To join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the form at http://www.healthandenvironment.org/roles/register?&phase=registerform. 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's National Conference 2007, "Priming for Prevention: An Ecological Approach to Research, Education and Policy" will be held May 10-11, 2007, at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Former US Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, among other distinguished speakers, will be presenting at this conference. A registration form is now available on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html
For information about additional events, please visit our searchable calendar of events at http://www.iceh.org/calendar.html.
February 28 - March 1, 2007
Reston, Virginia
at the U.S. Geological Survey
This will be a forum to foster collaboration between the Public Health and Earth Science Communities, which can lead to solutions for existing and emerging environmental health problems. The intended audience is organizations and individuals interested in environmental and earth science factors affecting human health. This meeting is designed to provide a broad forum for discussion and will be set up along six thematic areas: (1) potential contaminants and pathogens in air, dusts and soils; (2) drinking water exposure to chemical and pathogenic contaminants; (3) human consumption of bioaccumulative contaminants; (4) pathogen exposure through recreational waters; (5) vector-borne and zoonotic (animal to human) diseases; and (6) animals as sentinels of human health, along which the USGS public health research is aligned.
Website: http://health.usgs.gov/20060912_earthsci_flyer.html
Contact: Herb Buxton, hbuxton@usgs.gov
March 5 - 7, 2007
Long Beach, California
at the Coast Long Beach Hotel, 700 Queensway Drive
The conference is tailored to the policies, regulations and programs that are specific to the states in the Western Region. This will provide attendees with information, technical assistance and program ideas they can put to practical use in carrying out their job responsibilities and business activities. This will be an educational and networking conference for public officials, lead-industry practitioners, environmental consultants and contractors, facility operators, health educators and community advocates from the western United States.
Contact: Conference Hotline, 800-590-6522
by Elise Young, Bergen County [New Jersey] Record
February 13, 2007
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MTAmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwNzY2ODAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky
A historic package of bills heading for the Legislature would propel New Jersey to the forefront of the autism crisis by adding millions of dollars for research and a slew of services lasting a lifetime. The half-dozen measures, to be introduced in the Assembly as early as next week, would form the state's most cohesive autism policy ever. The legislation comes at a critical time: On Thursday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that New Jersey has the nation's highest autism rate, with 1 in 94 children affected.
Article Summary: Autism is a neurological condition whose cause is unknown, although both heredity and environmental factors are suspected. It has no cure. People with autism can lack communication, learning and social interaction skills. Some have symptoms so mild that they are not diagnosed until adulthood -- if ever -- while others go a lifetime focusing on redundant tasks, unable to speak. Autism advocates welcomed the proposals, particularly those for adults. Autism bills heading to the state Assembly would:
by Mike Lee, San Diego Union-Tribune
February 13, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20070213-9999-1n13sludge.html
Article Summary: San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange and other metropolitan counties are running out of ways to discard sludge, or what waste experts politely call "biosolids." The product, which is likened to black peanut butter, typically has heavy metals such as mercury and traces of pharmaceutical products. Spreading biosolids to fertilize crops not eaten by people, including cotton and alfalfa, is a popular method, along with landfill disposal. However, as concern grows about the toxicity of sludge, options for disposal are becoming fewer. In Niland, residents are split about the prospects of building a plant that burns sludge to produce power. No comparable facility is operating in California, so the proposed project could mark a new era in waste disposal. Liberty Energy promises to use top technologies to remove mercury and other pollutants from air emissions, haul sludge in covered trailers to limit the spread of bad smells and build dikes around its property to prevent the runoff of sludge-laden stormwater. But critics of the Liberty XX power plant said the proposed incinerator, and the trucks serving it, would worsen the already high rates of air and water pollution in Niland and surrounding parts of Imperial County. They fear the end result would be rising rates of asthma and other health ailments in their region.
from the Associated Press, International Herald Tribune
February 11, 2007
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/12/america/LA-GEN-Colombia-Toxic-Flowers.php
Article Summary: By the time velvety, vibrant-colored flowers reach a Valentine's Day buyer, they will have been sprayed, rinsed and dipped in a battery of potentially lethal chemicals. Most of the toxic assault takes place in the waterlogged savannah surrounding the capital of Colombia, which has the world's second-largest cut-flower industry after the Netherlands, producing 62 percent of all flowers sold in the United States. Economic gains from producing flowers come at a cost to workers' health and Colombia's environment, according to consumer advocates who complain of an over-reliance on chemical pesticides. Colombia's flower exporters association responded by launching Florverde, which has certified 86 of its 200 members for taking steps to improve worker safety and welfare. Growers to apply a wide range of fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides, some of which have been linked to elevated rates of cancer and neurological disorders and other problems. Florverde says its members have reduced pesticide use by 38 percent since 1998, to an average of 97 kilograms (213 pounds) of active ingredient per hectare (2.4 acres) per year. Nevertheless, 36 percent of the toxic chemicals applied by Florverde farms in 2005 were listed as "extremely" or "highly" toxic by the World Health Organization. And researchers have found some disturbing data: The Harvard School of Public Health examined 72 children ages 7-8 in a flower-growing region of Ecuador whose mothers were exposed to pesticides during pregnancy and found they had developmental delays of up to four years on aptitude tests. A survey of 84 farms between 2000 and 2002, partly financed by Asocolflores, found only 16.7 percent respected Florverde's recommendation that workers wait 24 hours before re-entering greenhouses sprayed with the most toxic of pesticides. Producers say they would love to go organic, especially given the high costs of pesticides. But their risks include infestations and stiff competition from emerging flower growers in Africa and China.
by Jeff Kart, Bay City [Michigan] Times
February 11, 2007
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1171192580212590.xml&coll=4&thispage=1
Article Summary: Public water piped to 90,000 people in the Bay City area is laced with contaminants, some of them unregulated and linked to health problems. So is the public drinking supply in other parts of northeastern Michigan, according to an analysis of state records by the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C. Officials from the US Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Quality say the area's tap water, drawn from the Saginaw Bay, meets all federal and state standards. Areas with problems, like naturally occurring arsenic, are being addressed with new treatment systems. According to Jane Houlihan, vice president of research for EWG, public drinking water standards are lacking and not based solely on health risks. Standards also are based on treatment costs. The group's research, of records from 1998-2003, found 260 contaminants in the nation's tap water, more than half of which have no legal limit. Bay City water customers drank water containing up to 25 contaminants during the period that have been linked to cancer and other health problems. The 25 contaminants detected in Bay City water from 1998-2003 included agricultural pollutants like pesticide and fertilizer, sprawl and urban pollutants like road runoff and human waste, industrial pollutants and water treatment byproducts. Three of the contaminants are unregulated water treatment byproducts created when water is chlorinated for disinfection. Research into the health effects of treatment byproducts has been inconclusive, some experts say. The compounds have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems in some studies, but not in others. John DeKam, superintendent of the Bay City water treatment plant, said the EWG report is a bit slanted, and most of the 25 contaminants found in Bay City's water were only found some of the time, and then only in trace amounts. The American Water Works Association in Denver, a nonprofit dedicated to the improvement of water quality and supply, says the benefits of disinfecting drinking water far outweigh the possible health risks of treatment byproducts.
[Editor's note: Read a similar story about water contamination in Minnesota: http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/16666507.htm.]
by Adrienne Tanner, Vancouver Sun
February 10, 2007
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=4cbdb21a-a201-4f63-a4f3-29dbc90529bb
Elevated dioxin levels found in milk at two Fraser Valley diary farms have prompted a province-wide order to change how feed is stored in farms with bins made of pressure-treated wood.
Article Summary: Lumber in storage bins may have been treated with wood preservatives such as pentachlorophenols. In large quantities, pentachlorophenols and other dioxins have been linked to health problems in humans, including cancer and birth defects. Farms with chemically-treated wood bunkers in use are being ordered to line them with untreated plywood and a layer of plastic to prevent future chemical leaching, said Robin Smith, executive director for the milk producers association. Milk that tested with higher-than-normal levels of dioxins was tested in 2005. By the time the results were revealed in the spring of 2006, the problem milk had been mixed with milk from many other farms and sold. At no time was there a risk to the public buying milk at the supermarket, said Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s provincial health officer, due to the dilution factor. However, the dioxin levels were deemed high enough to warrant an investigation to find the contamination source and take all necessary steps to remove it. Subsequent tests after mitigating steps were taken to separate the feed from the wood showed the dioxin levels had dropped to normal levels.
by Sue Bailey, Canadian Press, Toronto Globe and Mail
February 10, 2007
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070210.MERCURY10/TPStory/National
OTTAWA -- Canada's refusal to support a legally binding global pact to cut highly toxic mercury pollution is another Kyoto-style evasion that allies Ottawa with Washington, critics say. Canada sided with the United States and India during international talks in Nairobi this week. The trio were among a minority of countries that blocked immediate progress of an enforceable system to curb mercury use, including a glut of noxious exports to the developing world. Instead, Canada favours voluntary reduction while talks continue. Most of the 58 countries represented, including the European Union, Africa, Japan and Brazil, supported a legally binding treaty.
Article Summary: Mercury in large doses can damage the brain, nervous system and babies in the womb. Yet the heavy metal known as quicksilver is still widely used in processes ranging from mining to plastics and chemicals manufacturing. The United Nations Environment Program, which sponsored the Nairobi talks that ended yesterday, says much of the developed world's mercury-laden e-waste -- obsolete computers, cellphones and printers -- is being dumped in African countries and other poor nations. Canada has taken steps to reduce mercury from some sources, such as plans to ensure mercury switches are removed before discarded cars are crushed for scrap metal.
[Editor's note: See a related article at http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=143&art_id=qw1171231741879B251.]
by Kenneth R. Weiss, Los Angeles Times
February 9, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-trash9feb09,1,6714533.story?coll=la-headlines-california
Disgusted by pictures of trash-strewn coasts, the California Ocean Protection Council on Thursday called for an aggressive crackdown on plastic fast-food containers, a ban of those containing toxic chemicals and a program to reimburse police for vigorous enforcement of littering laws.
Article Summary: The tiny plastic pellets nicknamed nurdles are the most prevalent plastic trash found in coastal waters and the state's beaches. Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, a member of the council, also instructed the staff to find money to deploy "nurdle" police to prosecute plastic manufacturers that allow plastic pellets to spill off industrial lots. The governor's Ocean Protection Council was founded two years ago and funded through Proposition 84 in November to set the state's overall ocean policy and coordinate the actions of dozens of disjointed agencies. The three-member council amended a less ambitious staff-prepared plan with a set of 10 resolutions written by the nonprofit Santa Monica-based environmental group Heal the Bay. The resolutions sought to reduce beach trash and marine debris and encourage fast-food restaurants to switch from plastic to biodegradable materials. A director of the American Chemistry Council, which represents companies that turn petroleum into plastics, suggested it was not an appropriate way for the council to set public policy, since it hasn't been reviewed by the business community. Under direction from the council, state workers have until December to prepare a plan to phase out the most toxic and damaging types of plastic packaging by 2015. In addition to curtailing the use of Styrofoam cups and other items, the plan would target plastics that can "leak" chemicals, such as cancer-causing vinyl chloride and bisphenol-A, which is linked to prostate cancer in humans and reproductive problems in wildlife.
by Rick Weiss, Washington Post
February 9, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020801883.html
Approximately one in every 150 children in the United States has autism or a closely related disorder -- a figure higher than most recent estimates -- according to a federal survey released yesterday, the most thorough ever conducted. The new data, from 14 states, do not mean that autism is on the rise, because the criteria and definitions used were not the same as those used in the past.
Article Summary: The sheer number of children apparently affected -- 560,000 nationwide if the new statistics are extrapolated to all 50 states -- makes autism an "urgent public health issue" and a "major public health concern," said Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, chief of the developmental disabilities branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which conducted the survey. The prevalence of autism, a poorly understood behavioral syndrome that interferes with a child's ability to relate to or interact with others, varies mysteriously from state to state in the survey, with New Jersey standing out as a hot spot and Alabama and West Virginia having low rates. The survey, which is to be updated regularly, offers no clues about what causes autism or the range of related disorders that together cost the nation tens of billions of dollars a year and take an immeasurable emotional toll on families. The survey provides an unequaled, standardized baseline measure of the prevalence and distribution of autistic behaviors around the country, CDC officials said. In the short term, that can help state and federal officials budget their special education and mental health services needs. Over the longer term, it may tell at last whether autism is becoming more common and, if so, why.
[Editor's note: See related articles on autism rates in New Jersey at http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDczNzMy and on the response from the National Autism Association at http://www.projo.com/ri/portsmouth/content/autism_react_10_02-11-07_DT4C51R.12828c4.html.]
by Gary Chittim, KING 5 News
February 8, 2007
http://www.king5.com/localnews/environment/stories/NW_020807ENBpbdeanalyzerEL.644b7423.html
Article Summary: A Washington group has acquired a device that detects the presence of toxic flame retardants and hope to use it to change state laws. PBDEs, a widely used flame retardant that is linked with possible brain and thyroid problems, leach out of the products, including computers, furniture, and even infant car seats getting into dust. Sen. Debbie Regala and Representative Ross Hunter have teamed up to introduce a bill to make Washington State the first in the nation to ban PBDEs. With Democratic majorities in both chambers this year and a strong list of co-sponsors in the Senate, they are optimistic it will pass.
from Reuters
February 8, 2007
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2007-02-08T184857Z_01_COL867717_RTRUKOC_0_US-LEAD-EXPOSURE.xml&WTmodLoc=HealthNewsHome_C2_healthNews-2
NEW YORK -- A study of elderly men shows that the higher their cumulative exposure to lead in everyday life, the lower were their scores on a variety of cognitive tests -- and the worse the deterioration over time. Dr. Marc G. Weisskopf, of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues examined the link between mental skills and life-time lead exposure among a subgroup of subjects in the Normative Aging Study, a cohort of community-dwelling elderly men. None of the men studied had dealt with high levels of lead in their work.
Article Summary: The investigators found that there were substantial associations between different lead exposure markers and scores on cognitive tests. As blood lead levels increased, vocabulary scores went down. As bone lead increased, the change in performance worsened over time on nearly all tests. The strongest effects were observed on performance and reaction time scores on visuospatial and visuomotor tests. The team points out that their results are based on a testing interval of only 3.5 years. "It is possible that follow-up over longer periods of time would reveal other (perhaps stronger) effects," Weisskopf and colleagues conclude.
by Stephen Castle, London Independent
February 8, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2248778.ece
Releasing toxic chemicals, dumping hazardous waste and other serious "green crimes" would be punished by up to 10 years in prison and a 1.5 million euro fine anywhere in Europe, under a plan to be launched tomorrow.
Article Summary: The plan is likely to provoke opposition from several national capitals because some governments jealously defend their right to determine tariffs for criminal offences. But Franco Frattini, European commissioner for justice and home affairs, believes that the public is so concerned about damage to the environment that the measure will be popular across the continent. The proposal lists nine sets of offences which would be recognized in all 27 EU member states. These include illegal treatment or shipment of waste, discharge of dangerous substances into the air, soil or ground or unlawful possession of protected wild plants and animals. Other crimes would include causing drastic deterioration of a protected habitat and unlawful trade in ozone-depleting substances.
by Michelle Cole, Portland Oregonian
February 7, 2007
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/117082232225140.xml&coll=7
Article summary: Today, Oregon lawmakers begin their third attempt to write an electronics recycling law. A handful of states, including Washington and California, already have laws to keep defunct and potentially toxic computers and televisions out of landfills. In 2005, legislation was introduced in Salem that followed the California electronics recycling model. Under that plan, consumers pay a $6 to $10 recycling fee when they buy a computer monitor or television set. But in Oregon, an electronics industry lobbyist branded the advanced fee a "computer sales tax." This year, the idea is to replicate the Washington model. The rules are being written for that law, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2009. Manufacturers will be required to register, pay a fee to the state, and either provide recycling services directly or pay a state-approved organization to handle high-tech scrap. There are no estimates yet of how much of those costs will be passed on to the consumer.
Computer monitors, television sets and other electronics contain hazards that can threaten humans and the environment if not properly handled. The cathode ray tube in a computer monitor can contain as much as four pounds of lead, which can damage the nervous system. Printed circuit boards can have small amounts of mercury. Plastics can contain flame-retardant chemicals that can be released into the environment and move up the food chain to humans.
by Emily Bourke, PM
February 7, 2007
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1842563.htm
Article Summary: A new psychological study of modern children has found an alarming increase in the incidence of a number of mental illnesses. The Danish study of 700,000 children born in the 1990s found, for instance, that the number of Tourette Syndrome cases had doubled, and there were three times as many kids diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. The researchers say it's not clear whether the rise is "real and caused by environmental factors", or whether it can be put down to increased awareness and better diagnosis by doctors. While the study did not investigate the causes of the rise in diagnoses, the authors of the study say the results highlight a need for greater support and services for families. Anthony Warren from Autism Spectrum Australia says the report is a reminder about the prevalence of children suffering multiple disorders and those who are slipping through the treatment cracks.
by Jan Hefler, Philadelphia Inquirer
February 6, 2007
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16647805.htm
New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection has identified polluted groundwater near 60 day-care centers and has ordered immediate testing or other proof to determine whether children are exposed to toxic vapors or drinking water. In the nine months since DEP inspectors discovered Gloucester County's Kiddie Kollege day care, where children were playing in a mercury-polluted former thermometer factory, DEP officials have reviewed the locations of hundreds of child-care centers to see whether others are on or near known contaminated sites.
Article Summary: Last week, DEP ordered owners of 60 contaminated properties -- mostly gas stations or manufacturers with leaking tanks -- to test neighboring day-care centers' indoor air and drinking water for benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, and for other toxic substances. Polluted groundwater can cause dangerous vapors to seep into buildings. If the owners can show that the underground contamination is spreading away from the day-care centers, they may not have to take samples. They were also instructed to treat any problems -- which could include installing an expensive air-vent system -- or face penalties. A new law in New Jersey requires day cares to conduct air testing when renewing their licenses from the state Department of Children and Families.
by Cassandra Profita, Astoria [Oregon] Daily Astorian
February 6, 2007
http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=40126&TM=64330.6
Experts say it's tough to tell exactly where contaminants such as DDT, PCB and PAH are entering the Columbia River. But it's no mystery where these toxics end up. "Everything comes down to Astoria," said Mary Lou Soscia, director of the water and watersheds office for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The river's toxic brew reveals itself in the sediment along the banks, in the crayfish and salmon that feed on microorganisms and insects, and in the birds that eat the fish. Many are worried about the implications for people who consume the accumulated contaminants in the river's salmon and sturgeon. And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has research that shows toxics can have damaging effects on endangered fish species.
Article Summary: The EPA has named the Columbia River Basin a "national priority" and pledged to reduce toxics in the water and fish tissue by 10 percent in five years. The federal agency is spearheading a strategic plan for reaching that goal. State and local leaders who have been working to regulate and clean up toxics for decades are optimistic that the strategy will work -- that by pooling resources with the EPA they can piece together the puzzle of toxics in the river. They're also hoping more federal dollars will go toward making the river cleaner and healthier in the future. Technically, DDT and PCB shouldn't be in the river at all -- they've been outlawed for decades. Yet, year after year, these pollutants show up on sediment tests in the estuary, creating expenses and headaches for local ports looking to dredge. Part of the EPA's plan for these legacy toxics is to remove as many of them from their known locations as possible. The agency has already begun removing the industrial contaminants PCB and PAH from the Superfund site in Portland Harbor and the Bradford Island site. Soscia said despite these efforts, there is evidence of PCB in the water column, indicating it is still being released into the river from somewhere. Not all the river's pollution is left over from the past. New, or "emergent" contaminants are also being detected in the river. Among them are the flame retardants PBDEs and traces of pharmaceuticals, such as Prozac and antibiotics that presumably get flushed down the toilet and end up in the river. Soscia said one of the major catalysts for the EPA's involvement in the river system was research from the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission that showed high levels of contaminants in fish tissue and reports that tribal members eat up to nine times more fish than the general population. Water quality standards are largely based on what levels of toxics are considered safe for human consumption.