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A Matter of Public Health, York Avenue, New York, NY (2025)

09/12/2021

Health Effects of the 9/11 attack 🫁

Today when we remember this tragedy, it's not just about the horror of what had befallen NYC, but also the bravery of so many and the loss of others. Yet it is also about what has lasted long after: the horrible health effects in those exposed to the WTC dust. We must not forget how these individuals are still suffering today, a cruel punishment for their bravery in helping others on this tragic day, for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time, for being trapped.

🏙 The WTC attack created an "acute environmental disaster" and the exposures sustained from the WTC dust of the destructed buildings is a unique adverse health exposure.
💨 WTC dust mostly contained: pulverized cement, glass fibers and asbestos, toxic metals (lead) and highly toxic persistent industrial pollutants (PCBs and PAHs).
✈️ The deliberate crash of the airplanes lead to over 90,000 L of jet fuel at 1000 degrees C combusting into the atmosphere, creating a toxic plume of heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and hydrochloric acid.

Ground zero was certainly the main site of concern, but the dust settled in schools, residential buildings across lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and beyond. So many people were exposed and the CDC identified populations at greatest risk: first responders, firefighters, police, construction workers, rescue/recovery volunteers, those who lived or worked or cleaned nearby, pregnant women and children. They were exposed to these coarse dust particles that had long-term ramifications on their respiratory health and cancer risk.

These exposed groups continue to get health aid and health research focus today. Unfortunately many of their conditions are chronic and burdensome. Please think about them today along with those who perished #911

PMIDs: 15121517, 33036199

08/19/2021

Matters of 🌎 are not a short list nor narrowly defined as something that affects ALL of us directly

Often times topics are overlooked either because they affect small groups of people, or people in developing countries or certain age groups/s*xes.

But, what we fail to see is that the growing burden of issues ultimately rests on us, whether financially or as an intellectual loss, as a society, we do pay for it.

Other cases are too politically charged and never discussed openly despite being a blatant public health issue. These issues limit our growth as a society!

In light of the issues in I realize many women and children are most likely to suffer the brunt of it there, affecting their futures as a nation. But this offers us a chance to see how it relates back to us, sitting on the other side of the world - why should we care? We can help them out while also recognizing where things are lacking in our own countries.

I made this list of topics that I personally consider to be public health issues. They are generally overlooked but should be openly discussed just as much as the typical “public health” issues are, such as alcoholism, drug overdose, motor vehicle injuries, food safety and communicable diseases.

If you think of any other public health issues that aren’t readily discussed or recognized and your thoughts on these, please share them in the comments! ⬇️
*xism

06/04/2021

A caveat to the adage of “The Dose Makes The Poison” is the period of fetal development. We call this “developmental vulnerability.”

The fetus is developing in the mother’s uterus and each week different organs are forming. Therefore, each week confers a sensitive time point at which if the mother were exposed to a certain toxicant, that toxicant can affect the baby. Many other variables are involved here but for the purposes of this concept we need to understand that the mother may not suffer a toxic effect, but the baby can.

Why? Because the baby is not fully formed yet, it cannot protect itself and there is the potential that a toxicant can harm the baby more in week 3 of pregnancy than in week 37.

Why? Because in week 3 the internal organs are starting to form. This is a “window of susceptibility” - the central nervous system in week 3 is just developing but at week 37 it’s fully formed. So a toxicant may harm the baby’s developing nervous system if the mother is exposed early in pregnancy but not so much in the 3rd trimester. If exposure happens in week 3 it may have lasting effects or major congenial anomalies vs minor anomalies/defects in late pregnancy.

Therefore, when it comes to fetal development it is the TIMING that makes the poison, not the dose.

Many variables need to be considered and dose will still play a role at some point. But timing is what matters. We will discuss further with examples. Drop your questions below ⤵️ & share!

05/01/2021

“The DOSE makes the POISON” ☠️ Paracelsus, the father of toxicology, is credited with this key scientific adage. He was a physician who said this over 500 years ago!

It is still very applicable today. People are so afraid of “chemicals” but technically everything is a . is hyperbole and fear-mongering.

If you consume enough water you can die. Sure you’d need a ton of water in one sitting to experience water toxemia, but the point is that even something as essential as H2O can kill you at the right . Similarly, we can have beneficial or effects from taking 2 tablets of ibuprofen but 7 tablets would be , 60 tablets would kill you. Conversely, other chemicals are so toxic that minuscule amounts would kill you: snake venom, botulinum toxin (bacteria Cl botulinum), tetrodotoxin (puffer fish!) are all examples of natural chemicals that in tiny doses are enough to cause lethal toxicity.

This concept is applicable in our daily lives. You don’t have to be afraid of everything around you. Because the dose we are exposed to, the route of exposure and how it gets metabolized in our bodies is what governs it’s toxicity. Those ads or influencers telling you that xyz is toxic because it’s a chemical or those trying to sell their supplements/detox tea because it’s “all-natural” as BSing you 🤬 Everything and anything can be toxic at the right concentration and those people don’t understand that concept, they’re using your fear to convince you to buy something that could very well also be toxic.

But we live in a highly developed and complex world today. So there are caveats, which I have put in the last pic (+ potent carcinogens). I will expand on those later.

04/13/2021

Phthalates (thah-lates) are plasticizers found in many items all around us! They’re man-made compounds added to make plastic more durable and flexible. As such, they have utility from an industrial standpoint and are high-volume compounds (meaning they are used often and in many items around us).

The issue is - they are endocrine disruptors. Inside our bodies phthalates mimic our natural hormones and can affect our hormones levels, reproductive function and overall metabolic health. Because they’re found everywhere it’s also hard to eliminate exposure. BUT we can limit it!

How to limit exposure:
🔵Don’t heat up things in plastic or use plastic containers/bottles/dishes. The heat leaches out the phthalates into the food and then we ingest it.

🔵Limit ordering take out 🥡 and don’t re-use those containers.

🔵Use glass containers or food/medical-grade silicone straws or covers & silicone pacifiers for kids.

🔵Try to avoid kids toys made of plastic and discourage them from putting toys in their mouths. Toss them if they off-gas.

🔵Limit fragrances (detergents, air fresheners, cologne/perfumes) and cosmetic use. Look for fragrance-free products when you shop.

🤔What products do you avoid or replace to limit your phthalate exposure?
💬Comment ⤵️ and let me know!

🌟 Please share this post with friends who may need it by tagging them below!

03/27/2021

Does size matter? 🍆🙈
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A recent article popped up citing Dr. Shanna Swan’s (Mount Sinai) research in which she suggests that fertility rates are falling! This has been linked to phthalate exposure, a compound found in plastic to make them more flexible and durable.
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(THAH-LATES) mimic our hormones, (like estrogen and testosterone ) that exist in a specific amount in our bodies. They are Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs), meaning we introduce a compound that looks like our hormones, it can trigger processes in our bodies that shouldn’t have been started or should be ongoing to a lesser degree.
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For example, early puberty onset has been linked to phthalates. This is likely because the phthalates are mimicking our s*x hormones and starting processes sooner than it should be turned on.
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So what about pe**le length? Well studies in mice exposed to phthalates showed shrunken ge****ls 🍆 . In humans, males exposed through their mother to phthalates in the womb were born with shorter AnoGenital Distance (AGD). This measures the distance from the a**s to the ge****ls. It correlates to pe**le volume and indicates endocrine disruption. Later in life this may impact overall ( ***m count, viability) in males, especially if the tissues and genes 🧬 have also been affected.
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The next few posts will discuss phthalates further and ways to reduce exposure! Please drop your questions below. ❤️ & share 💫
https://news.sky.com/story/amp/human-p***ses-are-shrinking-because-of-pollution-warns-scientist-12255106
***s ***senlargement

03/22/2021

Excited and pleased to announce that my colleague and I submitted a joint written testimony this past Friday to the State of Connecticut General Assembly to support the ban of compounds in food packaging under Bill 926! Swipe through to see and read our published testimony on the CGA website.
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The hearings, held virtually are ongoing but hopefully this bill gets pushed through. At the moment, Vermont unanimously pushed through their PFAS bill, the most expansive in the country. It restricts PFAS, BPA and phthalates from food packaging, fire fighting foams, textiles (carpets, rugs), anti-stain treatments and ski waxes. Maine, New York and Washington are also states that have prohibited PFAS in food packaging so this is a step in the right direction for CT to follow suit.
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I’ve covered PFAS in my previous posts so please be sure to check it out for more info!
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You can also check out the other testimonies submitted by agencies like Consumer Reports and the American Chemistry Council on the CGA. CT. Gov website.
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Feel free to ask any questions below or via DM.
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03/19/2021

We live in the age of information, right at our fingertips 📲
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👎🏻 But as a result we are also readily exposed to (unintentional false info) and (intentional false info).
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Sometimes it’s hard to spot misinformation precisely because it’s not intentional. Those who spread it don’t know better and we may find them to be trustworthy! But that doesn’t mean that as consumers of information we can’t do our due diligence.
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So here are a few tips on how to spot misinformation:

🙅🏻‍♀️ The claims are too good to be true/outrageous.
🙅🏻‍♀️ The person/organization is trying to sell you something, has a vested interest or ulterior motive.
🙅🏻‍♀️ There are a lack of substantiated resources or no sources cited for their claims.
🙅🏻‍♀️ They tell you to completely avoid something specific or to only exclusively consume something specific.
🙅🏻‍♀️ They use emotions/feel-good stories/fear to get you to buy into what they’re saying.
🙅🏻‍♀️ They rely heavily on their own experience or anecdotal experience instead of thorough evidence to support their claims.
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There are probably more examples but these are what I look for. If I see someone on social media saying to “do this one thing” to get white teeth/get rid of belly fat/get clear skin, etc. that’s a red flag 🚩 They are full of s**t 💩
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This issue is especially important now. During the pandemic era we live in, how much misinformation have you seen regarding covid, vaccines, safety precautions and masking? 😷 🦠 You probably noted that much of it was fear-based, especially with the vaccine. That’s intentional because drawing of fears or quick fixes makes us emotional and less likely to pursue logic or ask questions⁉️This is also why falsehoods spread so fast, people fall for it and then spread that to others out of their fear.
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Arm yourself against misinformation. Ask what the motive is, does it seem to good to be true? Then it probably is. ✅ 🚫
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Do you have any tips? Share below ⬇️

03/15/2021

People tend to be mistrusting of 🧬
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It honestly frustrates me when people mistrust science, especially these days amidst the 🦠 🌎 when misinformation can create serious negative consequences for themselves and others.
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Science is an exercise in seeking the t r u t h 🧐 As we want to understand and reveal how the world works and why it works as it does. We want to find, study and share that to help others! This has to be done in an unbiased and thorough manner, which of course we call the 🧪 And if you are someone who does their research in similar unbiased manner or looking at evidence-based findings, then you are a scientist yourself, regardless of your credentials! 🤓 📊
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Look around you; everything that you see is the result of science. From how the light switch works to illuminate your space to how your car runs to get you to work to how the your reflection shines off the mirror to your smart phone enabling you to scroll social media to how your joint moves in its socket - it is all science, it is the truth.
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Sure there can be negative uses of science or manipulation of data to create mistruths, that’s besides the point. But ultimately we are all seeking the truth and many scientists and doctors strive to uncover it to help you, to progress society, to cure or improve diseases and understand how the world works.
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Any opinions or insights to share that would help people trust science? Please comment below I’d love to know ☺️
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prop is a female scientist with a 🔍 and a carbon dating gun and her microscope 🔬

03/14/2021

Science Deconstructed Round 2: Where I take a scientific peer-reviewed article and break it down into lay science for you! This time, I’m distilling it down even more. Just the bare bones explanation of what they did, why they did it, their results and the take home message.

I’ve been discussing Per-PolyFluoro Alkyl Substances (PFAS) here for a week now, and here we are showcasing some studies that drive home why PFAS are harmful to our health. In my PFAS series posts previously I explain that they are persistent and immunotoxic. For tips pm how to reduce PFAS exposure, please see my past posts.

This paper was published in JAMA in 2012.

AIM: Assess how higher PFAS/PFC exposure in this Faroe Island population affects the immune response (antibody levels) of children after getting routine childhood diphtheria and teta**s vaccines at age 5 and the booster shot at age 7.

WHY: PFAS have negative effects on how the immune system functions (immunotoxic), exposure in the womb and during postnatal life can accumulate and prevent children from developing full antibody immunity from routine vaccines to harmful diseases.

METHOD: This prospective cohort study enrolled n=656 pregnant Faroese women (1997-2000) and followed their children (n=587) up until age 7. Children got routine vaccines (Diphtheria and Teta**s) at ages 5 and 7 (booster). Their blood serum was measured for PFAS concentrations and antibodies to both vaccines at ages 5 and 7. Maternal blood serum PFAS were also measured before they gave birth.

RESULTS: Highest PFAS in the serum of children were PFOA and PFOS (two longer chain PFAS that are prevalent). PFOS in maternal pregnancy serum was strongly associated with reduced diphtheria antibodies in their children at age 5. The PFAS in children at age 5 were associated with reduced antibodies at age 7 (when they get their booster shots). Their modeling shows that a 2-fold increase in PFAS in children’s blood serum was associated with an overall decrease in antibody concentration by half, which fell below the clinically protective antibody level (meaning they may not be protected against these diseases despite the vaccine, as PFAS exposure may have reduced their immunity) at age 7 for both teta**s and diphtheria.

CONCLUSION: Higher exposure to PFAS is associated with decreased long-term immune responses to routine childhood immunizations.

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03/14/2021

M O R E F A C T S LESS FEAR
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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been curious about science. I always wanted to know how and why things work the way the do or why something is what it is 🤔 Often I was a quiet and observant child who would and still does study things and looks up everything 🧐 I want to know the facts!
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Most often I find that when I do learn the facts, I become less confused, less fearful. During these and 🦠 times, this is even more imperative.
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Fear-mongering 😰 and misinformation are creating more fearfulness 😟 and when we act out of fear we can hurt others and ourselves. So ultimately, understanding and knowing the facts can greatly reduce fear.
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I am here to cut through the BS 💩 and give you the 📠 so you can be less and more aware 😎

03/10/2021

Science Deconstructed: Where I take a scientific peer-reviewed article and break it down into lay science for you!
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Since I’ve discussed PFAS here, let’s continue with that. In my PFAS series posts previously I explain that they are persistent and immunotoxic man-made compounds that are everywhere in our environment. I will only discuss the main take-aways here, but know that there are many caveats to all research papers. Please swipe through pics for more. This paper was published recently in PLOS ONE and I presented it in my Postdoc Journal Club last week.
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AIM: COVID19 severity associated with blood plasma PFAS concentrations in a Danish cohort.
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METHOD: The study measured PFAS levels in blood samples that were stored within a specific timeframe close to participants were COVID+. They account for the breakdown (half-life) of PFAS in the body, age, s*x, nationality, chronic disease status, place of testing, time to diagnosis.
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RESULTS: Older patients (age 50-70), males and those of Western European nationality had higher median PFAS levels in their blood plasma. In terms of COVID severity, the older, male and chronic diseased patients were more likely to be in the ICU or die (not surprising). The odds ratio (or association between PFAS exposure and higher COVID severity) was higher for people with higher levels of specifically PFBA (a type of PFAS compound), even when they account for age, s*x, chronic disease, national origin, etc.
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DISCUSSION: Overall there may be worsened COVID19 clinical outcomes from having higher PFAS exposure. PFBA may be implicated in the worsened outcomes because it tends to accumulate in the lungs. This study is useful in that it has individual study subject measurements and they account for timeline of sample collection and COVID diagnosis. BUT, they do have concerns about how selective their population had to be, so their results may not be generalizable though we know PFAS are immunotoxic. PFBA was not readily detected in all subjects as it’s well-eliminated by the kidneys even if it does build up in the lungs (may seriously affect their statistics and results).
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CONCLUSION: PFAS exposure, known immunotoxicant, may affect COVID19 severity.
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A Matter of Public Health

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