This bulletin lists upcoming events plus recent announcements, news and journal articles, calls for proposals and other items related to environmental health in the Pacific Northwest. They are archived and searchable on the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/bulletins.html The publisher offers this information as a service but does not endorse any of the events, articles or announcements.
If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the CHE-Washington regional group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Washington State Regional Group at the bottom of the application.
Companion bulletins are available for different audiences:
While there is overlap with this bulletin, there are some events and announcements unique to those bulletins.
1) News feed from the Collaborative on Health and the Environment.
CHE has begun publishing a daily news feed on its website. Articles and announcements, including those that will be used in these biweekly bulletins, are now available daily, plus a limited number of events that are published too late to include in this bulletin. Individuals can subscribe to the feed via RSS.
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/news/announce
2) Exploring Energy & Design: Smart Solutions for the Built Environment
Wednesday May 13, 2009
Reception 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Seminar 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Post-seminar networking 8:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
Downstairs at Town Hall on Eighth and Seneca (1119 Eighth Avenue)
Sponsor: Sustainable Path Foundation, along with Antioch University Center for Creative Change, ShoreBank Pacific and the Sequoia Foundation
As the prospect of global economic crisis hits home, there is hope. The work being done to combat climate change through smart community design, green building and energy research gives communities the opportunity to respond to economic crisis with common-sense solutions. This seminar will highlight work being done right here in our backyard and explain what needs to be done in the future to ensure the sustainability of our region. With Alan Thein Durning and Jason F. McLennan.
Price: $5 - 15; see the website
Website: http://sustainablepath.org/category/seminar-series/
Contact: 206-443-8464 or info@sustainablepath.org
Online Calendar. These and more upcoming events are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.chenw.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
1) Film -- Black Mold Exposure
in various cities around the US from April 21 - June 16, 2009
at select theaters
Sponsor: Looking Glass Entertainment Company
"Black Mold Exposure" explores the bizarre illnesses associated with exposure to toxic mold and the film participants' difficult task of regaining their health and lives in an atmosphere of political and social intolerance and disbelief.
Price: varies
Website: http://www.blackmoldexposuremovie.com/
Contact: contact@blackmoldexposuremovie.com
2) Dying While Black: Colorblind Policies and Eliminating the Slave Health Deficit
Saturday April 25, 2009
2:00 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Professor Vernellia Randall of the University of Dayton School of Law
At almost every income level, indigenous Black Americans are sicker than whites and dying at a significantly higher rate. This seminar will trace current indigenous Black American health status to slavery. It will explain why a colorblind policy approach will be ineffective for eliminating the health deficit. Finally, the seminar will provide a comprehensive approach focused on improving social determinants of health.
Price: free
Website: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/243926080
Contact: Professor Vernellia Randall, randall@udayton.edu
3) Webinar -- National Healthy Schools Day
Monday April 27, 2009
9:00 a.m. Pacific time/noon Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
National Healthy Schools Day, coordinated by Healthy Schools Network, is an important day to promote and celebrate healthy school environments that are conducive to learning and protect occupant health. In recognition of the annual event, CHPS will present a free one-hour webinar with Professor Vivian Loftness of the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture and Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics. Professor Loftness will review the 2006 National Research Council report Green Schools: Attributes for Health and Learning, which examines the potential of green school design for improving education. An assessment of the complex connection between overall building conditions and student achievement will be included in the discussion, as well as a question-and-answer session.
Price: free
Website: http://chps.net:80/events/NHSD2009.htm
4) Avoiding Sick School Liability: An Insider's Expertise
Monday April 27, 2009
10:00 a.m. Pacific time/1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: American Association of School Administrators
During this one-and-a-half-hour webinar, participants will learn about the causes of indoor air-quality problems, issues in indoor air-quality building management, and factors related to indoor air quality as a legal issue. Additionally, information on the unique susceptibility of schools for having indoor air-quality problems will be discussed.
Price: unknown
Website: https://www.eventbuilder.com/event_desc.asp?z=q6b7j4&p_event=j5h89i3w
5) Transportation and Public Health and Safety
Thursday April 30, 2009
2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Transportation for America
Transportation influences the health and safety of communities by affecting physical activity levels, traffic speeds and air pollution. This session will investigate the needs of paratransit and transit-dependent populations, the success of Complete Streets and nonmotorized transportation programs, and the connections between transportation and active living.
Price: free
Website: http://t4america.org/webinars
Contact: webinars@t4america.org
6) Residuals and Biosolids 2009
Sunday through Wednesday, May 3 - 6, 2009
Portland, Oregon
at the Oregon Convention Center and Doubletree Hotel -- Lloyd Center
Sponsor: The Water Environment Federation's Residuals and Biosolids Committee in cooperation with the NW Biosolids Management Association, the Pacific NW Clean Water Association, and the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies
As urban areas grow in size and population, municipal, industrial and agricultural facilities are confronted with issues relating to residuals and biosolids management. Around the world, industrial as well as agricultural communities are moving towards more stringent regulatory requirements for residuals processing, handling and disposal or beneficial use options. The conference will strive to meet the needs for education, awareness, knowledge and acceptance technology and best management practices through workshops, technical sessions and an exhibition.
Price: see http://www.wef.org/ConferencesTraining/ConferencesEvents/ResidualsBiosolids/ResandBioSolidsReg.htm
Website: http://www.wef.org/ConferencesTraining/ConferencesEvents/ResidualsBiosolids/
Contact: see the website home page
7) Chemical Policy and Environmental Justice in Connecticut State: A Case Example of Taking Action!
Tuesday May 5, 2009
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Environmental Health Initiative, sponsored by the John Merck Fund
Environmental justice refers to the fact that low-income communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards, including chemical hazards, and suffer the resulting health effects. Mark A. Mitchell, MD, MPH, FACPM, will speak on the cumulative, confounding and disproportionate exposure to chemicals in environmental-justice communities that are in addition to the exposures found in most communities. He will also touch on health effects of these exposures in communities of color and low-income communities. In addition, he will talk about why he became involved in grassroots organizing. Focusing on the inner-cities of Connecticut, he will then talk about how EJ communities are fighting back to reduce these exposures and to change these policies that make them less healthy at a local, state and national level. He will also talk about what is needed in order to assure that chemical policy reform addresses environmental-justice issues.
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, Laura@aaidd.org
8) Healthy Buildings, Active Learners: Improving Indoor Environments for Oregon Schools
Thursday May 7, 2009
Cottage Grove, Oregon
at the Village Green Resort, 725 Row River Road
Sponsor: Oregon Schools Indoor Air Quality Partnership
This one-day conference will address air-quality issues for K-12 schools across Oregon. We encourage anyone interested in healthy buildings to attend this informative and hands-on event, including school administrators, facilities managers, custodians, teachers, nurses, PTA/PTO members, parents, and community leaders.
Price: $25 includes lunch
Website: http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2455
Contact: Beverly Stewart, 503-718-6146 or beverly@lungoregon.org
9) CHE Partnership Call -- Metabolic Syndrome: At the Crossroads of the Western Disease Cluster
Thursday May 7, 2009
10:00 a.m. Pacific time/1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment
This call will focus on on metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions occurring together that elevate a person's risk of developing certain chronic diseases such heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and its intersection with what is being called the Western Disease Cluster. On this call we will explore how metabolic syndrome is a red flag for the state of public health, how it is connected to environmental factors and what opportunities it presents for preventive interventions beyond medicine, such as public health policies, community planning and food systems. Speakers will be David Jacobs, PhD; Ted Schettler, MD, MPH; and Jill Stein, PhD, MD.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/partnership_calls/6019
10) Green Chemistry & Chemical Policy Reform Webinar
Thursday May 14, 2009
2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: The Association of State and Territorial Health Officers
In this webinar, the second on green chemistry, a panel of experts will help outline the national priorities, opportunities and innovative legislative policy reforms in green chemistry.
Price: unknown
Contact: akulungara@astho.org.
11) Film -- "The Accidental Advocate"
Thursday May 14, 2009
doors open at 6:15 p.m.; film at 7:00
Salem, Oregon
at the Grand Theater, 191 High Street NE
Sponsor: Salem Progressive Film Series
When Claude Gerstle, a surgeon and athlete, suffers a tragic bicycle accident that leaves him paralyzed from the neck down, he and his daughter, Jessica, discover hope in the politicized area of science called stem cells. "The Accidental Advocate" is a wheelchair odyssey of a father and daughter who track down the thinkers, the politicians, the crusaders and the naysayers in an effort to understand the potential of the science and why a political quagmire is stalling a cure. The film sorts the hope from the hype, the ideas from the ideology. The promise of stem-cell research has united diverse patients and families -- rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, religious and secular, a group of millions of Americans -- creating a very vocal national movement to reverse limits on the federal funding of the research. This is a film about science. This is a film about politics. This film is about ethics. But, finally, this is a film about a family. It tells the intricate, delicate, personal story of how one family deals with the life-changing impact of this kind of injury.
Price: $3 or $2 for students
Website: http://www.salemprogressivefilms.net/films-coming.html
Contact: 503-588-8713
12) Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Seminar
Thursday May 21, 2009
12:30 - 1:20 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the University of Washington, Room T-435 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Sponsor: University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Jesus A. Araujo, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, cardiology at UCLA, will present "Air Pollution and Atherosclerosis: The role of particle size and chemical composition."
Price: free
Website: http://depts.washington.edu/envh580/
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Job opening: Seattle, Washington.
Seattle Public Utilities needs a Customer Response Division Director to provide leadership and direction to the Joint Utility Call Center and Walk-in Center. Applications will close on May 5th.
http://wald1.seattle.gov/personnel/employmentsystem/PostingDetails.aspx?postingID=a2cfbe57-b7e2-4409-9195-24899ade1afe
Free online continuing education course for health professionals on pediatric environmental health.
The Online Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit Training is an environmental health anticipatory guidance training module. This training module is based on Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit, which has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and provides continuing educations hours and credits.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/emes/subtopic/pediatrics.html
FDA seeks comments on economically motivated adulteration of food.
The US Food and Drug Administration is accepting comments regarding a public meeting on May 1st pertaining to economically motivated adulteration (EMA). Comments can be submitted online through August 1st.
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=090000648094423a
EPA seeks comments on E15 request.
EPA is seeking public comments on a waiver application to increase the amount of ethanol that can be blended into a gallon of gasoline to up to 15 volume percent (E15). US Environmental Protection Agency.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/18B45404A16BE8518525759A00551CFB
Climate change impacts on regional air quality report released by EPA.
EPA has released a report on the potential impacts of climate change on regional U.S. air quality. The information contained in the report will enhance our ability as a nation to protect air quality and human health. US Environmental Protection Agency.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/D6BDD74E467B9E548525759B004DE1BF
Special journal issue on climate change.
The November 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine is devoted to the impacts of climate change on health.
http://www.ajpm-online.net/issues/contents?issue_key=S0749-3797%2808%29X0016-9
Perchlorate in Baby Formula Fact Sheet.
This fact sheet answers questions about CDC’s recent study of perchlorate in infant formula published in The Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/perchlorate_factsheet.htm
Comments being accepted.
The US Food and Drug Administration is accepting comments on "Report of Quantitative Risk & Benefit Assessment of Commercial Fish Consumption, Focusing on Fetal Neurodevelopmental Effects & on Coronary Heart Disease & Stroke in the General Population" through April 21st.
http://www.regulations.gov:80/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=090000648082944b
Call for proposals: Community Health Projects Related to Brownfield/Land Reuse.
The purpose of the program is to identify and address public health and issues with Brownfield/land reuse sites. This program addresses one or more of the "Healthy People 2010" focus area(s) of Access to Quality Health Care Services, Educational and Community-Based Programs, Environmental Health, Health Communication, Mental Health and Mental Disorders, Nutrition and Overweight, Occupational Safety and Health, Physical Activity and Fitness, and Public Health Infrastructure. Applications are due June 8th.
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=46719
Call for proposals: NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research.
This new program will support research on topic areas which address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research that would benefit from significant 2-year jumpstart funds. NIH Institute and Centers have selected specific Challenge Topics within each of the Challenge Areas. Applications are due April 27th.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-003.html
Call for Proposals: Healthy Communities Grant Program.
EPA Region 1 is accepting proposals for the Healthy Communities Grant Program. Projects must benefit communities at risk (environmental justice areas of potential concern, places with high risk from toxic air pollution, urban areas) and sensitive populations (e.g. children, older adults, others at increased risk). One-page proposals are due May 12th.
http://www.epa.gov/aging/grants/grant-list/2008_0710_grant_1.htm
Study documents mercury vapor emission levels.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Results of a recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, suggest that most containers used for storage and transportation of used fluorescent lamps to recycling centers do not provide necessary levels of protection against mercury vapors emitted from broken lamps. Reliable Plant.
http://www.reliableplant.com/article.aspx?articleid=17053&pagetitle=Study+documents+mercury+vapor+emission+levels
Bone drugs may protect against radiation exposure.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Drugs commonly used to strengthen bones to prevent osteoporosis may protect people exposed to radiation against developing leukemia, U.S. researchers said on Sunday. Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE53I23M20090420
Diet can increase risk of kidney cancer.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Eating white bread, white potatoes or red meat may increase a person's risk of developing the most common type of kidney cancer, while eating vegetables may provide a protective effect, according to new research. Reuters Health.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Health/Diet%20increase%20risk%20kidney%20cancer/1515550/story.html
Lead from mom's bones influences baby's gene patterns.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Lead released from a woman's bones during pregnancy can affect her developing baby's DNA in ways that can alter gene expression and possibly increase the child's lifelong susceptibility to disease. Environmental Health News.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/prebirth-lead-exposure-affects-childs-genes-disease/
Breastfeeding has health benefit for moms: Study.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Breast isn't just best for baby: mothers who don't breastfeed their babies may increase their risk of heart attacks and strokes decades later, new research suggests. Canwest News Service, Canada.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/Breastfeeding%20health%20benefit%20moms%20Study/1516508/story.html
Folic acid may raise cancer risk in offspring.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Canadian researchers have discovered that folic acid consumed during pregnancy can alter the gene function of offspring, which may affect their susceptibility to disease. The finding raises questions about long-term consumption of folate and folic acid. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090420.wlfolic20art1830/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home
Tons of released drugs taint U.S. water.
Monday, April 20, 2009
U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water -- contamination the federal government has consistently overlooked, according to an Associated Press investigation. US News and World Report.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/science/2009/04/19/tons-of-released-drugs-taint-us-water.html
Parkinson's partially linked to pesticides.
Monday, April 20, 2009
UCLA researchers have provided strong new evidence linking some cases of Parkinson's disease to exposure to pesticides. They reported that people who lived next to fields where maneb or paraquat had been sprayed were about 75% more likely to develop the disease. Los Angeles Times, California.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/04/parkinsons-partially-linked-to-pesticides.html
Children harmed by smoke in cars.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Irish doctors claim they have found evidence that exposure to "second-hand smoke" in cars is damaging children’s health. Their study isolated the effects of passive smoking in cars and found it gives rise to significant respiratory symptoms in children. London Times, England.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6122888.ece
Tough laws, higher prices mean fewer kids smoke.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
American adolescents who live in states that comply with tobacco sales laws are less likely to pick up a smoking habit than are those who live where the laws are not vigorously enforced, a new study has found. Gannett News Service.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/04/18/20090418gan-kidssmoke18-ON.html
Poor health prior to combat linked to later PTSD.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Post-traumatic stress disorder after deployment is more likely to affect soldiers who have relatively poor physical or mental health before they enter combat situations, according to findings from the US military's Millennium Cohort Study. Reuters Health.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/04/17/eline/links/20090417elin027.html
Asthmatic kids breathe easier with smoke-free air.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
For children with asthma, reducing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke greatly decreases their chances of an asthma flare-up, hospital admission or emergency room visit, a study shows. Reuters Health.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/04/17/eline/links/20090417elin020.html
[See a related journal article about the contribution of traffic exhaust to the development of asthma and allergic sensitization in children: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/17 ]
CPSC signals delay for lead law and ATVs
Saturday, April 18, 2009
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday that it plans to delay enforcement of a new anti-lead law that has kept all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes designed for children off showroom floors -- not because of concerns over safety, but because some bike parts contain lead. Seattle Times.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008966459_apleadlawmotorbikes.html?syndication=rss
Child obesity is linked to chemicals in plastics.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Exposure to chemicals used in plastics may be linked with childhood obesity, according to results from a long-term health study on girls who live in East Harlem and surrounding communities that were presented to community leaders on Thursday by researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center. New York Times.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/child-obesity-is-linked-to-chemicals-in-plastics/
'Biosolids' and human health.
Friday, April 17, 2009
On May 3, many will gather for the Residuals and Biosolids 2009 conference in Portland, where awkward jokes about squeezing profits from human excreta-based crop fertilizer are an inevitability. But the business is no joke. New York Times.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/biosolids-and-human-health/
EPA to review system gauging air emissions.
Friday, April 17, 2009
In a move that could signal a fundamental shift in how industrial pollution is regulated, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has pledged to reconsider how it estimates the amount of toxic chemicals that refineries and petrochemical plants release. USA Today.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-04-16-epa_N.htm
Eco-friendly labelling? It's a lot of 'greenwash.'
Friday, April 17, 2009
"All-natural" shampoo. "Planet-friendly" glass cleaner. "BPA-free" baby bottles. The labels on 98 per cent of those good-for-the-earth-and-your-body items you fill your shopping basket with are lying, a new study shows. Toronto Star, Canada.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/619936
Study links swimming pool chlorine to asthma.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Boys who swim frequently in swimming pools may be at increased risk of developing asthma, new research has found. Dublin Irish Times, Ireland.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0417/1224244902389.html
EPA will mandate tests on pesticide chemicals.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time will require pesticide manufacturers to test 67 chemicals contained in their products to determine whether they disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates animals' and humans' growth, metabolism and reproduction, the agency said yesterday. Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960.html
Beware of cosmetics, author says.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Many beauty products on the market claim to be pure, gentle, clean, natural and hypo-allergenic, but a new book reveals the results of laboratory analysis showing many contain harmful ingredients not listed on the labels. Montreal Gazette, Canada.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/Health/Beware+cosmetics+author+says/1496559/story.html
Lifetime exercise may cut breast cancer death risk.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Women who participate in recreational exercise and sports over their lifetime may be lowering their risk of death from breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence. Reuters Health.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/04/15/eline/links/20090415elin004.html
Adult pain higher after fetal exposure to estrogen in birth control pills.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Female rats exposed to estrogenic compounds through their mothers while in the womb had greater reactions to pain as adults, according to a study by Italian researchers. Environmental Health News.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/prebirth-exposure-to-ee-heightens-pain-sensitivity/
I.Q. harmed by epilepsy drug in utero.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Pregnant women who took a popular epilepsy drug--also widely used to treat migraines, pain and psychiatric disorders--had children whose I.Q. scores were significantly lower than those whose mothers took a different antiseizure medication, a new study has found. New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/health/research/16child.html?_r=1
Diabetes 'impact on brain power.'
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Failure to control type 2 diabetes may have a long-term impact on the brain, research has suggested. BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7937947.stm
Fruit and veg allergies soaring.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Cases of oral allergies to fruit and vegetables are rapidly increasing, according to a British specialist. The rise in cases appears to be outstripping even peanut allergies. Pollution may be a factor. BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7988483.stm
Is 'better safe than sorry' reason enough for law?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A federal proposal to restrict a plastic additive called bisphenol A is focusing attention on a guiding concept known as the "precautionary principle." Morning Edition, NPR.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102969622
Jury says evidence doesn't show PCBs caused disease.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A jury found for Monsanto late today in a PCBs trial here, deciding there was not enough evidence to show the compound caused diabetes and other diseases in people exposed to it. Anniston Star, Alabama.
http://www.annistonstar.com/breaking/2009/as-localupdate-0414-mnichols-9d14t0041.htm
How PCBs may alter in utero, neonatal brain development.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
In three new studies, UC Davis researchers provide compelling evidence of how low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) alter the way brain cells develop. Science Daily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090413204546.htm
[See a related journal article regarding maternal pregnancy levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and risk of hypospadias and cryptorchidism in male offspring:
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800389/abstract.html ]
U.S. food safety no longer improving.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
After decades of steady progress, the safety of the nation’s food supply has not improved over the past three years, the government reported Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/health/policy/10food.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=food%20safety&st=cse
Study finds environmental education programs lead to cleaner air.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A first-of-its-kind study funded by EPA shows that environmental education programs are an effective tool in helping to improve air quality in North America. US Environmental Protection Agency.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/A193CAAB28EABBC08525759700532A00
Australia union warns of nanotech health risks.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Advanced nano technologies, shrinking manufacturing to molecular level, could bring with them a human health catastrophe to rival past use of cancer-linked asbestos, Australia's top union group said on Tuesday. Reuters UK.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKSYD412730
Non-toxic paints gain popularity with painters and customers alike.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Spring often brings the urge to clean, perhaps to liven up a room with a fresh coat of paint. Now that can be done with eco-friendly paints that don't give off noxious odours. Canadian Press.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Environment/2009/04/13/9102276-ap.html
Tobacco and pot smokers three times more likely to develop lung disease.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
People who habitually smoke both tobacco and marijuana are about three times more likely than non-smokers to develop serious lung disease. And nearly 20 percent of Vancouverites over the age of 40 do or have done just that, according to a new study. Vancouver Sun, Canada.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Tobacco%20smokers%20three%20times%20more%20likely%20develop%20lung%20disease%20study/1492937/story.html
Coffee controversy brews on.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A study involving mice found that a single, modest exposure to caffeine during early development in the womb can alter heart growth and cardiac function later in life. Environmental Health News.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/prebirth-caffeine-exposure-affects-heart/
Unhealthy weather.
Monday, April 13, 2009
A physician and meteorologist duo from Canada have designed an early-warning system that takes forecasting to a new level by using scientific data to track how weather changes affect our health. Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, Indiana.
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090413/LIVING/904130308
City air pollution 'shortens life.'
Monday, April 13, 2009
It has taken a quarter of a century, but US researchers say their work has finally enabled them to determine to what extent city air pollution impacts on average life expectancy. BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7946838.stm
New UA lab researches medicines in water supply.
Monday, April 13, 2009
A new laboratory at the University of Arizona is giving researchers a better understanding of an emerging concern to health officials -- traces of pharmaceutical drugs and other pollutants found in our water supply. Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Arizona.
http://www.azstarnet.com/news/288452
Autism risk higher near toxic waste sites.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Autism rates among school children living within a 10- or 20-mile radius of toxic waste sites are nearly twice as likely to have autism compared to children living farther away from such sites. Environmental Health News.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/autism-risk-higher-near-toxic-waste-sites
Wercs digs up dirt on clean.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
You don't know what's in that household cleaner underneath the sink -- but one local company does. And the work it does for the nation's largest retailers tracking chemical ingredients in thousands of items could push safer products onto store shelves across America. Albany Times Union, New York.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=789380
Common industrial chemicals may not boost cancer risk.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Typical exposures to PFOA and PFOS, chemicals that are found in a wide range of products and have been linked to cancer in animals, may not; boost risks for a range of malignancies in humans, a new report finds. HealthDay News.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=625856
Don't brew your own pesticides.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
As the gardening season takes root, Health Canada is warning consumers to beware the perils of home-brewed pesticides. Edmonton Sun, Canada.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2009/04/12/9088931-sun.html
Babies carry more BPA, scientists group agrees.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Scientists from industry, academia and government meeting in Germany last month to reassess concerns about bisphenol A agreed that newborns have between three and 11 times more BPA in their system than adults. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin.
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/42858862.html
Consortium rejects FDA claim of BPA's safety.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
An international consortium of industry, academic and government scientists has rejected as incomplete and unreliable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's case that a chemical found in food containers and other household products is safe. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin.
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/42858807.html
[See related articles about Canada's declaration that bisphenol A is hazardous to human health: http://www.canada.com/Health/Health%20Canada%20makes%20official%20health%20hazard/932205/story.html and about US states' leadership on bisphenol A bans: http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/42858857.html ]
The ongoing presence of PCBs.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The discovery of PCBs at the Natick Paper Board Factory site raised alarms and served as a reminder of the persistence of the man-made chemical despite its having been banned from use in this country for 30 years. Natick Bulletin & Tab, Massachusetts.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/natick/news/lifestyle/health/x180634183/The-presence-of-PCBs
The Piven principle: you can eat too much fish.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
It might sound like Jeremy Piven is telling a fish story, but medical researchers say it's possible that mercury can indeed pose a serious health threat to people who eat too much fish and seafood. Associated Press.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/10/AR2009041001891.html
[See a related article: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=622660 ]
Confronting the toxicants inside.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Chlorine, mercury, lead and other heavy metals, hormones from drugs and pesticides and something called perchlorate, a chemical used in air bags, electronics, fertilizers and rocket fuel, are all now found in soil, groundwater, drinking water and irrigation water around the country. Gloucester Times, Massachusetts.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/pulife/local_story_099223247.html
Health risks of shipping pollution have been 'underestimated.'
Friday, April 10, 2009
Britain and other European governments have been accused of underestimating the health risks from shipping pollution following research which shows that one giant container ship can emit almost the same amount of cancer and asthma-causing chemicals as 50m cars. London Guardian, England.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution
Poison in the air.
Friday, April 10, 2009
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the worst air pollution is undoubtedly in Asia. More than 1.5 million Asians die each year for the effects of air pollution alone, and another half million die from water pollution. Manila Bulletin, Philippines.
http://mb.com.ph/articles/201961/poison-air
Report warns of problems with multivitamins.
Friday, April 10, 2009
More than 30 percent of multivitamins tested recently by ConsumerLab.com contained significantly more or less of an ingredient than claimed, or were contaminated with lead, the company reports. Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE53842O20090409
Health agency covered up lead harm.
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention withheld evidence that contaminated tap water caused lead poisoning in kids. The results of thousands of blood tests that measured lead contamination in children were missing from a CDC report, potentially skewing the findings. Salon.
http://www.salon.com/env/feature/2009/04/10/cdc_lead_report/
Prevention by numbers.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Environmental factors such as pollution, cigarette smoke and diet contribute to 80 -90% of all cancers. Despite this, research in environmental oncology -- which aims to track down environmental contributions to cancer -- receives only a fraction of the amount spent on the hunt for cures. But this may be changing. Nature.
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2009/090409/full/nj7239-792a.html
Diet alters BPA's effects on mouse egg chromosomes.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
A study with mice finds that diet can modify the harmful effects of bisphenol A. The findings shed light on perceived inconsistencies in BPA research results. Environmental Health News.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/Diet-alters-BPAs-effects/
Study finds stress link to asthma.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Pregnant women who suffer from stress are more likely to have a child with asthma, according to research from Children of the 90s study. BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/7989159.stm
Pollution link with birth weight.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Exposure to traffic pollution could affect the development of babies in the womb, US researchers have warned. They found the higher a mother's level of exposure in early and late pregnancy, the more likely it was that the baby would not grow properly. BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7988619.stm
Cancer research says that sunbeds caused surge in skin cancer.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Malignant melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, has overtaken cancers of the cervix and breast to become the most common cancer diagnosed in women under 30. London Times, England.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6054230.ece
EPA is reconsidering dry cleaners' use of cancer-causing chemical.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
The Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering whether to compel dry cleaners to phase out perchloroethylene, a cancer-causing chemical used in tens of thousands of operations nationwide. Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703748.html
Leaden blood hikes postmenopausal women's heart risks.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
A new study in women 65 and older indicates that the more lead circulating in the blood of golden girls, the higher the likelihood these women will die prematurely. Science News.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/42491/title/Leaden_blood_hikes_grannys_heart_risks
Breathe easier by eating right.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Asthma rates have nearly doubled in North America over the past two decades and many researchers believe our changing diet may be partly to blame. Studies suggest that eating fewer fruits and vegetables and more processed foods is increasing asthma risk. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/GAM.20090408.LBECK08ART1832/TPStory/TPComment
[See a related article about the connection between diet and asthma: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/eat-your-greens-if-you-want-to-avoid-asthma-1669288.html ]
Hyper-cleanliness may be bad for kids.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Too much scrubbing, wiping and cleaning is putting kids at risk for developing diseases, allergies and asthma, according to researchers. Philadelphia KYW TV, Pennsylvania.
http://cbs3.com/health/Health.Alert.Stephanie.2.978886.html
Purses, wallets have too much lead, environment group says.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
An Oakland environmental group on Tuesday warned nearly 20 major retailers and manufacturers that they're selling women's purses, wallets, tote bags and other accessories with lead levels exceeding state standards. Contra Costa Times, California.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_12092480