If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the application at http://www.healthandenvironment.org/roles/register?&phase=registerform. Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group at the bottom of the application.
1) LDDI partner the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) will host its next teleconference on Tuesday June 12th at 2:00 p.m. EDT. The topic will be "SAFER: State Alliance for Federal Reform of Chemicals Policy," featuring Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, and Sarah Doll, SAFER national coordinator. Chemicals in commerce include pharmaceuticals, pesticides and a large number of industrial chemicals used in consumer products and for other purposes. Each of these large categories of chemicals is regulated by a governmental agency under the authority granted by specific pieces of legislation. Most nonpesticidal industrial chemicals are regulated by the US EPA under the authority as outlined in the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Unfortunately, as interpreted and implemented, TSCA has not been adequate to protect public health and the environment, especially for chemicals that have long been in use and that were grandfathered in when TSCA was adopted. The good news is that state and local governments are stepping up to the challenge presented by a system that is not effectively protecting our children's health and development. Several state-based coalitions composed of health, environmental, business and labor leaders are moving forward with practical policy solutions. These solutions are focused around reducing threats, promoting safer alternatives and creating new economic development opportunities. There are also personal and clinical resources to help individuals make informed decisions in their own lives. For more information visit http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm or contact Laura Abulafia, Laura@aaidd.org.
2) The 38th Autism Society of America National Conference will be held July 11 - 14, 2007, in Scottsdale, Arizona. During this conference, LDDI partner ASA will bring together experts from various disciplines with the creative ideas and energy to address the diverse challenges individuals with autism and their families face. The goal is to provide conference attendees with the opportunity to learn from innovators and access critical information to improve their lives and those of the people they love, treat and inspire. See http://www.autism-society.org/conference for more information.
For more information about these events or to access additional events, please visit our searchable calendar of events at http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi.
June 1 - 3, 2007
Chicago, Illinois
at Loyola University (Water Tower Campus)
The conference theme is "Changing Course in a Changing Climate: Solutions for Health and the Environment." Topics covered include 1) climate change: consequences and the organic response; 2) linking pesticide science and health effects; 3) toxic policies that hurt communities of color; 4) emerging science: asthma, pesticide mixtures, antibacterial hazards, nanotechnology; 5) community access to organic food and the globalization of organics; 6) practicing precaution: protective policies and effective advocacy; and 7) Great Lakes and pesticides.
Website: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/forum/
Contact: 202-543-5450 or info@beyondpesticides.org
June 6, 2007
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EDT
Children's health advocates will be introduced to emerging conceptual frameworks that integrate social and environmental conditions as more holistic approaches to evaluate and address disparities in environmental health. The panel of speakers will discuss how these social and environmental factors impact disparities in children's environmental health and identify areas for policy changes to reduce these disparities. Speakers will be Gilbert C. Gee, David Williams, Janean E. Dilworth-Bart and Phil Landrigan.
Contact: OCHPWebcast@icfi.com
June 6 - 9, 2007
Portland, Oregon
at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel
The conference theme is Environmental Awareness and Health Care: Tools for Patients and the Planet, and the conference offers clinically focused information that will help participants address concerns about toxicity within the context of an expanded ecological picture. This in-depth exploration of common threats to human and planetary health will help participants gain both the inspiration and tools to enact positive and sustainable change in clinical practice and in life. In addition to learning what can be done about the human/ecosystem health challenges posed by modern life, attendees will also enjoy educational opportunities for general clinical topics, personal development, and daily experiential sessions, offered by a distinguished faculty of local and national leaders. Plenary speakers include Michael Lerner, PhD; Scott Shannon, MD; John Peterson "Pete" Myers, PhD; Devra Lee Davis, PhD, MPH; Charlotte Brody, RN; Ted Schettler, MD; Jamie Harvie, PEng; and Kenny Ausubel.
Website: http://www.holisticmedicine.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=21
Contact: 425-967-0737 or info@holisticmedicine.org
June 7 - 9, 2007
Ann Arbor, Michigan
at the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment
The issues of diversity and environmental justice are very salient in today's society. This two-part conference that will explore research related to 1) diversity in academia (particularly environmental programs) as well as other kinds of environmental institutions and 2) domestic and international environmental justice research. While environmental justice researchers present their findings at numerous venues in any given year, a gathering of this sort is unique in that it offers an opportunity for researchers in the field to gather in one place to assess the past, present and future of the research; map out strategies; initiate collaborative efforts; network; and identify and nurture the future generation of scholars.
Website: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/diversityejresearchsymposium/conference_announcement
Contact: Latonia Payne, paynel@umich.edu
June 8 - 9, 2007
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
at Point Park University
The symposium theme is Bipolar Children: Cutting Edge Controversy, Insight, and Research. Over the past decade and a half, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, an illness that was once considered rare prior to adolescence. This symposium will examine incidence, treatment, cultural and other aspects of this issue. 1/2/3 academic credit option for 30/60/90 ACT 48 hours.
Website: http://www.pointpark.edu/files/finalversionbipolar.pdf
Contact: Kris Julian, 412-392-3483 or kjulian@pointpark.edu
June 10 - 12, 2007
Vienna, Austria
at the Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17
This cross-sectional conference is intended for health professionals, scientists (clinical, environmental epidemiological and community-oriented) and policy makers who have a special interest in children's environmental health, as well as leaders from the private sector, nongovernmental organizations and community organizations, and all levels of government. Topic include air pollution, nanotechnology, training health care providers, cancer, indoor air, children's environmental health indicators, fetal and embryological origin of diseases, pesticides, neurodevelopmental disorders, climate change and children, toxic metals, lead, children and physical hazards, and others. The official language of the conference is English.
Website: http://www.inchesnetwork.net/conference.html
June 10-15, 2007
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre
The conference title is "Health Promotion Comes of Age: Research, Policy & Practice for the 21st Century." The overall mission of the conference is to review and critically reassess health promotion's progress since the Ottawa Charter and to help set the course for navigating through the new challenges facing health promotion in an increasingly globalized world. By linking policy, practice and research, Canada 2007 will enhance partnerships and intersectoral collaborations for health promotion. Canada 2007 will be an international venture that will take into account the needs and concerns of health promotion at a global level and encourage members to come from all corners of the world to celebrate the renewal of the Ottawa Charter. Conference themes are reducing health inequities, assets for health and development, enabling system transformations, and assessing the effectiveness of health promotion. The conference is approved for 24 prescribed American Association for Family Physicians credits / 1.5 elective credits and Category I continuing education contact hours in health education.
Website: http://iuhpeconference.org/en/index.htm
Contact: Valarie Bodnarchuck, 250-472-5385 or canada2007@iuhpeconference.org
June 11, 2007
Louisville, Kentucky
at the Executive West Hotel & Conference Center
Contact: LDA of Kentucky, 877-587-1256 or ldaofky@yahoo.com
June 15 - 16, 2007
Toronto, Ontario Canada
at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, 300 Jarvis
The conference theme is "Building a Community of Acceptance." This is a conference that will explore best practices and approaches for increasing quality of life, opportunities and independence for individuals with ASD and their families.
Contact: Ethel Berry, 416-246-9592 ext. 224
The focus of this position is on education and training of key stakeholders, leadership in child health advocacy and support of pediatric environmental health research opportunities. The position will be open May 29, 2007 until filled. CEHN's mission is to protect the fetus and the child from environmental health hazards and promote a healthy environment. Goals include promoting the development of sound public health and child-focused national policy; stimulating prevention-orientation research; educating health professionals, policy makers and community members in preventive strategies; and elevating public awareness of environmental hazards to children. Please visit http://www.cehn.org/ for more information.
Job duties and responsibilities include assisting the executive director in planning, developing and implementing programs; coordinating fundraising; drafting fundraising proposals, media, outreach, educational and promotional materials; facilitating communications and information exchange; managing organization listservs, responding to public inquiries, networking with and keeping constituents informed; and other communications and administrative tasks. A master's degree in environmental health/public health/policy and/or sciences is required. Salary level is based on experience and education; medical and dental benefits will be provided. CEHN is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on gender, age, ethnicity or physical impairments. Resume review begins in early June. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements, and short writing sample to
Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Executive Director
Children's Environmental Health Network (CEHN)
Suite #505
Washington, DC 20002
or fax to 202-543-8797
or send an e-mail message to nobot@cehn.org.
from the Cherry Hill [New Jersey] Courier-Post
May 29, 2007
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070529/NEWS01/705290352/1006
A bill that would reimburse child-care center owners and operators for the cost of hazardous site contamination assessments was unanimously approved by the Senate Environment Committee.
Article Summary: The bill, S-2737, would amend the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund to permit an estimated $1,500 each to be given as grants to reimburse child care center owners and operators for the cost of site assessments. The measure now heads to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
by Barbara Anderson, Fresno Bee
May 29, 2007
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/50472.html
Article Summary: Throughout Fresno County, hundreds of children are sickened each year by lead. Some are poisoned by folk medicine. Some have eaten candies contaminated with lead. But the biggest problem is crumbling, lead-based paint in the older homes where many of the county's renters live. This month, state health officials warned parents not to buy imported Mexican candy because of high lead levels. Some Mexican candy has been found to have contaminated chili powder or lead in the ink on wrappers. The city of Fresno also is taking notice. City code enforcers are receiving training in how to inspect homes for lead. It doesn't cause alarming symptoms, such as a high fever or rash that would make a parent rush a child to a doctor. Instead, it might cause loss of appetite, crankiness, headaches, stomachaches, hyperactivity -- all symptoms that can be confused with common childhood illnesses. A blood test is the only way to tell whether a child has lead poisoning. No amount of lead in the blood is safe. Even a small amount of lead can affect a child's concentration and ability to learn. Higher amounts can damage the nervous system, kidneys and other organs. Very high levels of lead in the blood can cause seizures -- and even death. Dr. Edward Moreno, the health officer for Fresno County, suspects poverty is a factor in the county's lead poisoning problem. Poorer children tend to live in older homes where flaking lead paint can be a danger. It wasn't until 1978 that the federal government banned lead in paint for residences.
from the Associated Press, Baltimore Sun
May 29, 2007
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-te.greenschools29may29,0,3923419.story
Article Summary: A "green school" movement is growing in popularity nationwide, with schools leaning toward solar panels, living roofs and wetlands. School districts say the environmentally friendly properties save energy costs while educating students about the world around them. Nearly 300 schools are on a waiting list for certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, which sets nationally recognized standards for environmentally friendly buildings. So many schools are going green that the council, which previously certified schools based on commercial building guidelines, just came out with benchmarks specifically for schools. So far, 27 schools have received the green certification. A study by school officials in Washington state found that green schools have better student performance and fewer absences. In 2005, lawmakers used the study to require new schools getting state money to be green. Most school districts building green schools are willing to shell out more money on the front end -- generally about 2 percent more in construction costs -- to ensure lower utility bills over the long run. The Washington state study found that green schools cut energy costs as much as 50 percent.
by By Chip Martin, London [Ontario] Free Press
May 29, 2007
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2007/05/29/4216403-sun.html
Article Summary: The Great Lakes, home to 20 per cent of the Earth's fresh water, the source of drinking water for 24 million Canadians and Americans, including most in our region. But they have become a toxic stew of water and air contaminants that threatens all forms of life that rely on them. A generation or two ago, swamped by industrial and human pollution, the lakes were being strangled by a witch's cauldron of contaminants -- phosphates and toxins such as PCBs, DDT, dioxins, lead and mercury, many of which still lurk in the bottom sediments. Lake Erie, for one, was written off as "dead." Conditions were so bleak, the river in Cleveland, Ohio, which drains into Erie, infamously caught fire in 1969 when the flammable industrial filth coating its surface was lit by molten metal falling from a railway river bridge. The pollution crackdown that followed -- tougher water standards on both sides of the border, outright bans on the use of some substances -- has helped the lakes. But billions of kilograms of air and water pollution a year still pour into and rain down on the lakes basin from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces they drain, many of them toxic. Industry, utilities, municipal sewage plants and farm runoff all add to the basin's deadly cocktail. As well, a new generation of pollutants -- from the hormone estrogen found in flushed-away birth-control pills, to brominated flame retardants -- is raising new alarm. Bad air contributes to respiratory problems, lung cancer, heart and stroke, skin diseases and other health problems. Poor water is linked to cancers, digestive-system diseases and birth abnormalities.
by Cheryl Hogue, Chemical and Engineering News
May 28, 2007
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/government/85/8522gov1.html
Article Summary: Tons of mercury now housed in eight U.S. chemical plants may eventually get into the hands of poverty-stricken people panning for gold in developing countries and then into rivers and the air. With a goal of preventing that from happening, policy analysts now are studying how best to manage domestic stocks of the neurotoxic metal. As a start, the government is examining national and worldwide supply and demand trends for mercury. Soaring values of gold have fostered a gold rush as increasingly more impoverished people in developing countries have turned to small-scale gold mining for a livelihood. Millions of these miners rely on quicksilver to separate grains of gold from small bits of sand and rock in pans or other small-scale equipment. The technique -- which yields a gold-mercury amalgam from which the gold can later be extracted by heating -- is easy, effective, and generally, cheap. An estimated 10 million to 15 million small-scale miners around the world use mercury, and up to half of these miners have symptoms of mercury poisoning, according to Michael T. Bender, executive director of the Mercury Policy Project. International aid agencies and charitable groups are working with small-scale gold miners in developing countries to promote separation techniques that are not mercury-based and thus are safer from the standpoint of health and less damaging to the environment. But the use of mercury is more widespread than the reach of these efforts. The largely unregulated flow of mercury is polluting waterways, land, and the miners themselves in South America, Asia, and Africa. To sell the gold, the miners need to extract it from their amalgam, which is often done by heating in open pans exposing people nearby to toxic fumes. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) estimates that small-scale gold mining releases between 650 and 1,000 metric tons of mercury per year, accounting for about a third of all mercury releases to the environment from human activities.
While demand for mercury is soaring in several developing countries for gold-mining purposes, it is declining dramatically in the U.S. and elsewhere in the industrialized world. The U.S. has significant privately held stocks of the metal, the largest pool in eight chlor-alkali plants that employ an older industrial process. In coming years, all these plants are expected to be shut down or converted to a process that does not use mercury. Historically, mercury has been recovered from closed or converted chlor-alkali plants and sold on the commodity market, according to EPA. If mercury from closed or converted chlor-alkali plants reaches the international market, it probably ends up in the developing world and in small-scale gold mining operations, according to UNEP. As the U.S. government considers how it might manage nonfederal supplies of mercury in the face of a shifting global market for the troublesome element, it faces policy conundrums. It must determine whether or how it can continue to encourage domestic recycling and reclamation of the metal to prevent pollution at home while attempting to forestall releases of mercury elsewhere in the world. The government also is not eager to get into the mercury storage business, although the Departments of Defense and Energy have stockpiled the element for decades. Representatives of the chlorine, mining, and recycling industries as well as environmentalists and academics provided a variety of perspectives on what to do about mercury at EPA's stakeholder meeting.
by Barbara F. Meltz, Boston Globe Staff
May 27, 2007
http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/05/27/heavy_tv_viewing_under_2_is_found/
submitted to this bulletin by Ted Schettler, MD, MPH
About 40 percent of 3-month-olds watch television or videos for an average of 45 minutes a day, or more than five hours a week, according to the first-ever study of the viewing habits of children under the age of 2. The study, by pediatric researchers at the University of Washington, also found that by age 2, 90 percent of children are watching television for an average of more than 90 minutes a day. Such early exposure to screens can have a negative impact on an infant's rapidly developing brain and put children at a higher risk for attention problems, diminished reading comprehension, and obesity, researchers said.
Article Summary: Researchers were surprised not only by the number of hours young children are spending in front of the television but also by the primary reason: Most parents are using television as an educational tool, not for the more conventional explanation of babysitting. Despite nearly a decade of warnings by pediatricians to the contrary, parents believe that the content of programs aimed at babies is good for brain development. According to the study, the families interviewed were more likely to be highly educated and higher-income than the general US population. Andrew Meltzoff, a developmental psychologist, said, "The best evidence shows that early viewing puts children on a trajectory that places them at a high risk for attention deficit, diminished reading ability, and obesity." A baby is born with 100 billion brain cells, but only 17 percent of them are immediately operational. "The rest of the wiring follows in the days, weeks, months, and years to come," said child psychologist David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family. What's not hard-wired by genetics gets soft-wired by experience and exposure. According to study co-author Dmitri Christakas, what parents identify as attention and learning scientists say is a primitive reflex known as the orienting response. "He or she has no choice in the matter. He's hard-wired to pay attention to anything that is fast-moving, brightly colored, or loud. It's a survival response." Early screen-viewing has a negative effect on soft-wiring even when the content is baby-safe, he said.
by Ross Coulthart, NineMSN, Australia
May 27, 2007
http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/cover_stories/article_2209.asp
Article Summary: For about 50 years one of the technologies that has made international jet travel possible is the bleed air pressurization -- which draws hot air out of the engine, cools it down, and then ducts it into the plane cabin and cockpit. On occasion these bleed air systems can be contaminated with oil that leaks into the cabin air from the engines. The jet oil most commonly used in commercial aviation contains a number of compounds that can potentially cause fumes in passenger jet air -- including an organophosphate called tricresyl phosphate (TCP), which is a known neurotoxin. TCP can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, loss of concentration, blurred vision, temporary paralysis and long-term neurological damage, chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivity. Swabs of the interiors of passenger aircraft all over the world indicate that TCP is indeed getting into aircraft cabins. University of NSW toxicologist Professor Chris Winder wants the aviation industry to fund research to see whether those levels of TCP being found are toxic.
by Martin Hickman, London Independent
May 27, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586652.ece
Article Summary: Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA. The problem -- more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse -- can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. The findings will intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children. Concerns center on the safety of sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mold in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces. Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A British Food Standards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brands which were removed from sale. Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory and found the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the "power station" of cells known as the mitochondria. According to Piper, "The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it -- as happens in a number if diseased states -- then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA -- Parkinson's and quite a lot of neurodegenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of aging."
by Robert Cohen, Newark Star-Ledger
May 27, 2007
http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1180239903218120.xml&coll=1
WASHINGTON -- OPI Products, a leading professional nail-care company, reformulated its nail polishes, treatments and hardeners in the past year to remove chemicals that some have warned could pose potential health threats. The California company insisted its products were completely safe and met all Food and Drug Administration requirements, but said it altered the formulas to comply with new safety standards recently imposed by the European Union and to eliminate concerns raised by a number of public interest groups.
Article Summary: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of health and environmental organizations, for several years has been pressuring personal-care product and cosmetic companies to phase out chemicals they say have been linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems. While chemicals in any one consumer item alone are unlikely to cause harm, the coalition argues, repeated exposure to industrial chemicals from many different sources on a daily basis could have negative long-term health consequences. A newly enacted California chemical ingredient disclosure law for cosmetics and a 2007 EU policy require all companies, including cosmetic firms that produce or use chemicals, to collect extensive data on possible human health risks of the substances. So far, the consumer coalition has convinced about 550 companies to sign a compact agreeing to remove all toxic chemicals and replace them with safer alternatives. Many of the companies are part of the "natural products" industry, including the Body Shop, Burt's Bees, Avalon Natural Products and Aubrey Organics. Now many of the industry's big players, including Estée Lauder, Revlon, Chanel, Clinique, L'Oreal, Unilever and Procter & Gamble, are fighting back against the public campaign, refuting claims there are any health or safety problems. Estée Lauder, however, recently removed dibutyl phthalate from its nail polishes to meet EU marketing requirements, while Revlon and other companies have taken similar steps with some of their product lines. Under U.S. law, the FDA neither tests, reviews nor approves cosmetics and personal-care products before they go on the market, and only bans certain color additives and a handful of substances from use. Under the law, companies are required to list ingredients on product labels or package inserts and prepare the products under sanitary conditions. They are prohibited from making false or misleading claims. Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing, but the agency has never de fined what constitutes a safe product. The industry says the standard for a safe product is one that does not irritate the skin when used as directed. According to Jane Houlihan, vice president of research for the Environmental Working Group, one of the members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, there is no requirement that cosmetic injuries be reported and no tracking system in place. Houlihan's organization and others in the coalition, including the Breast Cancer Fund, Commonweal, Friends of the Earth and the National Environmental Trust, say they will press Congress to strengthen the FDA law to set firm standards for testing and safety, arguing the time is long overdue and the list of suspect ingredients is quite extensive, including mercury, formaldehyde and toluene, petroleum distillates, ethylacrylate, coal tar, dibutyl phthalate and lead acetate.
by Sue Goetinck Ambrose, Dallas Morning News
May 27, 2007
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/healthscience/stories/052707dnentendocrine.3a08215.html
Scientists say the Bush administration is developing a chemical testing program that favors the chemical industry when it comes to judging whether certain substances in the environment might cause cancer, infertility, or harm to babies in the womb. What's billed as one of the most comprehensive screening programs ever to check whether chemicals can disrupt human hormones, scientists say, may instead prove to be a misleading $76 million waste. Federal officials defend the program, which aims to identify so-called "endocrine disruptors." They say that no tests can cover everything, and that the process of setting up the program has been open and transparent.
Article Summary: Scientists began to suspect that manmade chemicals could interfere with hormones in the 1960s. Since then, scientists have documented wildlife abnormalities in areas contaminated with industrial chemicals. Lab studies have also established that hormone-disrupting chemicals can cause abnormalities in mammals, namely rats and mice. And some studies have made correlations -- but not cause-and-effect links -- between hormone-disrupting chemicals and human deformities. Based on these multiple lines of evidence, researchers suspect long-term effects on people -- such as lower sperm counts, abnormal genitals, infertility and cancer. As part of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, Congress ordered the EPA to come up with an animal-screening program to see if pesticide chemicals had the potential to interfere with hormone systems in people. Substances such as those used in industrial processes or found in consumer products could also be tested at the EPA's request. The 1996 act said the EPA had to implement the program within three years, but testing still has not begun. When the National Resources Defense Council sued the EPA for missing the deadline, the EPA said it interpreted "implement" to include validating the lab assays for the program, a process that is still ongoing. The EPA now anticipates that the first round of tests, on an initial battery of 50 to 100 chemicals, will begin early next year.
Charges of poorly designed tests, inappropriate breeds of lab animals, the wrong test chow, failure to guarantee tests on prenatal exposure to chemicals, wrong dosage ranges, and chemical company involvement in test design have been made. "If your objective is not to find anything, that's the perfect way to do it," said Fred vom Saal, a developmental biologist at the University of Missouri. EPA officials say the agency has thoroughly and openly considered the test animal, test dose and animal chow issues. As for allowing the chemical industry to make decisions on how to test chemicals, the EPA said it is not worried about foul play.
from NewScientist.com
May 26, 2007
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11931-gene-in-the-frame-for-autism.html
The search for the genetic causes of autism has identified another likely candidate. Dan Arking at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and his colleagues studied the DNA of 1295 autistic children and their parents. They found that a common variant of a gene called CNTNAP2, which helps coordinate interactions between cells in the nervous system, was often associated with autism. While many genes are believed to contribute towards the disorder, CNTNAP2 could be a good target for drugs because it is active throughout life, rather than just during development as other such genes are.
by Polly Curtis, London Guardian
May 25, 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/smoking/Story/0,,2087871,00.html
Children whose mothers smoked during their pregnancy are up to nine times more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, scientists say. US researchers found smoking acts as a trigger for the disorder when children are already genetically predisposed to ADHD. The dangers of smoking during pregnancy are well documented. But the links between smoking and ADHD have not been proven until now.
Article Summary: In the US the most recent study indicated that around 3.3% of children under 10 have ADHD. Scientists contacted just over 5,000 families with twin children aged seven to 18 in Missouri. The parents were asked to complete questionnaires on their children's behavior and their habits during pregnancy. A significantly increased risk of ADHD was found in those who smoked. ADHD, in turn, increases the risk for substance abuse. "Thus, it appears in utero exposure to nicotine may help to perpetuate a cycle across generations that links addiction and behavioral problems," said John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry in which the research will be published in June. The researchers found no relationships between alcohol during pregnancy and ADHD. A separate study, published last night, reveals that smoking cannabis while pregnant affects the brain development of unborn babies. Scientists believe taking the drug could restrict naturally occurring compounds in the embryonic brain which join up nerves and promote fetal growth.
by Robert Miller, Greater Danbury [Connecticut] News Times
May 25, 2007
http://www.newstimes.com/news/story.php?id=1054740
On Wednesday, the Senate voted unanimously to ban the use of lawn-care pesticides and herbicides on the lawns surrounding day-care centers, primary schools, and middle schools up to eighth grade. That ban would go into effect immediately after the bill's passage. Schools would have until 2009 to adopt organic lawn-care practices for playing fields. The House already passed such a bill this year by a 145-2 margin. Because of a small amendment to the bill, the House must vote on the measure again, but it's expected to easily pass.
Article Summary: The bill advances the environmental agenda on several fronts, including reducing children's exposure to lawn chemicals; reducing use of petroleum-based products; reducing pollution in rivers and other bodies of water; and allowing less noisy, polluting mowing. Organic lawns are more drought-resistant and require much less watering.
by Marla Cone, Los Angeles Times
May 25, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-na-fetuses25may25,0,6037457.story?coll=la-home-center
In a strongly worded declaration, many of the world's leading environmental scientists warned Thursday that exposure to common chemicals makes babies more likely to develop an array of health problems later in life, including diabetes, attention deficit disorders, prostate cancer, fertility problems, thyroid disorders and even obesity. The declaration by about 200 scientists from five continents amounts to a vote of confidence in a growing body of evidence that humans are vulnerable to long-term harm from toxic exposures in the womb and during their first years. Convening in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, toxicologists, pediatricians, epidemiologists and other experts warned that when fetuses and newborns encounter various toxic substances, growth of critical organs and functions can be skewed. In a process called "fetal programming," the children then are susceptible to diseases later in life -- and perhaps could even pass on those altered traits to their children and grandchildren.
Article Summary: Chemicals with evidence of developmental effects include compounds in plastics, cosmetics and pesticides. Many governmental agencies and industry groups, particularly in the United States, have said there is no or little human evidence to support concerns about most toxic residue in air, water, food and consumer products. About 80,000 chemicals are registered in the United States. Yet the scientists urged leaders not to wait for more scientific certainty and recommended that governments revise regulations and procedures to take into account subtle effects on fetal and infant development. For centuries, the basic rule of toxicology has been "the dose makes the poison." Now, the scientists say "the timing makes the poison" -- in other words, when a toxic exposure occurs is as important as the amount people are exposed to. The "Barker hypothesis," conceived by a British scientist in 1992, says human fetuses are "programmed" for diseases by their early environment. The scientists concluded that this is now well documented for toxic exposures by a large collection of animal experiments and some human data. In a more optimistic vein, the researchers said that if contaminants do play a big role in human health problems, some diseases could be prevented. The growing brain is the most sensitive. Mothers' exposure to mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish and other seafood can cause slight declines in a child's IQ and motor skills. In addition, early exposure to pesticides might trigger Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Lead, organophosphate pesticides, cigarette smoke, bisphenol A, phthalates, brominated flame retardants and arsenic are also implicated in health disorders. The newest animal research suggests that chemicals can alter gene expression -- turning on or off genes that predispose people to disease. Although the DNA itself would not be altered, such genetic misfires in the womb may be permanent, and all subsequent generations could be at greater risk of diseases.
by Tom Pelton, Baltimore Sun
May 24, 2007
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.epa24may24,0,1479893.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines
Article Summary: Lawsuits against polluters have fallen by more than half under the Bush administration, and penalties and investigations of environmental crimes are also down, according to a new report by the Washington-based Environmental Integrity Project. The advocacy group said that "the Justice Department has become reluctant to sue violators," filing fewer than 16 lawsuits a year against polluters who refused to settle since Bush took office. This compares with an average of 52 a year in the last three years of the Clinton administration. Penalties have declined on both the civil and criminal side. Matthew J. McKeown, acting assistant general for the U.S. Justice Department's environmental division, said his agency is more aggressive than ever in forcing the cleanup of air, water and land. On the positive side, settlements requiring industries to add pollution-control equipment have totaled $26 billion under the Bush administration, which is more than during the Clinton years. But many of the Bush-era settlements arose from lawsuits filed during the Clinton years, said Eric Schaeffer, executive director of Environmental Integrity Project and a former top official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
by Steve Daniels, Durham [North Carolina] ABC News 11TV
May 23, 2007
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=consumer&id=5333016
Article Summary: City workers in Raleigh spray some school yards and ball fields with harmful chemicals. The City of Raleigh puts up signs while workers are spraying to warn people to stay away but they're gone as soon as the workers are finished. Companies that spray at your home leave signs behind to warn you about the chemicals. There's no state requirement to notify people after spraying a public area. Parents and others have no way of knowing when a park or playing field has been sprayed with a potentially dangerous chemicals. Of 34 chemicals the City of Raleigh uses in parks, on ball fields and on greenways, two contain ingredients the EPA considers likely human carcinogens. Eight of them contain ingredients the EPA considers possible human carcinogens. In Peachtree City, Georgia, two children went to the hospital and others got sick after their soccer field was treated with pesticides. According to Paul Schramski with the Toxics Action Center, several states are placing restrictions on spraying around schools and playing fields. Starting in October 2011, schools will be required to notify parents 72 hours before they plan to spray pesticides on school grounds.
by Naomi Lubick, Environmental Science & Technology
May 23, 2007
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/may/policy/nl_autism.html
One in 150 children in the U.S. has autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Decades ago, that number was thought to be about 5 out of 100,000. As more and more children demonstrate autismlike symptoms, their parents are asking whether environmental exposure to chemicals, such as mercury in vaccines, is causing the disease. In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called a meeting to explore a path for research on the broader impacts of environmental factors on autism.
Article Summary: In recent years, parents and activists have pressed CDC to declare the rise in autism cases a public-health emergency. The meeting brought to the table new voices who introduced lessons learned from investigating the origins of other vexing diseases, including asthma and schizophrenia. The causes of autism, which slows down the development of young children's social and communication skills by affecting the central nervous system, have remained elusive. Autism research has focused on genetic causes or on one compound that could be inflicting harm. The main suspect, in the minds of many activists and parents, has been thimerosal, the mercury-containing vaccine preservative that has generated controversy over the past several years. Some, including both researchers and activists, suspect food preservatives, pesticides, and a variety of chemicals. The variability in the manifestations of the disease has led to a shift in its name, to autism spectrum disorders, to cover the variety of symptoms. It is also leading researchers to search for an array of causes and triggers, much like the cancer research community started to do decades ago, says Institutes of Medicine forum participant Isaac Pessah of the University of California, Davis. Teasing out the different mechanisms and timing can only happen with broad databases, participants at the meeting agreed. Many are looking to the Danish National Birth Cohort as well as the new Autism Birth Cohort (run by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Columbia University) and the CDC's new National Children's Study. CDC's Larry Needham said that current biomonitoring includes a targeted approach that searches for exposures to preselected chemicals, such as PCBs, polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants, and the plastics component bisphenol A (tracked by parts of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES). However, because the cause of autism is unknown, Needham noted that a broader analytical approach should be developed that identifies several chemicals and their concentrations in blood and urine. But mining the data remains complicated with regard to the timing of exposure, especially for nonpersistent chemicals.
by Rebecca Renner, Environmental Science & Technology
May 23, 2007
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/may/science/rr_PFOApeople.html
Although scientists and regulators are concerned and intrigued about the presence of anthropogenic perfluorinated chemicals in the blood of people from developed countries, little is known about the source of this contamination. Research interest and controversy have focused on the presence of these chemicals in the remote Arctic, where the source of contamination is a mystery. In contrast, the problem for people is just the opposite, because these chemicals are used on everything from fast-food wrappers to stain-resistant carpet. The challenge is figuring out which sources -- food, drinking water, outdoor air, indoor air, or dust -- are the most important.
Article Summary: Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found PFOA in 100% and PFOS in 99% of 297 serum samples collected in 2004 and 2005 from the umbilical cords of children born in Baltimore. "Exposure to PFOS and PFOA is fairly universal; this is of particular concern because of the potential toxicity, especially developmental toxicity, for these chemicals and the lack of information about health risks at these exposure levels." says Lynn Goldman of Johns Hopkins University, coauthor of the study. The U.S. EPA's Science Advisory Board in 2006 classified perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a likely human carcinogen. Animal studies also indicate that perfluorinated chemicals affect the liver, neonatal development, the immune system, and hormone levels. The Chemicals, Health, and Pregnancy Study in Canada aims to find out whether perfluorinated chemicals and brominated flame retardants have an influence on thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy -- an important question because thyroid hormones help to control fetal brain development.
Anthropogenic perfluorinated contaminants consist of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), such as PFOA, and perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSAs), such as perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). PFCAs are still being manufactured around the world, but PFSAs are no longer made in the U.S. and Europe. A growing body of evidence shows that direct exposure to PFOS or PFOA is not a significant source of contamination to the general population. This suggests that other chemicals capable of breaking down to form them are the sources. These indirect sources include fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) that break down to PFOA and perfluorinated sulfonamides that break down to PFOS. Ongoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) studies indicate that the perfluorinated chemicals that make food wrappers greaseproof can migrate into some foods at levels up to several hundred times higher than current FDA-approved guidelines indicate, suggesting an overlooked and potentially important source. Currently, about 15 different perfluorinated chemicals are approved by FDA for treating paper or other materials that contact food. Food papers treated with PAPS -- which can metabolize into perfluorochemicals including PFOA -- include microwave-popcorn bags, bags for muffins or French fries, pizza liners, boxes for burgers and small pizzas, and sandwich wrappers.
by Leah Zerbe, NBC10.com
May 22, 2007
http://www.nbc10.com/health/13363660/detail.html
After testing drinking water samples in New Jersey, a coalition of environmental and labor groups announced it found levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency panel has labeled a likely human carcinogen in the past, according to the environmental coalition's news release.
Article Summary: The Dupont Accountability Coalition, which includes United Steel Workers, New Jersey Environmental Federation and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, among other organizations, turned over the results from samples taken from Thorofare, New Jersey, drinking water supplies to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and requested an investigation. NJDEP recently set a safe drinking water guidance value of .04 parts per billion for PFOA. Although the highest level found in Thorofare was 4.86 parts per trillion (or .004 parts per billion), the environmental coalition said the source of the contamination should be identified and cleaned up. Even low levels in drinking water can add up to higher levels in the blood, according to the U.S. EPA. The USW and other coalition members have documented PFOA contamination in West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey drinking water systems.
PFOA has been linked to human health problems, and developmental and other adverse health effects at very low dose levels in laboratory animals, according to the environmental coalition. The federal government does not fully understand how people are exposed to PFOA, but notes that the synthetic chemical is used to make fluoropolymers. Fluoropolymers and telomers are used to make nonstick cooking surfaces, fire resistance, and oil, stain, grease and water repellency. They are found in thousands of products, including pots and pans, carpets and fire-fighting foams. The information that EPA has available does not indicate that the routine use of household products poses a concern, and the agency also said it does not have any indication that the public is being exposed to PFOA through the use of Teflon-coated or other trademarked nonstick cookware. DuPont announced it would end production of PFOA by 2015, but recently refused the coalition's request to begin reducing and publicly releasing its monthly PFOA production amounts, according to the environmental coalition.
by Scott Norris, National Geographic News
May 18, 2007
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070518-cfls-bulbs.html
Article Summary: Long billed as a "green" product for environmentally conscious consumers, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are quickly becoming the norm in household lighting -- and may soon replace traditional incandescent bulbs altogether. But CFLs' cool-burning illumination is made possible by a pinch of poison -- about five milligrams of mercury sealed inside every glass tube -- and the need for the element is unlikely to change anytime soon. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and long-lived environmental contaminant, and even the small amount present in CFLs poses a problem. When the bulbs break, either in the house or at a waste disposal site, their mercury content is released. Like with many other household products, the use of CFLs requires some commonsense precautions. But if a bulb breaks, services of a company that specializes in the cleanup of sites contaminated with mercury are not required. While their mercury doesn't make CFLs unsafe, experts say, it does place them alongside many other household products -- from paint to batteries -- that need to be used and disposed of in a responsible manner. If recycling is not possible, used CFLs should be sealed inside a plastic bag and taken to a household hazardous waste disposal site, just as should batteries, oil-based paint, and motor oil, EPA recommends. And if a CFL does shatter on the floor, the greatest danger may be the broken glass, but to minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA and other experts advise a few precautions. Children and pets should stay away from the area, the agency says, and windows should be opened for at least 15 minutes so that vapors may disperse. Cleanup can be done by hand using disposable materials, the experts add.
According to a recent report by the Washington, D.C.-based Earth Policy Institute, a worldwide shift to CFLs would permit the closing of more than 270 coal-fired power plants. Switching to CFLs in the U.S. alone could save the energy output of 80 plants. For environmentalists, the clincher is that by requiring less energy, CFLs will actually cut down on mercury pollution produced by coal burning, and EPA agrees.
by Ohshima Y, Yamada A, Tokuriki S, Yasutomi M, Omata N, Mayumi M., Pediatric Research
May 18, 2007
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=journals
Article Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a representative endocrine disruptor that may have adverse effects on human health. Since the development of oral tolerance during infancy may play an important role in the prevention of food allergies, we examined whether transmaternal exposure to BPA influences the development of oral tolerance. To measure antigen-specific responses, female wild-type mice mated with male ovalbumin (OVA)-specific T-cell receptor transgenic (TCR-tg) mice were fed with BPA during pregnancy and while nursing. OVA was administered to OVA-TCR-tg offspring during their weaning period. Oral administration of both high and low doses of OVA suppressed OVA-specific cell proliferation and cytokine production in both BPA-exposed and nonexposed control mice, but the OVA-mediated suppression was significantly more diminished by the BPA exposure. The accumulation of CD4CD25Foxp3 T cells was diminished in the BPA-exposed offspring. Moreover, after low dose OVA administration, serum OVA-specific IgG1 and IgG2a levels were higher in the BPA-exposed offspring than in nonexposed ones. Taken together, our results indicate that transmaternal exposure to BPA seems to modulate the mechanisms underlying tolerance induction; therefore, BPA may partially interrupt the development of oral tolerance.