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) 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
2) 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
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
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.
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: $345
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
Thursday December 11, 2008
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Arbor Day Foundation, US Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program, and Center for Chesapeake Communities
This two-part event will explore the importance of addressing air pollution and how trees can improve urban air quality. The speakers will present examples of innovative strategies that use tree planting to address air quality issues and build healthier communities. Topics are "Health Impacts of Air Pollution" and "Tree Planting: An Innovative Measure in State Air Quality Planning."
Price: free
Contact: Lisa Tilney, ltilney@arborday.org
Thursday December 18, 2008
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Arbor Day Foundation, US Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program, and Center for Chesapeake Communities
This two-part event will explore the importance of addressing air pollution and how trees can improve urban air quality. The speakers will present examples of innovative strategies that use tree planting to address air quality issues and build healthier communities. Topics are "The Great Clean Air Tree Planting Project" and "Climate Change Plan for the National Capital Region."
Price: free
Contact: Lisa Tilney, ltilney@arborday.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/
Job opening: Washington, DC The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a nonprofit public interest international environmental law firm, is seeking a staff attorney. Applications are due no later than December 15, 2008.
Sunday, November 23, 2008.
http://www.ciel.org/Join/Climate_Chemical_Attorney_Oct08.html
EPA seeks public comment on proposal to add hazardous pharmaceutical waste to universal waste rule. To help provide a streamlined system for disposing of hazardous pharmaceutical waste that is protective of public health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to add hazardous pharmaceutical waste to the Universal Waste Rule.
Saturday, November 29, 2008.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/AA2EC2C93AF50236852575070079135E
Research links epilepsy drug to autism. Pregnant women taking the Sanofi-Aventis epilepsy pill Epilim may raise their child's risk of developing autism. Reuters.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL138575120081201
EPA to curb medical emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency moved yesterday to curb pollution released by medical waste incinerators, ending an 11-year battle over how to best regulate the emissions. Washington Post
Tuesday, December 02, 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/01/AR2008120102577.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Accidental child poisonings still a major problem. Despite safety advances in product packaging, tens of thousands of U.S. preschoolers visit the emergency room each year for accidental poisonings from medications, supplements and household products, researchers reported Monday. Reuters Health.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/12/01/eline/links/20081201elin001.html
Officials target lead poisoning. Beginning in January, a state law will require health care providers to screen children for lead poisoning annually up to 36 months while lowering the amount of lead in blood needed to trigger official action. Waterbury Republican-American, Connecticut.
Monday, December 01, 2008.
http://www.rep-am.com/News/382999.txt
Cheap food may bring next health crisis. Almost a quarter of the average American's food is imported. But increasingly, imports are from developing countries that do not meet U.S. standards regarding sanitation, worker safety, environmental practices, quality of ingredients and treatment of animals.
Sunday, November 30, 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/29/IN9N14C47T.DTL
Efforts to properly dispose of medicine increase. Krakosky was one of many who descended upon the Detroit Medical Center Surgery Center in Madison Heights two weeks ago to get rid of unusable drugs in a campaign to clear out cupboards to clean up watersheds. At evening's end, the community-based effort sent 300 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medicines to an incinerator, rather than down a toilet, the trash or a sink.
Sunday, November 30, 2008.
http://www.freep.com/article/20081130/NEWS06/811300398
Bush aides rush to enact a safety rule Obama opposes. The Labor Department is racing to complete a new rule, strenuously opposed by President-elect Barack Obama, that would make it much harder for the government to regulate toxic substances and hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed on the job. New York Times.
Sunday, November 30, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/washington/30labor.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Help to cut diesel emissions available. Local businesses can now ask the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control for financial help to reduce diesel emissions. South Carolina Now, South Carolina.
Sunday, November 30, 2008.
http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/help_to_cut_diesel_emissions_available/20705/
Green scene: it's time to dish the dirt on dry-cleaning. The normal method of dry-cleaning involves drenching your clothes in a liquid called perchloroethylene (known in the trade as 'perc'). So toxic is this chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States considers it to be both a health and environmental hazard -- and it is a known carcinogen. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom.
Sunday, November 30, 2008.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/you/article-1089009/Green-scene-It-8217-s-time-dish-dirt-dry-cleaning.html
Levels of lead in venison sparking debate. On the eve of deer hunting season, the most common tool used to kill deer is under inspection. Recent studies show that people who eat deer killed with lead bullets ingest the substance into their blood - leading some to consider copper bullets as an alternative. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pennsylvania.
Sunday, November 30, 2008.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/outdoors/s_600488.html
12 reasons to really quit smoking. Tobacco use, namely cigarette smoking, is the chief cause of preventable death in the United States. The reasons to do so keep amassing -- and they're not all about heart disease, lung cancer, or respiratory problems. US News & World Report.
Saturday, November 29, 2008.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/cancer/2008/11/14/12-reasons-to-really-quit-smoking.html
New E.U. law to require safer chemicals. Chemical producers have until Monday to comply with a sweeping European law requiring proof that products they export are safe. MarketPlace.
Saturday, November 29, 2008.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/28/reach/
Children's jewelry has excessive levels of lead. Health Canada says excessively high levels of lead have been found in a line of jewelry for children called Mood Chain. Canadian Press.
Saturday, November 29, 2008.
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/545646
Dangerous chemical found in three leading brands of bottled water. Chemicals linked to genital abnormalities in babies have been found in three of Britain's leading bottled water brands. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom.
Friday, November 28, 2008.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1090204/Dangerous-chemical-leading-brands-bottled-water.html
Secondhand toys shouldn't mean sacrificing safety. Secondhand toys shouldn't mean sacrificing safety. Consumer safety advocates warn that buyers should be cautious when considering buying secondhand toys because they might have been recalled or banned for dangerous defects or toxic materials. Charleston Post and Courier, South Carolina
Thursday, November 27, 2008.
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/nov/27/buyer_beware63170/
[Editor's note: See related articles about toy safety and recalls: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/30/na-seeking-safer-toys/news-breaking/, http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/539461 and http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/11/25/eline/links/20081125elin018.html ]
Katrina kids: sickest ever. Even before the storm, they were some of the country's neediest kids. Now, the children of Katrina who stayed longest in ramshackle government trailer parks in Baton Rouge are "the sickest I have ever seen in the U.S.," says Irwin Redlener, president of the Children's Health Fund. Newsweek.
Thursday, November 27, 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/170370
EPA Launches probe into formaldehyde emissions from wood products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced an investigation into formaldehyde emissions from pressed-wood products. Dow Jones Newswires.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008.
http://www.easybourse.com/bourse-actualite/marches/epa-launches-probe-into-formaldehyde-emissions-from-wood-568561
Avoid the dangers of pollution when weatherizing your home. With global warming and energy consumption becoming ever present issues, more people are now choosing to weatherize their homes; what is often neglected are the steps that should be taken to minimize the dangers from pollution sources inside homes. Canada East, New Brunswick, Canada.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008.
http://miramichileader.canadaeast.com/sports/article/492386
Milwaukee loses appeal in lead paint lawsuit. An appeals court on Tuesday rejected the city of Milwaukee's bid to force a former lead paint manufacturer to pay for the cleanup of 11,000 contaminated properties. Associated Press.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/11/25/milwaukee_loses_appeal_in_lead_paint_lawsuit/
FDA finds traces of melamine in US infant formula. Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but federal regulators insist the products are safe. Associated Press.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8083522
[Editor's note: See a related article about the Canadian response: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122783652274263269.html ]
Overflow crowd questions border highway study. More than 1,000 Windsor residents Monday vented their anger over a government border highway proposal many feel does not go far enough to protect them from harmful diesel emissions from the thousands of big rigs rolling across the border every day. Windsor Star, Ontario, Canada.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=78027c46-ed8e-4b63-a29c-e61f433dd6ef
Fox River's dredging for PCBs starts soon. The Fox is the largest single source of polychlorinated biphenyls on Lake Michigan. Finally, the actual processing of the contaminated sediments starts in May - making the Fox and the Hudson River in New York the largest remediation projects in the country. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/35045049.html
Lifestyle changes can carry over to good pregnancy. From exercise to diet, having a successful pregnancy requires expecting moms to make some lifestyle changes to keep them and their babies healthy. Great Falls Tribune, Montana.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20081125/LIFESTYLE01/811210371
Lead warning: Christmas lights present danger for children. According to a Cornell environmental analyst, many Christmas light sets contain lead levels in excess of limits set by the U.S. EPA. Ithaca Journal, New York.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20081125/LIFESTYLE02/811250308
Mercury at day care prompts bill to allow prosecutions. More than two years after state officials shut down a day-care center operating inside a former thermometer factory, a bill was introduced to allow prosecution of anyone who intentionally or recklessly causes exposure to health-threatening pollutants. Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20081125_Mercury_at_day_care_prompts_bill_to_allow_prosecutions.html
When not to flush. Drugs were not designed to be spewed into streams and lakes, spread atop crop fields as part of a sludge-based soil amendment or buried in dirt (to ultimately be washed into groundwater). Yet huge quantities of these and related personal-care products unwittingly end up in the environment. Science News.
Sunday, November 23, 2008.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/38771/title/When_Not_to_Flush
Researchers attempt to solve the mystery of autism. A previous UC Davis study found that autistic children's immune systems are different from those of normally developing children. Researchers hope through the current UC Davis MARBLES study to discover when those changes begin. Contra Costa Times, California.
Sunday, November 23, 2008.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/health/ci_11051689
Climate change may boost exposures to harmful pollutants. A review of studies projecting the impact of climate change on air quality, including effects on morbidity and mortality, indicates that adverse health effects will likely rise with changes in pollutant creation, transport, dispersion, and deposition. Science Daily.
Saturday, November 22, 2008.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081122083325.htm
Green hospitals. Critics say hospital buildings and food are enough to make you sick. Today there's a growing movement in health care to get hospitals to green their facilities and it's transforming the medical community. Living On Earth.
Saturday, November 22, 2008.
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=08-P13-00047&segmentID=7
Preservative in beauty products may pose health risk. Could parabens used in many beauty products be a potential health risk? Seattle King 5 TV, Washington.
Saturday, November 22, 2008.
http://www.king5.com/health/stories/NW_112108HEB_paraben_cosmetics_KC.1d74c127b.html
State will check mercury output at power plants. Colorado will start monitoring mercury emissions from power plants, a step toward a state rule dramatically slashing mercury emissions over the next decade. Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado, Associated Press.
Saturday, November 22, 2008.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/mercury_43895___article.html/plants_colorado.html
Why ports are a health concern. Poisonous fumes, as well as soot, from ships and trucks can have deadly effects on the people who live and work near ports. Columbia State, South Carolina. 22 November 2008.
Saturday, November 22, 2008.
http://www.thestate.com/news-extras/story/598494.html
Children at risk in food roulette. American children with food allergies are suffering life-threatening -- and completely avoidable -- reactions because manufacturers mislabel their products and regulators fail to police store shelves, a Tribune investigation has found. Chicago Tribune, Illinois.
Saturday, November 22, 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-081120-allergens-tribune-investigation,0,506031.story
Toxic contamination starts at home: study. When women from 120 middle-class homes learned their bodies contained low levels of toxic chemicals, most of them blamed chemical spills, waste dumping or secret military experiments. They were stunned to learn the truth was closer to home. Canwest News Service, Canada
Friday, November 21, 2008.
http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=9fbaf19f-62ef-43fe-9f6f-bb869b76e94b
UAA study says gasoline in garage creates health hazard. University of Alaska Anchorage researchers say there may be a health hazard right in your own garage. Anchorage KTUU TV, Alaska.
Friday, November 21, 2008.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9390954&nav=menu510_2
Diagnosis can miss ADHD symptoms in girls. The majority of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) research has focused on boys. But recent research shows that many girls who have ADHD simply aren't diagnosed. Talk of the Nation, NPR.
Thursday, November 20, 2008.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97149159&ps=cprs
New research from China indicates that a part of the brain that controls short-term memory and learning is smaller in workers who were exposed to lead while at work and had high levels in their blood. The study suggests that people who work with the heavy metal may develop subtle brain changes that could increase their risk of neurological disorders.
Thursday, November 20, 2008.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/picturing-the-brain-on-lead/
Treatments for ADHD are better than ever. Researchers continue to make progress in understanding attention deficit disorder. A complex mix of genetic and environmental factors are among possible causes to this very real disorder rooted in brain development. Evanston Review, Illinois.
Thursday, November 20, 2008.
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/lifestyles/health_family/1288731,on-ADHD-112008-s1.article
FDA panelists back safety of antibiotic to treat "superbugs," despite pregnancy risks. Federal health advisers on Wednesday said an antibiotic developed by Theravance appears safe and effective for fighting "superbug" bacteria, despite potential risks for pregnant women. Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, Minnesota.
Thursday, November 20, 2008.
http://www.startribune.com:80/business/34749319.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
Use of antipsychotics in children is criticized. Powerful antipsychotic medicines are being used far too cavalierly in children, and regulators must do more to warn doctors of their risks, a panel of experts said. New York Times.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/health/policy/19fda.html?_r=1
Dentists say urgent action needed to prevent 'infectious' tooth decay in kids. The Ontario Dental Association considers tooth decay an infectious disease and research shows fluoridated drinking water reduces incidences of cavities in children. Canadian Press.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008.
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20081118161945/wire/national-news/ont.-dentists-say-urgent-action-needed-to-prevent-infectious-tooth-decay-in-kids.html
Bug bombs don't just kill pests. Last month, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study the agency says is the first look at pesticide poisoning incidents related to bug bombs. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/388404_bugbomb19.html
The cursed children of Bhopal. Almost a quarter-century after the world's worst industrial accident, campaigners are fighting to help a "second generation" of suffering Bhopalis who they say are victims of contaminated water and political and corporate neglect. London Independent, United Kingdom.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-cursed-children-of-bhopal-1024600.html
Dangers of asbestos highlighted. The dangers of exposure to asbestos have been highlighted in a campaign by the Health and Safety Executive. BBC, United Kingdom
Wednesday, November 19, 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7735338.stm