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 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
June 18 - 21, 2008
Marmaris, Turkey
at the Divan Mares Hotel
The purpose of the conference is to bring internationally known experts around the world together to share knowledge and experience on Special Education. The conference will highlight key experts in the field of Special Education. The official language of the conference will be English. Preconference workshops, educational and cultural tours/trips and other activities are being considered to provide an array of opportunities to participants. The conference covers the following groups but not limited to any groups or any topics in special education: cognitive disabilities/mental retardation, autism, & other developmental disabilities; communicative disabilities and deafness (deaf or hard of hearing); speech and language disorders; behavioral and emotional disorders; learning disabilities; gifted and talented education; physical and health disabilities; and visual impairments.
Website: http://icose2008.anadolu.edu.tr/home.htm
Contact: ICOSE Secretary, +90-222-335-0580 (3545) or icose2008@gmail.com
The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative welcomes these new members:
Organizational members:
Individual members:
For a full list of LDDI members, please visit http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html.
Chemical Watch is a news organization with a mission to help businesses tackle their responsibilities under chemicals legislation. It is an independent service that will cover a broad agenda related to chemicals in products and supply chains, including REACH implementation, emerging science, corporate responses, NGO campaigns etc. They keep abreast of policy and legislation across the 27 EU member states, corporate initiatives such as product stewardship and supply chain management, and the implications of NGO campaigns. ChemicalWatch publishes news releases on their website at http://chemicalwatch.com/index.html, plus they send email alerts to those who sign up for the service. They will be publishing a Guide to Chemicals Management After REACH.
by Shawn Charniga, Troy [New York] Record
June 5, 2007
http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18426143&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=7021&rfi=6
Article Summary: During the last four years as a plan took shape to dredge the Hudson River and remove PCB-laden sediment on the river bottom, local officials say they were adamant on one point -- GE and the government must provide an alternative source of drinking water for the communities that get their drinking water from the river during the project set to start in 2009. These communities draw their water from the river, and the water is filtered and treated before it's pumped into the pipes that bring it to homes, businesses and schools. However, filtering river water is no guarantee PCBs will be removed and water will be rendered safe to drink, officials say. Last month, the government decided the river towns would just have to rely on their filtration plants, and GE won't pay to build a new line to bring more water in from Troy, local officials said. The state Department of Environmental Conservation admitted last month it won't be possible to predict how much PCBs will be in the water once sediment contaminated with the chemical is disturbed, the supervisor said, and even the best filtration techniques will only remove about 80 percent of the chemical. General Electric dumped the PCBs in the river decades ago and is subject to a court order to clean them up.
by Karen Dorn Steele, Spokane Spokesman-Review
June 5, 2007
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/local/story.asp?ID=193203
A high-stakes legal battle over a century of smelter contamination dumped into the Columbia River by a Canadian mining and smelting giant may be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court issued an order Monday inviting U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement -- the lead lawyer for the Bush administration -- to file an amicus brief on behalf of one or more of the parties in the complex case.
Article Summary: Teck Cominco's large lead and zinc smelter is 10 miles north of the border in Trail, BC. The smelter has contaminated the Columbia with heavy metals and black smelter slag, which covers some beaches near Northport. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers the smelter a major source of historic river pollution. Teck Cominco stopped discharging slag to the river in 1994 after a series of Canadian studies showed it was toxic to fish and aquatic life and British Columbia regulators ordered a halt to the dumping. This week's Supreme Court order doesn't necessarily mean the justices have agreed to accept the case, said Mary Sue Wilson, a senior Washington state assistant attorney general in Olympia. Washington state is opposing Supreme Court review because a lower court has already ruled the company is responsible for the cleanup under strict U.S. Superfund laws. The litigation against Teck Cominco was brought by Colville tribal members Joe Pakootas and D.R. Michel under the "citizen suit" provisions of federal Superfund law. The suit was an effort to force the company to pay for a major environmental cleanup of Lake Roosevelt, the 150-mile impoundment of the Columbia behind Grand Coulee Dam. Lawyers for Vancouver, B.C.-based Teck Cominco claim in court documents that the company is not subject to Superfund, the U.S. law governing toxic waste cleanups, because it is based in another country and never "arranged" for the waste to end up in the United States.
by Tyrone S. Reid, Jamaica Observer
June 4, 2007
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20070603T190000-0500_123870_OBS_DON_T_POISON_THEIR_MINDS_OR_BODIES_.asp
CHILDREN'S Advocate Mary Clarke has appealed to Jamaicans to properly store and dispose of chemicals and other harmful substances so as to keep the nation's children safe from the risk of poisoning.
Article Summary: "It is very important to ensure that our environment is safe for our children at all times. We have to ensure that things such as insecticides, other household chemicals, medicines and other pharmaceuticals are properly locked away," Clarke said. In addition to public education, the children's advocate said, "we have to encourage those who produce pharmaceuticals and medication to ensure that these items are properly labeled because accidents happen in the household and you can't be too careful." She also emphasized the importance of labeling plants in the home, noting that many popular plants found in Jamaica contained harmful poisons. Clarke also called on mechanics and garage operators to bear the children in mind when they dispose of used batteries, noting that incidents of lead poisoning in children was not uncommon in present-day Jamaica.
from Reuters, Brisbane Times
June 4, 2007
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/health/smoking-might-kill-your-little-buddies/2007/06/04/1180809390780.html
Here's one more reason not to smoke -- smoking may damage sperm, passing along genetic damage to a man's children, Canadian researchers report. A study in mice shows that cigarette smoke caused changes in the DNA of sperm cells, the researchers said in this week's issue of the journal Cancer Research. Such mutations, know as germline mutations, are known to be permanent.
Article Summary: Researchers studied the stem cells that produce sperm in mice exposed to cigarette smoke for either six or 12 weeks. All male mammals continuously produce sperm. They found 1.7 times as many DNA mutations in the cells of the smoke-exposed mice as in those of the unexposed mice after 12 weeks, and 1.4 times as many mutations after six weeks.
from the Associated Press, CBS13
June 4, 2007
http://cbs13.com/health/health_story_156005820.html
Science has spoken when it comes to the theory that some childhood vaccines can cause autism. They don't, the Institute of Medicine concluded three years ago. Soon, it will be the courts turn to speak. More than 4,800 claims have been filed against the federal government during the past six years alleging that a child contracted autism as a result of a vaccine. The first test case from among those claims will be the subject of a hearing that was to begin next Monday in a little-known "People's Court" -- the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. A special master appointed by the court will hear the case.
Article Summary: The test case addresses the theory that the cause of autism is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in combination with other vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal. That preservative, which contains a form of mercury, is no longer in routine childhood vaccines. However, it is used in influenza vaccines. In July 1999, the U.S. government asked vaccine manufacturers to eliminate or reduce, as expeditiously as possible, the mercury content of their vaccines to avoid any possibility of infants who receive vaccines being exposed to more mercury than is recommended by federal guidelines. One of the parents who has filed a claim against the federal government and has great interest in the case is Scott Bono of Durham, N.C. He said that parents of children with autism have been marginalized, but they see specific outcomes in their children that are consistent with exposure to mercury. And those outcomes did not present themselves until after they received their vaccinations. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction. Those affected often have trouble communicating, and they exhibit unusual or severely limited activities and interests. Meanwhile, classic symptoms of mercury poisoning include anxiety, fatigue and abnormal irritation, as well as cognitive and motor dysfunction.
Dr. Paul Offit is chief of the division of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He said epidemiological studies pick up minute, almost invisible differences in the populations that have received a vaccine versus those that have not. For example, a swine flu vaccine in the 1970s caused the sometimes paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome in 1 out of 100,000 cases, he said. But no such correlations have been found for autism, which affects about 1 out of 150 children, he said. Offit said mercury is part of the natural environment. There's no escaping it and, in fact, children will get more mercury from breast milk than they get from a vaccine. The report from the Institute of Medicine pointed to five large studies, here and abroad, that tracked thousands of children since 2001 and found no association between autism and vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal.
by Will van Sant, St. Petersburg [Florida] Times
June 4, 2007
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/04/Tampabay/Fluoride__a_longtime_.shtml
Article Summary: Few noticed in November when the American Dental Association alerted its members via e-mail of a possible problem with giving babies fluoridated water. The ADA, long among fluoride's biggest advocates, wrote that parents of infants younger than a year old "should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride" when mixing baby formula." The issue for the ADA and for babies is fluorosis, a condition caused by too much fluoride that damages the enamel of teeth. In its milder forms, fluorosis causes white specks or streaks to appear. More severe cases involve dark staining and pitting of tooth enamel, which can increase the likelihood of decay and infection. Both sides in the fluoride debate agree severe cases are rarely seen in those whose water is fluoridated at recommended levels. Mild fluorosis is more common and fluoride backers have argued for years that such cases are cosmetic and not harmful. Yet some scientists warn even mild to moderate cases may lead to more significant problems. The Environmental Protection Agency has established federal safety limits for fluoride that naturally occurs in drinking water -- 4 parts per million. The EPA asked the National Research Council to evaluate that limit, and in a report released in March 2006 the council found that the EPA limit is too high and associated with harmful dental effects and an increased risk of bone fractures. The report did not address the safety of treated water supplies, which have much lower concentrations. The report also concluded that additional research was warranted because of previous work that had suggested links between fluoride and lowered IQs in children and bone cancer. Studies done overseas have associated mild to moderate fluorosis with lower IQs, endocrine system problems and skeletal damage. The National Research Council also raised questions about the connection between baby formula reconstituted with fluoridated water and fluorosis. The major portion of the fluorosilic acid added to the nation's water supply comes as a byproduct of Florida's phosphate fertilizer industry.
by Janet Elliott, Houston Chronicle
June 4, 2007
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4858484.html
Article Summary: While putting the onus on consumers to improve their state's environment, it has been business as usual for the industries that spew toxics into the air. Texas lawmakers significantly increased funding for programs to reduce vehicle emissions in urban areas that fail to meet federal air quality standards, but they declined to put a moratorium on new coal plants or require regulation of cancer-causing chemicals released into the air. Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, said he was disappointed that the legislature didn't give state and local officials more power to regulate air quality. Other failed bills or amendments included those that would have required state regulators to hold public meetings to inform affected communities about areas on the agency's toxic watch list, that would interfere with successful statewide efforts to reduce air emissions and that would require the environmental agency to set standards for five toxic pollutants. On the other hand, a coalition of business and environmental groups was key to progress on energy efficiency and renewable energy. That bill would raise energy efficiency goals for electric utilities, and require municipally owned utilities like San Antonio's to participate in energy efficiency programs.
by Ken Kolker, Grand Rapids Press
June 3, 2007
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-36/118085288536190.xml&coll=6&thispage=2
Article Summary: The Grand Rapids Lead Hazard Control program, also known as "Get the Lead Out," expects early this month to repair its 500th home -- less than three years after the program began. Through grants and loans, it is now on a pace to eliminate lead danger in 240 homes a year, program director Bill Butts said. Health officials say the program has helped reduce by two-thirds the number of children diagnosed with lead poisoning in Grand Rapids. The city, working with the Healthy Homes Coalition, the Kent County Health Department and other agencies, has spent more than $6 million on the program, including $4.2 million through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. More than 30,000 homes in Grand Rapids carry potential lead danger.
Lead paint was banned nearly 30 years ago, but homeowners and contractors can create an invisible hazard for children when they renovate homes. Nationally, about 310,000 children between the ages of 1 and 5 have blood lead levels greater than the amount recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead is especially dangerous for children under age 6 whose bodies are developing, said Kent County Health Department spokeswoman Amy Morris. It can lead to learning disabilities and behavior problems. At very high levels, it can cause seizures, coma or death.
by Jennifer Torres, Stockton [California] Record
June 3, 2007
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070603/A_NEWS/706030323
Article Summary: The lead that recently poisoned a San Joaquin County girl did not come from her house's paint, public health nurse Gale Heinrich said. It came from her tea parties. The glaze in terra cotta pottery contained lead, which leached into the child's drinks. Now the small cup is part of an educational display in Heinrich's north Stockton office. It sits among candies, home remedies, mineral supplements, cosmetics, vinyl mini blinds -- all lead-tainted. Lead poisoning, especially among children, harms mental development. It takes a blood test to detect lead poisoning, and many children show no symptoms. In some cases, a poisoned toddler will have delayed speech, Heinrich said. A school-age child might seem aggressive or have trouble paying attention. Lead poisoning can be treated, but the harm it does to a child's brain can't be reversed.
by Douglas Fischer, Oakland Tribune
June 3, 2007
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_6051904
Article Summary: Flame retardants can be found everywhere: the dust under your couch, the foam in your couch, in your television, your blood, even breast milk. Some evidence suggests children are more contaminated than their parents. More than 56,000 tons were infused into consumer goods worldwide last year, chiefly TV sets. They represent an amazing spectrum of chemistry -- more than 300 compounds, with at least 70 available commercially. One of the most widely used is generating the most heat, with attempts to ban it in various stages of development in California, Illinois, Maine, Washington and Europe. Known as "Deca," it is a close cousin to PCBs and the only one of the flame retardants known as PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, still on the market. Two other PBDEs, "Octa" and "Penta", have been banned in Europe and several states after scientists concluded both compounds were bioaccumulative and toxic. Deca was once thought to be environmentally stable and not readily absorbed but now appears to be both quick to degrade and readily available. There's a lot of evidence that Deca quickly breaks down in the body and the environment to smaller, more toxic compounds -- such as Octa, said Heather Stapleton, an assistant professor at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.
Industry groups note that the chemical is astoundingly effective at stopping a very real risk -- fire -- in plastics. Manufacturers don't need much Deca to protect products; plastics with Deca can be readily recycled, unlike those with other additives; the amounts contaminating humans remains, so far, fairly minuscule; and much less is known about alternative flame retardants. The industry maintains that the chemical is largely inert.
by Aimee Cunningham, Science News
June 2, 2007
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070602/fob5.asp
Article Summary: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) shows up widely in people's blood, although the primary route by which PFOA gets into people has been unknown. PFOA, used to manufacture nonstick cookware and rain gear, turns up in blood samples worldwide, reaching concentrations of 30 nanograms per milliliter or more. The chemical doesn't degrade, and people excrete it slowly. Environmental chemists Scott A. Mabury and Jessica C. D'eon of the University of Toronto tested a pathway that begins with related chemicals called polyfluoroalkyl phosphate surfactants (PAPS), substances used to coat oil- and water-repellent food wrappers. Mabury and D'eon have shown that, in rats, not only can the body absorb PAPS, but the chemicals degrade into PFOA, a potentially toxic compound. If PFOA is in people's blood because they make it inside their bodies, says Mabury, then the behavior of the intermediate chemicals in this exposure pathway becomes important as well. Some of these intermediates "have the potential to be far more toxic than PFOA," he says.
by Sarah Jimenez, Fresno Bee
June 1, 2007
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/sv/story/51096.html
TULARE -- In an effort to prevent pesticide drift incidents, state regulators are proposing new permit conditions on two fumigants known to cause eye and respiratory irritation. But farmers, farmworkers and pesticide reform activists said those recommendations aren't the answer during a Wednesday night workshop in Tulare.
Article Summary: The measures would add further controls on the use of metam-sodium and metam-potassium, used on tomatoes and a variety of vegetable crops, including carrots, potatoes and peppers. The pesticides -- used before crops are planted -- break down into a volatile gas that can cause eye and respiratory irritation, according to the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. Farmers said they comply with current standards and are doing their best to prevent drifts, claiming the proposed conditions would make treating their crops difficult. Farmworkers and activists questioned how the permit conditions would be enforced because they don't believe current standards are followed. Some called for a ban on fumigants. Public comments on the measures will be taken until June 30th.
by Lucy Ward, London Guardian
May 31, 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2091839,00.html
Stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy may affect her unborn baby as early as 17 weeks after conception, with potentially harmful effects on brain and development, according to new research. The study is the first to show that unborn babies are exposed to their mother's stress hormones at such an early stage in pregnancy. The findings, published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology, come after separate research on animals showed that high levels of stress in a mother during pregnancy could affect brain function and behaviour in her offspring, and other evidence suggesting that maternal stress in humans can affect the developing child, including lowering its IQ. However, the way this happens and the implications for the unborn child, both before and after birth, are still not fully understood and further research is needed, the latest study's authors said.
Article Summary: The research shows that the fetus is exposed to cortisol in the maternal blood, and that at and above 17 weeks, the stress hormone cortisol in amniotic fluid had a strong positive relationship with cortisol in maternal blood. The study authors did not wish to "unduly worry pregnant women", but highlighted the need to lead a "healthy, balanced lifestyle" to avoid general stress. An earlier study, published in January and led by Prof Glover, measured the intelligence of more than 100 babies and toddlers whose mothers had suffered unusually high stress in pregnancy. It found their IQ was generally about 10 points below average, and that many had higher than average levels of anxiety and attention deficit problems. Relationship problems with a partner were the most frequent cause of stress for pregnant women, the research revealed. The findings, the latest to focus on the impact of the environment in the womb on later development, come days after the government changed its advice to pregnant women and those trying to conceive, warning them to abstain from drinking alcohol. Previous guidelines had said they could drink up to two small glasses of wine a week.
by Susanne Rust, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 31, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=613388
Copenhagen, Denmark -- Are a group of modern chemicals present in everyday household products behind increasing rates of breast and testicular cancer, male infertility, diabetes and even obesity? As new regulations on the chemicals, known as endocrine disrupters, go into effect in the European Union today, select scientists from around the globe met to share their research and growing concerns. Some of the chemicals -- found in plastic containers, dental sealants, soda and soup can linings, carpets, paints and pesticides -- remain virtually unregulated in the United States. Europe's new rules require that industries that manufacture or import more than about 2,200 pounds per year of any given chemical will have to provide a risk assessment of that substance. In 2006, the European Union adopted a chemical regulation program called REACH -- Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. The program puts the burden of risk management onto industry, and away from regulators. All chemicals will be registered in a central database, overseen by the EU's Chemical Agency. Over a period of 11 years, more than 30,000 chemical substances will be registered.
Article Summary: Of the 30,000 chemicals required for registration, more than 90 percent of them have no data, according to Andreas Kortenkamp, a researcher at the School of Pharmacy at the University of London. Mike Walls, managing director at the Virginia-based American Chemistry Council, called REACH "a very complex and complicated system," and one that is untested. Walls said the U.S. already has the Toxic Substances Control Act enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency, and added, "we think that's working very well." Frederick vom Saal, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri, expressed concern about REACH for another reason: its reliance on corporations and industry. In a study published in 2005, vom Saal showed that 100% of studies conducted by industry on the safety of bisphenol A, which is an additive in polycarbonate plastics, showed that the chemical was safe, while not one independent government or academic study has come to the conclusion that the chemical is safe, according to vom Saal. This week's workshop in Denmark brought together more than 150 top researchers in the field and focused on new research exploring these chemicals.
[Editor's note: See a related article at http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/01/europe/EU-GEN-EU-Chemicals.php.]
by Naomi Lubick, Environmental Science & Technology
May 30, 2007
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/may/tech/nl_purify.html
Article Summary: Naturally occurring arsenic is a worldwide phenomenon, and scientists and public-health managers from Bangladesh to Nicaragua to New Hampshire have been working on ways to filter out this toxic metal from drinking water. Many filters use iron because it binds arsenic relatively efficiently. Larger-scale filtration plants in developed parts of the world, which process thousands of gallons of water a day, use bits of iron to filter arsenic. But the iron flakes can foul filtering membranes, and getting rid of them is difficult. If the amount of iron used in large filtration plants can be scaled down while maintaining or even increasing the efficiency of arsenic removal, a solution to their arsenic problem would be provided. Nanomaterials could provide that next-step tool in the arsenal against arsenic. Researchers from Rice University have been tinkering with tiny, magnetic iron nanoparticles for just such a treatment process. They have created a filtering system that uses nanoscale magnetite (Fe3O4) to bind both As(III) and As(V), which can then be removed from water with a magnet. The higher surface-to-volume ratio allows for more efficient capture of arsenic by smaller particles. Preliminary tests have been encouraging, and now the team is working to scale up its filter for use in the US and elsewhere. For an individual household, the team projects that 200–500 milligrams of the magnetite nanoparticles would be necessary to treat a liter of water, at "a fraction of a penny a day and less than a kilogram of waste a year."
by Jim Sanders, Sacramento Bee
May 30, 2007
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/198562.html
Legislation to ban a potentially hazardous chemical from children's toys, teethers and other child-care products was rejected Tuesday by the California Assembly. The measure, Assembly Bill 1108, would have prohibited phthalates from teethers, pacifiers, rubber duckies, plastic play books and other products designed for children younger than 3.
Article Summary: Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds often used to convert polyvinyl chloride from a hard plastic into a flexible one. Ma's legislation targeted only child-care products, but phthalates also are found in shower curtains, cosmetic products and other household items. Supporters and opponents disagreed Tuesday over whether research has proved that phthalates in baby and toddler products are hazardous to children's health. Each side cited studies to press its case. Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, a San Francisco Democrat who proposed AB 1108, was granted reconsideration to seek another vote in coming days. AB 1108 was sponsored by Environment California and supported by numerous environmental groups. Opponents included the American Chemistry Council. The European Union, Japan, France, Germany, Greece, Austria and various other countries have banned or placed partial prohibitions on use of phthalates in child-care products.
by Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 29, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=612469
The City of Milwaukee's $85 million lawsuit against the lead paint industry got under way Tuesday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with each side accusing the other of knowing the dangers of lead paint for decades and promoting its use anyway. Richard Lewis, the lead attorney for the city, told jurors that NL Industries Inc., for years the nation's largest manufacturer of lead pigment in paint, knew as early as the 1930s that it was dangerous to children, even fatal, but promoted it as a "safe and superior product." Defense attorney Donald Scott countered that the dangers were public knowledge -- "there were no secrets," he said -- yet the federal government and City of Milwaukee mandated its use for their projects into the 1970s because of its durability.
Article Summary: Milwaukee's is only the second lead paint case in the nation to go to trial and comes after the State of Rhode Island won a verdict against three manufacturers in February 2006. Both sides conceded Tuesday that lead is harmful, particularly for children. Studies have linked it to conditions including diminished intelligence, mental retardation, behavioral disorders and kidney problems. But they differed on the primary causes of lead poisoning and what must be done nearly 30 years after lead paint was banned in 1978. One of the paint manufacturers stated that what the city needs to do is to go after the real source of exposure, lead in soils, and to aggressively prosecute property owners who refuse to maintain their properties.
from BBC News
May 29, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6701269.stm
Exposure to pesticides could lead to an increased risk of contracting Parkinson's disease, a study has found. Researchers discovered that high levels of exposure increased the risk by 39%, while even low levels raised it by 9%. However, the Aberdeen University researchers stressed that the overall risk of developing the disease remained small.
Article Summary: Symptoms of Parkinson's disease often include unsteadiness and tremor in the hands or arms, often alongside difficulties with speech or movement. Other studies have pointed strongly towards exposure to pesticides being involved in some cases, with agricultural workers showing higher rates of the illness. The Aberdeen study, reported in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, involved 959 cases of parkinsonism, a term used to describe people with diagnoses of Parkinson's Disease, and other, similar conditions. Subjects answered questions about their lifetime occupational and recreational exposure to a variety of chemicals, including solvents, pesticides, iron, copper and manganese, plus whether they had ever been knocked unconscious and more general questions about family health history and tobacco use. All the replies were then compared to those from a group of people of similar age and sex who had not been diagnosed with Parkinson's. While having a family history of Parkinson's was the clearest risk factor for developing the disease, exposure to pesticides also gave a clear increase. Dr. Finlay Dick, the lead researcher, said, "This doesn't prove that pesticides cause Parkinson's Disease, but does add to the weight of evidence of an association." A spokesman for the Parkinson's Disease Society echoed this: "The important finding from this study is confirmation that Parkinson's is not caused by any one factor, but instead a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors."