These bulletins are archived and searchable on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDIbulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working 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 Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working 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) Teleconference -- Environmental Impacts on Neurodevelopment: A Case Study from Ecuador
Tuesday February 10, 2009
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: AAIDD's Environmental Health Initiative
The World Health Organization reports that the global use of pesticides has doubled every decade since 1945, and this trend is expected to continue. About half of the increase in pesticide use in developing countries has occurred through use in large-scale agricultural industry. Industrial agriculture is taking on an increasingly important role in the economies of developing countries, with a large percentage of the products being imported into the United States. Young women of reproductive age have become an integral part of the labor force of these industries. As a result, the impact of job stress, poor working conditions, and occupational pesticide exposure on the health of women and their children is a pressing global public-health concern. This seminar will describe the adverse impacts of pesticide exposure on neurodevelopment and will present the results of Dr. Handal's preliminary research on the complex relationships between maternal occupation in the Ecuadorian cut-flower industry, potential pesticide exposure and child development.
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, Laura@aaidd.org
2) LDA 46th Annual International Conference
Wednesday through Sunday, February 25 - 28, 2009
Salt Lake City, Utah
at the Grand American Hotel, 555 Main Street
Sponsor: Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
This is the largest meeting on learning disabilities in the world, featuring over 300 workshops and exhibits. Discover the latest in LD research; learn effective teaching techniques and strategies; hear from leading experts in the LD field; network with colleagues and make new friends; learn about critical policy issues; earn graduate and/or continuing education credits (CEUs) and much more. A presentation on Wednesday will look at research, intervention and prevention, exploring the connections between toxic chemicals, low-level lead exposure and the incidences of ADHD and learning disabilities, the impact of food additives and other environmental factors on children with ADHD and learning disabilities.
Price: see the pdf download on the website below
Website: http://www.ldaamerica.org/conference/index.asp
Contact: Learning Disabilities Association, 412-341-1515 or info@LDAamerica.org
3) New Members. The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative welcomes these new members:
For a full list of LDDI members, please visit the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html
1) Vaccinating Your Child: The Safety and Efficacy of Vaccines
Wednesday January 28, 2009
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
New York, New York
at Parkside Lounge, West Side YMCA 5 West 63rd Street
Sponsor: Lawrence Palevsky, MD, FAAP
Attendees will hear some of the answers to common questions, along with the research that questions whether vaccines are safe and effective, and whether the scientific process is even at work to prove the answers to these questions. Attendees will also be asked to look at the issues that drive us to make the decisions we make, many of which come to us through fear, bullying, uncertainty and lack of knowledge. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be empowered to look at the subject of vaccines in a different way, perhaps thinking alternatively about how illnesses occur and disappear. Reservations are advised.
Price: $40, $70 for couples
Website: http://www.drpalevsky.com/
Contact: 917-617-6149
2) The Environment, Health and the Future: 2009 Policy Summit
Thursday through Saturday, January 29 - 31, 2009
4:00 p.m.
Chicago, Illinois
at the Blackstone Hotel
Sponsor: University of Iowa
This is an opportunity for legislators to share what their states are facing in the way of environmental health concerns and how they are being addressed. Workshop hosts Representative Karen May of Illinois and Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa have helped create an agenda which includes two sessions on Friday morning on Superfund chemicals, PCBs and the newer PBDEs found in fire-retardant products. Two panels on Friday afternoon will deal with healthy homes and buildings and include talks on radon, mold, green building construction and lead and other hazards that arise during demolition. Two Saturday morning panels will address adaptation to climate change with specific attention devoted to floods and drought and renewable energy. A great deal of time has been reserved for legislator interaction on these issues.
Price: $100
Website: http://www.ehsrc.uiowa.edu/tentative_agenda.html
Contact: Nancy Newkirk, 319-335-4756 or nancy-newkirk@uiowa.edu
3) Environmental Health Hazards & Our Children: Creating Healthy Environments for Our Children Through Public Policy Change
Wednesday February 4, 2009
6:00 p.m.
Hartford, Connecticut
in the Private Dining Room at the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue
Sponsor: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Autism Society of America, Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut and Learning Disabilities Association of America
Our children are exposed to environmental toxins every day at home, school and at play. Many of these toxic chemicals impair brain development, with links to learning and developmental disabilities, behavior disorders such as ADHD, and autism. Studies have also shown the developing fetus, infants and children are more vulnerable to harm from toxic chemicals than adults. Join us for this important forum, featuring a keynote address by Dr. Joel Forman, an associate professor of Pediatrics and Community and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Forman worked together with Dr. Philip Landrigan to create the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) at Mount Sinai Medical Center, is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health and is a member of the CDC Lead in Pregnancy Workgroup. We're pleased to welcome Dr. Forman to Hartford to learn about the specific health hazards our children face and the cutting edge research being done on health effects. Following his presentation, join us for an advocacy discussion focusing on ways in which Connecticut can lead the way toward safer solutions.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/CT%20Save%20the%20Date%20Feb%204%20LDA%20Forum.pdf
Contact: Chris Corcoran, 860-232-6232 or ccorcoran@cleanwater.org
4) TOXNET and Beyond
Tuesday February 10, 2009
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Atlanta, Georgia
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tom Harkin Global Communications Center, Building 19 Rm 131, 1600 Clifton Road Northeast, MS C-04
Sponsor: TOXNET
This class is designed to convey the basics of searching the National Library of Medicine's TOXNET©, a web-based system of databases in the areas of toxicology, environmental health, and related subjects. Students learn the content and structure of files covering toxicology data, toxicology literature, toxic releases, and chemical searching and nomenclature. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: free
Website: http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/classes/class_details.html?class_id=5
Contact: Maureen Czujak, 800-338-7657 or mczujak@nyam.org
5) CHE Partnership Call -- Critical Windows of Development: A Conversation with Dr. Theo Colborn
Tuesday February 10, 2009
1:00 p.m. Eastern time, 10:00 a.m. Pacific time
Sponsor: sponsor
This call featuring Dr. Theo Colborn, with Drs. Linda Giudice and Pete Myers, will highlight a new tool developed by Dr. Colborn that demonstrates the importance of environmental impacts to critical windows of development. The product serves as an educational model, illustrating normal development and what can happen when environmental contaminants are introduced during crucial developmental periods. The moderator of this call will be Steve Heilig.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/partnership_calls/5082
Online Calendar. All upcoming events are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Job opening: Washington, DC. The State Alliance for Federal Reform of Chemicals Policy (SAFER) is a strategic national campaign with the goal of establishing a new chemical regulatory system that protects the environment and public health from toxic chemicals, and transitioning to a cleaner, greener economy. SAFER is hiring a federal policy director to be responsible for directing the daily Washington, DC, activities of a sustained federal campaign to achieve comprehensive progressive safer chemical policy reform.
http://www.saferstates.com/2009/01/now-hiring-safe.html
Call for presentations: EPA Community Involvement Training Conference. To be held August 18 - 20, 2009. in Seattle, Washington, this conference invites presentations focusing on challenges and opportunities within communications, institutional/organizational, or behavioral and emotional boundaries that can can pose challenges to effectively solving environmental problems. Thursday, January 22, 2009.
http://www.epa.gov/ciconference/
EPA seeks comment on CAFO permit. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 is proposing a general permit regulating concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) located on State lands in New Mexico.
Thursday, January 22, 2009.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/14865FB94FFC977B85257545006F87EF
EPA proposes revisions to Air Quality Index for particle pollution. Under the proposed changes, the AQI would reach "code orange -- unhealthy for sensitive groups -- when particle pollution levels reach 35.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3). The changes also would mean air quality reaches the "unhealthy" category at a lower particle pollution level. Environmental Protection Agency.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/A12E62E07006A9A68525753F0066ED3D
Call for proposals: Community Participation Research Targeting the Medically Underserved. This FOA solicits research project grant applications that propose research on health promotion, disease prevention, and health disparities that is jointly conducted by communities and researchers and targets medically underserved areas (MUAs) and medically underserved populations (MUPs). National Institutes of Health.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-075.html
Call for proposals: Community Participation in Research. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits research project grant applications that propose intervention research on health promotion, disease prevention, and health disparities that communities and researchers jointly conduct. Examples include, but are not limited to, promotion of physical activity-friendly neighborhoods; tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse prevention among youth; a community-led action plan for cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevention and control in minority populations; establishing safer work practices among agricultural workers in rural areas; nutrition and reducing childhood obesity; HIV/AIDS and STD prevalence among young adults; promoting infant mental health; and reducing health disparities. National Institutes of Health.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-074.html
Call for proposals: Research to Action: Assessing and Addressing Community Exposures to Environmental Contaminants. This FOA solicits applications designed to collect information on community exposures to environmental or occupational agents or exposure-related diseases and use this new information to support environmental public health action. National Institutes of Health.
http://grants.nih.gov:80/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-09-001.html
Call for proposals: Novel approaches to improving air pollution emissions information. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications. Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the US, state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and US territories or possessions are eligible to apply. The closing date is April 21, 2009.
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2009/2009_star_air_pollution.html
Call for proposals: Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by NIEHS and EPA solicits grant applications for Research Centers to support a multidisciplinary program of basic and applied research to examine the effects of environmental factors on children's health and well-being. The closing date is April 30, 2009.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-08-002.html
Caloric restriction improves memory in elderly humans This study found a significant increase in verbal memory scores after caloric restriction in healthy, normal- to overweight elderly subjects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/01/26/0808587106
What you should know about EPA lead cleanup. Children -- not adults -- are primarily at risk. Lead poisoning can affect intelligence and has been linked to behavioral problems. Children ages 6 and under, whose neurological systems are still developing, are considered most susceptible. Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10548336
[Editor's note: See a related article about efforts in Orange County, New York: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090123/NEWS/901230349 ]
Health Canada recalls Disney lipstick, lip gloss. Disney-branded Princess lipstick and lip gloss packs marketed to girls at Dollarama stores across the country were recalled on Monday after Health Canada found excessive levels of lead in the decorative sticker glued on the external cap. Canwest News Service, Canada.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Life/Health%20Canada%20recalls%20Disney%20lipstick%20gloss/1220001/story.html
Sunglasses, play yards, rattles recalled. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued three recalls. Children's Sunglasses were recalled because surface paint on the recalled sunglasses can contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard. Syracuse Post-Standard, New York.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
http://blog.syracuse.com/family/2009/01/sunglasses_play_yards_rattles.html
Mercury in corn syrup? Food made with ingredient may have traces of toxic metal. Researchers say they have detected traces of the silvery metal in samples of high-fructose corn syrup, a widely used sweetener that has replaced sugar in many processed foods. Chicago Tribune, Illinois.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-mercury-corn-syrupjan27,0,2801323.story
High lead levels found in D.C. kids. A new study concludes that hundreds of young children in the District experienced potentially damaging amounts of lead in their blood when lead levels were dramatically rising in the city's tap water. Washington Post.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012602402.html
[Editor's note: See a related article about lead in Toronto homes: http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/570605 ]
Economic gains from gulf fish farms and pollution fears compete. Federal regulators are poised to expand fish farming to open ocean, with the Gulf of Mexico as an experimental laboratory, stirring controversy. St. Petersburg Times, Florida.
Monday, January 26, 2009.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/article970480.ece
Study adds to evidence of safety of mercury and vaccines. A new study from Italy adds to a mountain of evidence that a mercury-based preservative once used in many vaccines doesn't hurt children, offering more reassurance to parents. Associated Press.
Monday, January 26, 2009.
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090125/NEWS02/701259836
[Editor's note: See a related article about a physician who turns away parents who refuse to vaccinate their children: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/lifestyles/health_family/1382057,on-vaccine-011509-s1.article ]
Drywall sulfur levels not a health risk, toxicologist says. A toxicologist evaluating potential health risks in connection with troubled Chinese drywall found that the levels of sulfur-containing chemicals in homes are too low to be considered a public health concern. Naples Daily News, Florida.
Sunday, January 25, 2009.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/22/drywall-sulfur-levels-not-health-risk-toxicologist/
Sealed homes open possibility of illness. Experts say that dangerous pollutants can build up and linger in homes that have been sealed too tightly against the elements, especially during the cold-weather months. Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
Sunday, January 25, 2009.
http://dispatch.com/live/content/home_garden/stories/2009/01/25/INDOOR_AIR.ART_ART_01-25-09_I1_2NCIIBB.html?sid=101
[Editor's note: See a related article about increased risk of lead poisoning during winter months: http://www.marionstar.com/article/20090116/NEWS01/901160314 ]
Study: Are artificial turf fields safe? Several state agencies are participating in the $245,000 study that will consider everything from the chemicals the synthetic playing surfaces release into the air and groundwater, to the effects on players of direct contact with the crumb rubber pellets they shed. Bridgeport Connecticut Post.
Sunday, January 25, 2009.
http://www.connpost.com/ci_11545992
EPA a failure on chemicals, audit finds. The Environmental Protection Agency's ability to assess toxic chemicals is as broken as the nation's financial markets and needs a total overhaul, a congressional audit has found. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin.
Saturday, January 24, 2009.
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/38260974.html
Insurance companies liable for Fox River PCB cleanup costs. A Brown County judge has upheld a 2008 jury verdict that decided nine insurance companies are liable for PCB cleanup costs of the Lower Fox River through their contracts with paper company Appleton. Appleton Post-Crescent, Wisconsin.
Saturday, January 24, 2009.
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090123/APC03/90123052/1979
Coal-tar seal coats pollute nearby soil and water. Parking lots treated with coal-tar-based seal coats are a major source of cancer-causing contaminants that can pollute air, soil, water and wildlife, posing a significant health risk to humans who may breathe, drink or eat them in fish and other food. Environmental Health News.
Thursday, January 22, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/coal-tar-sealcoats-release-pahs/
The ugly side of cosmetics. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) -- the industry's self-policing safety panel -- does not look at the effects of exposures to multiple chemicals linked to negative health impacts; the cumulative effect of exposures over a lifetime; the timing of exposure, which can magnify the harm for the very young and other populations; or worker exposures, in both beauty salons and manufacturing plants. Portsmouth Herald, New Hampshire.
Thursday, January 22, 2009.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090122-LIFE-901220330
EPA approves California standards for refrigerated trucks. State air pollution officials got the go-ahead from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce 2004 rules that limit pollution from truck refrigeration units used to keep perishable foods cool. Riverside Press-Enterprise, California.
Thursday, January 22, 2009.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_diesel22.3bf6f3d.html
Mystery PCB surfaces in Chicago, baffling researchers. More than three decades after highly toxic PCBs were banned in the United States, an unusual PCB compound has turned up in the air outside several Chicago schools. Chicago Tribune, Illinois.
Thursday, January 22, 2009.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-pcb-zonejan22,0,7312688.story
EPA floats advisory for chemical exposure. Federal environmental regulators are issuing a health advisory on drinking water contaminated with a toxic chemical used to make carpet stain resistant and nonstick pans slick [PFOA]. Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tennessee.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009.
http://northgeorgia.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/jan/20/dalton-epa-floats-advisory-chemical-exposure/?South-Pittsburg
Smoking with kids in car now illegal act in Ontario. Police will be watching for drivers lighting up with little ones in the car. The law that makes it illegal to smoke in a car with children under the age of 16 comes into effect today. Windsor Star, Canada.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009.
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=040e4aec-59d6-4529-b957-cb991f3df4a2
Response: Our research was not about prenatal screening for autism. Your front-page article about our new study that found a correlation between levels of foetal testosterone and the number of autistic traits a child shows at the age of eight included several inaccurate statements. London Guardian, England.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/20/research-autism-health-response-comment
Recession raises risks for mothers, babies. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the world's economic woes could set back huge public health campaigns meant to eliminate diseases, tackle the root causes of poverty and save the lives of mothers and babies. Reuters.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/01/19/eline/links/20090119elin006.html
Early babies 'exposed to toxins.' Some medicines routinely given to premature babies expose them to potentially harmful levels of chemicals, British research suggests. BBC.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7837024.stm
Dumping of banned toys from US feared. A waste and pollution watchdog on Monday called on the government, particularly the Bureau of Customs, to prevent the entry of banned toys from the United States which may be dumped into the country because of new US laws about lead and phthalates. BusinessMirror, Philippines.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4820:dumping-of-banned-toys-from-us-feared
Women in coastal areas have higher mercury levels. Where a woman lives, how much she makes for a living, and her ethnicity may all be linked to the amount of mercury in her blood, a new survey says. US News & World Report.
Monday, January 19, 2009.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/01/19/women-in-coastal-areas-have-higher-mercury-levels.html
[Editor's note: See a related article about mercury levels in Florida's seafood: http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-01-25/story/the_fish_warnings_you_dont_know_about ]
Unease over tungsten. As the filament in an incandescent light bulb, tungsten can illuminate a room, but it hasn't been spotlighted as an environmental contaminant. Recent studies, however, indicate that some forms of tungsten can leach into groundwater, and induce greater biological effects than previously known. Chemical & Engineering News.
Monday, January 19, 2009.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/87/8703sci2.html
More pesticides banned, farmers fear food crisis. By a vote of 577-61, the European Parliament adopted new legislation that would ban 22 more pesticides, a move some farmers said would prevent them from growing more crops at a time when the world has faced food shortages, and that it would drive up prices. New Europe.
Monday, January 19, 2009.
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92023.php
Class provides help identifying household health risks. The grass-roots, volunteer-driven program helps people learn about the health risks posed by common pollutants found in the home and about free or inexpensive ways to reduce those risks. Longview Daily News, Washington.
Monday, January 19, 2009.
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/01/19/top_story/doc49741fad3eb5d103671562.txt
Do businesses pay for pollution? Five years after being told to do more, Texas regulators are still seen as lenient toward polluters. Austin American-Statesman, Texas.
Sunday, January 18, 2009.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/18/0118penalties.html
The real story behind bisphenol A. How a handful of consultants used Big Tobacco's tactics to sow doubt about science and hold off regulation of BPA, a chemical in hundreds of products that could be harming an entire generation Fast Company.
Sunday, January 18, 2009.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/132/the-real-story-on-bpa.html
[Editor's note: See a related journal article about bisphenol A's effects on the female reproductive tract later in life: http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800045/abstract.html and another about Canada's failure to follow through on regulating BPA: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090116.BPANEW16/TPStory/Environment ]
Indian River power plant tops in toxins. The Indian River power plant remains the worst polluter in Delaware, state officials report. Delaware's air pollution has increased 9 percent over the past year, and part of the reason is more power production. Lewes Cape Gazette, Delaware.
Saturday, January 17, 2009.
http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/200901/irpowertoxins16.html
Old ordnance under the sea may be toxic -- study. Unexploded munitions lying under the sea leak cancer-causing toxins, a new study shows. Halifax Chronicle Herald, Canada.
Saturday, January 17, 2009.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1101147.html
U.S. warns of Teflon chemical in water. Less than a week before the Bush administration leaves office, federal environmental regulators are issuing a controversial health advisory on drinking water contaminated with a toxic chemical [PFOA] used to make Teflon and other non-stick coatings. Chicago Tribune, Illinois
Saturday, January 17, 2009.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-teflon-chemical-16,0,6305635.story
[Editor's note: See a related article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604415.html ]
EPA to regulate mercury from cement plants. Federal regulators have settled a lawsuit with environmental activists and nine states over standards for mercury emissions from cement plants, the plaintiffs announced Friday. Associated Press.
Saturday, January 17, 2009.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5htKhfJXH4C52GM6Syuh7TQVs_8ZQD95OKBC00
South Koreans find new way to remove lead from blood. South Korean scientists may have found a way to remove dangerous heavy metals such as lead from blood by using specially designed magnetic receptors. Reuters Health.
Saturday, January 17, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/01/16/eline/links/20090116elin007.html
Livestock manure stinks for infant health. The manure generated by thousands of cows or pigs doesn't just stink -- it may seriously affect human health. Science News.
Saturday, January 17, 2009.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39990/title/Livestock_manure_stinks_for_infant_health
FDA announces formal guidelines for genetically engineered animals. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration announced formal guidelines to govern the approval of genetically engineered (GE) animals. Capital News Service.
Friday, January 16, 2009.
http://topnews.us/content/22539-fda-announces-formal-guidelines-genetically-engineered-animals
[Editor's note: See a related article about Japan's Food Safety Commission conclusions about cloned meat: http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200901200367.html ]
Columbia River pollutants at unacceptable levels, EPA says. Contamination in the Columbia River basin poses an "unacceptable risk" to people, fish and wildlife, the US EPA said Thursday after issuing its first comprehensive report on toxic pollution in the massive Columbia system. Portland Oregonian, Oregon.
Friday, January 16, 2009.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/columbia_river_toxins_at_unacc.html
[Editor's note: See the Columbia River Basin State of the River Report for Toxics: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/ecocomm.nsf/Columbia/SoRR/ ]
Working with pesticides impacts women's fertility. Women with potential exposure to pesticides at work or at home took longer to get pregnant than women without pesticide connections. Environmental Health News.
Thursday, January 15, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/pesticide-exposure-may-impact-female-fertility/
Bay cleanup effort must tackle harmful chemicals. The Maryland Department of the Environment says Chesapeake Bay striped bass more than 28 inches long are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs -- industrial chemicals that can damage children's nervous systems. Baltimore Sun, Maryland.
Thursday, January 15, 2009.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.say15jan15,0,6476725.story
Diesel truckers air concerns to port. By 2010, the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy requires that drayage trucks seeking to access the Seattle seaport meet emission standards of trucks made in 1994 or later. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington.
Thursday, January 15, 2009.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/396141_port15.html
Nontoxic slumber. Flame retardants, which are suspected carcinogens, are required in mattresses by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, although people with allergies or chemical sensitivities can get flame retardant-free mattresses with a prescription. The Sleep Shop's organic offerings are made from organic cotton and use organic wool as a flame retardant. Reno News and Review, Nevada.
Thursday, January 15, 2009.
http://www.newsreview.com/reno/Content?oid=896304
Environmental group seeks end to gas flaring in Nigeria. A global environmental group has stepped up its campaign to persuade Nigerian authorities to ban gas flaring, which is blamed for environmental degradation and a host of diseases. Voice of America.
Thursday, January 15, 2009.
http://voanews.com/english/2009-01-14-voa40.cfm
Fish oil cuts risk of mental delay in early babies. Mothers nursing premature babies can halve the risk that their child will have significant developmental problems if they take fish oil supplements to fortify their breast milk. Sydney Australian, Australia.
Thursday, January 15, 2009.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24914407-23289,00.html
Pollution control agency looks to snuff out rural burning. For most farmers, garbage day is a simple routine. They grab the garbage bags, take them outside and light them on fire. Now state and local officials are trying to get farmers and other rural residents to end the practice. Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/01/13/pollution_control_agency_looks_to_snuff_out_rural_burning/
Researchers advise replacing plastic with other materials. It seems like hardly a day goes by without some new report about the health hazards of plastics. Trying to tell the polycarbonates from the polyvinyl chlorides is enough to make your head spin. The first bit of advice from two experts: Don't panic. McClatchy Newspapers.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090114/FEATURES01/901140379
Hormone therapy affects brain mass: Study. Hormone treatments commonly used by menopausal women appear to accelerate brain shrinkage, according to two new studies released on Monday. Agence France-Presse.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=117&art_id=nw20090113051056350C528886
Coal ash disposal rules vary from state to state. Despite growing concerns about the risk from coal combustion waste, there are no national standards for its storage and disposal. The U.S. EPA does not consider the waste "hazardous," even though it contains harmful metals such as lead and arsenic. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/42A7DA741E02BAF78625753E00163ADC?OpenDocument
Report avoids linking Gr. Lakes pollution, illness. Wrapping up an eight-year investigation of possible links between industrial pollution and health risks in the Great Lakes region, federal researchers Tuesday said information was too sketchy and called for more study. Associated Press.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/business-19/1231907457288400.xml&storylist=michigannews
European Parliament passes pesticides bill. The European Parliament voted Tuesday to tighten rules on the use of pesticides amid fears it is posing an increasing danger to human health and animals like the industrious honeybee. Associated Press.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/01/13/european_parliament_passes_pesticides_bill/
Smoking when pregnant affects thyroid for both -- study. Here's another thing that smoking while pregnant can do -- it can damage both the mother's and the baby's thyroid function, British researchers reported on Tuesday. Reuters.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN1339642620090113
[Editor's note: See a related article about the US failure to protect citizens from tobacco smoke: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=623020 ]
Largest-ever study of U.S. child health begins. Scientists begin recruiting mothers-to-be in North Carolina and New York this week for the largest study of U.S. children ever performed--aiming eventually to track 100,000 around the country from conception to age 21. Associated Press.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28640577/