OCCUPATIONAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALTY SECTION NEWSLETTER

Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology Winter 2004-2005

MISSION

The Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section (OPHSS) is a newly formed Section resulting from the merger of the Occupational Health and the Epidemiology Specialty Sections. The goal of the OPHSS is to advance the integration of exposure, toxicological and epidemiological principles and research approaches in addressing occupational, environmentally- related and public health issues. The OPHSS seeks to achieve this goal by: (1) identifying and encouraging integrative research to further the understanding of the impact of exposure to chemicals, pollutants and pharmaceutical drugs on the general and susceptible populations, and, in turn, (2) better informing regulatory decisions and actions that impact both individual and population health, (3) identifying and promoting the continual development and application of emerging methods, tools, and models, and (4) sponsor and support activities to attract the next generation of scientists to occupational and environmental public health..

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Greetings Fellow OPHSS Members:

I hope this message finds you healthy, happy, and in good cheer for the upcoming holiday season. If your year has been anything like mine, the demands on your time have been greater than ever and that cursed e-mail inbox fills faster than it empties. So amidst all the stress and worry, be sure to stop, take a breath, and enjoy the things that truly matter during those precious few days you have to relax. Next year is bound to be just as hectic and the demands just as great.

As is customary for the current president, I have prepared a brief snapshot of the strengths, weakness, and future challenges of our specialty section. As many of you know, our group has undergone dramatic change in the last year with the merger of the old Occupational Health and Epidemiology Specialty Sections. What you may not know is that the merger ballot passed by a very wide margin with both specialty sections recognizing the advantages of pooling our resources and focusing on the future. In agreement with the terms of the merger, the President- Elect and Vice-President of the old Occupational Health Specialty Section have assumed the same positions in the new group, with the president of the Epidemiology Specialty Section becoming a past-president. With one small exception this is exactly what occurred on May 1st, the date when the merger took effect. Following the merger, Hal Zenick, past-president of the Epidemiology Specialty Section, ran for election as Vice-President Elect of the new section and won the office. So, the past president of the Epidemiology Section has now become Vice President Elect of the combined section. Hal was elected to office along with three of his compatriots from the Epidemiology section. Martha Moore, Geary Olsen, and Bryan Hardin have joined with Heather Burleigh-Flayer and myself to form your new officer corps for 2005. Together, this cadre of officers has worked hard to ensure a smooth transition and their constant help and sage advice has been invaluable.

With the merger and election now complete, our roster has grown to 118 members, which is 12% greater than the number expected from the 2003 membership for the two sections. I can only believe that the expanded scope of the new section has broadened our appeal to a few, previously uncommitted, rank and file members of the SOT. If this is true, then the mandate is clear; to maintain and develop our membership we need to find ways to recognize, support, and facilitate our new community health mandate. This is a top priority for our section and one that we will continue to focus on throughout next year.

An area where we have been very successful is in the development of symposia ideas for the annual meeting. OPHSS members submitted a record setting seven proposals for workshop, symposia, or roundtable sessions this year. All seven proposals were fully endorsed and sponsored by our specialty section and two were ultimately accepted by the Program Committee. OPHHS also agreed to co-sponsor another fourteen proposals from other specialty sections that sought our support. Six of these proposals were then selected for the final program. I cannot emphasize enough how important this activity is for our group. By continuing to propose and submit cutting-edge ideas for new symposia, we maintain our status and elevate our role as the only specialty section focusing on practical community health concerns. We need you, the membership, to continue with your efforts in this area and to stay involved. The deadline for submitting proposals for the 2006 Annual Meeting will ride closely on the heals of the 2005 meeting. We typically have six weeks or less from the end of the Annual Meeting to prepare a new slate of proposals. So make a mental note of any new topics that are worthy of review and drop us a quick line after the meeting. We need your input.

Before finishing, I have one final note concerning attendance at our annual specialty section meeting. For the past few years, we have seen a dramatic and precipitous decline in attendance at the meeting, which is always held in conjunction with the SOT Annual Meeting. Last year was particularly disappointing with fewer than 10 people showing up for the awards ceremony and mixer. I know that many of you have a full schedule of events and meetings following the daily sessions, and the annual section meeting may not be high on your list of evening activities; but the section meeting is an important occasion and your participation is a sign of your support. It also provides us with our only opportunity to meet face to face and exchange information. So please make every attempt to attend this year if your traveling to New Orleans. I hope to see many more faces this year.

Dave Morgott PLEASE ATTEND OUR SPECIALTY SECTION MEETING AT SOT

The Specialty Section meeting at this year's SOT will be Monday, March 7 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Please check the meeting Program for the location. This years’ Specialty Section meeting is particularly important because it will provide an opportunity for members of our predecessor groups to get to know each other and to chart the course for our newly merged Section. We look forward to seeing you there! OPHSS SPONSORED SYMPOSIA AT THE 2005 SOT MEETING

The Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section will be sponsoring three symposia at this year's SOT Meeting in New Orleans. The OPHSS sponsored symposia are:

Primary sponsorship Brominated Flame Retardants: New Findings Advances in Material Safety Data Sheet Communication

Secondary Sponsorship Dietary Acrylamide: New or Ancient Risk? Pesticide Neurotoxicity In Adults: Integrating Contributions from Epidemiology and Toxicology The Multi-site Ambient Particle Study (MAPS): An Integrated Approach to Studying Health Effects of PM Components. Genetic Susceptibility and Metal Toxicity Update on Mechanisms for Environmental Tobacco Smoke-Induced Health Effects Fundamentals of Nanotechnology: Chemistry, Exposure, Health/Environmental Assessments and Societal Impacts.

Please look for these events at the SOT Meeting and plan to attend!

CALL FOR OPHSS AWARD NOMINATIONS

Specialty Section Occupational and Public Health Award Title Student Award 1) The abstract must be published in conjunction with research presented at the 2005 Annual Meeting. 2) Current Pre- or Post-Doctoral students in attendance at the 2005 Annual Meeting are eligible to compete for Student Awards 3) The subject matter must be materially-related to occupational and/or environmental public health or an associated Award Requirements discipline. 4) The nomination must come from a member of the Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section. Submission requirements include a submission by March 1, 2005 of an extended abstract no longer than 1 page long and a letter of support, from the advisor outlining the student's role in the research. Platform or poster presentations are eligible. Occupational/Environmental Health, Industrial Toxicology, Biomarkers/Biomonitoring, Areas of Research Medical/Public Health Surveillance, Epidemiology, Susceptible Populations Deadline 02/01/2005 Contact Harold Zenick ([email protected]) Winner Receives Plaque and a $250 cash award. Specialty Section Occupational and Public Health Award Title Best Manuscript Award

1) The paper must be published in the preceding year issue of Toxicological Sciences or Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 2) The principal author must be a doctoral or post- doctoral student at a recognized university or research institute. 3) The subject matter must Award Requirements be materially-related to occupational health and/or environmental public health or an associated discipline. 4) The nomination must come from a member of the occupational and public health specialty section.

Occupational/Environmental Health, Industrial Toxicology, Biomarkers/Biomonitoring, Areas of Research Medical/Public Health Surveillance, Epidemiology, Susceptible Populations Deadline 02/01/2005 Contact Harold Zenick ([email protected]) Winner Receives Plaque and a $250 cash award.

THINKING AHEAD – 2006 SOT MEETING

It is not too soon to be thinking of ideas for symposia and workshop topics for the 2006 SOT Meeting. Proposals will be due to SOT soon after the New Orleans meeting. We need your ideas. Please send a short summary of your proposals to Hal Zenick ([email protected]) by February 1.

Influenza Immunization Update for the SOT Occupational Health Specialty Section

Most of you have probably heard that one of the two manufacturers of influenza vaccine is unable to deliver vaccine this year. Aventis, the remaining manufacturer, has agreed with CDC to target shipments of its vaccine directly to medical providers that care for high-risk patients. Because of these developments, many employers have cancelled their employee influenza immunization clinics this year. Workers and their family members who meet the CDC high-risk criteria are asked to contact their primary care provider as soon as possible to arrange for vaccination.

CDC recommends vaccination for:

*People 65 years of age and older *Children ages 6 months to 23 months *Adults and children 2 years of age and older with chronic lung or heart disorders including heart disease and asthma *Pregnant women *Adults and children 2 years of age and older with chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes), kidney diseases blood disorders (such as sickle cell anemia), or weakened immune systems, including persons with HIV/AIDS *Children and teenagers, 6 months to 18 years of age, who take aspirin daily *Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities *Household members and out-of-home caregivers of infants under the age of 6 months (Children under the age of 6 months cannot be vaccinated.) *Healthcare workers who provide direct, hands-on care to patients.

According to CDC, healthy people 2 to 64 years of age are asked not to get vaccinated this year at all or to wait to get their vaccine after persons in the priority groups in their area have had a chance to be vaccinated, so that available vaccine can go to protect those at greater risk for flu complications.

For more information, visit the CDC Web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/pdf/0405shortage.pdf

Footnote:

Efficient large worksite influenza immunization programs are feasible and worthy of employer consideration for economic and employee satisfaction reasons. The cancellation of employer- sponsored influenza immunization clinics may result in a decrease of worker productivity over the upcoming influenza immunization season. The three most important factors in cost-benefit analyses of worksite influenza immunization programs have been shown to be the vaccine cost and its administration, the efficacy of the vaccine, and the assumptions used to calculate lost productivity from worker absenteeism or decreased effectiveness. Based on several models published in the literature, estimates of savings per healthy working adult employee have generally ranged between $15 and $50. Variations of this net savings are primarily based on assumptions of productivity estimates of the employee.

Fate of NIOSH Debated in a Reorganized CDC

In March of this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of which the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is a part, announced a major reorganization (www.cdc.gov/futures). As part of that reorganization, a new Coordinating Center for Environmental and Occupational Health and Injury Prevention was announced that would Acluster@ the National Center for Environmental Health, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and NIOSH under a single Director. Only that new Coordinating Center Director would report directly to the CDC Director.

All living former Directors of NIOSH opposed the plan in a letter to Science Magazine (305(5684):607, 30 July 2004) and four former Assistant Secretaries of Labor (3 former OSHA Administrators and 1 former MSHA Adminstrator) and a former Assistant Secretary of Energy opposed the plan in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Thompson. Active opposition has been mounted by a remarkable array of professional societies, labor unions, business and employer representatives, and trade associations, many of which have found little else to agree upon in many years.

The occupational safety and health community objected that CDC had failed to consult with or seek the advice of the public constituencies that depend upon NIOSH research, education, and service programs. These constituents expressed concern that the CDC plan would weaken NIOSH, reduce visibility and public access to NIOSH, interfere with the ability of NIOSH to discharge statutory and regulatory obligations, and make the Institute more vulnerable to having even more of its budget diverted from NIOSH programs to other CDC priorities. In response, CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding met with an invited group of some concerned parties to reassure them of her unqualified support for NIOSH. One participating organization later reported that she Afailed to convince any of the attendees that this move was in the best interest of occupational safety and health@ (The Synergist 15(11):19, 2004), and many of these individuals and organizations began to advocate removal of NIOSH from CDC. Transfer to the National Institutes of Health, elevation to independent agency status within DHHS, and transfer to the Department of Labor as an independent agency have all been proposed.

The Senate 2005 appropriations report specifically directed CDC to A(1 ) make no changes to NIOSH=s current operating procedures and organizational structure and, (2) ensure that no funds or personnel will be transferred from NIOSH to other components of CDC by means other than traditional reprogramming of funds.@ That Appropriating Committee language notwithstanding, it has been reported that CDC nevertheless changed the reporting relationships of NIOSH budget analysts, health communications, and public relations staff to bypass the Director of NIOSH and have them report directly to CDC, eliminated the NIOSH authority to print its own publications, and tapped into 17% of the NIOSH budget to support the CDC infrastructure.

The most recent development is that the House and Senate budget conference committee endorsed the Senate language. The final conference report stated “the Conferees concur in the directives in the Senate report regarding the NIOSH reporting relationship with the Director of CDC, their operating procedures, and organizational structure.” It remains to be seen whether this will cause CDC to reverse organizational changes already made, to return funds taken, or to suspend the reorganization plan entirely as it relates to NIOSH. Meanwhile, the broad coalition that opposed the CDC plan is likely to continue to advocate removal of NIOSH from CDC

MEET THE OFFICERS:

PRESIDENT DAVID MORGOTT, PH.D.

Dr. David Morgott is a staff toxicologist with the Scientific and Regulatory Analysis group in Health, Safety, and Environment at Eastman Kodak Company. He has previously held positions in the Mammalian Toxicology, Biochemical Toxicology, and Industrial Hygiene while at Kodak. In addition to his responsibilities as a team leader and technical specialist within Kodak, Dr. Morgott has been a member of numerous technical committees outside the company, including: the Chemical Manufacturers Association Sensory Irritation Task Group, the American Industrial Hygiene Association’s Biological Monitoring Committee, the Society of Toxicology Occupational Heath Specialty Section, and Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association VOC Reactivity Task Group. He has broad experience in scientific issues related to pharmacokinetics, urban air pollution, and occupational health. Dr. Morgott received his education at the University of Michigan where he obtained an MPH in Industrial Hygiene and Ph.D. in Toxicology. He is board certified in Industrial Hygiene, Toxicology, and Medical Technology.

VICE-PRESIDENT HEATHER D. BURLEIGH-FLAYER, PH.D. Heather Burleigh-Flayer currently serves as the Manager of Industrial Toxicology at PPG Industries, Inc. Her responsibilities include designing and conducting toxicology testing programs for new PPG products and managing regulatory initiatives concerning existing PPG products. Prior to her employment with PPG Industries, Dr. Burleigh-Flayer was employed by Bushy Run Research Center, Union Carbide Corporation where she served as Manager of the Inhalation Toxicology Department. While at Bushy Run, she implemented methodology to evaluate the ability of airborne chemicals to produce sensory irritation and pulmonary hypersensitivity. Dr. Burleigh-Flayer’s educational background includes a B.S. in physiology from Michigan State University as well as a M.S. in industrial hygiene and a Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been an active member of the Allegheny-Erie Chapter of the Society of Toxicology (A-E SOT) serving as both a Councilor and Vice-President. She currently serves on the A-E SOT Education Committee. Dr. Burleigh-Flayer is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

VICE-PRESIDENT ELECT HAROLD ZENICK, PH.D.

. Harold (Hal) Zenick is the Associate Director for Health, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in the Office of Research and Development in the U.S. EPA. Dr. Zenick earned a Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology from the University of Missouri with a Post- Doctoral Fellowship in Toxicology at the University of Cincinnati. Before coming to EPA, Dr. Zenick spent 13 years in academia. Dr. Zenick serves as EPA's liaison to the NIEHS and the National Center for Environmental Health/CDC Advisory Boards. He was also recently appointed to the ILSI/HESI Emerging Issues Steering Committee.

Currently, he serves as EPA’s Chair of the Health Effects Institute Advisory Board and is leading several emerging Agency programs including development of public heath indicators to measure impact of environmental decisions, a National Agenda on the Environment and Aging, and oversight for two National Academy of Science projects, namely, Futures of Toxicity Testing/Assessment and Human Biomonitoring. Dr. Zenick has also served as the President of the Reproductive and Development and Epidemiology Specialty Sections. He is a member of APHA and ISEE.

His current interests are in integrating environmental, biomonitoring and health indicators in assessing environmental progress and the application of emerging computational and molecule sciences in improving risk assessment/risk management practices.

SECRETARY/TREASURER MARTHA MOORE, PH.D.

Martha M. Moore is the Director of the Division of Genetic and Reproductive Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Arkansas. Previously, she was the Chief of the Genetic and Cellular Toxicology Branch, Environmental Carcinogenesis Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Dr. Moore received a BA degree in Biology from Western Maryland College, Westminster, Maryland and a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has served on numerous EPA, FDA and other Government Agency advisory groups and committees. She is a member (and past Councilor) of the Environmental Mutagen Society, member (and past- president) of the Genotoxicity and Environmental Mutagen Society and member of the Genetic Toxicology Association. Within SOT, Dr. Moore is a member of the Risk Assessment, Regulatory and Safety Evaluation and Carcinogenesis Sections. She has been a member of the Epidemiology Section since its inception. She has served as a councilor for both the Epidemiology and Carcinogenesis Specialty Sections. Her research interests include: (1) the development and utilization of mechanistically based in vitro and in vivo gene mutation assays (2) the interpretation and use of genetic toxicology data in cancer risk assessment and (3) the utilization and integration of genetic biomarkers in rodents and humans for public health protection.

COUNCILOR BRYAN D. HARDIN, PH.D.

Bryan Hardin received his Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Cincinnati, Kettering Laboratory. He served in the US Public Health Service with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) from 1972 to 2000, at which time he held the Public Health Service title of Assistant Surgeon General. Career highlights include research that identified the reproductive and developmental toxicity of the ethylene glycol ethers, authorship of the “Joint Advisory Notice” on HBV and HIV, and serving as Director of the NIOSH Washington Office, Lead Senior Scientist for the NIOSH Director, and Deputy Director of NIOSH.

Dr Hardin is now a Principal with GlobalTox, Inc., in Redmond, Washington. Current interests include the health effects of indoor molds and mycotoxins, and he was lead author of the “Evidence-Based Statement” on indoor molds adopted as the policy of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Hardin is a member of the Society of Toxicology, the American College of Toxicology, the Teratology Society, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. He is a member of the AIHA’s Emergency Response Planning Committee and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

Councilor Geary W. Olsen, DVM, Ph.D.

Geary Olsen is a staff scientist at 3M (St. Paul, MN) specializing in occupational epidemiology. His primary research interest is the epidemiology and toxicology of fluorochemicals. Prior to 3M, he was an epidemiologist at the Dow Chemical Company (1985-1995) and the Minnesota Department of Health (1981-1985). He has a D.V.M. degree from the University of Illinois and M.P.H. (veterinary public health) and Ph.D. (epidemiology) degrees from the University of Minnesota. He served as chair of the S.O.T. Epidemiology Section in 2001. Besides S.O.T., he is a Fellow in the American College of Epidemiology. U.S. EPA’s Report on the Environment In November 2001, the Administrator announced EPA's "Environmental Indicators Initiative" intended to improve the Agency's ability to report on the status and trends in environmental conditions and their impacts on human health and the environment. As part of the initiative, the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) were requested to produce EPA's first "Report on the Environment" (http://epa.gov/indicators/roe/index.ht m). The report is organized into five chapters; Cleaner Air, Purer Water, Better Protected Land, Human Health and Ecological Condition. Each chapter presents a set of questions, answered where possible by indicators and supporting data. The Human Health and Ecological Condition chapters present questions, indicators and data come that are intended reflect "outcomes" for both Human Health and Ecological Condition. A companion Draft Report on the Environment Technical Document (http://epa.gov/indicators/roe/html/tsd/ tsdTOC.htm) provides the scientific foundation for the Draft Report on the Environment and discusses in detail the indicators and data that are currently available, as well as their limitations. In addition, the reports highlight the information gaps and challenges that must be addressed in order to better answer the key questions in the future. The Agency is currently working on the next report with release anticipated in 2006. The reports will also play an important role in defining research to be conducted or sponsored by ORD. Two highly related activities include OEI’s effort to create a National Environmental Information Exchange Network ww.exchangenetwork.net and the CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking).

NEW NEWS

Please send any information that you would like to see included in the next newsletter to Martha Moore at [email protected]. The newsletter will be published again in the spring of 2005