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) Mental Health and Environmental Exposures fact sheet published. LDDI has updated and expanded its fact sheet on environmental exposures and mental health. With an emphasis on prevention, this fact sheet provides information on psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses related to each of the environmental agents discussed, as well as sources of exposure and actions that can be taken to reduce exposures. In the Highlights section of http://www.iceh.org
2) Autism Society of America's (ASA's) Environmental Health Curriculum. ASA's new online curriculum regarding environmental contributors to autism is now available. This is the first of two curricula explaining environmental hazards and connections that have been and are being drawn to autism and other complex conditions.
http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_envirohealth
3) The Environmental Health Initiative of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities will present a free teleconference titled "Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units: A Resource for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Community" on Tuesday December 9th from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. There are 12 pediatric environmental health specialty units (PEHSUs) in the US, Canada and Mexico. In the US, there is one unit in each of the 10 regions of the country designated by the US EPA. The goals of the units are to disseminate information about children's health and the environment and to consult with those who have questions about known or suspected environmental impacts on the health of individual children or a group of children. This teleconference will describe the PEHSUs in detail and will focus on case presentations involving concerns about 1) neurotoxicants, 2) specific cases involving individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities, and 3) community-level partnerships. Sponsored by the John Merck Fund. See the website at http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm or contact Laura Abulafia: Laura@aaidd.org
Wednesday through Friday, November 19 - 21, 2008
Columbus, Ohio
at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC), 400 North High Street
Sponsor: Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs (NATTAP), Autism Society of America (ASA), and Autism Pro
The second annual NATTAP Conference will gather educators, service providers and parents from across the United States and from around the globe. The objectives of the conference are to review current systems models for addressing the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), promote use of best practices in research and intervention and provide methods for capacity building -- all of which contribute to the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for individuals ages three to 21. The 2008 NATTAP Conference will provide a forum for the continued exchange of ideas and promising practices that will provide common solutions to the common problems in ASD.
Price: see http://www.nattapconference.org/view.php?nav_id=2
Website: http://www.nattapconference.org/view.php?nav_id=1
Contact: 2008 NATTAP Conference, 866-886-2254
Thursday November 20, 2008
1:00 p.m. Eastern time, 10:00 a.m. Pacific time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment
This call initiates the new CHE Café -- informal conversations on environmental health. This call will feature a free-ranging conversation with the authors of two powerful new books: 1) Nancy A. Nichols, author of Lake Effect: Two Sisters and a Town's Toxic Legacy, described as "provocative" by the Pittsburgh City Paper; and 2) Alice and Philip Shabecoff, authors of Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on Our Children, which Science News called a "powerful investigative work." There's no need to RSVP for a CHE Café call -- you can drop in any time. Questions can be submitted either to the email address below or to the call blog, available on the website.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles /che-events/4697
Contact: shelby@healthandenvironment.org
Monday November 24, 2008
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dalton, Georgia
at the Discovery Program of Georgia, 2104 Fiber Park Drive
Sponsor: HANDLE Institute, National Institute for Learning Development, and Discovery Program of Georgia
This is a community-information presentation about HANDLE, "an effective non-drug, holistic approach to treating learning, behavioral and neurodevelopmental issues."
Price: free, but pre-registration is requested
Website: http://www.handle.org/events/schedule.html#GA
Contact: Discovery Program of Georgia, 706-529-5639 or frontdesk@handle.org
Wednesday through Friday, December 3 - 5, 2008
Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu India
Sponsor: Holy Cross College, Department Of Rehabilitation Science
This is an international forum to bring like-minded professionals and persons with disability to share and exchange experiences, knowledge, expertise and developments in the field of special education and rehabilitation of persons with disability. More information will be available soon at the website below.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.conferencealerts.com/seeconf.mv?q=ca1xa6a0
Contact: Sheila Christopher, PhD, siljub2008@gmail.com
Tuesday through Thursday, December 4 - 6, 2008
Washington, DC
at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1000 H Street Northwest
Sponsor: Environmental Protection Agency; for the complete list, see http://www.iaqsymposium.com/partners.html
This symposium brings together teachers, school nurses, maintenance and custodial staff, school decision makers, school administrators, parents, school and health association members and community leaders from across the country to discuss the importance of developing effective indoor air quality management practices and how the indoor environment relates to teaching and learning. Educational programs include the latest issues in environmental health, including radon and mold; asthma management; effective risk communication and much more.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.iaqsymposium.com/index.html
Contact: Symposium Coordinator, 703-247-6194
Friday December 5, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Washington, DC
at the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, 1201 Seventeenth Street, NW
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
The program is designed for those who may have little background in toxicology yet must deal with chemicals in the home, at work or at school. Anyone interested in better understanding chemicals and their health effects, or who wants a refresher course on toxicology, is encouraged to attend. The course identifies potential health hazards of toxic chemicals and methods for preventing exposure. Chemicals we encounter in everyday life are used as examples to evaluate the hazards and risk of exposure and put them into perspective. It is designed as an overview of basic toxicology, tools for assessing the toxicology of chemicals, effects of chemicals on the body and why some people are more sensitive to chemicals than others.
Price: $150, $95 for Native American tribes, nonprofits or students
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/etox-510_12-08_washingtondc.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.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Special journal issue on children's health and the environment. This special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Health is devoted to children's environmental health. Fifteen articles discuss a range of health issues including particulate pollution, smoking, dioxin and mercury, plus collaborations and intervention programs.
http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalID=142&year=2008&vol=2&issue=3/4
Children's Environmental Health 2008 Highlights. This report from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Children's Health Protection and Environmental Education highlights the Agency's recent work on protecting the health of children by addressing the environments where they live, learn and play.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/2008_highlights.htm//OCHP_2008_Highlights_508.pdf
EU, China and US in toy safety accord. Officials from China, the US and the European Union on Monday agreed to work towards synchronising safety standards for children's toys in the first trilateral summit on product safety. London Financial Times, United Kingdom, 18 November 2008.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/23979da0-b4d7-11dd-b780-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1
[Editor's note: Read a related article about revisions to an EU toy safety directive: http://www.neurope.eu/articles/90496.php ]
Future hazy for cleaner school buses. The nation's aging fleet of half a million school buses spews out tons of soot and carcinogens. But while pollution-fighting technologies are available, school budgets are plummeting, so fledgling efforts to clean the buses up may stall. Environmental Health News, 18 November 2008.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/future-hazy-for-cleaner-school-buses
Study bolsters link between Parkinson's disease, pesticide. For years, researchers have suspected commercial pesticides put people at risk for Parkinson's disease. Now evidence in the San Joaquin Valley suggests it's true. Fresno Bee, California, 17 November 2008.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1016795.html
The ongoing debate over fluoridation. Controversy has dogged fluoridation ever since scientists determined in the 1930s that tiny amounts of the naturally occurring mineral added to water can guard against tooth decay. Wall Street Journal, 17 November 2008.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=250693&src=120
Manufacturing uncertainty. With names like the Center for Consumer Freedom, Foundation for Clean Air Progress, International Society for Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology, and Council on Water Quality, you might think these groups are out to protect public health and the environment. Think again. Chemical & Engineering News, 17 November 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/books/86/8646books.html
BPA leaches from 'safe' products. Products marketed for infants or billed as "microwave safe" release toxic doses of the chemical bisphenol A when heated, an analysis by the Journal Sentinel has found. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 16 November 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/34532034.html
[Editor's note: A companion article describes how the tests were conducted: http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/34532039.html , a related article discusses BPA's effects on reproduction: http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2008/11/13/hscout621313.html , and an article discusses responses from state and federal lawmakers: http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/34623239.html ]
10 major miscues. When the Department of Health and Environmental Control missteps, South Carolinians' lives and property can be at risk. Here are 10 high-profile examples of agency missteps over the past 20 years, ranging from leniency for polluters to withholding information from residents. Columbia State, South Carolina, 16 November 2008.
http://www.thestate.com/news-extras/story/591479.html
Portland's low-income neighborhoods are city's 'food deserts.' Where we live determines where we buy food, which influences what we eat, factors into whether we're fat and can seal whether, someday, we get diabetes or have a heart attack. Portland Oregonian, Oregon, 16 November 2008.
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2008/11/living_in_a_food_desert.html
Campaigner wins seven-year battle to force rethink on use of pesticides. The high court ruled that Georgina Downs, who runs the UK Pesticides Campaign, had produced "solid evidence" that people exposed to chemicals used to spray crops had suffered harm. London Guardian, United Kingdom., 15 November 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/15/activists-pollution-pesticides-toxins-defra
Parents want shampoo banned. Parents say no more children should face the risk of the adverse side effects of Gambex, a lice treatment that can be bought over the counter at pharmacies. Cape Argus Independent, South Africa, 15 November 2008.
http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fSectionId=3571&fArticleId=vn20081115093219754C816528
Bring kids for lead tests, health officials urge. Seven of the first 41 kids tested by the public health department have enough lead in their blood to cause permanent developmental damage. Hamilton Spectator, Ontario, Canada, 15 November 2008.
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/466935
Buried secrets: Is natural gas drilling endangering US water supplies? Over the last few years, a series of contamination incidents have ignited a debate over whether the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing may threaten the nation's increasingly precious drinking water supply. ProPublica, 14 November 2008.
http://www.propublica.org/feature/buried-secrets-is-natural-gas-drilling-endangering-us-water-supplies-1113/#When:13:00:00Z
U.S. undercuts clean-air rule. Last month, the U.S. EPA approved a tough new rule aimed at clearing the nation's air of lead, to help fight childhood lead poisoning. But the Bush administration quietly weakened a key monitoring provision at the last minute, federal documents show. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 14 November 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-lead-14nov14,0,4744216.story
CA loses $28 billion yearly due to health effects of pollution. The California economy loses about $28 billion annually due to premature deaths and illnesses linked to ozone and particulates spewed from hundreds of locations in the South Coast and San Joaquin air basins. Los Angeles Times, California,13 November 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pollute13-2008nov13,0,3895359.story
Red flag raised on vitamin A in cod liver oil. A group of prominent vitamin D researchers has issued a commentary that cautions against consuming large amounts of the supplement because it may lead to excessive exposure to vitamin A. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, Canada, 13 November 2008.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081113.LCOD13/TPStory/?query=Martin%20Mittelstaedt
What is nanotechnology and do we put the world at risk by adopting it? The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has just published a report on novel materials and has looked at the case of nanotechnology, which describes the science of the very small. London Independent, United Kingdom, 13 November 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-big-question-what-is-nanotechnology-and-do-we-put-the-world-at-risk-by-adopting-it-1015518.html
[Editor's note: See a related article about nanoparticles in beauty creams: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083102/The-beauty-creams-nanoparticles-poison-body.html ]
Public, loggers urged to avoid trees treated with pine-beetle pesticide. The B.C. forests ministry has produced a map of thousands of trees that the public and loggers are urged to avoid due to arsenic residue from the application of a pine-beetle pesticide no longer used in Canada. Vancouver Sun, British Columbia, Canada, 13 November 2008.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=b9332bbb-1b27-46c1-89a5-026f1378af63
Enviro health scientists, chemists join forces to promote safe chemicals. Leaders in environmental health and green chemistry met at University of California, Irvine, to draft a consensus statement designed to offer advice and overcome obstacles to creating new industrial compounds that won't endanger public health or the environment. Environmental Health News, 12 November 2008.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/enviro-scientists-chemists-join-forces-to-promote-safe-chemicals
Under-16 car smoking ban. Smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 16 will be banned under tough new laws passed by the Australian State Parliament today. Maroochydore Sunshine Coast Daily, Australia, 12 November 2008.
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/nov/12/under-16-car-smoking-ban/
Smoking ban tied to a gain in lives. Nearly 600 fewer Massachusetts residents have died from heart attacks each year since legislators banned smoking in virtually all restaurants, bars, and other workplaces four years ago, some of the strongest evidence yet that such laws save lives, a new report finds. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 12 November 2008.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/12/smoking_ban_tied_to_a_gain_in_lives/
[Editor's note: Read an article showing a correlation between smoking and malnourished children: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=620897 ]
Toys, kid stuff may contain banned chemicals. Buyer beware: toys made with plastic chemicals [phthalates] banned this summer by the government will be plentiful this holiday season. Rochester WHAM TV, New York, 11 November 2008.
http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=43e149ae-63e6-4f6f-aee8-e7042e486515
[Editor's note: Read a related article about vendors' efforts to relax restrictions on lead in products: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122696993087535701.html ]
Lead fragments in venison raise health concerns. A new message is going out to venison eaters this year: Fragments from lead bullets have been found in processed venison. Hunters are also being advised to use nonlead ammunition such as copper. Madison Capital Times, Wisconsin, 12 November 2008.
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/313891
[Editor's note: See a related article about North Dakota's safety recommendations: http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=23908 ]
Fields safe: parks report. Delta's four artificial turf playing fields may contain some lead but they're still safe, assure municipal officials. Surrey Now, British Columbia, 11 November 2008.
http://www.canada.com/surreynow/news/story.html?id=c9e41fb6-0ee9-4fdc-b46f-4a6613291cbc
South Seattle has 'poor air quality.' A study that seemed buried or lost showed up on the Internet and confirmed what people have thought for a long time -- South Seattle had an air pollution problem. West Seattle Herald, Washington, 11 November 2008.
http://www.westseattleherald.com/articles/2008/11/10/news/local_news/news02.txt
Study finds increased use of medical imaging, raising costs and health concerns. A dramatic rise in the use of the medical imaging tools like CT scans are increasing health care costs and patients' exposure to radiation, according to a new study. San Jose Mercury News, California. 10 November 2008.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10928755?nclick_check=1
Comparing apples to organic apples. The unfortunate truth is that, from a hard-nosed science point of view, it's still unclear how much better, if at all, organic food is for human health. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 10 November 2008.
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/11/10/comparing_apples_to_organic_apples/?page=full
Prescription drugs can deliver high doses of phthalates. For millions of people, medicines are a little-known, major source of the compounds, which are linked to reproductive abnormalities. Scientists warn "of the potential for high delivered doses of phthalates to vulnerable segments of the population, particularly pregnant women or young children." Environmental Health News, 10 November 2008.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/prescription-drugs-can-deliver-high-doses-of-phthalates
Pregnancy has room for a little wine or beer, new studies show, but caffeine is a growing concern. The largest and most rigorous studies on low levels of alcohol or caffeine to date may once again shift the advice given to pregnant women. Los Angeles Times, California, 9 November 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-closer10-2008nov10,0,2157022.story
Breastfeeding beneficial despite presence of pollutants in human milk. Mothers reluctant to breastfeed their infants following the threat of the exposure to chemical agents measured in human milk might be putting their kids at a greater health risk, say researchers. Asian News International, South Asia, 9 November 2008.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/breastfeeding-beneficial-despite-presence-of-pollutants-in-human-milk_100116779.html
NY cracks down on urban truck and bus pollution. New York is launching a statewide program to crack down on truckers and bus drivers who violate laws intended to reduce health problems from diesel fumes. Associated Press, 8 November 2008.
http://www.silive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1226074152247450.xml&storylist=simetro
Call for ban on chemicals in cosmetics, cleaners. Twelve national health and environmental organizations are calling on Health Canada to speed up the process it uses to deal with toxins under the Chemical Management Plan and promote safer alternative products. Toronto Star, Ontario, 8 November 2008.
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/533204
Pollution can be deadly, panel says. Air pollution is killing people in Utah and elsewhere around the world, according to panelists who spoke Friday at the University of Utah's medical school. Salt Lake Deseret Morning News, Utah, 8 November 2008.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705261591,00.html
[Editor's note: See a related article about a call for greater coordination between agencies that address the environment and those that address public health: http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705263915,00.html ]
Nasty formaldehyde. Formaldehyde. The word instantly conjures up the pungent smell of high school biology labs ringed with jars of pickled pig fetuses awaiting dissection. Turns out that formaldehyde does more than just help preserve lab samples. And some of what it does isn't nice. Ottawa Citizen, Ontario, 8 November 2008.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/homes/story.html?id=df9f94c3-164d-4938-a8af-42fbd13fec2d
Biosolids battle. Some Virginia farmers use the materials left over after human waste is treated to fertilize fields. Richmond CBS 6 - WTVR, Virginia, 8 November 2008.
http://www.wtvr.com/Global/story.asp?S=9313538
Low-VOC paints help you and yours breathe easier. One of the big moves toward more environmentally friendly products has been in the paint and finishes industry: green paints, varnishes and paint strippers that are excellent, cost-effective and less harmful to human and environmental health. Detroit News, Michigan, 8 November 2008.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081108/OPINION03/811080305/1038/LIFESTYLE01
Shifting Seas Part 5: The challenge facing consumers. Mislabeling raises issues of public health, consumer fraud, and environmental sustainability. And the increasing globalization of seafood makes it all the more difficult for consumers to know what they're getting. Vancouver Sun, British Columbia, 7 November 2008.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=fc7c1f9c-f6a5-4891-9ff1-0a85317c1cad
New addition to Canada's toxic substance list. Just days after the last ballot was cast in the 40th federal election, the Tory minority government has jumped into the international spotlight by being the first nation banning the use of bisphenol A (BPA). Leduc Representative, Canada, 7 November 2008.
http://www.leducrep.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1284672
Life near a city park can be as healthy as out in the country. Access to green spaces has an independently beneficial impact on health and health-related behaviour which counteracts the effects of poverty and inner-city deprivation, the research by scientists found. London Independent, United Kingdom, 7 November 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/life-near-a-city-park-can-be-as-healthy-as-out-in-the-country-998212.html
In a unique study, researchers show that exposure to PCBs in rats interferes with learning by stopping the brain from forming complex nerve networks essential for memory and intellect. This effect could underpin some of the impacts that PCBs have on children's ability to learn, 7 November 2008.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/pcb-exposure-may-affect-nerve-development-and-the-ability-to-learn/
EPA targets Columbia's 4 key pollutants. Ridding toxic pollution from the Columbia River will start by targeting four pollutants that permeate the great river of the West [PCBs, the pesticide DDT, mercury, and PBDEs], according to a river-pollution report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Clark Columbian, Washington, 7 November 2008.
http://www.columbian.com/article/20081106/NEWS02/711079954
Researchers raise alarm after chemical leak found in common plastic. Medical researchers at the University of Alberta say that two chemicals [quaternary ammonium biocides and oleamide] leaking from plastic laboratory equipment were so biologically active they ruined a drug experiment. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 7 November 2008.
http://www.ewg.org/node/27344
Obama expected to bolster FDA oversight. The Food and Drug Administration, bedeviled by a salmonella outbreak and tainted medicine from China, is likely to monitor imports and fresh produce more closely under an Obama administration. Associated Press, 7 November 2008.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/11/07/1107fda.html
New assessment highlights effective mercury-free alternatives. There are alternatives to mercury, according to a just-released preliminary assessment of the uses of elemental mercury in a number of products. The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that switches, relays, button cell batteries, non-fever thermometers, and measuring devices, such as thermostats, don't have to contain mercury. US Environmental Protection Agency, 6 November 2008.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/ADFFF48F0EDEC134852574F900649BE5
Threat from infectious diseases growing. Globalization, increased drug resistance, and climate change are among the factors contributing to the growing threat from infectious diseases, according to a report. HealthDay News, 5 November 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=620740
Environmental health and developmental disabilities: A life span approach. Prenatal and childhood environmental exposures are an underrecognized primary cause of intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Family & Community Health, October/December 2008.
http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=814366