 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Catherine L. Zeman, PhD, Health Division School of HPELS, University of Northern Iowa, 239 WRC, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0241, 319-273-7090, catherine.zeman@uni.edu
Methemoglobinemia, MHG is a serious health threat to children throughout the world, especially in underdeveloped regions relying on marginal water sources. MHG is caused by ingesting levels of nitrate/nitrite in drinking water exceeding 10 ppm (mg/l nitrate-N) depriving children (who are more susceptible to the effects) of oxygen, leading to a hypoxic anemia. In Romania, this condition leads to death in 3% of the cases reported and an unknown amount of low-level oxygen deprivation in sub-clinical cases. Recently, some individuals have challenged the long held assumption that MHG is caused by contaminated water and point to the role of diarrheal disease in the development of the condition. These individuals call for a weakening of the MCL for nitrate. These issues are explored with case studies focusing on the speaker’s research work in Romania with children who had experienced MHG. This environmental epidemiological work is augmented with insights provided by recent work in the laboratory setting to explore and address the issue of diarrheal disease appearing concomitantly with MHG. The individual attending this session will have an opportunity to develop a clear understand of MHG, its risk factors, etiology/biochemical processes, and clinical presentation. An understanding of the behavioral changes that can reduce and/or increase the risk of MHG related to water source, boiling, etc. will be developed. Participants will explore the controversies related to MHG and the call for relaxing the MCL. Finally, the presenter will explore possible associations between MHG and diarrheal disease and explanation(s) for same.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Children's Health, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.