Eric Amster

University of Haifa | haifa · School of Public Health

Coal-based energy production is the most utilized method of electricity production worldwide and releases the highest concentration of gaseous, particulate, and metallic pollutants. Toxicological research has shown that coal combustion by-products are carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and cardiorespiratory toxins. This article aims to systematical...

Coal-based energy production is the most utilized method of electricity production worldwide and releases the highest concentration of gaseous, particulate, and metallic pollutants. This article aims to systematically review the public health impact of coal-fired power plant emissions on children's health. PubMed, Web of Science, and Toxline databa...

Occupational health in Israel is unique as it was originally established as a socialized service which anchored in extensive legislation and is accessible to all employees and employers without copayment. We review historical processes and legal basis that led to current structure of public occupational medicine services in Israel. Some of these go...

Introduction Accumulation of manganese in the brain may result in a neurological condition with cognitive, psychiatric, and movement abnormalities. The clinical and toxicological literature demonstrates that manganese accumulates in the basal ganglia which may result in parkinsonism. There is little published about the prevalence of Parkinsonism am...

Introduction The Carmel fire resulted in the death of 45 rescue workers. Little research exists on the health risks to emergency responders during forest fires and the immediate and long term psychological impact from occupational stressors. There is no prospective cohort studying the long term mental health effects among first responders. Methods...

Introduction Arsenic (As) is a known carcinogen commonly found in drinking water. An emerging body of evidence suggests that exposure to inorganic arsenic may be associated with non-malignant respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between As exposure at levels seen among workers in the United Sta...

Pharmaceutical disposal and the environmental fate of medication metabolites directly impacts the public’s health in two significant ways: accidental medication ingestion of pharmaceuticals that were not disposed of properly results in inadvertent toxicity; and environmental health consequences of pharmaceuticals that were inappropriately disposed...

This study investigates the association between exposure to ambient NOx and SO2 originating from power plant emissions and prevalence of obstructive pulmonary disease and related symptoms. The Orot Rabin coal-fired power plant is the largest power generating facility in the Eastern Mediterranean. Two novel methods assessing exposure to power plant-...

From 2 to 5 December 2010, Israel experienced the most severe forest fire In its history, resulting in the deaths of rescue workers. Little research exists on the health risks to emergency responders during forest fires, and there is no published research to date on occupational health among firefighters in Israel. To describe the exposures experie...

The burden of occupational and environmental lung disease varies widely throughout the world. Prevalence and incidence of disease, predominant exposures, clinical prognosis, and mortality rates vary widely. Global disparities are in part a result of disparate occupational health and safety norms; environmental standards and enforcement; and a sever...

Background: Dozens of studies link acute exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and morbidity, however questions remain regarding which chemical composition in the PM mixture are responsible for observed health effects. Only few studies exist on the effect of exposure to heavy metal on CVD risk. Obje...

Arsenic (As) is a known carcinogen commonly found in drinking water. An emerging body of evidence suggests that exposure to inorganic As may be associated with nonmalignant respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between As exposure at levels seen in the United States and prevalence of asthma, emp...

In this article the medical and public health aspects of building design and materials are discussed. The literature linking building exposures, including use of building health effects is reviewed. Materials and design specific to the built environment in Israel are outlined. Building design in the Eastern Mediterranean is influenced by regional c...

Medicinal use of dietary herbal supplements can cause inadvertent arsenic toxicosis. A 54-year-old woman was referred to the University of California, Davis, Occupational Medicine Clinic with a 2-year history of worsening alopecia and memory loss. She also reported having a rash, increasing fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, disabling her to the point...