The respiratory system is exposed to foreign materials at low concentrations in the ambient air we breathe, and sometimes at very high concentrations in the workplace. To the degree that we have control over the quality of the air we breathe, we are in principle able to prevent environmental and occupational lung disease. Nonetheless, serious health effects from inhaled substances remain a common occurrence. By studying the substances inhaled in different environments (e.g. house dust mite in homes; welding fume in the workplace), we can determine both the effects and dose-response relationships of environmental hazards, and develop appropriate preventive strategies.

A great deal of current interest focuses on asthma, since the number of asthmatics (mostly children) has increased during the past two decades in spite of good medical care for people with asthma. Because outdoor air quality has improved during this period, it is unlikely that this trend is driven by air pollution. One current research interest is the role of the home environment, in combination with other factors such as genetic risk, in determining the occurrence and severity of asthma in children.

Many workplace substances are inhaled in the form of solid particles small enough to penetrate deep into the lung. While attention in the past has focused on the chemical composition of small particles, it is possible that the size of the particles themselves may play a role in their effects on the lungs. Work in our department in animals suggests that the ultrafine fraction of particles is more toxic than larger sized particles. By using workplace particles of known, mild, short-term effects, we can test in normal human subjects whether and to what degree smaller particles produce a greater effect than a comparable mass of larger particles.

Recent Publications

O’Reilly KM, Mclaughlin AM, Beckett WS, Sime PJ. 2007. Asbestos-related lung disease. Am Fam Physician. Mar 1;75(5):683-688.

Utell MJ, Beckett WS. 2006. Implications for occupational exposure to particulate matter. Clin Occup Environ Med. 5(4):883-893. Review.

Triche EW, Gent JF, Holford TR, Belanger K, Bracken MB, Beckett WS, Naeher L, McSharry JE, Leaderer BP. 2006. Low-level ozone exposure and respiratory symptoms in infants. Environ Health Perspect. Jun;114(6):911-916.

Dave SK, Beckett WS. 2005. Occupational asbestos exposure and predictable asbestos-related diseases in India. Am J Ind Med. Aug;48(2):137-143.

Barron BA, Beckett WS, Utell MJ. 2005. Clinical activities in an academic hospital-based occupational medicine program. J Occup Environ Med. 2005 Jun;47(6):587-593.

Beckett WS, Chalupa DF, Pauly-Brown A, Speers DM, Stewart JC, Frampton MW, Utell MJ, Huang LS, Cox C, Zareba W, Oberdorster G. 2005. Comparing inhaled ultrafine versus fine zinc oxide particles in healthy adults: a human inhalation study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. May 15;171(10):1129-1135

Triche EW, Belanger K, Bracken MB, Beckett WS, Holford TR, Gent JF, McSharry JE, Leaderer BP. 2005. Indoor heating sources and respiratory symptoms in nonsmoking women. Epidemiology. 2005 May;16(3):377-384.

Sood A, Beckett WS, Cullen MR. 2004. Variable response to long-term corticosteroid therapy in chronic beryllium disease. Chest. Dec;126(6):2000-2007.

Gehring U, Triche E, van Strien RT, Belanger K, Holford T, Gold DR, Jankun T, Ren P, McSharry JE, Beckett WS, Platts-Mills TA, Chapman MD, Bracken MB, and Leaderer BP. 2004. Prediction of residential pet and cockroach allergen levels using questionnaire information. Environ Health Perspect. Jun;112(8):834-839.

Beckett WS, Hallman E, May J, Hwang SA, Gomez M, Eberly S, Cox C. Follow-up to Farm Family Health and Hazard Survey. J Occup Environ Med. 2004 Apr;46(4):314-315. [No abstract]

Bracken MB, Triche EW, Belanger K, Saftlas A, Beckett WS, and Leaderer BP. 2003. Asthma symptoms, severity, and drug therapy: a prospective study of effects on 2205 pregnancies. Obstet Gynecol. Oct;102(4):739-752.

Beckett WS. Noise induced hearing loss. J Occup Environ Med. 2003 Oct;45(10):1029; author reply 1029. [No abstract]

Gent JF, Triche EW, Holford TR, Belanger K, Bracken MB, Beckett WS,and Leaderer BP. 2003. Association of low-level ozone and fine particles with respiratory symptoms in children with asthma. JAMA. Oct 8;290(14):1859-67.

Beckett WS. 2002. A New York City firefighter: overwhelmed by World Trade Center dust. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Sep 15;166(6):785-786. [No abstract]

Apostol GG, Jacobs DR Jr, Tsai AW, Crow RS, Williams OD, Townsend MC, and Beckett WS. 2002. Early life factors contribute to the decrease in lung function between ages 18 and 40: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. Jul 15;166(2):166-172.

Beckett WS. 2002. Post-traumatic stress disorder. N Engl J Med. May 9;346(19):1495-1498; discussion 1495-1498. [No abstract]