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) AAIDD's next teleconference will be "Lead Exposure and Developmental Disabilities" at 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday April 8, 2008. Although the effects of lead on the developing brain have been studied for decades, there are still many gaps in our understanding of how lead influences brain development and brain function. This presentation will discuss the effects of lead on brain development and function and provide a conceptual framework for understanding how the biology of lead neurotoxicity leads to the brain damage and cognitive dysfunction of the lead-poisoned child. For details, please contact Laura Abulafia, 800-424-3688 or laura@aaidd.org or visit the teleconference web page: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
2) Learning Disabilities Association of Maine will hold its Annual Conference on Friday April 11, 2008, in Waterville, Maine. The conference theme is "Learning Disabilities & Coexisting Emotional Problems." This intense mental-health professional program includes the "co-morbidity" disorders often found with individuals with learning disabilities including anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anger control/bipolar disorder, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Larry Silver will focus on the clinical description, diagnosis and treatment of these disorders ending the day with a group discussion and response to your questions. For more information, please contact LDA of Maine, 207-465-7700 or info@ldame.org or see the website: http://www.ldame.org/index.html
Wednesday through Friday, March 26 - 28, 2008
Seattle, Washington
Sponsor: Public Health -- Seattle & King County
2008's conference will build on the success of the 2006 conference by expanding the topic areas covered. The topics for Access 2008 are disrupting access to tobacco, creating access to smoke-free living, and assuring access to cessation. The agenda will emphasize innovative and promising strategies toward a tobacco-free future as well as practices proven to be successful. The conference is open to all tobacco professionals, educators, law enforcement, researchers, policy-makers, students and others who work or learn in a tobacco-related field. Application for CHES Category I continuing education contact hours (CECH) has been made to the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC).
Price: $600
Website: http://www.accessconference.org/
Contact: Access 08, 206-296-7613 or info@accessconference.org
begins Thursday March 27, 2008
Mount Vernon, Washington
at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op Room 309, 202 South First Street
Sponsor: Skagit Valley Food Co-op and Northwest Earth Institute
This is the first of a seven-session course which includes approaches to create healthy home environments for children, explores ways to foster a child's connection to nature, and looks into how media might hinder child development.
Price: $20 book fee
Website: http://www.nwei.org/discussion_courses/course-offerings/heathty-children-healthy-planet
Contact: Marilene Richardson, 360-863-1820 or contact@nwei.org
Sunday March 30, 2008
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Issaquah, Washington
at the Issaquah PCC Natural Market classroom, 1810 12th Avenue Northwest
Sponsor: Washington Action for Safe Water
Join Washington Action for Safe Water in its efforts to educate our community about the toxicity of fluoridation.
Price: unknown
Contact: Washington Action for Safe Water, safewater@comcast.net
Thursday April 3, 2008
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Midland, Michigan
at the Valley Plaza Resort and Conference Center, 5221 Bay City Road
Sponsor: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Environmental Health Initiative
AAIDD launched an Environmental Health Initiative in July 2003 designed to promote good health and reduce disability by forging groundbreaking partnerships among the developmental disabilities networks and the environmental health communities. The goals of this unique collaboration are 1) to raise awareness about the complex links between exposure to neurotoxic chemicals and developmental disabilities and 2) raise awareness that those living with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities may be at greater risk of secondary health effects from toxic exposures than individuals without disabilities. Nicholas Newman, DO, FAAP, will provide participants with information on strategies to reduce the environmental impact of neurotoxic chemicals in children, discuss the research regarding the connection between the exposure to neurotoxic chemicals and disability, and provide a call to action that leads to an increase in the positive developmental outcomes for children.
Price: free, but registration is required
Contact: Angela Martin, 313-577-9470 or Angela.M.Martin@wayne.edu
Thursday and Friday, April 3 - 4, 2008
Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Abingdon, Virginia
at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, 1 Partnership Circle
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Education's T/TAC at Virginia Tech
On the first day, participants will have the opportunity to attend two half-day sessions presented by national speakers in the field of autism spectrum disorders including Asperger syndrome. On the second day, participants to be able to attend several breakout sessions covering a variety of topics related to supporting students and individuals with ASD.
Price: $79 for both days, includes meals and materials
Website: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/asd/index.html
Contact: Conference Registrar, 800-848-2714 or lyonst@vt.edu
Saturday April 12, 2008
8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Fort Lee, New Jersey
at the Hilton Fort Lee George Washington Bridge, 2117 Route 4 Eastbound
Sponsor: Lyme-Induced Autism (LIA) Foundation
This one-day conference will educate attendees with an intermingling of traditional and alternative therapies to provide treatment strategies to begin in our healing journey. This conference will cover topics that would be appropriate for parents of children with autism, Lyme disease and related infections, adults with Lyme disease and medical professionals.
Price: $70 until March 1st, $85 before the conference or $95 on-site
Website: http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/spring2008njconference.html
Saturday and Sunday, April 12 - 13, 2008
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, 800 Convention Place
Sponsor: Global Exchange and Co-op America, plus other partners listed on the website
The City of Seattle and the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment are co-hosting this first ever Northwest green festival. Through the City's Clean and Green Seattle projects, you'll learn how neighbors, community nonprofits and city departments are working together to make their city a healthier place to live.
Price: $15 per person, $10 for seniors and students, children under 12 are free
Website: http://www.greenfestivals.org/content/view/767/390/
Contact: visit http://www.greenfestivals.org/component/option,com_contact/task,view/contact_id,11/Itemid,26/
Tuesday through Saturday, April 22 - 26, 2008
San Francisco, California
Sponsor: SF Environment, UC Berkeley Extension, EcoCity Builders, Blue Practice, Green Century and Helen and William Mazer Foundation
The International Ecocity Conference Series brings together the key innovators, decision makers, technologists, businesses and organizations shaping the conversation around ecological and sustainable city, town and village design, planning and development. We intend to put these issues on the economic and environmental agenda for 2008 and beyond: people, nature, sustainable development, economies & technologies, and incentives & support structures.
Price: see http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=130178
Website: http://www.ecocityworldsummit.org/index.htm
Contact: 510-419-0850
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/
Wheeze 'link' to baby milk powder. Prolonged exposure to baby milk powder increases the risk of breathing problems, including wheezing and breathlessness, a study has found. BBC, UK, 25 March 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7304976.stm
University professor warns against use of sludge on farmland. The use of sludge in farming is allowing toxins to enter food sources, says a university professor who has studied the effects of chemicals and toxic metals in soil and how they could pose a threat to the environment and food chains. Stirling Community Press, Canada, 25 March 2008.
http://www.communitypress.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=955376&auth=Bill+Tremblay
Climate change poses new challenges to health experts. The climate change taking place in the Gulf and other parts of the world have posed new challenges before healthcare professionals, a workshop that opened at the Education City yesterday was told. Doha Peninsula, Qatar, 24 March 2008.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=March2008&file=Local_News2008032413641.xml
Asthma fears over green fuels. Asthma rates could soar because of green fuels used in school buses, town hall chiefs warned. London Daily Mirror, England, 24 March 2008.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/03/24/green-fuel-air-fears-89520-20361094/
Autism: Fact and Fiction. Passions about autism are running higher than ever, and for good reason. Autism spectrum disorders affect one in 150 kids from all walks of life, a tenfold jump in just the past decade. Newsweek, 23 March 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/123474/page/2
Drinking while pregnant risks autism in babies. Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy may be putting their babies at risk of developing autism, according to new research. London Times, England, 23 March 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3602704.ece
EPA files complaint against ship brokers. The US EPA has issued a federal complaint against Global Shipping and Global Marketing Systems Inc. for distribution in commerce and export of PCB-containing materials. Marianas Variety, Mariana Islands, 23 March 2008.
http://www.mvariety.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=8753&format=html
Dept. of Public Health bans more children’s toys. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), in an effort to prevent further recalls because of high levels of lead in children’s toys, announced last Friday that it would institute new regulations banning the sale of children’s jewelry that contains dangerous levels of lead. Lynn Daily Item, Massachusetts, 22 March 2008.
http://www.thedailyitemoflynn.com/articles/2008/03/22/news/news10.txt
Lab: Some "Hannah Montana" products test high for lead. An independent laboratory reports that some of Disney's "Hannah Montana" children's products sold at Wal-Mart, Target and Toys 'R Us are contaminated with high levels of lead. McClatchy Newspapers, 22 March 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-032108hannah-montana-lead,1,7159811.story
Public health risk seen as parents reject vaccines. A small but growing number of vaccine skeptics are taking advantage of exemptions to laws requiring vaccinations. Public health authorities worry that they put their children--and others--at risk. New York Times, 22 March 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/us/21vaccine.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
"Green paint" - environmentally paints that contain fewer harmful chemicals. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, VOCs found in paints can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, and damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Orange County Register, California, 21 March 2008.
http://www.ocregister.com/column/paints-vocs-paint-2003544-voc-low
FDA relied on industry studies to judge safety. A Congressional investigation discovers that the FDA determined the bisphenol A was safe based on just 2 industry studies, ignoring hundreds of government and academic studies. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 21 March 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=730965
Swimming in chemicals. While the European Union is demanding multinationals manufacture safer products, products developed and sold in the United States are increasingly equated with serious health hazards, and are banned from Europe and other parts of the world. Now, 21 March 2008.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/412/Exposed-Toxic-Chemistry.html
Finding toxin-free toys. People assume that products must be proven safe before they can be sold and that the government wouldn't allow unsafe toys to be sold. These assumptions are false. Now, 20 March 2008.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/412/toxins-in-toys.html
Folic acid 'helps to keep sperm healthy.' A folate-rich diet may protect men against producing abnormal sperm and children with genetic abnormalities, a study suggests. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 20 March 2008.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/dietfitness.html?in_article_id=540417&in_page_id=1798
Heparin contaminant identified. A compound related to a common nutritional supplement has been identified as the contaminant in a blood-thinning drug imported from China that sickened hundreds of frail patients in the U.S. Los Angeles Times, California, 20 March 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fda20mar20,0,7589790.story
Exposure to plasticizers and other chemicals in childhood may hike adult cancer risks, report says. In the decades following World War II, both breast cancer rates and the use of synthetic chemicals soared in the United States and a new report contends there's a strong connection between the two. Health Day News, 19 March 2008.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=613679
Study links SoCal's polluted air to brain, heart problems. Mice subjected to Southern California's foul air developed changes in their brains similar to those found in people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Riverside Press-Enterprise, California, 19 March 2008.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_air19.3aa6abb.html
CDC: More tests needed to know if chemical is unsafe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it found BPA [bisphenol A] in nearly 93 percent of Americans it tested. Associated Press, 19 March 2008.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080319/NEWS/803190577/1023
Toy recall revives concerns on magnets. Toymaker Mega Brands Inc. said it will recall 3.5 million toys with potentially deadly magnets, reviving safety concerns over design flaws the industry had declared fixed last year. Wall Street Journal, 19 March 2008.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120576518346641775.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal
Plastic Easter eggs linked to lead paint. A chemistry professor who raised an earlier warning flag about toxic lead levels in toy jewelry didn't have to look far for evidence of similar risks in Easter items such as plastic eggs. Associated Press, 18 March 2008.
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/plastic_easter_eggs_linked_to.html
Clear all asbestos from schools by 2010. Teaching unions are demanding that asbestos be cleared from schools by 2010 following the death of a North Wales teacher. North Wales Daily Post, Wales, 18 March 2008.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/03/18/clear-all-asbestos-from-schools-by-2010-55578-20638546/
Home cleaners hold untested chemicals. Of the thousands of industrial chemicals made in Canada, only a handful have been tested for their health and environmental impacts. Toronto Star, Ontario, 18 March 2008.
http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/347160
Lawmakers probe EPA conflicts. A House committee opened an investigation Monday into potential conflicts of interest in scientific panels that advise the Environmental Protection Agency. Associated Press, 18 March 2008.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jeUws0YW_ERohyoQeQuNrEnFxZFwD8VFEF480
Breast cancer in black women may be linked to neighbourhood conditions. In a path-breaking project, researchers at the University of Chicago have found that breast cancer in black women may be linked to neighbourhood conditions. Asian News International, South Asia, 18 March 2008.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/breast-cancer-in-black-women-may-be-linked-to-neighbourhood-conditions_10028622.html
Artificial turf surfaces generating controversy. The battle over potential dangers of artificial turf has been waged in recent months in suburbs and cities across the country and beyond. Asbury Park Press, New Jersey, 17 March 2008.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080317/NEWS/803170376/1004/NEWS01
EU watchdog won’t ban 'problem' colours. A Europe-wide ban on artificial additives commonly found in sweets and drinks and linked to hyperactive behaviour in children has been ruled out by regulators. London Times, England, 17 March 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article3564145.ece
Drugs in water supply on agenda as toxicologists meet in Seattle. Pharmaceuticals in the water supply, melamine in the pet food, a warning against giving young children cough medicine are on the agenda, as 7,000 scientists and regulators from 45 countries gather in Seattle this week. Associated Press, 16 March 2008.
http://www.wcnc.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8VEMFO00.html
Growing up too fast? Obesity, plastic baby bottles and cosmetics have all been considered to explain why puberty is happening earlier. Toronto Sun, Ontario, 16 March 2008.
http://torontosun.com/News/Canada/2008/03/16/5019436-sun.html
Autism: learning and living with the unknown. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically lasts throughout an entire lifetime, affecting a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Helena Independent Record, Montana, 16 March 2008.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/03/16/top/top/50lo_080316_autism.txt
Autism cases, one by one. The backers of the Interactive Autism Network are on a quest to add every family with an autistic child to a vast computer database they've created to help researchers find a cure. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 16 March 2008.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.md.autism16mar16,0,6518113.story
The mystery of autism. For a child with autism spectrum disorder, the world can be a confusing place. Problems making friends, concentrating in school and developing traditional social skills can all present challenges for the child. Jamestown New-Standard, New York, 16 March 2008.
http://post-journal.com/articles.asp?articleID=25858
Advisory issued on lice shampoos. Parents of children battling head lice are being urged to avoid over-the-counter treatments that contain [lindane] a pesticide outlawed for agricultural use in dozen of countries -- including Canada -- because of its adverse effects on humans and the water supply. Edmonton Sun, Alberta, 16 March 2008.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2008/03/16/5020461-sun.html
Health effects of mold exposure. Research on the relationship between mold exposure and health effects is ongoing, and some false information, especially about black mold, is easy to find. State College Centre Daily Times, Pennsylvania, 16 March 2008.
http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/467195.html
FDA to increase presence in China. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to strengthen its regulatory presence in China, a country that has become a major exporter of pharmaceutical ingredients to the U.S. and that has been linked to an investigation of allergic reactions in U.S. blood thinner. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 16 March 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat-heparin-baxter-mar15,0,7068994.story?track=rss
Blocked study draws attention to PCBs. Environmental and health organizations want to know why information about fish consumption risks is not being released or given higher priority by government agencies. Green Bay Press-Gazette, Wisconsin, 15 March 2008.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080315/GPG0101/803150585/1207/GPGnews
Breathing easier. University of Illinois Extension specialist Ted Funk provides a list of indoor air pollution causes and remedies. Bloomington Pantagraph, Illinois, 15 March 2008.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/03/15/home-garden/doc47daeb71ba625308780518.txt
Diseases like mine are a growing hazard. Autoimmune diseases -- a group of about 100 conditions in which the body's immune system turns on the body itself -- are reaching epidemic proportions. Washington Post, 15 March 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/14/AR2008031403386.html
Popular 'green' products test positive for toxicant. New tests of 100 "natural" and "organic" soaps, shampoos and other products show that nearly half contain a cancer-causing chemical that is a byproduct of petrochemicals used in manufacturing. Los Angeles Times, California, 14 March 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-natural14mar14,0,1670638.story
Unleaded, please. Hipsters beware: That naval piercing or nose ring may be hazardous to your health. That's the message from the Calif. Dept. of Toxic Substance Control, which is enforcing a new state law that regulates lead in jewelry, especially piercing jewelry. East Bay Daily News, California, 14 March 2008.
http://www.ebdailynews.com/article/2008-3-14-lead
[Editor's note: see a related article about a trinket ban in Massachusetts: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/13/state_health_council_bans_trinkets_containing_lead/ ]
High lead in 2 Mexican candies. The California Department of Public Health is warning consumers not to eat two kinds of candy imported from Mexico after lab tests found both had more than double the acceptable level of lead, state health officials said. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 13 March 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/12/BAHBVJ3OG.DTL
Bill would end mercury use at chlorine plants. Chlorine plants that use large amounts of toxic mercury for manufacturing -- including Olin Corporation's Augusta chlor-alkali plant -- would be forced to convert to modern methods or close by 2012 under a house bill introduced this week. Augusta Chronicle, Georgia, 13 March 2008.
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/031308/met_190792.shtml
If pregnant women stop smoking, babies are happier. Mothers who stop smoking while pregnant tend to have cheerier, more adaptable babies, British researchers reported on Wednesday. Reuters UK, 12 March 2008.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN1221644720080312
Babies line up for health project. A groundbreaking project to track the health of 10,000 babies in Bradford has recruited 3,600 infants in its first year. Yorkshire Post, 12 March 2008.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/Babies-line-up-for-health.3869378.jp
Public warned not to consume certain juices for toddlers that may contain arsenic. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Loblaws Inc. have warned the public not to consume certain pear juices for toddlers that may be contaminated with arsenic. Canadian Press, 12 March 2008.
http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=95457
Board revives pesticide case. Tomato grower Ag-Mart will face a new hearing this summer to determine whether it exposed its field workers to toxic chemicals in pesticides sprayed on crops. Raleigh News & Observer, North Carolina, 12 March 2008.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/996090.html
Lead may not be out of your dental work. First, it was the tainted pet food. Then the lead-contaminated toys. Now, the latest consumer scare from China involves something you may already have in your mouth. Gainesville Times, Georgia, 12 March 2008.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/4099/
Study finds DNA damage in farmers exposed to pesticides. This revelation came through in a study conducted by Raminderjeet Kaur, a research fellow under the supervision of Satbir Kaur of the Department of Human Biology, Punjabi University, Patiala. Bombay Express, India, 12 March 2008.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Study-finds-DNA-damage-in-farmers-exposed-to-pesticides/283440/
Tests of Philadelphia's drinking water reveal the presence of 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts. A total of 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts have been detected in this city's drinking water, largely in tests conducted last year, according to the Philadelphia Water Department. Associated Press, 12 March 2008.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/03/12/news/nation/16_11_553_11_08.txt
[Editor's note: see a related article at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-11-water-testing_N.htm ]