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) LDDI Policy Consensus Statement released. Last week, the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative, a working group of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (the national organization of which CHE-WA is a regional group), published its new Policy Implications Based on the Scientific Consensus Statement on Environmental Agents Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. This statement, signed by almost 100 scientists, health professionals and advocates nationally and internationally, provides policy recommendations based on the latest science regarding environmental contaminants associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. To read the full press release, the policy statement or the scientific consensus statement on which the policy was based, please visit the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html
2) CHE-WA member Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility's 2008 Annual Benefit Dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday September 27, 2008, with a hosted social beginning at 5:00. The event will be at South Seattle Community College Brockman Center, and the keynote speaker will be Ramsey Clark, former attorney general of the United States under President Lyndon Johnson and outspoken advocate for civil liberties and civil rights. He strongly opposed the bombing of Hanoi during the Vietnam War and opposed the invasion of Iraq, later calling for the impeachment of President GW Bush for war crimes. A staunch believer in the rule of law, Clark has served as defense attorney in the trials of Slobodan Milosevidc and Saddam Hussein. He was a recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award and the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award. The price is $75. For more information, please visit http://www.wpsr.org/ or contact WPSR, 206-547-2630.
Online Calendar. With a large number of events listed in the coming month, you may prefer to use our online calendar to search by type of event and by other criteria: http://www.chenw.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are also listed.
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
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
Tuesday and Wednesday, September 30 - October 1, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days
Seattle, Washington
at the Northwest Environmental Training Center Headquarters, 650 South Orcas Street, Suite 220
Sponsor: The Northwest Environmental Training Center
This course provides participants with an overview of QA/QC management of analytical data. It is intended for environmental professionals who require a basic understanding of QA/QC methodologies for managing the integrity of laboratory analytical data. The course includes some hands-on data-screening exercises to apply the course concepts to real-world scenarios. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $495, $395 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify.
Website: http://nwetc.org/chem-404_09-08_seattle.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976 or info@nwetc.org
Wednesday October 1, 2008
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Gilda's Club Seattle, 1400 Broadway
Sponsor: Breast Cancer Fund Washington and Gilda's Club Seattle
Cleaning and pest control without toxic chemicals? It's possible and easy. Learn about garden care and composting, too. This is the first in a series of interactive workshops looking at toxic chemicals in our indoor and outdoor environments and how to make healthier choices for ourselves and our families. A light dinner will be provided; please register beforehand at the website listed below.
Price: free
Contact: Breast Cancer Fund Washington, 206-524-4405
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 education 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. Eastern time
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
There is a growing trend of governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations issuing triple bottom line reports. Accountability for environmental, social and economic impacts of a company is increasingly becoming a part of every manager or governmental official's job. However, there is much uncertainty and inconsistency in the field. 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
Saturday October 11, 2008
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at Collins Hall, First United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson
Sponsor: Rachel's Friends Breast Cancer Coalition
The keynote speaker will be Nena Baker, author of The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens our Health and Well-being.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.rachelsfriends.org:80/events.html
Contact: Diane Lund-Muzikant at 503-869-7225 or muzikant@aol.com
Wednesday October 15, 2008
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Gilda's Club Seattle, 1400 Broadway
Sponsor: Breast Cancer Fund Washington and Gilda's Club Seattle
Food should be full of nutrients, not pesticides and hormones. Learn about healthy food choices, and tips for food preparation and storage. This is the second in a series of interactive workshops looking at toxic chemicals in our indoor and outdoor environments and how to make healthier choices for ourselves and our families. A light dinner will be provided; please register beforehand at the website listed below.
Price: free
Contact: Breast Cancer Fund Washington, 206-524-4405
Friday through Sunday, October 17 - 19, 2008
Redmond, Washington
at Redmond Marriott Town Center, 7401 164th Avenue NE
Sponsor: La Leche League of Washington
Billed as "a breastfeeding and parenting conference for families and health-care professionals", this conference will feature a keynote by with Mary Sheedy Kurcinka on "Choosing to Connect Even During the Tough Times."
Price: see http://www.lllwaconf.org/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=8&Itemid=51
Website: http://www.lllwaconf.org
Friday through Sunday, October 17 - 19, 2008
8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, 800 Convention Place
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
Now in it's 19th year, Bioneers brings together some of the world's most renowned and innovative people to present their ideas and experiences. They speak to a well-educated, interested and progressive audience willing to discuss solutions to current environmental and social-justice issues. This conference features a live satellite downlink of the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California, for each of the morning plenary sessions.
Price: see http://nweec.org/seattlebioneers/register.php?form=attend
Website: http://nweec.org/seattlebioneers/about-seattle_bioneers.php
Contact: Northwest Environmental Education Council, 206-923-1980
Wednesday October 22, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at the Audubon Society of Portland, 5151 Northwest Cornell Road, Heron Hall
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center (NWETC)
This course provides participants with an overview of key chemistry concepts associated with environmental contamination and provides a foundation for understanding contaminant transport and fate. This material is intended for environmental professionals who are not chemists but who require a fundamental understanding of chemistry principles for their work. This course is recommended for all environmental professionals working with contaminated soil and water with minimal formal training in the subject. It is also recommended for project managers seeking a review of the subject. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $250, $195 reduced tuition is available to those who qualify.
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/chem-403a_10-08_portland.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Job opening, Bolinas, California. Commonweal is seeking an experienced and creative leader to fill the position of executive director. Commonweal has a capable staff of 30 and highly-regarded programs for cancer patients, health-care professionals, environmental health, ocean policy reform, juvenile-justice reform, permaculture gardening, adult education and more. The candidate must have at least five years of high-level nonprofit experience, strong leadership skills, demonstrated fundraising skills, a strong grasp of fiscal management, and excellent writing and speaking skills. Common sense, kindness and a sense of humor are essential. Start date is immediate.
http://www.commonweal.org/EDjobdescription
EPA report on climate change. "Analyses of the effects of global change on human health and welfare and human systems," a report by the US Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research, focuses on impacts of global climate change, especially impacts on three broad dimensions of the human condition: human health, human settlements and human welfare.
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-6/final-report/
Environmental Health News expands. Award-winning environmental journalist Marla Cone has been named editor-in-chief of Environmental Health News (EHN), which has expanded to provide its own journalistic content. EHN will produce its own articles, and the website's new format is designed to highlight the day's best stories.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Melamine in pesticides, human food chain -- experts. Melamine, a chemical that has tainted milk formula and made thousands of Chinese children ill, is used as an agricultural pesticide in China and may have been part of our food chain for a long time, experts said on Tuesday. Reuters, 23 September 2008.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HKG120043.htm
Nice prawns, shame about the chemical cocktail. Prawn farming is an ancient activity in tropical countries. But as Tiger or 'king' prawns have become a staple, the result has been ever-falling prices, increasing use of chemicals, and dropping quality. London Observer, England, 23 September 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/21/fooddrinks.food
Acetaminophen linked to childhood asthma. Children given acetaminophen during the first year of life to reduce fever are more likely to develop asthma later on, a new study finds. HealthDay News, 23 September 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619529
Quiet please. There is growing evidence that noise-related stress is a significant public health hazard. It causes sleep disturbance, raises blood pressure and can lead to heart disease. Small wonder then that noise is slowly inching up the political agenda. London Guardian, United Kingdom, 23 September 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/23/healthandwellbeing.pollution
No tan is a safe tan. Ultraviolet rays -- no matter where you get them from -- cause skin cancer. The purported health benefits of UV rays, too, are overstated -- if not downright wrong. HealthDay News, 23 September 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619485
WHO: Funding lack, climate change grave threats to public health. The outgoing head of the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region identified health care financing and climate change as the two gravest threats facing countries in the Asia Pacific region. Manila Today, Philippines, 23 September 2008.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/23/08/who-funding-lack-climate-change-grave-threats-public-health
[Editor's note: See a related article at http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-09-19-voa50.cfm ]
Toilet trouble: Flushing meds contaminates water supplies. Fish in the Potomac River have ingested so many pharmaceuticals that males have developed eggs. And trace amounts of medications- have tainted the drinking water of at least 46 million Americans. Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, 23 September 2008.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10529094
EPA unlikely to limit perchlorate in tap water. The Environmental Protection Agency, under pressure from the White House and the Pentagon, is poised to rule as early as today that it will not set a drinking-water safety standard for perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel. Washington Post, 22 September 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/21/AR2008092102352.html?sub=AR
Atrazine found in lakes far from farm sources. The widely used weed-killer atrazine is showing up in pristine lakes in northern Minnesota far from farm country, and scientists believe the chemical is falling out of the sky. Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota, 22 September 2008.
http://www.startribune.com/local/29171259.html
Mom's prenatal stress tied to child's brain power. Children whose mothers were exposed to even moderately severe stress during pregnancy may show the effects in their intellectual development, a new study suggests. Reuters Health, 22 September 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/09/19/eline/links/20080919elin002.html
Lead soil in urban gardens. More Americans have started planting their own gardens in recent years. But it turns out a lot of urban gardens are contaminated with lead. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan, 22 September 2008.
http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=4174
New law for lead in toys. A new federal law is forcing toy manufacturers to get the lead out of children's products. Consumer advocates are cheering the tougher guidelines. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan, 22 September 2008.
http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=4171
Ancient, but how safe? The health industry has questions about metals like lead, mercury or arsenic being found in ayurvedic supplements. New York Times, 21 September 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/fashion/18skin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Mobile phone use 'raises children's risk of brain cancer fivefold.' Children and teenagers are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use mobile phones, startling new research indicates. London Independent, England, 21 September 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mobile-phone-use-raises-childrens-risk-of-brain-cancer-fivefold-937005.html
Pregnancy supplements may trigger asthma in kids. The same vitamins and supplements that mothers-to-be take to protect their kids from birth defects could predispose children and even grandchildren to asthma. New Scientist, England, 21 September 2008.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14767-pregnancy-supplements-may-trigger-asthma-in-kids.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news9_head_dn14767
Study links some antibiotic use to cerebral palsy. A once-used practice of giving antibiotics [erythromycin, co-amoxiclav] to some women at risk of premature birth may have increased the odds their children will develop cerebral palsy and other problems, British researchers said on Thursday. Reuters Health, 19 September 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/09/18/eline/links/20080918elin010.html
Dietary trans fatty acids may be linked to fetal loss. Trans fatty acids -- the much maligned "solid" fats implicated as artery-clogging contributors to cardiovascular disease -- may also increase the risk of fetal death during pregnancy, study findings suggest. Reuters Health, 19 September 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/09/18/eline/links/20080918elin001.html
Baby paracetamol asthma concern. Use of paracetamol in babies increases the risk of developing asthma five years later, a study of more than 200,000 children suggests. Those given the painkiller for fever in the first year of life had a 46% increased risk of asthma by the age of six or seven, The Lancet reported. BBC, United Kingdom, 19 September 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7623230.stm
Potential environmental risks aren't part of chemical engineers' training. Chemists and chemical engineers have been taught everything they need to know about how to synthesize a substance or trigger a reaction. Yet most don't know the effects of chemicals on people or the environment. Los Angeles Times, California, 19 September 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-greenchemside19-2008sep19,0,772775.story
Exposure to contaminated sites linked to diabetes. Mushkegowuk First Nations are now researching health impacts resulting from long- term exposure to radar sites. Ontario Wawatay News, Ontario, 19 September 2008.
http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2008/9/18/Exposure-to-contaminated-sites-linked-to-diabetes_14151
FDA proposes approval process for genetically engineered animals. The FDA opened the way for a bevy of genetically engineered salmon, cows and other animals to leap from the laboratory to the marketplace, unveiling an approval process that would treat the modified creatures like drugs. Los Angeles Times, California, 19 September 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-genetic19-2008sep19,0,2808906.story
Researchers link BPA exposure to health concerns. In the first large-scale human study of the chemical, some found with bisphenol A in their urine had more than double the normal risk of heart disease and diabetes. Los Angeles Times, California, 17 September 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-bpa17-2008sep17,0,2912437.story
[Editor's note: See a related article with a response from the US Food & Drug Administration at http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MED_BISPHENOL_SAFETY?SITE=DCUSN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ]
Chemicals around us pose a problem for youngest New Yorkers. Landrigan has worked to develop a field called environmental pediatrics, which seeks to protect kids from things like lead, pesticides, air pollution and plastics. New York Daily News, New York, 17 September 2008.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/09/17/2008-09-17_chemicals_around_us_pose_a_problem_for_y.html
EPA ignoring children's health. The federal Environmental Protection Agency should be doing more to monitor and curb the effects of environmental hazards on children's health, according to a report released Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office. Salt Lake Deseret Morning News, Utah, 17 September 2008.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700259465,00.html
CDC campaign targets MRSA infections. A national campaign to teach parents how to protect kids from skin infections caused by dangerous MRSA bacteria was launched this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HealthDay News, 17 September 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619199
[Editor's note: See a related article about new treatments for MRSA at http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619228 ]
Workplaces allowed higher level of carcinogens. Workplace pollutants cause between 20,000 and 40,000 cancer deaths a year, yet the federal government has done surprisingly little to protect workers from these contaminants. Bergen County Record, New Jersey, 17 September 2008.
http://www.northjersey.com/health/Workplaces_allowed_higher_level_of_carcinogens.html
NIEHS invests $21.25 million to find environmental causes of Parkinson's Disease. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today that it will award three new grants totaling $21.25 million over a five-year period to study how environmental factors contribute to the cause, prevention and treatment of Parkinson's disease and other related disorders. NIEHS, 16 September 2008.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/releases/2008/parkinsons.cfm
Link found between environment, child disorders. Some of the modern products designed to make our lives easier, safer and cleaner may be threatening our health down the road. Seattle King 5 TV, Washington, 16 September 2008.
http://www.nwcn.com/health/stories/NW_091608ENVB_chemical_neurological_disorder_TP.8355eceb.html
10 ways global warming could hurt your health. Scientists all over the globe have observed changes that are impacting individuals' health--and have also created models to predict where we might be headed. US News & World Report, 16 September 2008.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/09/15/10-ways-global-warming-could-hurt-your-health.html
Latest school of thought on fish: Eat up! Pregnant women who eat fish are doing their children a favor, a new study shows. Researchers found that the more fish a woman eats, the better her infant's physical and cognitive abilities are. Washington Post, 16 September 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/12/AR2008091202924.html
The real story on organic dry-cleaning. In everything from fruit to furniture, consumers have a choice between conventional or organic goods. And increasingly, the option is available in dry cleaning. New York Sun, New York, 16 September 2008.
http://www.nysun.com/style/the-real-story-on-organic-dry-cleaning/85914/
Program targets toxic waste in schools. The Environmental Protection Agency says outdated and unknown chemicals found in schools can cause fires and explosions. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, 15 September 2008.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/B91DCF3B98E3C6A3862574C50004C42C?OpenDocument
Chemicals in plastics impair development of sperm producing cells in babies. Scientists have found a chemical in plastics called MEHP that impairs the development of the reproductive organs of boys when they are exposed in the womb. Environmental Health News, 15 September 2008.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/chemicals-in-plastics-impair-development-of-sperm-producing-cells-in-babies/
Health facilities flush estimated 250M pounds of drugs a year. U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities annually flush millions of pounds of unused pharmaceuticals down the drain, pumping contaminants into America's drinking water. Associated Press, 15 September 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-14-drugs-flush-water_N.htm
Federal agencies start summit on healthy homes. The U.S. government is ramping up efforts to promote the building of healthy homes free of lead, chemicals, mold, moisture and pests. USA Today, 15 September 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-09-14-healthyhome_N.htm
A greener future. Innovations in designing green chemicals are emerging in nearly every U.S. industry, from plastics and pesticides to toys and nail polish. Some manufacturers are leading the charge, while others are lagging behind. Los Angeles Times, California, 14 September 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-greenchem14-2008sep14,0,2276532.story
Just how safe are these synthetic turf fields? The National Center for Environmental Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control, announced on Sept. 2 that independent testing has found high levels of lead in the products of more than a dozen turf companies. Monterey County Herald, California, 14 September 2008.
http://www.montereyherald.com/sports/ci_10462131?nclick_check=1
Safety agency blasted on rules. Thanks to the recently passed Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, strict new standards protecting children from dangerous toys and other products will take effect in February. Until then, retailers and manufacturers may take a lax position on enforcement. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 13 September 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat_cpscsep13,0,899193.story
Smoking during pregnancy shows mixed effects. Smoking during pregnancy appears to affect children's birthweight, and possibly their risk of becoming overweight, but it may not directly harm other aspects of physical and cognitive development, a large study suggests. Reuters Health, 13 September 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/09/12/eline/links/20080912elin001.html
New toxin discovered in S. Seattle neighborhood. Another dangerous toxin [dioxins] has shown up in a section of Seattle's South Park neighborhood that is already a Superfund site because of PCB contamination. Seattle King 5 TV, Washington, 13 September 2008.
http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_091208WAB_toxin_seattle_neighborhood_KS.6ce3ae92.html
World wide web of pesticides can endanger consumers. Like books, cars and music, pesticides are available online more than ever, for purchase by both professional exterminators and unsuspecting consumers. Vendors and customers are now linked by a few clicks of the mouse, letting them circumvent regulations meant to protect people from harmful chemicals. US Center for Public Integrity, 12 September 2008.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/pesticides/articles/entry/703/
submitted to this bulletin by Steve Carpinelli
FDA issues warning on imported Chinese baby formula. Federal officials on Thursday warned consumers to avoid buying any infant formula imported from China -- citing reports of dozens of babies in that country who fell ill after drinking a brand called Sanlu. At least one death was reported. Los Angeles Times, California, 12 September 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-formula12-2008sep12,0,1479701.story
[Editor's note: see an update regarding other tainted milk products from China: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4790866.ece ]
People can trim cancer risks, expert says. Choosing where and how you live can make a difference, says University of Pittsburgh epidemiologist and environmental cancer expert Devra Davis. Anchorage Daily News, Alaska, 12 September 2008.
http://www.adn.com/life/story/523674.html
Study: soot-spewing ships pollute environment. Ocean freighters spew twice as much soot into the air as previously believed and tugboats are among the worst maritime offenders when it comes to air pollution, according to a new government study. Muskegon Chronicle, Michigan, 12 September 2008.
http://www.mlive.com/muskegon/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-15/1221057916304520.xml&coll=8
EPA to develop stricter standards for ocean water. Beachgoers will be told more about whether it's safe to go in the water under a court settlement between environmentalists and the EPA. Associated Press, 11 September 2008.
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/northwest/story/544836.html
Have you had a dose of toxins today? We are under siege by minuscule traces of sinister chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, whose cumulative damage is unknown -- but which probably are responsible for the soaring rates of cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s, obesity, infertility, misbehaving children, and other scourges of Western civilization. Lake Oswego Review, Oregon, 11 September 2008.
http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=122090794895274700
Congress to address dumping of sewage sludge. Consumer and food groups are taking their fight to Congress to put a stop to the dumping of toxic sewage sludge on U.S. farmland. Reuters, 11 September 2008.
http://www.stv.tv/articles/reuters/environment/Congress_to_address_dumping_of_sewage_sludge_132405
Money, health at center of fight over diesel rules. Looming regulations to curb diesel soot from a million trucks and school buses are certain to have enormous public health and financial impacts here while serving as a national model. Sacramento Capitol Weekly, California, 11 September 2008.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_adctlid=v%7Cjq2q43wvsl855o%7Cxecyx6eozid0t7&issueId=xecbu8zmaxdti9&xid=xecczbhp8utvov
Are we screwing in the wrong bulbs? New research highlights a stark contradiction between two cherished green goals: fighting global warming and ridding the environment of toxic pollution [mercury]. Lake Oswego Review, Oregon, 11 September 2008.
http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=122090777173654500
Information differs on effects of Scourge on humans. Scourge, the pesticide used by Nassau County, NY, to kill mosquitoes, is considered highly unlikely to have the same effect on humans, though the widely used concoction comes with lots of warnings and disclaimers. New York Newsday, New York, 11 September 2008.
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-liscou125839405sep12,0,2370973.story
EPA releases 2007 TRI data. To better inform communities about releases of toxic chemicals from industrial facilities in their area, EPA announced the availability of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facility-level data for 2007. TRI provides American communities with vital information on chemical releases including disposal of chemicals. In addition, TRI tracks releases of chemicals and industrial sectors specified by the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986. US Environmental Protection Agency, 10 September 2008.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/202736D44CDEA3E9852574C000523A20
High calcium levels during pregnancy reduces fetal exposure to lead. Women who consume high levels of daily calcium supplements during pregnancy show a marked reduction in lead levels in their blood, according to a new study. Asian News International, South Asia, 10 September 2008.
http://www.newslocale.org/health/hnews/high_calcium_levels_during_pregnancy_reduces_fetal_exposure_to_lead_200809105013.html
States battle pesticides in groundwater. Should we be worried about pesticides in groundwater contaminating the water we drink and the food we eat? ABC News, 10 September 2008.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/SmartHome/story?id=5753073&page=1
Climate inaction 'costing lives.' Failure to take urgent action to curb climate change is effectively violating the human rights of people in the poorest nations, an aid charity warns. BBC, United Kingdom, 10 September 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7605927.stm
2 million cancer cases tied to tobacco use. Lung and bronchial cancers accounted for almost half of the approximately 2.4 million tobacco-related cancers diagnosed in the US between 1999 and 2004, says a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. HealthDay News, 10 September 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619111