These bulletins are now archived and searchable on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDIbulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group at the bottom of the application.
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1) LDDI's fall 2007 teleconference series. This seven-part teleconference series, entitled "Priming for Prevention", is based on the agenda of the conference, "Priming for Prevention: An Ecological Approach to Research, Education and Policy," that was to be held at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, in May 2007. Dial-in information will be sent to LDDI members in a separate email message before each teleconference. For more information on the background and context for this series as well as the full list of upcoming calls, links to call recordings and available materials for each call, please see the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html Sponsors: Collaborative on Health and the Environment's Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Autism Society of America; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4; Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability; Learning Disabilities Association of America; John Merck Fund; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit; University of Maryland School of Nursing Research in Relation to Specific Learning and Developmental Disabilities Presenters:
Matrix of Other Emerging Research Presenters:
The rest of the dates and presenters for the teleconference series, along with other updates, are being posted on the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html |
2) The LDDI Practice Prevention column on plastics has been revised slightly in response to a call we received about problems with the Biodegradable Plastics Institute certification. The updated column is posted with all our other Practice Prevention columns: http://www.iceh.org/resources.html If you are using print copies or PDFs of this column, please replace the previous version with this revision.
3) The Environmental Health Initiative of LDDI partner American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities will present a teleconference, "Protecting Children's Health at School" on Tuesday October 9, 2007, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. Participants will learn what the differences are between adults and children in schools as workplaces; what the peer-reviewed sciences reveal about school environments and children's health; and what steps must be taken nationally, in the states, and at the local level to prevent barriers to optimal learning or prevent the exacerbation of disease or disability. Time permitting, participants will have an opportunity to discuss how their organizations can develop an agenda to promote a healthy built environment and to prevent harm to children and others. Speakers will be Claire Barnett, MBA, executive director of Healthy Schools Network, and Kim Voss, parent and advocate. Please see http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm or contact Laura Abulafia: Laura@aaidd.org
4) 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 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
Seven dates from September 22 to October 4, 2007
various cities in England -- see website below for dates and venues
Sponsor: Autism Treatment Center of America
Presented by Raun K. Kaufman, chief executive officer of the Autism Treatment Center of America. Parents and professionals will learn strategies they can use immediately to reach children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, PDD and other related developmental challenges.
Price: free, but preregistration is required
Website: http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/uktour/
Contact: tour@autismtreatmentcenter.org
Thursday September 27, 2007
7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Lansing, Michigan
at Lansing Community College West Campus Auditorium, Room S147, 5708 Cornerstone Drive
Sponsor: Lowell Center for Sustainable Production and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Presenters will be Andrew Fasey and Joel Tickner, along with a panel of industry representatives.
Price: $100; preregistration and prepayment are required
Website: http://www.chemicalspolicy.org/news.shtml
Contact: Melissa Coffin, 978-934-2997 or Melissa_Coffin@uml.edu
Thursday September 27, 2007
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
San Francisco, California
at the Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF, 1675 Owens Street
Sponsor: Collaborative for High Performance Schools and others listed at http://www.chps.net/GTSponsor.htm
Greentools will bring together school districts, their design teams and experienced CHPS community members to discuss how to design, build, operate and fund efficient, environmentally sustainable and healthy schools.
Price: see http://www.chps.net/GTAttendees.htm
Website: http://www.chps.net/greentools.htm
Contact: ariel@chps.net
Tuesday October 2, 2007
Richmond, Virginia
at the Holiday Inn Central
Sponsor: Learning Disabilities Association of Virginia
Price: unknown
Contact: LDA of Virginia, 804-358-5474 or jlokerso@vcu.edu
Friday and Saturday, October 5 - 6, 2007
Los Angeles, California
at the Skirball Cultural Center
Sponsor: The Help Group
This conference for parents and professionals will present breakthroughs in research and treatment in autism, learning disabilities and ADHD from some of our nation's leading experts.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.thehelpgroup.org/
Contact: The Help Group, 877-943-5747
Saturday October 6, 2007
Reston, Virginia
at the Hyatt Reston
Sponsor: Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit of Region 3; the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Region III, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children's National Medical Center, Environmental Protection Agency Region III and George Washington University
The conference is targeted to health care providers, public health professionals and the interested public. Topics will explore the intersection between the environment and child health issues and will include a discussion of possible environmental factors influencing autism, environmental terrorism and preparedness in school settings, environmental changes and their contribution to the obesity epidemic, forecasting child health issues due to climate change, the how- to on greening your medical practice and home, air pollution and compromised respiratory function and a presentation and discussion of case studies in pediatric environmental health. Continuing education credits (CME, CHES & CEU) will be available to participants.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.gwu.edu:80/~macche/restonconference07/
Contact: Aurora Amoah, eohaoa@gwumc.edu
Saturday through Wednesday, October 6 - 10, 2007
Gold Coast, Queensland Australia
at the Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise
Sponsor: Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy
The conference program will include internationally renowned keynote and invited speakers, stimulating symposia, interactive workshops, research papers from Australia and overseas, and innovative student projects. In addition to this forum for learning and development, the social program allows for interaction, collaboration and networking between delegates and presenters. Keynote addresses include "Adolescent emotional development and the emergence of depression: Implications for cognitive models and cognitive treatments", "Risk factors for emotional disorders", "Beyond Rationality: The Role of Emotion and Meaning in Cognitive Therapy" and "Early Intervention for children with autism: What is best practice?"
Price: see http://www.aacbtqld.org.au/Conference%20Registrations.html
Website: http://www.aacbtqld.org.au/Conference%20Home%20Page.html
Contact: Heather Green, h.green@griffith.edu.au
Tuesday October 9, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Kingston, Ontario Canada
at the Confederation Place Hotel
Sponsor: Best Start: Ontario's Maternal, Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre; the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment
This workshop will share important information about environmental risks to child health, including environmental exposures at home, work, school and outdoors, in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the products we use. It will also provide simple childproofing tips and service-provider strategies to reduce the risks to preconception, prenatal and child health. The workshop will help you identify the risks of highest concern in your community and initiatives that will support or enhance existing programming. The registration deadline is Wednesday October 3rd at 5:00 p.m.
Price: $60
Website: http://www.beststart.org/events/detail/playingitsafe_k.htm
Contact: Sue Weststrate, 800-397-9567 x 2278 or s.weststrate@beststart.org
Wednesday October 10, 2007
7:00 p.m.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue
Sponsor: Paul Wotzka Defense Fund
In May of this year Paul Wotzka, a hydrologist who worked 16 years for the State of Minnesota, was fired from his job after being barred from testifying at a legislative committee about the levels of the herbicide atrazine in Minnesota's waters. This event is a fundraiser to help with Paul's legal fees. Dr Tyrone Hayes, PhD, professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley, has agreed to attend and speak. Dr. Hayes is the leading expert and voice on the dangers of atrazine. After presentations by Dr. Hayes and Paul Wotzka, there will be a question-and-answer panel with Hayes, Wotkza and special guests.
Price: suggested donation is $20
Website: http://mepartnership.org/mep_calendar.asp?cal_id=2656
Wednesday through Saturday, October 10 - 13, 2007
Washington, DC
Sponsor: Children's Environmental Health Centers
This is a workshop on children's environmental health and progress review for the STAR grants. The primary focus of this workshop will be to connect the dots from science to mainstream practice and to identify the opportunities and barriers to incorporating the results of environmental health science research into health care. The program will include plenary and breakout sessions with case studies: From Children's Health Research to Pediatric Practice. Participants include the EPA/NIEHS Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (Children's Centers), "Building Health Professionals' Capacity to Address Children's Environmental Health" Grantees (HCP Grantees) and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs), Washington, DC. Workshop will include presentation of the 3rd Annual Children's Environmental Health Excellence Awards.
Price: unknown
Website: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/childrenscenters/events/10_10_2007.html
Contact: Nigel Fields, 202-343-9767 or fields.nigel@epa.gov
Thursday October 11, 2007
9:00 a.m. Pacific / noon Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment and Health Care Without Harm
This teleconference will be a discussion about the health risks, medical applications and policy issues associated with nanotechnology. Featured presenters will be Dr. John Balbus, director of health programs at Environmental Defense; Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the International Center for Technology Assessment; and Ian Illuminato, health and environment campaigner for Friends of the Earth. The call moderator will be Steve Heilig, MPH, director of public health and education for CHE and the San Francisco Medical Society. A science update will be provided by Jennifer Sass, PhD, senior scientist for Health and Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/1894
Thursday through Saturday, October 11- 13, 2007
Zagreb, Croatia
at the Westin Zagreb Hotel
Sponsor: the European Association for Mental Health in Intellectual Disability in collaboration with others
Based on a framework of social justice and human rights, the congress will have a focus on practice and research related to mental health issues in intellectual disability. Croatia, preparing to enter the EU, is exactly the suitable place for exchanging scientific and practical experiences of experts from different cultural contexts. It will be a unique opportunity to promote mental health issues of persons with intellectual disability from the perspective of the local and national community and their efforts in assuring human rights of this often marginalized population. Congress' official language is English.
Price: see http://www.zagrebcongress2007.org/congress.html
Website: http://www.zagrebcongress2007.org/
Contact: Professional Congress Organizer, **385 (0)1 455 01 60 or conference@kompas-travel.com
Friday through Sunday, October 12 - 14, 2007
Anaheim, California
If you have a child affected by autism, or if you are a professional working with children on the autism spectrum, attending a DAN! Conference will help you to obtain the latest information on the safest and most effective biomedical interventions for improving your child's condition. The entire agenda is devoted to teaching parents and practitioners how nutrition, intestinal disorders, detoxification and other metabolic issues impact behavior, attention, speech and the general health of children on the autism spectrum. This conference shows strong commitment to bring only the most credible and forward thinking researchers and clinicians to speak at the conferences and to attend the DAN! Think Tanks. Respecting parents input and direction, this group theorizes, discusses and collaborates on research projects. Only when a consensus is reached, and a biomedical intervention is deemed both safe and effective, is this information presented at a DAN! conference.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.danconference.com/
Contact: Tanya@DANconference.com
Sunday through Thursday, October 14 - 18, 2007
Durham, North Carolina
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency, American Chemistry Council, Bayer CropScience and others
Partnerships: Exploring Innovative Approaches in Exposure Assessment -- This conference will bring together scientists from many environmental and public health fields to present and exchange information on recent advances in the broad field of exposure science. Emphasis is placed on exploring new technologies, new science arenas, and new organizational partnerships to understand and reduce health risks from exposure to environmental contaminants. The conference will facilitate cross-fertilization of new ideas across many disciplines through training workshops, oral and poster presentations, symposia, panel discussions and plenary presentations.
Price: see http://secure.awma.org/events/ISEA/reg.htm
Website: http://secure.awma.org/events/ISEA/
Contact: Carrie Hartz, 412-904-6008 or chartz@awma.org
Friday and Saturday, October 19 - 20, 2007
Edgecombe County, North Carolina
at the Franklinton Center at Bricks
Community members, government officials, environmentalists, students and researchers will participate. The summit seeks to raise public awareness about environmental justice, connect communities in need with technical resources, support and encourage community-driven research, help communities and policy makers address problems of environmental injustice and bring about positive changes in public health and the environment by promoting social and environmental justice. A call for research presentations on environmental justice is open until September 7, 2007. Sponsors invite submissions that address environmental justice topics from any disciplinary perspective, including environmental sciences, social sciences, humanities, law, journalism, public health and medicine. Researchers who have conducted community-driven or community-based research are encouraged to present in collaboration with community groups.
Price: unknown
Contact: Steve Wing, 919-966-7416 or steve_wing@unc.edu
Sunday through Tuesday, October 21 - 23, 2007
Des Moines, Iowa
at the Holiday Inn Airport Convention Center
Sponsor: Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa
Price: unknown
Contact: Kathy Specketer, 515-280-8558 or kathylda@askresource.org
Sunday through Tuesday, October 21 - 23, 2007
East Lansing, Michigan
at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center
Sponsor: Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan
Price: unknown
Contact: LDA of Michigan, 888-597-7809 or ldamich@sbcglobal.net
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 23 - 24, 2007
Denver, Colorado
at the EPA Conference Center, 999 18th Street, 2nd Floor
Sponsor: The US Environmental Protection Agency Region 8, the US Department of Health and Human Services Region VIII, Rocky Mountain Region Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit and the Association of Occupational & Environmental Clinics
Conference goals are to 1) increase the ability of health, environmental and education professionals to identify, prevent and reduce environmental health threats to children; 2) share information, resources, "best practices" and emerging science regarding the protection of children's health from environmental hazards; and 3) encourage coordination and information sharing across government agencies, health organizations, health-care providers, educators and the general public in addressing children's environmental health issues. Participants will include local, state and federal environmental, health and education government officials; health-care providers, daycare providers; school administrators, teachers, nurses and facility managers; child-health organizations; parents and the general public.
Price: There is no charge to attend the conference. However, space is limited and registration is required.
Website: http://www.epa.gov/region8/humanhealth/children/cehmonth/index.html
Contact: Alicia Aalto, 303-312-6967 aalto.alicia@epa.gov
Thursday and Friday, October 25 - 26, 2007
San Francisco, California
at the Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St
Our children, with or without medical needs, are faced with many challenges in this quickly changing and complex environment. Professionals who care for children and are involved in today's healthcare system will need to rely upon supportive, collaborative relationships for the purpose of healing the child. Integrative medicine is a holistic approach to this challenge. This is a multitrack integrative medicine program offered to all doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, clergy, complementary therapy practitioners, residents, students and others in health care training programs. The two-day program is designed for all those who care for children in therapeutic settings, and continuing medical education is available for physicians.
Price: see https://www.cme.ucsf.edu/cme/CourseDetail.aspx?coursenumber=MMJ08004
Website: http://www.pangeaconference.com/
Contact: 415-476-5808 or info@pangeaconference.com
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Could mattress safety measures make you sick? New standards make mattresses more fire resistant. They'll still burn, but not as fast, because they contain more flame resistant, or FR, materials. But could the chemicals that make you safer also make you sick? Chicago CBS 2 TV, Illinois, 25 September 2007.
http://cbs2chicago.com/health/local_story_267221159.html
EU toy safety rules to be revised by year's end. EU toy safety rules will be revised by the end of the year, the European Commission said Tuesday, responding to concerns sparked by three high-profile recalls of Chinese-made toys by a U.S. company this year. Associated Press, 25 September 2007.
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/market_news/article.jsp?content=D8RSF8V80
Hatch supports pollution-disease study expansion. A bipartisan group of senators, including Utah's Orrin Hatch, seeks to expand a program that will search for links between pollution and chronic disease, such as cancer. Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, 24 September 2007.
http://www.sltrib.com/utahpolitics/ci_6969025
Genetic risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder identified. The findings represent the first evidence of a genetic risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. News-Medical.net, 24 September 2007.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=30228
Child safety fears prompt Wi-Fi code for Welsh schools. New safety rules are to be drawn up for Wi-Fi in schools for the first time in Britain, after a local authority officially voiced concern last week about possible effects on children's health. London Independent, England, 24 September 2007.
http://environment.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/article2990155.ece
Study of epigenetics seeks to control genes' functions. A new science is turning the medical world on its Darwinian ear. Epigenetics is about the factors that turn genes on and off, including contaminants. Worldwide, interest is booming. Kansas City Star, Missouri, 23 September 2007.
http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/277128.html
Food for thought. Junk food is unhealthy and many parents avoid feeding it to their kids. But can the combination of colourings and preservatives added to all sorts of food harm children, making it harder for them to concentrate and to learn? Economist, 21 September 2007.
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9794915
Health alert study for air freshener chemicals. A study of more than a dozen common household air fresheners found that most contain chemicals [phthalates, allergens, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde] that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in babies. Miami CBS 4, Florida, 21 September 2007.
http://cbs4.com/health/local_story_263165404.html
State finds lead hazard in its free lunch totes. The California Department of Public Health said Thursday that it was recalling 300,000 green and blue canvas lunch coolers made in China and distributed throughout the state at health fairs and other events since 2004. Los Angeles Times, California, 21 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-lunchbox21sep21,1,3571560,full.story?ctrack=7&cset=true
Industry says kids' jewelry needs lead to be cheap. The shiny tiaras and bracelets that little girls love to wear need to contain lead despite its dangers to keep the cost down for consumers, the Fashion Jewelry Trade Association told a congressional committee on Thursday. Reuters, 21 September 2007.
http://sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=industry-says-kids-jewelr&chanID=sa003&modsrc=reuters
New methods to detect pesticides, antibiotics in water, natural food developed. Researchers from Granada have developed new methods to achieve sensitive detection of pesticides and antibiotics in water and natural food. Asian News International, South Asia, 19 September 2007.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/175311.php/New-methods-to-detect-pesticides-antibiotics-in-water-natural-food-developed
Working together, we can reduce exposure to toxics. We can minimize benzene in the air we breathe easily: Limit idling car motors to 20 seconds, and stop topping off gas tanks. Eugene Register Guard, Oregon, 19 September 2007.
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/09/18/ed.col.arkin.0918.p1.php?section=opinion
Report criticizes dumping of fly ash in mines. Pennsylvania calls putting fly ash waste from coal-fired power plants into abandoned coal mines a "beneficial use," but a coalition of national environmental groups has issued a report showing the widespread practice does much more harm than good. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pennsylvania, 19 September 2007.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07262/818648-85.stm
Canada's patchwork environmental strategy needs overhaul: report. Canada needs a cohesive environmental strategy that includes more monitoring of people's exposures to environmental contaminants, a strengthening of environmental laws, and increased awareness about these issues, says a new report. CBC Canada, Canada, 19 September 2007.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/09/18/suzuki-report.html
'Health disaster' in French Caribbean linked to pesticides. The indiscriminate use of toxic pesticides on banana plantations in the French Caribbean has left much of the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe poisoned for a century to come. London Independent, England, 19 September 2007.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2976687.ece
Restricting pesticides could greatly reduce suicide rates worldwide. National and international policies restricting the pesticides that are most toxic to humans may have a major impact on world suicides, according to new research from the University of Bristol published this week in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE). News-Medical.net, 18 September 2007.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=30012
EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiation. Europe's top environmental watchdog is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and their masts. It suggests that delay could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol. London Independent, England, 17 September 2007.
http://environment.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/article2966951.ece
Stay in school? Not sugary sodas. The nation's largest soda makers are on their way to eliminating full-calorie soft drinks from school vending machines, student lounges and lunchrooms, according to a report issued Monday. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia, 17 September 2007.
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/coke/stories/2007/09/17/kidcokes_0917.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
Fluoridation is coming to San Diego County. Beginning Nov. 5, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides 80 percent of the water used in San Diego County, plans to begin fluoridating the treated water it sends to customers here. San Diego Union-Tribune, California, 16 September 2007.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070916-9999-1n16fluoride.html
Health, environmental issues slow dash to build artificial playing fields. A small group of allies have come together to oppose what some call progress - a growing wave of installations of artificial turf throughout the western suburbs. They argue there are too many health and environmental questions around fake grass. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 15 September 2007.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/13/grass_roots_uprising/
Lead paint cleanup: a $2.4-billion solution. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is proposing that three paint companies that lost a historic public nuisance trial last year now spend $2.4 billion removing lead paint from more than half the houses and apartments in Rhode Island. Providence Journal, Rhode Island, 15 September 2007.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/Lead_Cleanup_09-15-07_CB738JA.3274607.html
Implications for human health of adding fluoride to municipal water systems. Ted Schettler, science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, is interviewed on the topic of adding fluoride to water. KEXP, Seattle, Washington, 15 September 2007.
http://www.kexp.org/programming/progpage.asp?showID=7&1413=39348.25-1&96=39348.25-1&20=39348.25-1&256=39348.25-2#recent (Sustainability Segment September 15th)
Scientists do the numbers. Coffee is good for you -- no, it's bad. A scientific approach used in many human studies often leads to findings that are flat-out wrong. Los Angeles Times, California, 15 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-epidemiology17sep17,1,7970471.story?ctrack=5&cset=true
Environmental illnesses: stepping up the fight. While it is not exciting to know that many toxins affect our health, it was exciting to see "An Inconceivable Truth: The Link Between Infertility and the Environment" in Vogue magazine. Edmonton Journal, Canada, 15 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/letters/story.html?id=c496f7f0-fc84-42a0-b939-3eccf2a8a57b
Toy woes may result in more power for safety agency. Senators are prepared to boost the Consumer Product Safety Commission's budget and legal authority so it can better keep unsafe toys and children's jewelry off store shelves, Sen. Richard Durbin said Wednesday. USA Today, 13 September 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2007-09-12-mattel-congress_N.htm
China agrees to lead paint ban in U.S. toy exports. Toy industry experts and retailers viewed China's agreement to ban the use of lead paint in toys exported to the United States as a step toward ensuring toy safety. New York Newsday, New York, 13 September 2007.
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzchin0913,0,6014119.story
Are people's PBDE uptake patterns changing? Researchers don't know why the PBDE uptake patterns in Spanish infant placentas resemble those from electronics recycling workers--and not those of their parents' blood. Environmental Science & Technology, 13 September 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/sept/science/kb_pbde.html
State urges campaign to eliminate dangerous toy jewelry. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health called for a major campaign to eliminate dangerous toy jewelry from store shelves. Some items contain lead at levels as much as 1,800 times higher than is considered safe. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 13 September 2007.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/09/13/state_urges_campaign_to_eliminate_dangerous_toy_jewelry/
Playing with danger. For weeks, the public has fretted over imported toys that exceed federal lead standards. What's equally important, some experts say, is not whether the U.S. is properly enforcing the limits that are in place, but whether government standards are strict enough. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 13 September 2007.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-to.hs.lead13sep13,0,866974.story
Scientists link autism with higher testosterone levels. Powerful evidence has emerged that may soon lead scientists to discover the causes of autism which, in one form or another, now affects about one in every 100 children in Britain. London Independent, England, 12 September 2007.
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article2953447.ece
Is your beauty regime damaging your health? We have become adept at reading food labels, but close scrutiny of the ingredients in our toiletries and cosmetics (which companies are required to list in full) is far less common. London Guardian, England. Opinion, 12 September 2007.
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2166552,00.html