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. Check out our new conference brochure and register now 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
Greenpeace US is hiring savvy, strategic and experienced organizers and staff managers to serve as staff on our global warming campaign. Open positions include field organizer (in select congressional districts in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia or Washington) and field coordinator (in San Francisco or Washington, DC). Please see postings on the Greenpeace website for full details: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/about/jobs/global-warming-deputy-field-di or http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/about/jobs/global-warming-field-organizer.
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy is pleased to announce the launch of our Health Observatory: a global source of public health policy information, especially as it relates to agriculture and our food system, at www.healthobservatory.org. Among the items you'll find there:
We will be adding new content to the Health Observatory periodically, so you may want to bookmark it and revisit on occasion.
by Rex Springston, Richmond Times-Dispatch
February 20, 2007
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193288083&path=!news&s=1045855934842
A state study will try to determine how mercury is getting into streams and lakes. The $256,000 study will be the state's first comprehensive look at mercury's damage, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday.
Article Summary: High levels of mercury can damage the brain, the kidneys and developing fetuses. It is most harmful to pregnant women and young children. People can be exposed by eating tainted fish. Experts believe mercury is falling into Virginia waters as air pollution, from sources such as old, coal-burning power plants. Swampy eastern waters appear to be most sensitive to mercury pollution. That's because those waters contain bacteria that convert airborne mercury to a particularly harmful form, experts say. Last year, the state Air Pollution Control Board proposed tough controls on power plants' mercury emissions.
[Editor's note: See a related article about proposed legislation to reduce mercury emissions in Montana at http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/02/20/news/state/50-legimercury.txt.]
from CBC News
February 20, 2007
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2007/02/19/tuna-testing.html
Following a CBC investigation that found mercury levels above the allowed limit, Health Canada issued new consumption guidelines on Monday for canned albacore tuna for women and children.
Article Summary: The health benefits of eating tuna have been widely established; it is a relatively inexpensive source of high-quality protein, low in saturated fat and contains omega-3 fatty acids, touted for their heart-protective benefits. But tuna also contains mercury, a dangerous contaminant that can affect the heart, brain and immune system. High levels of mercury can damage our nervous systems and can inhibit brain development in young children. It's not clear what the long-term effects of extremely low levels of mercury are. Health Canada has established a guideline level of 0.5 parts per million (ppm) for mercury in commercial fish. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency tests canned tuna before it gets to store shelves to ensure it meets the 0.5 ppm guideline. On average, six per cent of the albacore tuna it tests fails and is pulled before it gets to grocery stores.
CBC conducted the first public survey of its kind to examine the mercury content in the canned tuna that makes it to store shelves. Sixty cans of albacore, or "white" tuna, were purchased at nine grocery stores in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto. Studies have shown "white" tuna is typically higher in mercury content than "light" tuna, because it's generally a larger, older fish that has accumulated more mercury. Thirteen per cent of the tuna tested exceeded Health Canada guidelines. While Health Canada does warn about consumption of fresh and frozen tuna, its website, until Monday, said limiting canned tuna consumption was not necessary. However, it suggests that "as a precaution" pregnant or breastfeeding women eat no more than four servings of canned albacore tuna per week. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has begun an investigation based on the CBC's test results. The agency says it will recall product, if it finds such a move is justified.
by Fergus Sheppard, Edinburgh Scotsman
February 19, 2007
http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=265852007
IT HAS long been blamed for creating a nation of couch potatoes. But a new report today claims that Britain's love affair with television is causing far more damage -- both physically and psychologically -- than previously thought.
Article Summary: Dr. Aric Sigman, a psychologist who has previously written about the effects of television on the viewer, has compiled a report analyzing 35 different scientific studies carried out into television and its effect on the viewer. He has identified 15 negative effects he claims can be blamed on watching television. Among the most disturbing findings are the links he claims to have found between long hours of television viewing and cancer, autism and Alzheimer's, effects far more serious than the well publicized connection to obesity. His report, published in the respected Biologist magazine, claims the problem with television lies in the length of time we spend in front of the set. The stage for the harm Dr Sigman believes television is doing is being set, he claims, by the vast amounts of it we watch -- by the age of six, a child will already have spent one year in front of the television. When time in front of a computer is added, the psychologist claims watching a screen of some kind is the dominant activity for older children -- those aged 11 to 15 now spend 55 per cent of their waking lives, or seven and a half hours a day, watching television and computers. According to today's report, that represents a 40 per cent rise in a decade. Dr Sigman said the youngest children should be banned from watching TV at all, and introduced to it "judiciously" after that.
by Carolyn Abraham, Toronto Globe and Mail
February 19, 2007
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070219.wxautism19/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home
A massive international effort led by Canadian scientists has homed in on the genes behind autism -- a breakthrough that could revolutionize how the mysterious and surprisingly common condition is both detected and treated. Touting it as the most significant advance in the field in 30 years, researchers say the landmark project has put within reach a DNA test to identify children with autism early enough to counter the condition's worst effects.
Article Summary: Doctors currently rely on psychological tests to diagnose autism spectrum disorders in children at age 2 or 3. But a DNA test could identify those affected as babies, or perhaps even before they are born. The findings, based on the largest autism DNA collection ever assembled, could also allow parents who have children with autism to learn through genetic screening their chances of having another affected child. Using new genome scanning tools, researchers have found that several different autism-related genes can play a role in different families. This helps to explain why no two children -- not even identical twins -- have identical symptoms. The researchers have pinpointed at least five areas of the genome that harbour genes linked to autism susceptibility, including those crucial for brain function. They have also found a genetic mutation tied to the disorder in girls -- who are four times less likely than boys to develop autism disorders. The work has also highlighted how autism can spring from genetic quirks not seen in either parent -- suggesting that a genetic glitch has randomly emerged in the sperm or egg cells of the father or mother prior to conception.
Once considered rare, autism disorders seem to have risen dramatically over the last two decades. But Dr. Szatmari said many experts believe the increase can largely be explained by greater awareness, different diagnostic criteria and the specialized resources often made available to those with an ASD compared with another form of developmental condition. Despite the growing awareness, autism's causes have stumped experts. Many suspect environmental triggers -- prenatal hormones, toxins, food allergies and infections. But experts have long known genes play a major role. In uncovering "the genetic architecture" in the first phase of the study, researchers said autism seems much like cancer, a condition with many faces, arising from many different types of genetic mutations. The second phase of the project is to map the specific genes that contribute to autism.
by Martha Mendoza, Associated Press, Washington Post
February 18, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021800528.html
In 2005, when government scientists tested 60 soft, vinyl lunch boxes, they found that one in five contained amounts of lead that medical experts consider unsafe -- and several had more than 10 times hazardous levels. But that's not what they told the public. Instead, the Consumer Product Safety Commission released a statement that they found "no instances of hazardous levels." And they refused to release their actual test results, citing regulations that protect manufacturers from having their information released to the public. That data was not made public until The Associated Press received a box of about 1,500 pages of lab reports, in-house e-mails and other records in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed a year ago.
Article Summary: Two types of tests were performed to detect lead: one involves cutting a chunk of vinyl off the bag, dissolving it and then analyzing how much lead is in the solution; the second test involves swiping the surface of a bag and then determining how much lead has rubbed off. CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese said that the CPSC focused exclusively on how much lead came off the surface of a lunch box when lab workers swiped them. For the swipe tests, the results were lower, especially after the researchers changed their testing protocol. After a handful of tests, they increased the number of times they swiped each bag, again and again on the same spot, resulting in lower average results. Vallese explained: "The more you wipe, the less lead you actually find. With fewer wipes we got a higher detection of lead presence. We thought more wipes was closer to reflecting how you would interact with your lunch box. It was more realistic." As a result of their tests, the CPSC issued a public statement last year reassuring consumers they had nothing to worry about: "Based on the extremely low levels of lead found in our tests, in most cases, children would have to rub their lunch box and then lick their hands more than 600 times every day, for about 15-30 days, in order for the lunch box to present a health hazard."
CPSC provided test results to the Food and Drug Administration last summer. The FDA's reaction was completely different from the CPSC's. In July, 2006, after receiving the test results, the FDA sent a letter to lunch box manufacturers warning them that their lead levels might be dangerously high and advising them that the FDA might take action against them because the lead would be considered a food additive if it rubbed off onto kids' lunches. In response to the FDA warning, Wal-Mart stopped selling soft lunchboxes with vinyl liners, and offered refunds to customers who wanted to return the ones they already had. Other manufacturers have recently revamped their manufacturing processes to eliminate lead or stopped making the lunch boxes altogether. Several states, including Connecticut, California, New York and Illinois, have taken legal action against lead-containing lunchboxes. Lead is a stabilizing agent in vinyl, but there are other chemicals that can be used instead of lead.
by Peggy O'Crowley, Newark Star-Ledger
February 18, 2007
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-11/117177694297300.xml&coll=1
A team of New Jersey scientists believes it has found ways to detect biological risk factors for autism through simple urine and blood tests, a discovery that could lead to groundbreaking medical treatment for the neurological disorder. The team of 16 scientists, mostly drawn from the campuses of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, say their findings, the result of more than two years of study on how the body breaks down fatty acids, could be a breakthrough for what is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the nation, with no known cause or cure. The UMDNJ researchers say they have found that children with autism are unable to metabolize key fatty acids that help the body fight inflammation that causes damage to the brain and other organs.
Article Summary: Currently, the only way to diagnose autism is by a clinical assessment of symptoms, which include difficulty with communication and social interaction, as well as obsessive behaviors and interests. Researchers say that in the future a person's risk for autism could be measured with a simple urine test that would look for high levels of "bad" fat molecules, or a blood test that could reveal genetic problems, including the absence of a key gene, called GSTM1, which is responsible for metabolizing good fats. Many people with autism do not have this gene. No one understands yet why it is that so many children with autism have such metabolic differences, but Ming suggested it might be caused by an interaction between genes and the environment. It may be that having less of these key fats reduces the body's ability to deal with environmental and metabolic stress. Since the 1990s, scientists have known about the potential for good fatty acids to treat inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, even asthma and Alzheimer's. The potential treatment, members of the team say, is a kind of "therapeutic cocktail" tailored to each child, which would give them a dose of a "good" fatty acid that they are not able to make on their own. Team member Bernd Spur of UMDNJ-Stratford created the chemical process to replicate one of those good fatty acids. The New Jersey scientists are cautious, however, about their preliminary results, and warn families not to expect a miracle cure. Testing on humans, they say, could take a few years.
by Tina Hesman Saey, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
February 17, 2007
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/9E1BC994C9B4118086257285000A755C?OpenDocument
Gov. Matt Blunt traveled the state Friday discussing his proposal to spend $3.9 million to improve autism diagnosis and treatment. The money would double what the state spends on the developmental disorder now.
Article Summary: Blunt gave details of a plan he first unveiled in the State of the State address last month. The governor plans to spend $3.4 million to whittle the waiting lists for early diagnosis and treatment and $500,000 for an intensive day treatment program in Joplin, Missouri. Autism spectrum disorders "affect more lives than pediatric cancers, diabetes and AIDS combined," Blunt said. Money would be used to recruit the services of developmental pediatricians, pediatric neuropsychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and other professionals to form a multidisciplinary team of specialists to diagnose and treat patients with autism.
by Greg Miller, ScienceNOW Daily News
February 17, 2007
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/217/3
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA--Diabetes is a common problem during pregnancy, affecting roughly 10% of expecting mothers. New research presented here yesterday gives these moms-to-be extra reason to keep their blood sugar under control: Not doing so may impair the development of a baby's hippocampus and cause subtle but lasting memory deficits.
Article Summary: Previous studies have found that children born to diabetic mothers tend to score lower than their peers on general cognitive tests, says Tracy DeBoer, a psychologist at the University of California (UC), Davis. Based on research with rodents, DeBoer suspected that low iron levels might be part of the problem. When pregnant rats are diabetic, the fetus develops an iron shortage in the brain that dampens metabolic activity in neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, an important memory center. DeBoer investigated this potential link between iron and memory in 40 human infants. She sampled umbilical cord blood drawn at birth to measure levels of an iron-binding protein called ferritin, an indicator of iron levels. When the infants were 12 months old, memories were correlated to ferritin levels at birth. When DeBoer caught up with the same children between the ages of 3 and 4 years, the memory deficits had persisted in those born with low iron levels. In addition, recordings from scalp electrodes taken while the toddlers took the memory test suggested abnormalities in memory-related brain activity in the low-iron group. DeBoer points out that not all of the infants born to diabetic mothers had memory deficits--only the ones born with low iron.
by Martin Mittelstaedt, Toronto Globe and Mail
February 17, 2007
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070217.wxtoxins17/BNStory/Front/home
A group of chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers that are widely used as flame retardants are so harmful Environment Canada has added them to the country's list of toxic chemicals and wants manufacturers banned from making them. Environment Canada is proposing a ban on two formulations no longer made in North America, but it is allowing continued use of the most common type. Despite these indications of potential harm, the most widely made type of the flame retardants, called decaPBDE, will continue to be used in Canada if it is imported in consumer products and by industry. Although PBDEs are used in Canada, they aren't made in the country, and environmentalists say any ban on domestic manufacturing would be meaningless if the government provides a huge loophole for continued public exposure through imports.
Article Summary: Environmentalists are accusing the government of proposing regulations that will allow a dangerous chemical to remain in use. Almost everyone in Canada likely has some exposure to PBDEs, which have been used since the 1970s in products such as home electronics, computers, cars, carpets, clothes and furniture. It is not clear how the chemical is released from products but it's commonly found in household and office dust, believed to be the largest route by which people are being exposed. The human health effects of PBDEs are not fully known, but they have been found to interfere with thyroid hormones in animal tests using low levels of exposure, and some scientists suspect they are playing a role in the emergence of new health problems, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders in children, among other problems.
from Reuters
February 16, 2007
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2007/02/16/eline/links/20070216elin030.html
NEW YORK -- Having less than one alcoholic drink a week during the first trimester of pregnancy may have negative long-term effects on the mental health of offspring, primarily girls, UK researchers report. While heavy alcohol intake during pregnancy is known to cause physical and mental defects in children, the safety of very small amounts of alcohol is unknown, Dr. Kapil Sayal and colleagues from the University of Bristol point out in the journal Pediatrics.
Article Summary: The researchers examined the effect of prenatal exposure to various levels of alcohol. They expected only higher levels of alcohol would be linked to mental health problems, and that these would mainly affect boys. Sayal's team found that, after taking a wide range of other factors into account, consumption of less than one drink per week during early pregnancy was associated with clinically significant mental health problems. In further contrast to the authors' expectations, this association was more evident in girls. Given limitations of the study, researchers stressed that these findings should be considered preliminary. Nonetheless, because of the uncertainty about a safe cut-off level for alcohol intake, they recommend that women should be advised to abstain from all alcohol during pregnancy.
by Rachel La Corte, Associated Press, Clark County [Washington] Columbian
February 16, 2007
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP02172007news105383.cfm
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- After an emotionally charged debate, the House on Friday passed a measure that would phase out the use of some fireproofing chemicals in televisions, computers and upholstered furniture as long as safer alternatives are available. Supporters of the bill said it was an important step in improving the health of the environment and people, but opponents expressed concerns about fire safety.
Article Summary: While some lawmakers expressed concerns regarding fire hazards, the bill's supporters said safety would not be sacrificed and noted its support by the state fire marshal and the state associations of fire chiefs and firefighters. The measure passed on a 71-24 vote, with three lawmakers excused. It now heads to the Senate, which is considering its own measure. The measure prohibits the manufacture, sale or distribution of most items containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers, commonly known as PBDEs. Two forms of PBDEs, penta and octa, are no longer produced in this country because U.S. manufacturers of the two chemicals voluntarily stopped production in 2004, making deca the most commonly used form. Its largest use is in the black plastic casings of TVs. Under the measure, after January 1, 2008, mattresses with deca would be banned, and the date for banning the substance in residential upholstered furniture, television or computers with electronic enclosures would be January 1, 2011. There would be some exemptions under the bill, including the sale of used cars made before Jan. 1, 2008, that have parts containing PBDEs, safety systems required by the Federal Aviation Administration and medical devices.
by Sally Squires, Washington Post
February 16, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR2007021501515.html
A large study has found that children of women who ate little fish during pregnancy had lower IQs and more behavioral and social problems than youngsters whose mothers ate plenty of seafood, a finding that challenges the U.S. government's standard advice to limit seafood while pregnant. The study finds "no evidence to lend support to the warning of the U.S. advisory that pregnant women should limit their seafood consumption," concluded the team led by Joseph R. Hibbeln, a researcher at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, writing in the Lancet. The study found that children born to women who ate about three servings of fish per week or less -- near the maximum advised by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency -- had lower verbal IQs, more problems with fine motor skills, and higher rates of behavioral and social difficulties, compared to youngsters whose mothers consumed more seafood during pregnancy. The advice to limit seafood consumption is based on concerns that children might absorb too much methyl mercury, which builds up in fish and can cause neurological problems.
Article Summary: The findings are also expected to help determine whether the benefits of eating seafood for some segments of the population outweigh the risks of ingesting methyl mercury and other contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In 2001 and again in 2004, both the FDA and the EPA warned women of childbearing age, as well as those who are pregnant or nursing, and young children, to avoid consuming any fish that have particularly high mercury levels: shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. In 2004, the agencies added a warning to eat no more than six ounces of albacore tuna per week.
In 1991, the Bristol researchers had begun the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, one of the longest and most comprehensive studies ever to assess how environmental factors, including diet, affect the development, health and well-being of children. It included more than 14,000 women and about 13,000 of their children who survived to 12 months of age. Children of women consuming the most fish showed significantly higher verbal IQs at age 8 and fewer behavioral problems than youngsters whose mothers consumed only the amount of seafood recommended in the United States. The EPA said yesterday that until the results can be reviewed and replicated, its advice would remain the same.
by Elizabeth Shogren, All Things Considered
February 15, 2007
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198
The Environmental Protection Agency and some large business, including Wal-Mart, are aggressively promoting the sale of compact fluorescent light bulbs as a way to save energy and fight global warming. They want Americans to buy many millions of them over the coming years. But the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, and the companies and federal government haven't come up with effective ways to get Americans to recycle them.
Article Summary: The bulbs are likely to break before they get to a landfill, exposing workers to very high levels of mercury. John Skinner, executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America, says when bulbs break near homes, they can contaminate the soil. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and it's especially dangerous for children and fetuses. Most exposure to mercury comes from eating fish contaminated with mercury. Some states, cities and counties have outlawed putting CFL bulbs in the trash, but in most state the practice is legal. Experts agree that it's not easy for most people to recycle these bulbs. Even cities that have curbside recycling won't take the bulbs. So people have to take them to a hazardous-waste collection day or a special facility. Still, says Wendy Reed, who manages EPA's Energy Star program, even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That's because they use less electricity -- and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air. Reed says the agency has been urging stores that sell the bulbs to help recycle them, but so far, the biggest sellers of the bulbs, including Wal-Mart, haven't stepped up to the plate.
by Bill Murphy, Houston Chronicle
February 15, 2007
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4555212.html
Article Summary: A submerged industrial waste pit on the San Jacinto River has been contaminating catfish, blue crabs and other marine creatures for decades. The waste pit is so polluted that it appears to have contaminated fish and sediment miles away in the Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay, state environmental scientists said. The discovery of the pit explains why the levels of dioxins haven't decreased as nearby industries adopted measures to reduce toxic contamination. The carcinogen dioxin is considered potentially harmful to those who eat seafood with concentrations at .47 parts per trillion or higher. Levels found in creatures from the San Jacinto River, Houston Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay vary from 1 to 8 parts per trillion, or two times to 16 times acceptable level, in catfish and 1 to 6 parts per trillion, or two times to 12 times acceptable level, in blue crabs. The advisory issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services says women who are pregnant or nursing and children younger than 12 should not eat catfish and blue crab caught in the river, Upper Galveston Bay or the Ship Channel because of high dioxin levels. Others should eat no more than an 8-ounce serving a month. A similar advisory is in effect for all fish caught in the area because of high levels of PCBs and other contaminants. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said that these advisories likely won't be lifted for at least another decade because it will take years to clean up the waste pit and contaminated sediment that has flowed from it. The TCEQ sent a preliminary report on the waste pit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA will decide whether to declare the waste pit a federal hazardous waste Superfund site and whether it or the TCEQ will oversee an investigation and cleanup.
by Natasha Singer, New York Times
February 15, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/15/fashion/15skin.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1171904704-TFpb+CimV8yo60eo5jp23Q
FOR decades, companies that make everything from after-shave to lip gloss have conducted safety testing on grooming products and shipped the cosmetics to stores to be sold to consumers, all with very little government involvement. And over the years, there have been few health or safety problems associated with the myriad grooming products and cosmetics on the market. Nonetheless, momentum has been building for greater oversight of the chemicals in everyday products, with the European Union and California taking the lead in imposing new rules for monitoring what is in the perfumes, creams, nail polish and hair sprays that are sold. The California Safe Cosmetics Act, which took effect on Jan. 1, requires cosmetics companies to tell state health authorities if a product contains any chemical on several government lists covering possible cancer-causing agents or substances that may harm the reproductive system.
Article Summary: Such chemicals have been found to cause cancer or hormonal changes in lab animals. The cosmetics industry is already taking steps to heighten self-monitoring, though representatives said the ingredients that the California law regulates pose no risk to human health when used topically in the small quantities found in some cosmetics. No rigorous large-scale clinical trials have been conducted that would indicate that cosmetics trigger major diseases in humans. But some small case reports published in medical journals suggest that a few substances used in cosmetics may affect hormone function in humans. Scientists are particularly interested in a group of chemicals called phthalates -- used in some nail polishes, fragrances, medical devices and shower curtains -- some of which have had an effect on the reproductive systems of lab animals and can be absorbed and excreted by the human body. Although the cosmetics industry considers the phthalates used in its products to be safe, some companies have voluntarily removed dibutyl phthalate, which California considers harmful to the reproductive system, from their nail polishes.
Part of the push for greater oversight stems from concerns about health trends, like increased reports of early puberty, asthma and allergies. Some scientists and health groups want to know if there is any connection to the aggregate exposure to chemicals. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics was formed to publicize concerns the possible long-term effects of exposure to these chemicals. Activists are targeting cosmetics because, unlike medical devices, they are optional purchases. The cosmetics industry has not been resistant to greater disclosure. It has embraced the new European regulations, and it is working with California regulators to institute the new law. At the same time, though, the industry has employed lobbyists to counter legislation and has argued that the new regulations are prompted by unsubstantiated fears rather than by hard science.
[Editor's note: A related article describing proposed legislation in Washington State is posted at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/304334_cosmetics20.html.]
by Marcelle S. Fischler, New York Times
February 15, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/15/garden/15clean.html?ex=1172120400&en=ad7503a393a48e1f&ei=5070&emc=eta1
submitted to this bulletin by Janna Rolland
Article Summary: Dusting, mopping and scrubbing with natural dirt-busters is going mainstream. More supermarkets are stocking them and more schools, hospitals and government agencies are switching to them, inspiring anxious parents to do the same. Since last September, a state law has required schools in New York to use cleaning products that do not contain any carcinogens, reproductive toxins or scents that could aggravate asthma, following some of the standards certified by Green Seal, a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC. Knowing that some products do not list all of their ingredients makes some parents nervous. Cleaning supplies in the home are a concern because children crawl on the floor and put their fingers in their mouths, resulting in greater exposure to chemical residues than adults are subject to, according to Patti Wood, a founder and president of Grassroots Environmental Education. A Kids Safe Chemicals Act, proposed in 2005, would require that all chemicals used in the home be evaluated for their safety to children, and require companies to list ingredients containing mutagens, hormone or endocrine disrupters, neurotoxins or carcinogens. Senator Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, said he planned to re-introduce the legislation this year.
The growth in green cleaning supplies may be fueled in part by reports linking chemicals found in cleaning supplies to health problems. A report in April 2006 on indoor air chemistry by the University of California at Berkeley for the California Air Resources Board found that some household cleaners may generate risks by giving off unsafe levels of toxic pollutants. However, warns William W. Nazaroff, an environmental engineering professor and leader of the Berkeley study, products that are being marketed as good for the environment often are based on terpenes, chemicals that can be extracted from citrus peels. Combined with ozone, he said, terpenes can form a toxic chemical byproduct like formaldehyde. There is no government organization that evaluates both conventional and "green" products and rates their safety. Enesta Jones, a spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency, said it was not possible to say if "green" products are safer than traditional cleaners without knowing the specific product chemistry. The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires the labels of products that are potentially life-threatening to include signal words like "danger," "poison," "warning" and "caution."
from Reuters
February 14, 2007
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2007/02/14/eline/links/20070214elin036.html
NEW YORK -- Children exposed to cocaine in the womb exhibit behavior problems up to at least 7 years of age, according to a long-term study that enrolled 1,388 children between 1993 and 1995 at four centers. Children exposed to cocaine in the womb were matched with a group of nonexposed children. At ages 3, 5, and 7 years, a total of 1,056 children were assessed for behavior problems using the Child Behavior Checklist.
Article Summary: Dr. Henrietta S. Bada, of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington and colleagues found an association between high levels of prenatal cocaine exposure and behavior problems including internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to tobacco and alcohol were also significantly associated with behavior problems through age 7 years. Having a parent or other caregiver with a history of depression and physical or sexual abuse was independently associated with all behavior problems. The authors said the study highlighted a need for continued prevention and treatment programs that are directed toward illegal drug use but also a call for increased effort toward prevention of tobacco and alcohol use.
by Sarah Everts, Chemical & Engineering News
February 14, 2007
http://pubs.acs.org:80/cen/news/85/i08/8508news5.html
Chemically diverse toxicants in the environment cause oxidative stress on human cells in myriad ways. That makes toxicity predictions for new chemicals a challenge. Now, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have discovered that these harmful effects converge on a single protein pathway involved in cell division.
Article Summary: The identification of this common pathway sets the stage for developing a diagnostic test to evaluate tens of thousands of chemicals for which little or no toxicological information exists.
by Paul Elias, Associated Press, San Diego Union-Tribune
February 14, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/health/20070214-1349-ca-genes-environment.html
SAN FRANCISCO -- Health care titan Kaiser Permanente announced Wednesday that its researchers have launched a massive study into the complex interplay of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyles that cause many common diseases. Kaiser is sending detailed surveys to its 2 million adult members asking about their habits, family medical histories and many other factors that influence health. In a second phase it hopes to start next year, Kaiser will ask members to donate genetic material through cheek swabs or blood draws. The plan is to combine that information with the company's massive medical history records in a database that researchers can use to gain a deeper understanding of disease causes and develop treatments.
Article Summary: Kaiser expects about 500,000 of its members to return the surveys over the next four months in the latest attempt to unravel the complex causes of common diseases such as asthma, cancer and depression. This program dwarfs all similar projects except one of similar size in the United Kingdom. Kaiser HMO's members represent all socio-economic and ethnic groups, and Kaiser already has decades worth of medical data gathered from its members. While a few well-known illnesses such as sickle cell anemia are caused by a single, mutated gene, most diseases are caused by environmental influences and subtle differences in multiple genes. Kaiser officials said information will be kept confidential and not shared with health plan administrators.
by Scott Streater, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
February 14, 2007
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/16695384.htm
Democratic congressional leaders plan to fight a recent Bush administration move that they say will make it difficult for some residents and public health officials to track industrial pollution. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has revised the Toxics Release Inventory program to exempt thousands of midsize industries and small businesses from requirements to disclose detailed data each year on the volume of pollution they discharge, and whether it went into the air or water, on land, or underground. The government's watchdog agency has told Congress that the changes could drastically reduce the amount of information available to the public.
Article Summary: Congressional representatives today plan to file the Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act, which would forbid the EPA from altering the program. Frank Pollone, D-N.J., one of the bill's sponsors, said: "For almost 20 years, the Toxics Release Inventory has informed communities what toxic chemicals are being used in their back yards," Pollone said. "The EPA's changes make no sense, and that's why we're going to work to restore the stronger guidelines." The program's purposes are to inform communities of chemical hazards in their areas and to help them hold companies and local governments accountable for how toxic chemicals are managed. The EPA has defended the changes as necessary to ease the time and cost of complying with the program. The National Federation of Independent Business, which supports the changes, says the program has become an overwhelming burden for many small businesses. But inventory data show that emissions from small and midsize industries have increased while emissions from large industries have declined, said Tom Natan, research director at the National Environmental Trust, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit. Since the program began, toxic emissions from chemical plants have declined 72 percent, according to the American Chemistry Council.
by Diane Lindquist, San Diego Union-Tribune
February 14, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070214-9999-1b14maquila.html
The environmental group Greenpeace has issued a report on electronics manufacturing that alleges the global industry's widespread use of hazardous materials threatens numerous areas around the world, including parts of Tijuana. "Cutting Edge Contamination: A Study of Environmental Pollution during the Manufacture of Electronic Products" examines an industry that produces everything from mobile phones to desktop and laptop computers. It has a "very clean image," the Greenpeace report says of electronics manufacturing. "The reality, however, can be somewhat different.
Article Summary: Greenpeace researchers looked at "snapshot" examples of electronics manufacturing in four countries: China, Thailand, the Philippines and Mexico. They sampled plant discharges, waste streams and groundwater at or near industrial parks and at about 20 factories. Many chemicals used in this industry pose concerns, both for potential exposure in the workplace and the possible environmental consequences of their release in waste streams, according to the report. Greenpeace researchers found numerous instances of harmful chemicals in most countries, including flame retardants, copper and nickel, photoinitiators and related compounds, chlorinated volatile organic chemicals and chlorinated solvents. Greenpeace recommends greater caution by manufacturers when disposing of or moving chemicals.
by Cindy Skrzycki, Bloomberg
February 13, 2007
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_skrzycki&sid=al7nYS9epv5k
Article Summary: The leaking underground storage tank, or "LUST", trust fund was set up 20 years ago to pay for the cleanup of water and soil contaminated by toxic leaks from some of the more than 2 million underground gasoline tanks. The fund has $2.6 billion and isn't being tapped enough to suit critics. Business groups say even the extra $22.3 million being proposed this year isn't enough, but officials at the Environmental Protection Agency, which runs the program, respond that budget constraints prevent higher funding levels. Members of Congress and the administration have held the purse strings tight, in the name of fiscal discipline and deficit reduction. For the past eight years, the annual payout has been about $72 million, less than comes in each year through the funding mechanism, a one-tenth of a cent a gallon tax on motor fuels. Currently, 62 percent of the estimated 640,000 remaining underground tanks are in compliance with federal release- prevention and detection rules, according to the EPA. The tanks can hold up to 12,000 gallons of fuel, and even small leaks can cause groundwater contamination. According to the Sierra Club in Washington, there are thousands of tanks to clean up, we have the money, but we are refusing to spend it. The Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council have been begging appropriators to release more money from the fund, since many states have backlogs and about 8,000 new leaks are discovered each year. Cliff Rothenstein, who runs the underground storage tank program at the EPA, said: "We don't have a blank check. It counts against the bottom line of the EPA's budget and the Interior appropriations subcommittee target." Some members of Congress have tried to free the LUST Fund.
from Reuters
February 13, 2007
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL1322673820070213?pageNumber=2
Compounds found in air in the home could pose more of a health risk to breast-fed babies than chemicals they are exposed to through their mother's milk, researchers in the United States said on Tuesday. They found that a nursing infant's exposure to gases known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air was 25-135-fold higher than from breast milk.
Article Summary: VOCs are gases emitted from certain solids and fluids such as paints, cleaning supplies, building materials, printers, glues and photographic solutions. Everyone is exposed to a least a trace of the compounds and their concentrations are higher indoors than out. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be up to five times higher inside a house than outdoors, regardless of whether the home was in an urban or rural area. The health effects of exposure to VOCs vary depending on their toxicity. Some cause no harm while others can lead to headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat or damage to the nervous system or organs. Researchers from Ohio State analyzed milk samples from three nursing mothers living in Baltimore on consecutive days. They tested the milk samples for benzene, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), and toluene which are emitted by automobile exhausts other products and chloroform. They also analyzed the same VOCs in air samples collected from within the women's homes.