" Luke Curtis is currently a 3rd year medical student
at the University of Illinois at Rockford. He has a masters degree
in environmental/occupational health science from University of
Illinois at Chicago and a masters in biology from Loyola University
of Chicago. He has worked 10
years as an industrial hygienist and is a CIH= certified industrial
hygienist. Luke has published 14 research papers on indoor/ outdoor
air quality, fungi and control of TB and Aspergillus infections.
He has written articles and medical research columns for the Human
Ecologist for the past 11 years. He has given several dozen presentations
to various groups and will teach 3 courses on indoor/ outdoor
air quality,fungi and toxicology at the American Academy of Environmental
Medicine meeting in St. Louis, Missouri on February 16-17,2002.
In 1995, he received a Centers for Disease Control (CIH) commendation
for his work on a lung hemorrhage project. After graduation, Luke
is planning on a combined clinical/ research career in allergy
and/or occupational
medicine."
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has an excellent site
on leaf
and trash burning at www.iowaclean.com.
*PET DOGS AND INDOOR CANCER RISK- Home use of kerosene heaters and/or wood stoves,
storage of solvents/pesticides in house, and use of flea sprays were all associated with significantly
greater risk of nasal cancer in the dogs.- John Bukowski Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 1
998 Part A; 54:579-591. A case-control study of 240 dogs with sinus cancers and 329 controls
was conducted to determine association between home environment and cancer
risk. All of these dogs spent most of their time indoors at home. Home use of
kerosene heaters and/or wood stoves, storage of solvents/pesticides in house, and
use of flea sprays were all associated with significantly greater risk of nasal
cancer in the dogs.- John Bukowski et al. Environmental causes for sinonasal cancers in pet
dogs, and their usefulness as sentinels of indoor cancer risk. Journal of
Toxicology and Environmental Health 1998 Part A; 54:579-591.
*(Wood smoke contains Toluene)LOW LEVEL TOLUENE EXPOSURE, POORER MEMORY
AND MENTAL FUNCTION, AND SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER LEVELS OF T-CELL ANTIGEN
BINDING MOLECULES
An Australian study exposed 20 solvent-sensitive patients to 15 parts
per million (ppm) toluene for 20 minutes. This concentration of toluene is well
below the OSHA PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) of 50 ppm toluene over 8 hours. Following
exposure to the low concentrations of toluene, the solvent-exposed patients did
significantly poorer on several tests of long and short term memory and had significantly slower
reaction time as compared to similar tests taken before the toluene exposure. The 20
solvent-sensitive subjects also had significantly higher concentrations of T-cell antibody binding
molecules (TABMs) to benzoic acid as compared to 16 controls. Toluene is a metabolite
of benzene and higher levels of TABMs to benzene may increase a persons sensitivity
to toluene and other aromatic solvents.
- Colin Little et al. Clinical and immunological responses in subjects
sensitive to solvents. Archives of Environmental Health 1999;54(1):6-14.
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