Jean Cox-Ganser, Ph.D. -NIOSH, Div. Respiratory Disease Studies

Air Date: 12-9-2011| Episode: 228


Jean Cox-Ganser, Ph.D. is the Research Team leader for the Field Studies Branch, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, NIOSH...

Full Description:

Jean Cox-Ganser, Ph.D. is the Research Team leader for the Field Studies Branch, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, NIOSH. For the past 11 years she has been a principal investigator for research studies on the respiratory health effects of dampness and mold in office buildings and schools, and is author or co-author on over 20 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and reports resulting from this research. Dr. Cox-Ganser is one of the most knowledgeable and influential researchers in the world on dampness, mold and respiratory disease.

 

Z-Man’s Blog:

Jean Cox-Ganser NIOSH

Jean Cox-Ganser Ph.D’s attributes her interest in occupational health to her uncle; a typesetter and printer who succumbed to lead poisoning.

While I complain often about how the federal government wastes the money that I and others pay in taxes, I do place a high value on the important work done by NIOSH. Over the course of my life I’ve worked as a steelworker, a pest control technician, disaster restoration worker and formulator of specialty chemicals.

Nuggets mined from today’s broadcast:

· Suffix –itis means irritation
· When requested, NIOSH performs Health Hazard Evaluations. Evaluators consider occupant surveys and observational assessments to be important diagnostic tools.
· We don’t yet know the safe level for mold exposure.
· Morbidity means illness and the outcomes of illness.
· Keep an open mind regarding possible hazards and allow the data to tell the story.
· Mold sampling. Air samples are variable. Culturing samples may miss majority of species present due to species interference during incubation. An advocate of using settled dust samples from carpets and furnishings to provide an aggregate historical picture of the situation. Looking at biomarkers such as beta glucans, endotoxin and ergosterol. Total fungal counts in cultured dust samples have a relationship with illness.
· Healthy survivor effect, when sick people leave a troubled building.
· Water based cutting fluids and semi aqueous cutting fluids may become host to microbial proliferation. Mycobacterium may colonize in cutting fluid. Microbial contaminated cutting fluid has been known to cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis and fibrosis.
· Inhalation of soy particles has been known to result in asthma-like outcomes.
· Exposure to diacetyl (from artificial butter flavor) in flavoring operations has been known to result in health issues and will be regulated by law.
· Hot Shot Firefighters, are young in great physical condition. During firefighting operations they most often do not wear respirators or SCBA. They experience a decrease in lung function daily and function improves at the end of firefighting season.

From Dieter, I learned a new term inurement, becoming accustomed to an irritant.
A profound comment was made by RadioJoe during the show, “no one is invincible, over time you may regret that you thought you were.

Today’s Music: Lung Disease Song by Mr. Andrew Norris

Z-Man signing off