexual misconduct by doctors requires major reform

Severe pregnancy sickness raises risk of mental health conditions by over 50%

Early humans may have walked from Türkiye to mainland Europe, new groundbreaking research suggests

New study shows biochar’s electrical properties can influence rice field methane emissions

Guangdong faces largest chikungunya outbreak on record

Tirzepatide improves blood sugar control in children aged 10-17 years with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on existing therapies (SURPASS-PEDS trial)

An old drug, in a low dose, shown to be safe and effective in preventing progression of type 1 diabetes in children and young people (MELD-ATG trial)

Study reports potential effects of verapamil in slowing progression of type 1 diabetes

Fresh hope for type 1 diabetes as daily pill that slows onset confirms promise at 2-year follow-up

New estimates predict over 4 million missing people who would be alive in 2025 if not for inadequate type 1 diabetes care

So what should we call this – a grue jay?

Chicago Quantum Exchange-led coalition advances to final round in NSF Engine competition

Study identifies candidates for therapeutic targets in pediatric germ cell tumors

Media alert: The global burden of CVD

Study illuminates contributing factors to blood vessel leakage

What nations around the world can learn from Ukraine

Mixing tree species does not always make forests more drought-resilient

Public confidence in U.S. health agencies slides, fueled by declines among Democrats

“Quantum squeezing” a nanoscale particle for the first time

El Niño spurs extreme daily rain events despite drier monsoons in India

Two studies explore the genomic diversity of deadly mosquito vectors

Zebra finches categorize their vocal calls by meaning

Analysis challenges conventional wisdom about partisan support for US science funding

New model can accurately predict a forest’s future

‘Like talking on the telephone’: Quantum computing engineers get atoms chatting long distance

Genomic evolution of major malaria-transmitting mosquito species uncovered

Overcoming the barriers of hydrogen storage with a low-temperature hydrogen battery

Tuberculosis vulnerability of people with HIV: a viral protein implicated

Partnership with Kenya's Turkana community helps scientists discover genes involved in adaptation to desert living

[Press-News.org] Toxic air in Texas high schools
Study finds that students and teachers may be exposed to semivolatile organic compounds released by furniture and building materials in schools