Black, Hispanic subway riders exposed to more air pollution
Vulnerable people are more likely to be exposed to high levels of fine-
particle matter during their subway commutes, a new study finds.
Subway riders who are economically disadvantaged or belong to certain
racial and ethnic minority groups have the highest exposure to fine-particle
matter — also known as PM2.5 — according to the study, which was
published Aug. 7 in Plos One.
Researchers looked at data on home-to-work commuting patterns for more
than 3.1 million people in New York City, finding that Black and Hispanic
riders experience 35% and 23% higher PM2.5 exposure, respectively, than
white and Asian riders. People who lived in lower-income neighborhoods also
tended to have higher exposures, which were credited to their longer
commutes to work.
PM2.5 levels were as high as 139 micrograms per cubic meter of air on
platforms and 99 micrograms aboard trains. World Health Organization
guidelines recommend PM2.5 exposure of no more than 15 micrograms per
cubic meter of air over 24 hours.
Fine particles released by abrasion of subway train wheels, breaks and rails
were the main source of PM2.5 in the study.
Pesticide contamination extends into flesh of fruit, not just on
surface
People who want to avoid pesticides often rinse off their fruit before eating
it. A new study finds they may have to go a lot deeper than that to avoid the
chemicals, however.
In a study published Aug. 7 in Nano Letters, researchers used laser imaging
to look for chemicals in washed apples, finding traces of pesticides
throughout the peel and in the outermost layer of pulp. The results suggest
that deep peeling would be needed to avoid ingesting pesticides when eating
the fruit, the researchers said.
The two types of pesticides applied to the fruit, thiram and carbendazim,
are used as fungicides in a wide range of produce, including peaches, lettuce
and strawberries.
The researchers also used the imaging method — known as surface-
enhanced Raman spectroscopy — to detect pesticides on cucumbers, shrimp,
chili powder and rice.
Cancer patients from vulnerable neighborhoods die sooner
Young adult and adolescent cancer patients who live in vulnerable
neighborhoods are more likely to die sooner, a study conducted in Texas
finds.
Published Aug. 1 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the
research looked at 20 years of data on 15- to 39-year-old cancer patients,
finding that people in the most vulnerable neighborhoods were as much as
58% more likely to die within a few years. Vulnerable neighborhoods are
those that are less able to withstand stressors because of factors such as low
socioeconomic status, poor housing and transportation barriers.
Cancer survival decreased as social vulnerability increased, the research
found. Five-year cancer survival rates were 74% in the most vulnerable
neighborhoods across Texas, compared to almost 87% in the least vulnerable
ones.
Young adults and adolescents with cancer were also more likely to be
uninsured and to have been diagnosed at a later stage of the disease if they
lived in a vulnerable neighborhood.
Previous research has found that people with cancer who experience
obstacles to screenings and treatment — such as language barriers, a lack of
paid medical leave or low incomes — are less likely to receive recommended
care.
Unexpected medical bills, coverage denials remain common
Many Americans continue to receive unforeseen medical bills, despite
carrying health insurance, a new issue brief from the Commonwealth Fund
reports.
Forty-five percent of more than 4,000 insured adults surveyed in 2023 said
they’d received a medical bill or were charged a copayment for care they
thought would be free or covered by their insurance, according to the Aug. 1
brief. Patients covered by Medicaid were least likely to receive an unexpected
bill, while people with individual and marketplace coverage were most likely.
Fewer than half of patients said they challenged the bills by contacting their
health provider or insurer, with a lack of knowledge about their right to do so
the most common reason. Younger people and those with low incomes were
least likely to challenge a bill.
Seventeen percent of the respondents said their insurer denied coverage
for medical care that had been recommended by their doctor. Most patients
who experienced a denial said their care was delayed as a result.
About 40% of people who challenged their bill said that it was reduced or
eliminated by their insurer as a result.
Other recent public health news of note includes:
- ZIP codes where a higher proportion of residents are Hispanic and
American Indian or Alaska Native are more likely to have higher levels of
arsenic and uranium in their drinking water, finds a study in the Journal of
Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. - Exposure to wildfire smoke may affect the circulatory system of patients
undergoing surgery, warns a study in Anesthesiology. Researchers suggest
clinicians consider adjusting surgery time based on wildfire smoke exposure. - U.S. law allow states to extend Medicaid coverage for 12 months
postpartum. But U.S. immigrants do not have as much access even if they
are in the country legally, an analysis in Health Affairs says. Only 28 states
and the District of Columbia are providing such coverage to lawfully residing
immigrants who have lived in the U.S. less than five years.
- For Black, Hispanic and some Asian people living in the Northeast and
mid-Atlantic states, summers are hotter than for people of other races and
ethnicities, according to a study in Environmental Research Letters. - Finances are not the only barrier to access to care, says a new brief from
the National Center for Heath Statistics. Would-be patients reported not
receiving care because they could not find an available appointment, had
difficulty finding a doctor compatible with their health insurance or because it
took too long to travel to a provider, among other non-monetary reasons.
The Watch is written by Michele Late, who has more than two decades of
experience as a public health journalist.
