These bulletins are now 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.
1) LDDI Scientific Consensus Statement. LDDI has created a scientific consensus statement on environmental agents associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Reviewing a vast amount of literature regarding the status of knowledge about neurotoxicants, this statement will be used to create specific policy recommendations in the coming weeks. The document and a signature form for scientists, researchers and health professionals are posted on the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html Signatures are requested by Friday December 14, 2007.
2) Updated Practice Prevention column on lead. Because lead poisoning has been in the news frequently in recent months, LDDI updated and reformatted our Practice Prevention column on lead. Intended for parents and others who care for children, this column summarizes lead's health effects, routes of exposure and ways to avoid exposure. See http://www.iceh.org/LDDIpublications.html for the updated column. If you post this column on your website or distribute hard copies, please replace the previous version with the update.
3) Two LDDI partners, the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) and AAIDD, have helped spearhead a letter writing campaign as part of a national initiative urging retailers and manufacturers to stop producing and carrying baby bottles containing Bisphenol A. Bisphenol A has been linked to cancers, developmental disorders, early onset of puberty and reproductive problems, among other serious health impacts. The first letter is to Wal-Mart, the second letter is to other major retailers of baby bottles and the third letter is to baby bottle manufacturers. For more information, contact Maureen Swanson: mswanson@ldaamerica.org
4) Medical Approaches in Autism: Clinical Implications of Environmental Toxicology for Children's Neurodevelopment in Autism. To be held Friday February 8, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the UCSF Laurel Heights Conference Center, 3333 California Street, San Francisco, California. This symposium will be a source of current information for physicians, clinicians and other healthcare professionals who work with children with or at risk for neurodevelopment disorders. Educated parents and members of the general public who have an interest in learning more about the latest information on environmental implications in the diagnosis and treatment of autism will also benefit from scientific and clinical information provided at the symposium. Speakers include Martha Herbert, MD, PhD; Mark Noble, PhD; Judy Van de Water, PhD; Issac Pessah, PhD; Robert Hendren, DO; Derrick MacFabe, MD; Kenneth Bock, MD; and Bryan Jepson, MD. Sponsors are New Paradigms in Autism Research and Treatment, Collaborative on Health and the Environment, Commonweal, San Francisco Medical Society and UC Davis MIND Institute. The price is $50, with a limited number of scholarships available. For more information, contact NPART Symposium Coordinator, aut_sym@mac.com or see https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1002917
Thursday and Friday, December 6 - 7, 2007
Overland Park, Kansas
at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Overland Park-West, 8787 Reeder Road
Sponsor: Autism Asperger Publishing Company
Participants will learn how to address national and state guidelines focusing on Response To Intervention (RTI) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). Featured Speakers are Ruth Aspy, PhD, and Barry G. Grossman, PhD. AAPC recommends registering multidisciplinary teams of 4-6 people (e.g., sped director, sped teacher, school psychologist, counselor, SLP, OT, paraprofessional).
Price: $375 for the first member of each team and $275 for each additional member
Website: http://www.asperger.net/conferences_Aspy_Grossman_2007.htm
Contact: 913-897-1004 or aapc@asperger.net
Thursday and Friday, December 13 - 14, 2007
London, England
at the Congress Centre, 28 Great Russell Street
Sponsor: British Psychological Society
Keynote speakers include 1) Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre, professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Cambridge and Fellow at Trinity College Cambridge, speaking on "Is autism an extreme of the male brain?" and 2) Baroness Susan Greenfield CBE, director of the Royal Institution and professor of pharmacology at the University of Oxford, speaking on "The psychology of the 21st century mind: is technology changing the way we feel, think and behave?" Submissions for the conference are open.
Price: £220 for DCP members and £300 for others
Website: http://www.dcpconference.co.uk/dcp-conference_home.cfm
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/
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
Toxic Toys database. Michigan-based Ecology Center has just released new research on over 1,500 toys in collaboration with the Washington Toxics Coalition and other leading environmental health groups across the country. Parents will be able to easily check how products rank from highest to lowest in terms of lead, cadmium and other chemicals that are associated with reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, hormone problems and cancer. Toys made with PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, were also tested.
http://www.healthytoys.org
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) blog. NIOSH had introduced a new NIOSH Science Blog to further communicate the scientific issues related to NIOSH's research and recommendations and to stimulate discussion on those issues. The blog is and online conversation intended as a new way to help NIOSH fulfill its mission of translating research into practice for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/
Call for presentations and tribal-specific interventions. "Nurturing Mother Earth: Our People’s Destiny" is the title of the 8th National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management scheduled for June 23-27, 2008 in Billings, Montana. This conference is cosponsored by EPA and the Montana/Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council and is designed to assist tribal environmental professionals, tribal administrators, tribal health professionals and EPA representatives in developing, implementing and evaluating tribal environmental programs to meet tribal environmental needs and improve tribal environmental management capacity. The conference planning team is seeking experience-based learning activities that provide tribes with tools, skills and ideas for addressing the issues of concern. Proposals are due by January 8, 2008. Presentations from the 2007 Tribal Nations Children's Environmental Health Summit that was held August 22-23, 2007, in Denver, Colorado can be seen on the US Environmental Protection Agency's website: http://epa.gov/region8/humanhealth/children/2007summit.html
http://www.ntcem8.org/
Hidden household toxins. That couch you're sitting on could be making you sick. That's because it's likely to have been coated in PBDEs, a class of flame retardant chemicals. But it's not the only toxin likely hiding in your home. Forbes, 4 December 2007.
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2007/12/03/health-toxins-household-forbeslife-cx_rr_1203health.html
'Greening' your baby from head to toe. From organic food to eco-friendly fashion and hybrid cars, more and more people, including new parents, are "going green" these days. FOX News, United States, 4 December 2007.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,314741,00.html
Vinyl shares lead's taint. Consumer and environmental groups say the alarm raised over lead is helping them in their campaign to turn public attention to vinyl, a possible source of exposure to chemical additives in consumer goods and toys, most of them imported. Washington Post, 4 December 2007.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/03/AR2007120301844.html?hpid=sec-business
Common water pollutant could harm babies. A chemical pollutant [perchlorate] that is commonly found in water supplies could harm nursing babies, even lead to mental impairment in extreme cases. London Daily Telegraph, England, 4 December 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/12/03/scimilk103.xml
New study shows children can outgrow ADHD. New findings that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may stem from a developmental delay that children could outgrow, rather than a cognitive deficit, have raised questions for parents of the 4.4 million children diagnosed with the disorder. Hartford Courant, Connecticut, 4 December 2007.
http://www.courant.com/news/health/hc-healthadhd.artdec04,0,3275893.story
Albany panel to assess health risks of mold. It is the scourge of tenants, landlords and homeowners alike, and now, state officials and Gov. Eliot Spitzer are getting serious about it. New York Times, 3 December 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/nyregion/03mold.html
High dioxin levels found near Dow Chemical. An area downstream from a Dow Chemical plant is polluted with one of the highest concentrations of dioxins in the nation. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan, 3 December 2007.
http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=3767
Don't drink at all, pregnant women told. Pregnant women should never drink alcohol and the industry should be forced to introduce warning labels that it can cause brain damage to unborn children, according to a lobby group. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, 3 December 2007.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/dont-drink-at-all-pregnant-women-told/2007/12/03/1196530563323.html
Empowering FDA. A new law is one of the most wide-ranging revisions of the federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act passed in 40 years and is likely to affect the pharmaceutical industry for decades to come. Chemical & Engineering News, 3 December 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/85/8549cover3.html
Bhopal gas tragedy is still claiming victims: activists. Hundreds of thousands of babies have been born in the years since a deadly gas billowed over Bhopal in 1984, but the survivors of that night say their children have been forever stunted by the tragedy. Agence France-Presse, 3 December 2007.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=188046&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22
Mercury poses serious health hazard. Despite decades of government attempts to erase it from household use, the poisonous metal mercury remains a threat to the environment and public health, especially to children and women of childbearing age. Poughkeepsie Journal, New York, 3 December 2007.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071203/NEWS01/712030316
Risks of nanos no small matter. Nanoscale materials behave in unusual ways, combining with other materials like nothing else. In that uniqueness lies their potential for amazing new products worth trillions, and unknown environmental threats. Wilmington News Journal, Delaware, 2 December 2007.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071202/NEWS/712020375/1006/NEWS
Dry cleaning dilemma. Perchloroethylene remains the cleaner of choice for the vast majority of Tucson's dry cleaners. But it is under fire and some alternatives are cropping up. Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Arizona, 2 December 2007.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/214336
Mom saw tot's slow progress before city warning on lead. Even relatively low levels of lead can be harmful, causing a variety of health problems, including speech and language delays, behavioral issues such as hyperactivity, irritability and aggression, and anemia. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 2 December 2007.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-1202_health1_r_p_ddec02,1,4323257.story?ctrack=2&cset=true
Warning: Known to cause severe health risks to laboratory animals, bisphenol A is in you. Investigative reporting finds that the federal government's assurances that bisphenol A is a safe chemical are based on outdated and incomplete government studies and science mostly funded by the chemical industry. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 2 December 2007.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=692145
Mercury advisories issued. Louisiana is ramping up its efforts to ensure residents are safe when they consume the bounty from state bays and bayous. Associated Press, 2 December 2007.
http://www.sunherald.com/218/story/220544.html
Additives may make youngsters hyper. The colorings and preservatives in soft drinks, candy, and other foods can boost kids' activity levels. Science News, 1 December 2007.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20071201/note13.asp
Household dust laden with toxin. Kids, because they are lower to the ground and often put their hands in their mouths, breathe in or eat the dust on our homes' floors, shelves and windowsills. Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Arizona, 1 December 2007.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/213991
Brain irregularities detected in autistic youths. Autistic children have more gray matter in areas of the brain that control social processing and sight-based learning than children without the developmental disability, a small study said Wednesday. Reuters, 1 December 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-autism1dec01,1,1065942.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
ADHD kids show slower brain growth. Brain maturation in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) lags several years behind that of children with no psychiatric or neurological ailments, according to a new brain-imaging study. Science News, 1 December 2007.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20071201/note11.asp
National study hopes to find causes of autism. Researchers are launching the largest-ever U.S. study aimed at solving one of the most perplexing mysteries of modern times: the cause of autism. Contra Costa Times, California, 30 November 2007.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/health/ci_7599365?nclick_check=1
Worst pollution risks increasingly indoors. More and more chemicals and unhealthful substances are embedded in our daily lives. And they swirl together inside our tightly built personal spaces to create new, and very personal, toxic hot spots: our homes. Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Arizona, 30 November 2007.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/214061
So pretty, but handle with care. Before you toss those holiday lights out and rush out to buy new ones, realize that regardless of whether the lights are made in China or not, most holiday lights contain some level of lead. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 30 November 2007.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.lights30nov30,0,3081357.story
Duke scientists map 'silenced genes.' A new research finding marks an important step in studying how our environment -- food, stress, pollution -- interacts with genes to help determine why some people get sick and others do not. Associated Press, 30 November 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Silenced-Genes.html
Pesticide use down on California farms in 2006. California farmers used 10 million fewer pounds of pesticides on crops last year, but strawberry growers increased their reliance on fumigants, which are considered among the most dangerous pest-killing chemicals, according to a state report released Thursday. Los Angeles Times, California, 30 November 2007.
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsmold305482034nov30,0,4600099.story
State task force to focus on mold. Various types of mold - especially toxic forms - have long been a public concern, and now a New York State task force will investigate related health issues in a first-of-its-kind meeting next week. New York Newsday, New York, 30 November 2007.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/archives.jsp?sm=fr13%3Bhumhealthcond34%3B5Cognitive_neurological_behavioral20%3BCognitive%2Fbehavioral
State sues U.S. over eased EPA rules. Attorney General Jerry Brown sued the U.S. government Wednesday, accusing environmental regulators of relaxing rules that require industry to report toxic pollution. Contra Costa Times, California, 29 November 2007.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/animals/ci_7588970?nclick_check=1
Most kids' toys never tested for safety. The only line of defense between children and potentially dangerous toys is a handful of federal product-safety inspectors who lack the resources and the authority to deal with problems before goods are put on sale. CanWest News, Canada, 28 November 2007.
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=28fe28cb-2dd9-4d33-a630-b0d93019fa9d&k=50504
Beware of candy that could be harmful. The New Mexico Department of Health is reminding parents to be cautious of certain candies that may contain lead and can be harmful to children. Las Cruces Sun-News, New Mexico, 28 November 2007.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_7572422
Ads target smoking mothers. With more West Virginia women smoking while pregnant than at any time in the past decade, a state anti-tobacco agency started an advertising blitz Tuesday designed to educate mothers about the dangers of smoking to themselves and their babies. Charleston Gazette, West Virginia, 28 November 2007.
http://wvgazette.com/section/News/2007112726
Will it be safe to eat fish from the Duwamish? Health authorities condone eating salmon out of the Duwamish River up to four times a month. But some tribal members are consuming far more. Lower estimates of how much seafood will be eaten will translate into less pollution being cleaned up. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 28 November 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/duwamish/341220_duwamish27.html?source=mypi
The CDC's assay for atrazine has systematically underestimated American exposures to the herbicide. New research by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control indicates that the analysis the CDC has used to estimate human exposure to atrazine and atrazine-related breakdown products has strongly underestimated its extent. Environmental Health News, 27 November 2007.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/newscience/2007/2007-1126barretal.html
What determines Junior's DNA? A new field of science -- epigenetics -- is showing us that almost every aspect of our environment -- from stress to our food to toxin exposure -- can affect our genetic makeup in ways that can affect our bodies, and those of the next generation, for life. Toronto Star, Ontario, 27 November 2007.
http://www.thestar.com/SpecialSections/article/280167
Accepting autism: One family's journey. Ana and Miguel Esparza are swimming through the crying, the tantrums, the chaos of rearing three boys -- two with autism. Miami Herald, Florida, 27 November 2007.
http://www.miamiherald.com/1057/story/321187.html
Exposing a toxic US policy. Unlike the European Union, the U.S. doesn't require businesses to minimize toxic risks -- or even to list them, so consumers can evaluate the risks. Fresh Air, NPR, 27 November 2007.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16616951
Study: low lead levels still dangerous. A new study finds that exposure to even very low lead levels can cause brain damage in children. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan, 26 November 2007.
http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=3752
Green schools have their advantages. Studies have shown green buildings can increase productivity and improve health for those who spend large amounts of time in them. Fort Collins Coloradoan, Colorado, 26 November 2007.
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071125/UPDATES01/71125003/1002/NEWS01
Dangerous chemicals found in or around the Duwamish River. Scores of chemicals have been dumped into or alongside the Duwamish. Many can still be found in the river bottom and on its banks. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 26 November 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/duwamish/341062_duwamish-chemicals26.html
Despite known dangers, PCBs used for decades in huge array of products. The makers of the class of chemicals known as PCBs were aware that their product caused a weird pattern of blackheads and blisters known as chloracne. They knew it caused workers in plants producing the substance to complain of loss of appetite, lethargy and a lessening of their get-up-and-go in the bedroom. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 26 November 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/duwamish/341059_duwamish-pcbhistory26.html
Are your products safe? You can't tell. A Journal Sentinel investigation has found that the government has failed to regulate endocrine-disrupting chemicals, despite repeated promises to do so. The regulatory effort has been marked by wasted time, wasted money and influence from chemical manufacturers. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 25 November 2007.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=689731
Catch fish; just don't eat them. Tarrant County, TX has a number of popular waterways where you can't eat the fish you catch. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas, 25 November 2007.
http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_news/story/322853.html
Danger in the dust: toxic flame retardants lurking in every home? Cat food, house dust, human breast milk, televisions, and sperm whales all have one thing in common: They are laced with a group of flame retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs. FOX News, United States, 24 November 2007.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312641,00.html
Activist, author challenges cosmetics industry over amount of lead in lipsticks. The way author and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics co-founder Stacy Malkan sees it, banning potentially harmful chemicals from personal care products like makeup and shampoo is a no-brainer. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 24 November 2007.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/25/LVSETGBTD.DTL
Critics raise red flag over fluoride in tap water. Nearly a half-century after water fluoridation became widespread, a small but growing number of medical officials and environmentalists are again raising concerns over the practice. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 24 November 2007.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071123.wlfluoride23/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home
FDA: flu drugs affecting kids' behavior. Government health regulators recommended adding label precautions about neurological problems seen in children who have taken flu drugs made by Roche and GlaxoSmithKline. Associated Press, 24 November 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/ats-ap_health10nov23,1,716696.story?ctrack=7&cset=true
Program targets lead poisoning. Although many lead poisoning prevention programs take action when a child has a blood lead level of 10 micrograms per deciliter, the UNCA program looks at children with blood lead levels between 5 and 9 micrograms. Asheville Citizen-Times, North Carolina, 24 November 2007.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071124/NEWS01/711240309/1250
Additives 'a risk to children's health.' Parents have been warned to remove food additives linked to hyperactive behaviour from children's diets by the EU's leading expert on the issue. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 23 November 2007.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=495514&in_page_id=1774&ct=5
Baby bottle chemical not a concern for many. According to consumer experts and retailers, parents concerned about bisphenol A are in the minority and say most people either aren't aware of the controversy or simply aren't worried. Canadian Press, 22 November 2007.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2007/11/22/4675733-sun.html
Hazardous toys still on U.S. store shelves: groups. Two consumer groups called on Tuesday for tougher toy oversight by the U.S. government's product safety agency, saying they had easily found toys in stores with high lead levels and other dangers. Reuters, 21 November 2007.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2031513820071120
Study to track pollutants in pregnant women. In the largest survey of its kind undertaken in Canada, researchers plan to track chemical pollutants in about 2,000 pregnant women and their babies over the next five years to see what kind of industrial contaminants are in their bodies. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 21 November 2007.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071121.wpregnant21/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home