These bulletins are archived and searchable on the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/bulletins.html 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) Fall networking meeting. We invite you to join your fellow CHE-WA members on Tuesday September 23rd at Antioch University Seattle from 10:00 a.m. to noon. This meeting will provide CHE-WA members across the region a chance to update one another on environmental health education programs, latest research, policy efforts and how environmental health might be profiled in the upcoming state legislature.
Friday September 12, 2008
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at the World Trade Center
Sponsor: Environmental Law Education Center
Topics include 1) federal & state policies & laws addressing toxics, 2) proposed legislation for the 2009 legislative session, 3) municipalities' responses, 4) water quality standards & fish consumption, 5) comprehensive chemical reform, 6) pesticides & pharmaceuticals, 7) recent research on toxics & public health, and 8) what approach should we take in addressing toxics?
Price: $450 early registration through August 29th, $495 after, with discounts for government and nonprofits
Website: http://www.elecenter.com/agenda_2008-09-12.htm
Friday September 12, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Anchorage, Alaska
at the Media Center, Second Floor, Providence Cancer Center, 3851 Piper Street
Sponsor: Alaska Community Action on Toxics, University of Alaska Anchorage, The Complex Systems Group University of Alaska Anchorage
Devra Lee Davis, MD, MPH, is an internationally-renowned environmental health expert. She is the director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health. In addition to her academic appointments, Dr. Davis has held multiple advisory roles in national and international agencies, including the World Health Organization. She was a global environmental advisor for Newsweek and founding director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. Her previous book, When Smoke Ran Like Water, was a finalist for the National Book Award in Nonfiction.
Price: free
Contact: Alaska Community Action on Toxics, 907-222-7714 or info@akaction.net
September 14 - 26, 2008
Sponsor: College of Exploration
This two-week seminar will serve as a general introduction to a cutting-edge topic in ocean science which is just beginning to appear on the public education radar screen: the relationship between ocean and human health (OHH). It is geared toward educators, health and environmental professionals, but is also appropriate for interested members of the general public. Oceanography, public health, marine ecology, epidemiology, medicine and other disciplines are all key in understanding how the ocean affects our health. When we pollute the environment, and specifically our ocean, we find that it has deleterious effects not only on marine life, but on our own lives as well. People can become ill from eating seafood contaminated by harmful algal blooms, and pollution from surface drains in coastal areas can close beaches. On a brighter note, the oceans are an obvious source of nutritional foods and medicines, and their inhabitants can serve as models for studying human diseases. This seminar will examine the interdisciplinary nature of the relationship between the ocean and our own health. Global climate change, harmful algal blooms (HABs), marine biopharmaceuticals, and the use of marine organisms as biomedical models will be some of the topics presented. Federal policies and organizations focusing on OHH will also be explored. One graduate credit in biology is available from the University of California Fullerton.
Price: $100
Website: http://www.coexploration.org:80/ohh/seminar08.html
Contact: College of Exploration, 703-433-5760
Monday September 15, 2008
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Seattle Biotech Legacy Foundation, 2505 3rd Avenue, Suite 200
Sponsor: Seattle Biotech Legacy Foundation
All are invited to share your thoughts with the Idea Club! Discussion topic is "What dilemmas or questions do you have about making sustainable choices in your day-to-day life?" The Idea Club is an informal discussion group regarding science and sustainability issues that are relevant today and can potentially inform the future work of SBLF. The Idea Club will meet regularly on the third Monday of the month from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the SBLF office. Each meeting will have a prescheduled topic for discussion.
Price: free
Website: http://www.sblfoundation.org/projects/idea-club
Contact: SBLF, 206-443-8464 or sblf@sblfoundation.org
Monday September 15, 2008
6:15-9:00 p.m., program starts at 7:00 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at Kells' Banquet Room, 112 SW 2nd Avenue
Sponsor: Recycling Advocates
Join Mayor-elect Sam Adams and other experts at Recycling Advocates' annual meeting and public forum. The discussion will focus on the debate raging around the usage, recycling, and banning of plastic bags. This event is free to members of Recycling Advocates and the general public but donations will be gladly accepted to help Recycling Advocates further the valuable work being done for the citizens of Oregon and the Northwest in the area of recycling and sustainability. Light refreshments will be served.
Price: free, but donations will be accepted
Website: http://www.earthshare-oregon.org/our-groups/profiles/recyclingadvocates/event.2008-08-11.6436498620
Contact: info@RecyclingAdvocates.org
Four Tuesdays from September 16 through October 14, 2008
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Collaborative Work Group on Green Cleaning and Chemical Policy Reform in Schools; for a list of all sponsors, please see the web address below
The four presentations are targeted at different audiences: all audiences, parents and communities, schools, and workers.
Price: free
Website: http://www.cleaningforhealthyschools.org/documents/training_schedule.pdf
Monday and Tuesday, September 22 - 23, 2008
7:30 a.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the University of Washington, Health Sciences Building T-435
Sponsor: University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine (SPHCM)
What do leach residue from Arizona mines, brass mill waste from Illinois, and tire ash from New England have in common? They are all banned from air and water release, and they can all be found in significant amounts in the fertilizer that is spread on crops from Washington State to Bangladesh. Do these toxins show up in our food? Do they pose a hazard to health? Are health-care providers equipped to recognize these hazards? Incoming SPHCM students will meet to discuss these and other issues in an integrated public health case study based on the book Fateful Harvest by Duff Wilson. Through the case study, students will explore how the pieces of public health puzzles fit together and how their own specialized role contributes to the interdisciplinary public health whole.
Price: unknown
Website: http://apps.sphcm.washington.edu/envhlth/cal/cal.asp?mo=9&dd=All+Days&yr=2008&calendar=envhlth
Contact: University of Washington School of Public Health, 206-543-1144 or sphcm@u.washington.edu
Wednesday and Thursday, September 24-25, 2008
Spokane, Washington
at the Spokane Convention Center
Sponsor: Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board
Every year the Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Conference offers two days of training and education, providing the latest tools, technologies and strategies for workplace safety and health.
Price: see http://www.wagovconf.org/registration.htm
Website: http://www.wagovconf.org/
Contact: info@wagovconf.org
Thursday September 25, 2008
9:00 a.m. Pacific time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment
In late July, lawmakers in the United States passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which includes provisions banning three types of phthalates (plastics softeners) and temporarily banning three other types from certain children's products. The ban is based on limited data suggesting that phthalates act as endocrine disruptors. The CPSI Act, as well as the 2007 European REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) legislation, are landmark examples of a precautionary, rather than reactionary, approach to public health. How do REACH and the phthalates ban fit into a larger movement toward the precautionary approach? What constitutes "proof of harm" in light of emerging knowledge about the complexity of disease causation? Just how does new science become new policy? This a special CHE Policy Education Call will explore these important and timely questions.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/partnership_calls/4236
Thursday September 25, 2008
12:30 - 1:20 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Room T-435
Sponsor: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Dr. Heather Stapleton, assistant professor at Duke University, will lead this lecture. Continuing educational credits are available.
Price: unknown
Website: http://depts.washington.edu/envh580/
Contact: Sarah Fischer, fisch@u.washington.edu
begins Friday September 26, 2008
Sponsor: Teleosis Institute
In this eight-week, flexible online format course, health care professionals will learn the newly emerging discipline of sustainable medicine. The course will review the most up-to-date theory and research behind sustainable medicine and introduce participants to the best practices for initiating green health care, including greening their offices, offering affordable and renewable medical treatments, and promoting community and environmental health.
Price: Teleosis member $445, nonmember $495, student $250
Website: http://www.teleosis.org/ghcp.php
Contact: Nina, 510-558-7285 or nina@teleosis.org
Thursday October 2, 2008
12:30 - 1:20 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Room T-435
Sponsor: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
David Michaels, PhD, MPH, will lead this lecture. Continuing educational credits are available.
Price: unknown
Website: http://depts.washington.edu/envh580/
Contact: Sarah Fischer, fisch@u.washington.edu
Thursday October 2, 2008
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the REI Flagship Store, 222 Yale Avenue
Sponsor: Washington Foundation for the Environment and People For Puget Sound
By 2050, average annual temperatures for the Pacific Northwest could be up to 5 degrees higher than they were during the last 30 years of the 20th century. Some expected impacts include inundation and shift of habitat types in existing salt marshes, mud flats and beaches, and change in salinity, stratification, nutrient cycling and ocean productivity affecting the Puget Sound food web and expand dead zones. Are these effects inevitable? What will they mean for the Sound's ecosystem and its human population? Hear from the experts.
Price: $6 People For Puget Sound Members, $8 nonmembers
Website: http://www.pugetsound.org/connect/events/1002REI/
Contact: Jamie Winn, 206-382-7007 or jwinn@pugetsound.org
Thursdays, October 2 - November 11, 2008
4:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway
Sponsor: American Lung Association of Washington
This seven-week course for construction and design professionals focuses on incorporating "green", sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient building techniques in residential construction. Extensive in-depth information and resources will be discussed which can be directly applied to daily practices. All topics address costs associated with and practical applications of healthy building techniques. By attending the Healthy House Training workshop series on indoor air quality, builders, designers, and other professionals can learn cost-effective, healthy choices in construction techniques, visit a model healthy home and meet their customers' needs. Classes are taught by experts in the field in the region.
Price: $575, Guild members or Master Builders Association members pay $525; registration after September 1st is $625; scholarships are available
Website: http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=1967
Contact: Aileen Gagney, 206-441-5100 X 14 or agagney@alaw.org
Monday and Tuesday, October 6 - 7, 2008
Corvallis, Oregon
at LaSells Stewart Center, OSU Campus
Sponsor: Oregon Public Health Association and others; see http://www.oregonpublichealth.org/ for a complete list
This will be two days of education, networking and looking towards the future. There will be a scientific poster session set for early Monday evening, plus the OPHA annual business meeting, section meetings, awards and elections.
Price: see http://www.oregonpublichealth.org/OPHA_2008.doc
Website: http://www.oregonpublichealth.org/
Tuesday October 7, 2008
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Sponsor: The John Merck Fund through the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Environmental Health Initiative
Daniel A. Axelrad will lead this discussion. More information will be available at the website below.
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, 800-424-3688 or Laura@aaidd.org
Thursday and Friday, October 9 - 10, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Entrix Inc. Conference Room, 200 First Avenue West, Suite 500
Sponsor: The Northwest Environmental Training Center
Triple bottom line reporting is emerging as an important and necessary part of an organization's disclosure. Two main issues addressed are 1) what a triple bottom line report is and 2) the areas addressed in a triple bottom line report. The first issue involves establishing an understanding of the triple bottom line and a structure for accountability. The second issue deals with identifying boundaries, a methodology for reporting and development of an understanding of the issues around subject areas in reporting. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $320 business rate, $275 government rate, $220 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/sust-404_10-08_seattle.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976 or info@nwetc.org
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.chenw.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Members. CHE-Washington welcomes these new members:
For a searchable database of organizations with which CHE-WA members are affiliated, please visit the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/members.html
Job opening, Portland, Oregon. Josiah Hill Clinic seeks a full-time program coordinator in environmental health, one of two staff positions within this small, local nonprofit. This position leads and supports project delivery in the Portland Metro area. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator that is skilled at multitasking and thrives in a fast-paced grassroots environment. The coordinator develops/updates culturally appropriate trainings on green cleaning and healthy homes, conducts healthy home checkups/indoor air quality assessments, conducts outreach at community events and fairs, and performs other tasks. A bachelors degree and three years of related professional experience are required. To apply, please email a cover letter, resume and three references to erin@jhillclinic.org Please list Program Coordinator in the subject line. The application deadline is Friday September 19th, 2008.
http://www.jhillclinic.org/
Job opening, Eugene, Oregon. The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) seeks a dynamic leader to work with our energetic and committed staff and board to continue and expand our efforts to protect the health of people and the environment in the Pacific Northwest by advancing alternatives to pesticides. Our ideal candidate is a skilled communicator and visionary with significant fundraising and nonprofit experience who can take on the multiple tasks required to lead an established nonprofit organization. The executive director is a full-time, professional staff person whose primary responsibility is to manage the operation and growth of the organization. Contact Karen Murphy: kmurphy@pesticide.org Application period closes on September 24, 2008, for a position to start in January 2009.
http://www.pesticide.org/jobs.html
"Poisoned Profits" published. In this book, journalists Alice Shabecoff and Philip Shabecoff directly and definitively link industrial toxins to the current rise in childhood disease and death.
http://www.poisonedprofits.com/index.php
Call for papers: Climate changes health. The International Journal of Public Health encourages the submission of research papers addressing the relationships between public health and climate change. Of particular interest are works related to monitoring health implications and mitigating effects of climate change, the detection of early signs of climate-change impact on public health, and methodological advancements related to the subject. The closing date for submissions is November 30, 2008.
http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/IJPH_CfP_Künzli_Closing_30.11.2008.doc?SGWID=0-0-45-601099-0
Funding opportunity: Novel Approaches for Assessing Exposure for School-Aged Children in Longitudinal Studies. EPA's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program is soliciting applications proposing research to develop and evaluate novel, innovative approaches for classifying exposure for children two to less than 11 years of age to toxic chemicals in their environment for use in large-scale longitudinal exposure assessment and epidemiological studies. Applications are due November 18, 2008.
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2008/2008_star_novelapproaches.html
National Children's Study launches newly redesigned national website. In preparation for the start of recruitment, the National Children's Study has launched a new national website with enhanced content, new sections, and an updated look and feel. The study redesigned its website to communicate new and updated information to its numerous key stakeholders, the largest of which will be its participants, and to better represent the progress it has made to date.
http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov
State Environmental Health Legislation Database updated for 2008. The National Conference of State Legislatures has updated its database on state legislation related to environmental health for 2008. The database covers legislation on issues affecting environmental health including asbestos, asthma, biomonitoring, children's environmental health, indoor air quality, lead, mercury, outdoor air quality, pesticides, toxics, tracking and surveillance.
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/environ/envhealth/cehdb.cfm
Aging: Lack of B12 linked to brain shrinkage. Low levels of the vitamin B12 may lead to a reduction in brain volume. New York Times, 9 September 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/health/09agin.html
Lung cancer doesn't spare nonsmokers. What causes the disease in nonsmokers is not known, though researchers suspect genetic susceptibility combined with exposure to cancer-causing substances like asbestos, radon, certain solvents and other people's tobacco smoke. Associated Press, 9 September 2008.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080909/LIFESTYLE03/809090314/1040
Using mobiles during pregnancy 'increases risk of child's behavioural problems.' Women who use mobile phones while they are pregnant increase the chances of giving birth to children with behavioural problems by 80 per cent, it has been claimed. London Daily Telegraph, England, 8 September 2008.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2700266/Using-mobiles-during-pregnancy-increases-risk-of-childs-behavioural-problems.html
Certain flame retardants may make us sick. A common group of flame retardants used since the 1970s and credited with saving lives [PBDEs] is proving to be a pervasive contaminant in the environment that may be harmful to human health. Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania, 8 September 2008.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/20080908_Certain_flame_retardants_may_make_us_sick.html
Firefighters face greater cancer risk. Firefighters are at least twice as likely to get cancer as the average person because of exposure to toxins emitted in fires, such as benzene, asbestos and cyanide, studies say. Spokane Spokesman-Review, Washington, 8 September 2008.
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=16493
Avoid toxic cleaning products in your home. While much of the research is mixed or inconclusive, a variety of human and animal studies have linked chemicals common in household cleaning products with a wide range of health risks. The Daily Green, 8 September 2008.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/intro-green-cleaners-460908
Movement wants fewer PVC office products. It's part of nearly every back-to-school shopping list: the colorful, durable three-ring vinyl binder. But it may not be on those lists in the future. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 7 September 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/06/BUIS12MQCD.DTL
Women warned of herbal remedies risk in pregnancy. Thousands of pregnant women could be risking the health of their unborn babies by taking herbal remedies without knowing the risks. Edinburgh Scotsman, Scotland, 7 September 2008.
http://news.scotsman.com/health/Women-warned-of-herbal-.4466412.jp
Pollution blamed for making kids fat. Pollution is now being blamed for making children obese, following new research carried out in Spain. Australian Associated Press, 7 September 2008.
http://news.theage.com.au/world/pollution-blamed-for-making-kids-fat-20080907-4bfa.html
State finds 7 pesticides in Oregon groundwater. Seven pesticides have been identified in Oregon groundwater or streams that could pose a risk to human or environmental health. Associated Press, 7 September 2008.
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-26/122073414936820.xml&storylist=orlocal
FDA to list drugs being investigated. The Food and Drug Administration will begin posting every three months a list of drugs whose safety is under investigation because of complaints brought to the agency's attention by drug companies, physicians and patients. Washington Post, 6 September 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/05/AR2008090503409.html
Oil refineries underestimate release of emissions, study says. It is likely that all refineries in Canada and the United States are seriously undercounting emissions because they follow an estimating protocol developed by the American Petroleum Institute and the US EPA. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 6 September 2008.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080906.POLLUTANTS06/TPStory/Environment
Schoolchildren at risk from toxic chemical dust on whiteboards, scientists warn. Young pupils are being exposed to a cocktail of chemicals at levels which are higher than those found in homes, offices or cars, researchers found. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 5 September 2008.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1052717/Schoolchildren-risk-toxic-chemical-dust-whiteboards-scientists-warn.html
Fire retardant chemical found in children. A fire retardant chemical [PBDEs] used in electronics, toys and furniture has been detected in children's blood at triple the levels found in their mothers, the Environmental Working Group reported on Thursday. Reuters, 5 September 2008.
http://www.ewg.org/node/27076
Daily ibuprofen may cause heart risks: study. Ibuprofen may raise the risk of heart attacks and other fatal and serious problems when elderly people take it daily for arthritis, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. Reuters Health, 5 September 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/09/04/eline/links/20080904elin025.html
Why mercury tuna is still legal. The Bush FDA helped industry suppress the bad news about mercury. Still want fish for dinner? Mother Jones, 4 September 2008.
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/09/exit-strategy-tuna-surprise.html
Study finds no autism link in vaccine. A common vaccine given to children to protect them against measles, mumps and rubella is not linked to autism, a study concludes, contradicting earlier research. Washington Post, 4 September 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090303396.html
Chemical in plastic is connected to health problems in monkeys. Researchers have linked bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastic, to problems with brain function and mood disorders in monkeys -- the first time the chemical has been connected to health problems in primates. Washington Post, 4 September 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090303397.html
The chemistry of beauty. What's in all those beauty products? The truth isn't pretty. Sacramento News and Review, California, 4 September 2008.
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=721266
Bisphenol-A in plastics could harm you. Two weeks after the Food and Drug Administration declared the controversial plastics chemical bisphenol-A safe, the National Toxicology Program has finalized its very different conclusion. The Daily Green, 4 September 2008.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/bisphenol-a-47090306
Schoolchildren show addiction to caffeine. Schoolchildren have been showing signs of caffeine addiction after consuming energy drinks such as Red Bull, health campaigners have cautioned. London Times, England, 3 September 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article4663859.ece
Breast cancer drug not tied to cognitive decline. Contrary to previous study results, the cancer prevention drug anastrozole does not appear to cause impairment of cognitive performance, a new study found. HealthDay News, 3 September 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=618974
Depression in schoolchildren linked to low birth weights. Children are more likely to experience psychiatric difficulties during their school years if they are underweight at birth, scientists have found. London Guardian, England, 2 September 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/sep/02/psychology.children
Long-term ills tied to bad food. Over the past decade, as medical experts have sought out the source of certain chronic illnesses, they have increasingly found links to episodes of food poisoning. Washington Post, 2 September 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082902519.html
Tackling toxins. Despite how hard it might seem to stay safe and healthy, a few small steps can go a long way. St. Joseph News-Press, Missouri, 2 September 2008.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2008/sep/02/tackling-toxins/?diem
Maine's anti-smoking law for cars kicks in. On Monday, Maine joins other U.S. states and Canadian provinces that have made it illegal to smoke in a car while children are present. Canadian Press, 1 September 2008.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibbWd7_szC6DGrJ9HrcQU_RKMWNw
'Gender bending' chemicals found in beer and wine. Worried about eating too much "gender-bending" soya? It turns out a host of other foods also contain high levels of oestrogen-like chemicals, including beer, wine and roasted peanuts. New Scientist, England, 1 September 2008.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14627-gender-bending-chemicals-found-in-beer-and-wine.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news2_head_dn14627
Women warned not to wear perfume during pregnancy. Pregnant women have been advised to avoid using perfumes or scented body creams after research suggested the products can cause unborn boys to suffer infertility or cancer in later life. Edinburgh Scotsman, Scotland, 31 August 2008.
http://news.scotsman.com/health/Women-warned--not-to.4443471.jp
Exposure to lead speeds aging by up to six years. Millions of people will grow old faster than they should because of past exposures to lead in petrol, a startling series of studies indicates. London Independent, England, 31 August 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/exposure-to-lead-speeds-ageing-by-up-to-six-years-913917.html
Public involvement usually leads to better environmental decision making. When done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment, says a new report from the National Research Council. Science Daily, 31 August 2008.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080822120140.htm
submitted to this bulletin by Marnie Boardman
Study: Women living in mercury's shadow. The nation's first region-by-region analysis of mercury in women's blood shows vast differences based on where they live, with the highest levels found in the Northeast. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 30 August 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-080830-mercury-women,0,5597039.story
Why a recall is no simple matter. The Consumer Product Safety Commission faces a balancing act as it tries to get companies to recall products without putting them out of business, which leaves consumers with no remedy. Washington Post, 30 August 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082903258.html
U.S. appeals court bars meatpacker tests for mad cow. The Agriculture Department is within bounds to bar meatpackers from testing slaughter cattle for mad cow disease, a U.S. Court of Appeals panel said in a 2-1 ruling on Friday. Reuters, 30 August 2008.
http://www.forbes.com/reuters/feeds/reuters/2008/08/29/2008-08-29T184401Z_01_N29284508_RTRIDST_0_USA-MADCOW-TESTS.html
Too good to waste? Reports that sludge from sewage plants is routinely used to fertilise edible crops have caused outrage. Is this simply a prudent use of so-called 'biosolids' or a grave threat to our health? London Guardian, England, 29 August 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/29/waste.recycling
The price of being well. Is it time for a new paradigm for health and development? A heavyweight panel with an egalitarian ideology claims to have found one. Economist, 29 August 2008.
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12009974
Toxic chemicals lurk in school supplies. Many school supplies from plastic backpacks to binders contain chemicals now under fire from environmental groups, large retailers and recently the government for possible health risks. Salem Statesman Journal, Oregon, 29 August 2008.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/NEWS/808290342/1001/NEWS
Heated seats may be frying your sperm. Heated car seats may keep your bottom nice and toasty, but beware: if you're male, they could also be frying your vital equipment. New Scientist, England, 28 August 2008.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/mg19926714.700-heated-seats-may-be-frying-your-sperm.html
Hot dogs spark patriotism row in US. An advertising campaign linking hot dogs with colonic cancer in children has prompted a heated debate about an American cultural icon. London Daily Telegraph, England, 28 August 2008.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2633467/Hot-dogs-spark-patriotism-row-in-US.html
Just how harmful are bisphenol A plastics? Patricia Hunt, a geneticist, discovered that a single breach in protocol had turned the safe environs for her laboratory mice into acutely toxic habitats. Her unnerving discovery, in 1998, led her to speak out on the possible human health threats of BPA. Scientific American, 28 August 2008.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=just-how-harmful-are-bisphenol-a-plastics
Contamination threatens health, environment, and economy. According to the feature article in the latest issue of UC Berkeley's Health Research for Action Perspectives, public health officials are struggling with the dilemma between promoting consumption of high-protein fish and safeguarding the public from the growing risk of seafood contamination. University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health News, 27 August 2008.
http://sph.berkeley.edu/news/2008/hra_fish.html
Study finds toxins in some herbal medicines. Traditional herbal supplements used by thousands of Americans may contain dangerously high levels of lead and other toxins, a study shows. USA Today, 27 August 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-08-26-ayurvedic-medicines_N.htm
Panic in the lunch box. First it was peanut butter on the endangered sandwich list. Then tinned albacore tuna. Now it's cold cuts, benched by the continuing listeriosis crisis. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 27 August 2008.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080827.wlunch27/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home
[Editor's note: see a September 2nd update on this issue at http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=117&art_id=nw20080829072543766C918529 ]
EPA's sluggish response. Pesticides known as pyrethrins and pyrethroids, long considered "safe," have exploded in popularity over the past 10 years. Unfortunately, so has the number of reported poisonings from exposures to these chemicals. Hartford Courant, Connecticut, 27 August 2008.
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-epa.artaug27,0,268297.story