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1) LDDI's fall 2007 teleconference series: To fulfill the educational goals of the cancelled LDDI national conference in Atlanta last May, we will launch this seven-part teleconference series on Wednesday September 12th at 2:00 p.m. Eastern with each call including a panel of speakers who were to present in Atlanta.
2) American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities has rescheduled their July 10th environmental health research teleconference call for 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday August 14, 2007. Their guest presenter Cynthia Bearer, MD, PhD, will speak on "Detecting the Impact of Ethanol on the Fetus and Understanding its Underlying Mechanism." For more information and notes from previous calls, please see http://www.ehinitiative.org/index.htm .
3) LDDI partners the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed and the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, with others, are sponsoring the NADD 24th Annual Conference & Exhibit Show. Scheduled for October 24 - 26, 2007, at the at the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown in Atlanta, Georgia, the conference will include presentations related to promotion of wellness, prevention of illness, common symptomology in physical and psychiatric disorders, environmental health, interdisciplinary collaboration, cross systems collaboration, Autism Spectrum Disorders and family issues, and skill building. The conference theme is "Physical & Mental Wellness: Promising Practices (ID/MH)." For more information, please visit http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/24th/index.shtml or contact Conference Assistant Brenda Reuss: 800-331-5362 or breuss@thenadd.org
Wednesday through Friday, September 5 - 7, 2007
Washington, DC
at the Hotel Monaco, 700 F Street, NW
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency
The Interagency Workshop on the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology features presentations by EPA STAR, NSF, NIEHS, and NIOSH grant researchers who will discuss the latest science related to the potential effects of nanotechnology on human health and the environment. Additional talks will be given by various government agency program officials. The goal of the conference is to increase communication and knowledge among scientists and engineers working in the area of potential environmental implications of engineered nanomaterials. The conference is open to members of academia, government, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and the general public.
Website: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/events/#sep0507
Contact: Nora Savage, 202-343-9858 or savage.nora@epa.gov
Wednesday through Sunday, September 5 - 9, 2007
Mexico City, Mexico
at the Sheraton Convention Center
Sponsor: International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (INSP) and other global sponsors
The conference theme is "Translating Environmental Epidemiology into Action: Interventions for a Healthy Future." The INSP is dedicated to public health teaching and research. The INSP is also known for its extensive research lines that allow its researchers to get involved in the control and prevention of major public health issues of Mexico's population. The environmental health research projects being developed by the INSP include relevant health issues such as the effects on reproductive health from exposure to pesticides, the effects on human health from exposure to heavy metals and other atmospheric and water contaminants, among many other important topics.
Price: see http://www.isee2007mx.org/registration.php
Website: http://www.isee2007mx.org/home.php
Contact: isee2007@insp.mx
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Member. The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative welcomes this new member:
For a full list of LDDI members, please visit our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html
World Wide Science gateway. WorldWideScience.org is a global science gateway, accelerating scientific discovery and progress through a multilateral partnership to enable federated searching of national and international scientific databases. It was developed by the US Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information in partnership with the British Library and other sources.
http://www.worldwidescience.org/
Lead less toxic to the well-read. Good reading ability may help protect the brain from damage linked to toxic lead, a new study shows. HealthDay News, 31 July 2007.
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2007/07/30/hscout606768.html
Bisphenol A alters epigenetic programming in fetal mice, and the effect can be reversed by genistein. Exposure to bisphenol A during development changes gene behavior in mice, causing genetically identical animals to develop differently. Environmental Health News, 30 July 2007.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/newscience/2007/2007-0730dolinoyetal.html
Activists threaten suit over lead-laden items. The Sierra Club has notified 10 U.S. companies that imported or distributed toys, children's jewelry and other products from China containing potentially hazardous levels of lead that it will sue if the firms don't file reports with the EPA. Wall Street Journal, 30 July 2007.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118574896987781671.html
Violence is in the air, some say. Manganese, an essential nutrient long suspected of causing violent behavior in high doses and long the focus of research into violent behavior, is once again getting the Legislature's attention. Riverside Press-Enterprise, California, 30 July 2007.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_B_manganese30.3d57581.html
Study suggests link between pesticides, autism. Women who live near California farm fields sprayed with organochlorine pesticides may be more likely to give birth to children with autism, according to a study by state health officials to be published today. Los Angeles Times, California, 30 July 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-autism30jul30,0,6609909.story?coll=la-home-center
Sunshine 'protective' against MS. People who spend more time in the sun as children subsequently have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a US study shows. BBC, United Kingdom, 29 July 2007.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6906712.stm
Sacramento to spray insecticide over homes to combat West Nile. Sacramento County authorities plan to launch a mass aerial-spraying campaign to combat the West Nile virus on Monday. Modesto Bee, California, 29 July 2007.
http://www.modbee.com/state_wire/story/27478.html
Time to fix a cure. Thirty years ago, California outlawed a fire retardant in children's clothes, only to allow it in furniture. It's time for a full ban. Los Angeles Times, California, 28 July 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-flame28jul28,1,6974720.story?coll=la-news-comment&ctrack=4&cset=true
'Baby bling' pacifiers recalled. Almost 15 million pieces of children's jewelry have been recalled over the past two years for excessive lead content. Savannah Morning News, Georgia, 28 July 2007.
http://www.savannahnow.com/node/333364
Environmental hazards kill 4 million children a year. Four million children under the age of five die every year due to environmental hazards including polluted air or water, or exposure to chemicals, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday. Reuters, 28 July 2007.
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL27432250.html
State to clear arsenic from more schools' soil. The state Department of Ecology plans to spend nearly $3.5 million to continue cleaning up Puget Sound-area child care centers and schools that were found to have elevated levels of arsenic and lead in the soil. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 28 July 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/325431_soil28.html
Childhood growth stages determine what harm pollution does. An increased risk of cancer, heart and lung disease in adults can result from exposures to certain environmental chemicals during childhood, the World Health Organization said today. This finding is part of the first report ever issued by the agency focusing on children's special susceptibility to harmful chemical exposures at different stages of their growth. Environmental News Service, 27 July 2007.
submitted to this bulletin by Jim DiPeso
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2007/2007-07-27-02.asp
Dirty Kilowatts. Nationwide, the power plants that provide electricity to run our homes, businesses, and factories also account for 40 percent of carbon dioxide, roughly two thirds of sulfur dioxide, 22 percent of nitrogen oxides, and roughly a third of all mercury emissions (in the U.S.). The Environmental Integrity Project has a searchable online database of power plant pollution data. Users can search for the dirtiest plants overall, by state or by pollutant: mercury, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide or nitrogen oxides. Environmental Integrity Project, 27 July 2007.
submitted to this bulletin by Jim DiPeso
http://www.dirtykilowatts.org/
Governor signs bill to limit use of dangerous wood preservative. After several years of vetoes by his predecessor, Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed a bill yesterday to partially ban a wood preservative linked to health and environmental problems. White Plains Journal News, New York, 27 July 2007.
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070727/NEWS05/707270397/1026/NEWS10
Study: 9 Texas plants among worst polluters. Texas is home to many of the nation's worst-polluting power plants for emissions of toxic mercury and greenhouse gases linked to global warming, according to a new study by a national nonprofit advocacy group. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas, 27 July 2007.
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/182499.html
Groups seek end of pesticide use on state land. New York is one of forty states that do not have a law limiting pesticide use on state property, and it should be planning to phase out the chemicals, according to a report released Wednesday. Gannett News Service, 26 July 2007.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070726/NEWS01/707260331/1002/NEWS01
EU faces pressure to ban mercury from dentistry. Mercury is a known toxin that can damage the nervous system, so why is it still being used to fill cavities in peoples' teeth? Reuters Health, 26 July 2007.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2007/07/25/eline/links/20070725elin008.html
Organic meat and dairy linked to better quality breast milk. The breast milk of mothers consuming organic meat and dairy contains higher levels of beneficial fatty acids, and has an overall improved quality, suggests new research. NutraIngredients.com, Europe, 25 July 2007.
http://www.nutraingredients.com:80/news/printNewsBis.asp?id=78471
Push to snuff smoking in Michigan moves ahead. After a decade of disappointment, anti-smoking activists claimed a victory Tuesday on legislation to ban smoking in bars, restaurants and workplaces. Detroit News, Michigan, 25 July 2007.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070725/POLITICS/707250388/1003/METRO
Report: SW LA dioxin levels linked to nearby manufacturers. High levels of toxic chemicals in the blood of Calcasieu Parish residents are tied directly to nearby factories that make vinyl, plastics and petroleum products, an environmental advocacy group said again Tuesday. Associated Press, 25 July 2007.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-33/118531346471270.xml&storylist=louisiana
New pesticide regulations will help protect Virginians. The Virginia Pesticide Control Board's latest proposed regulation "raises the bar a notch" towards protecting human health. Fauquier Times Democrat, Virginia, 25 July 2007.
http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab2.cfm?newsid=18623157&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506071&rfi=8
New theory about autism roots. It appears that some boys have as much as a 50 percent risk of developing the mysterious disorder. Scientific American, 25 July 2007.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=F9BB66BE-E7F2-99DF-35AE642639F2703F&chanID=sa007
'Holy grail' drug reverses devastating symptoms of Alzheimer's. A revolutionary drug that reverses the devastating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is being developed by British scientists. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 24 July 2007.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=470295&in_page_id=1774
Hazard warning on home cleaners. Dozens of common household cleaning products contain hidden toxic chemicals linked to fertility disorders in lab animals, according to data gathered by a women's research group. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 24 July 2007.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/07/24/MNG0QR5P191.DTL
Dispelling pregnancy myths. Mercury from eating certain kinds of seafood is just one of many nutrition-related hazards that can confront a pregnant woman or one who wishes to become pregnant. New York Times, 24 July 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/health/nutrition/24brody.htm
Sugary or sugar-free, soda pop linked to increased metabolic risk. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increased among middle-aged adults who regularly drink carbonated soft drinks, regardless of how the drinks are sweetened, new research suggests. Reuters Health, 24 July 2007.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2007/07/23/professional/links/20070723clin011.html
New mutations implicated in half of autism cases. Half of all cases of male autism may be caused by spontaneous genetic mutations, say researchers. Offspring who inherit such mutations are at a greater risk of having an autistic child themselves. Nature, 24 July 2007.
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070723/full/070723-1.html
City tightens lead standards. Cincinnati Health Department will expand services to children with lead blood levels below federal "levels of concern," making home visits to help parents reduce lead exposures. Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, 24 July 2007.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/NEWS01/707240389/-1/CINCI
High mercury levels found in one-fourth of adults. One-quarter of adult New Yorkers, roughly 1.4 million people, have elevated levels of mercury in their blood, mainly from eating certain fish, according to survey results released yesterday by the city. New York Times, 24 July 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/nyregion/24mercury.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1185321793-sQs2Va0oPt3ACHYpS4jUTA
Bylaws to curtail pesticide use provoke pitched battles. There are now more than 125 municipalities across Canada -- including the entire province of Quebec -- that have adopted or drafted some form of anti-pesticide bylaw. But the question of whether to ban pesticides remains hotly contested. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 23 July 2007.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070723.PESTICIDES23/TPStory/Environment
Avoiding the dangers down in the garden. This year is shaping up as a particularly nasty one for poison ivy, and evidence suggests that increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air have contributed to bumper crops with a more potent toxin. New York Times, 22 July 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/health/17brod.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1185103713-MjbZnejgeO7b3BTrTiusdw&oref=slogin
Ban smoking and save lives, including innocent ones. A national attitude adjustment -- where tobacco is concerned -- is well under way. Bristol Herald Courier, Tennessee, 22 July 2007.
http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/opinions.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-07-22-0006.html
MU study looks at nanotech dangers. A new study has begun to explore the effects that nanotechnology might have on the environment, 22 July 2007.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2007/07/22/mu-study-looks-nanotech-dangers/
N.C. base left deadly legacy. In June, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry released a study showing three decades of Camp Lejeune residents likely drank water that was contaminated with either PCE, a chemical used in dry cleaning, or TCE, a chemical used for degreasing. Newhouse News Service, 22 July 2007.
http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-2/118509366026210.xml&coll=1
Group eyes possible link between MS, Gulf War. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is keeping an eye on Persian Gulf War veterans. If Gulf War vets do have an increased risk of MS, it could lead researchers to a specific environmental trigger for the incurable disease. Hampton Roads Daily Press, Virginia, 22 July 2007.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-89068sy0jul22,0,7109620.story
China not only worry on imported food. Mexican cantaloupe irrigated with water from sewage-tainted rivers. Candy laced with lead. Chinese toothpaste is not the only concern for U.S. consumers wary of the health risks posed by imported goods. Associated Press, 21 July 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1102AP_Mexico_Tainted_Food.html?source=rss
Autism study offers hope. Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute revealed that half of children with autism can be diagnosed not long after the first birthday -- nearly two years earlier than it has been reliably diagnosed before. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 21 July 2007.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/world/bal-te.hs.autism21jul21,0,4811868.story
Dallas smog plan won't meet federal standards. The state's new clean-air plan for the Dallas-Fort Worth area is far too weak to succeed, an analysis by a Southern Methodist University environmental engineering professor has found. Dallas Morning News, Texas, 20 July 2007.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/072007dnmetsmogstudy.2f496ba.html
Study: NY smoking ban worked. New York's statewide smoking ban cut secondhand exposure and lowered levels of a nicotine byproduct in nonsmokers, a result that probably will reduce the number of deaths from heart disease and lung cancer, researchers reported. Bloomberg News, 20 July 2007.
http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/0719biz-smokingban19-ON.html
State restricts allowable mercury in Bay. A state water board has adopted stricter mercury limits for San Francisco Bay in a move aimed at protecting people who eat fish from the Bay and wild birds that breed around its shoreline. Contra Costa Times, California, 20 July 2007.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_6421985?nclick_check=1
Group wants state to act on toxins. A host of chemicals commonly used in manufacturing are not only public health hazards but also threaten New York's economy, and the state should develop a plan to phase them out, an environmental group said Thursday. Ithaca Journal, New York, 20 July 2007.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070720/NEWS01/707200343/1002
Sting operation. Human health concerns raised regarding the mass spraying of the pesticide permethrin -- a chemical known to cause endocrine disruption and cancer. Fort Collins Rocky Mountain Chronicle, Colorado, 19 July 2007.
http://www.rmchronicle.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1179&Itemid=26
New fears raised over safety of DC water. Toxic chlorine pollutants were found at unsafe levels in 40 percent of D.C. tap water samples tested this spring during the water utility's annual chlorine surge, according to a national environmental group's report to be released today. Washington Post, 19 July 2007.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/18/AR2007071801956.html
Gas release from Pennsylvania plant was underestimated. A Montgomery County manufacturer allowed the escape of more than 2,400 pounds of toxic gas into the air over a 2 1/2-hour period -- more than 60 times the allowed amount, state officials said Wednesday. Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania, 19 July 2007.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/8585537.html
Naturally dangerous? It has been claimed that chemicals in beauty products can harm our health. But, say experts, going barefaced may be a far greater hazard. London Times, England, 19 July 2007.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article2073171.ece
Ban new homes near power lines, say MPs. New homes and schools should not be built within 60 metres of high voltage power lines until the link with childhood cancers is better understood by scientists. London Guardian, England, 18 July 2007.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2128647,00.html
Parkinson's, factory air pollution linked. A University of Toronto study has drawn a link between Parkinson's disease and the industry-generated pollutant manganese. United Press International, 18 July 2007.
http://www.upi.com/Consumer_Health_Daily/Briefing/2007/07/17/parkinsons_factory_air_pollution_linked/8403/
Not exactly a Safe way to talk about persistent chemicals. Dr. Stephen H. Safe has never really played it, well, safe when talking about dioxins, PCBs and PBBs. Midland Daily News, Michigan, 18 July 2007.
http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18594531&BRD=2289&PAG=461&dept_id=472539&rfi=6
FDA may regulate tobacco industry. The federal agency charged with keeping food and drugs from harming people may soon be asked to take a consumer product that kills more than 400,000 people a year and make it safer. Associated Press, 18 July 2007.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.tobacco17jul17,0,6877943.story
Norwegian crack-down on ecotoxins in products. Norway's pollution control authority has proposed banning ten previously unregulated substances used in consumer products, and restricting more tightly a further eleven. The first group, comprising compounds for which alternatives are available, covers MCCPs, biphenyl A, musk xylene and musk ketone, triclosan, PFOS and PFOA, and the brominated flame retardants deca-BDE, HBCDD and TBBPA. More stringent limits will apply to the phthalate DEHP, the organic tin compounds TBT and TFT, pentachlorophenyl, the tensides DTDMAC, DODMAC/DSDMAC and DHTDMAC, and the heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury arsenic and their compounds. ENDS Europe DAILY 2234, 1 May 2007.
http://www.cancerpreventionsociety.org/