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Coordinated nationally by the Institute for Children's Environmental Health |
These bulletins are archived and searchable on the Partnership's website: http://www.partnersforchildren.org/bulletins.html To join the Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment (PCHE) and receive this bulletin, please complete the form on our website: http://www.partnersforchildren.org/members.html#member
LDDI Scientific Consensus Statement. The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative has created a scientific consensus statement on environmental agents associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Reviewing a vast amount of literature regarding the status of knowledge about neurotoxicants, this statement will be used to create specific policy recommendations in the coming weeks. The document and a signature form for scientists, researchers and health professionals are posted on the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html Signatures are requested by Monday January 7, 2008.
Tuesday January 8, 2008
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities' (AAIDD) Environmental Health Initiative and the John Merck Fund
Carol Westinghouse, specialist in Cleaning for Health, will discuss the health effects of ingredients in conventional cleaning products, the components of a Cleaning for Health program and how anyone can help implement this program in their schools. Please call a few minutes before 2:00 p.m. EST. Call toll free: 1-800-868-1837, or call direct: 1-404-920-6440
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, Laura@aaidd.org
Wednesday January 30, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
New York, New York
at the Fordham University Lincoln Center, 113 West 60th Street
Sponsor: Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, National Association for the Dually Diagnosed
For a description of the schedule, see http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/013008/schedule.shtml
Price: see http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/013008/register.shtml
Website: http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/013008/index.shtml
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/
Action Alert: Ask Bath & Body Works to make safe products. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has published an action alert for consumers interested in safe cosmetics. They have provided a sample message on their website that you can edit, copy and paste into the company's online contact form.
http://safecosmetics.org:80/action/bbworks.cfm
Protecting our children by monitoring and preventing lead exposure. Kids run better unleaded. Unfortunately even small amounts of lead rob children of their intellectual potential by decreasing their IQ and reading ability, and permanently damaging their nervous systems. Seattle Voter, January 2008.
http://www.seattlelwv.org/sites/default/files/Web%20Jan08Voters.pdf (pages 14-16)
This year resolve to update cosmetics to eco-friendly brands. Every adult American uses an average of 10 personal care products a day containing 100 or more unique chemicals--some of them harmful to human health, according to a report bythe Environmental Working Group. Salem Monthly, Oregon, 1 January 2008.
http://willamettelive.com/story/This_year_resolve_to_update_cosmetics_to_ecofriendly_brands148.html
New York DEC cops to shoot "green" bullets. The state Department of Environmental Conservation is reducing its negative impact on the environment by giving up lead-based bullets for firearms training in favor of less harmful "green"ammunition. White Plains Journal News, New York, 1 January 2008.
http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/NEWS05/712310391
Citizen warns of dangers of natural gas drilling. Teresa Kehagias was an analyst for the natural gas industry, examining the sociopolitical impact of leasing mineral rights in communities like the one she is trying to protect today. Wayne Independent, Pennsylvania, 1 January 2008.
http://www.wayneindependent.com/news/x469065959
N.C. leads fight to stop tainted food. North Carolina isn't waiting for the next time imported products sicken a child or kill a cat. Raleigh News & Observer, North Carolina, 31 December 2007.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/853527.html
The fight for autism. Parents of kids with autism struggle to free their children from the grip of the mysterious disorder -- and find ways to foot the bills. Denver Post, Colorado, 30 December 2007.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7838774
Mercury emissions fuel cremation fight. Health officials are concerned about what they see as a potential health risk to the living - mercury being released into the atmosphere from dental fillings of the cremated. Boston Globe, 30 December 2007.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/30/mercury_emissions_fuel_cremation_fight/
How green are eco-friendly cleaning products? The cleaning-product aisles at our local supermarkets are starting to look like Earth Day parades. Words like "organic," "biodegradable" and "environmentally-friendly" are everywhere. Fox News, 29 December 2007.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318832,00.html
Dry cleaner takes safer, less smelly route. Pressed pants and shirts hang in tidy alphabetized rows, the concrete walls and floors have been scoured, and the warm, moist air smells clean, not heavy with dry-cleaning chemicals. Anchorage Daily News, Alaska, 29 December 2007.
http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/249314.html
[Editor's note: see a similar article about dry cleaners in Albuquerque at http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/dec/31/albuquerque-dry-cleaning-business-touts-environmen/]
Social factors eyed in disparity. Health officials weren't surprised when lead paint poisoning spiked in this mostly black city of Civil War-era homes. More striking was one of the causes. Washington Times, 28 December 2007.
http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071228/METRO/544539936/1004
House dust: Toxic and on your table. Forget lead paint in toys. Canadians may be exposed to a much wider variety of metals, chemicals and pesticides on a daily basis as the result of a seemingly harmless domestic nuisance: house dust. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 28 December 2007.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071227.wl_dust1228/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home
Koreans fight cleaning solvent ban. A proposed state ban on a common dry cleaning solvent [perchloroethylene] is being opposed by two large Korean associations, which argue that the new rules could lead to bankruptcy for hundreds of Korean-owned businesses. Bergen County Record, New Jersey, 27 December 2007.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MjM4MjI3JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg
The science, history behind this year's lead scare. The story of the year in Christmas-giving seemed to be lead in toys. It's the latest twist in a health problem that has perplexed society since the Roman civilization. Chicago Daily Herald, Illinois, 27 December 2007.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=102362&src=2
School studied for environmental causes of autism. Teachers at a Bergen County school that serves autistic children are giving birth to an unusually high number of autistic children, a researcher said. Associated Press, 27 December 2007.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/104-12262007-1461885.html
Autism testing sought in NJ. Environmental testing of a Northvale school is needed to investigate the cause of a possible autism cluster among children of teachers who worked there, officials say. Bergen County Record, New Jersey, 26 December 2007.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MjM4MDU5JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg
Law gets strict on toy lead. Good news for Michigan parents: Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed legislation limiting toxic lead in children's products. Flint Journal, Michigan, 25 December 2007.
http://www.mlive.com/news/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-48/119856002486340.xml&coll=5
Fever can lift fog of autism. In a surprising finding published in this month's issue of the journal Pediatrics, doctors determined that fever-induced improvements did, in fact, occur in more than 80 percent of the 30 autistic children they studied. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 24 December 2007.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.autism24dec24,0,1571812.story?coll=bal_sports_basketball_xpromo
A new way to tap into health info. A new text messaging service that uses government advisories and scientific studies to provide environmental information is part of an emerging wave of technology that allows consumers to get instant health information through their cell phones. Wall Street Journal, 24 December 2007.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=99286&src=120
Progress, but not enough. The Clean Water Act set out to "virtually eliminate" discharges to U.S. waterways by 1985. Merrillville Post-Tribune, Indiana, 23 December 2007.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/710067,lakedump.article
Why should you care? Here's what scientists said about pollutants found in Lake Michigan. Merrillville Post-Tribune, Indiana, 23 December 2007.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/710078,lakedumpcare.article
Defective goods targeted. The Canadian government is overhauling its consumer laws to crack down on the importation of unsafe toys, but the move comes too late to ensure the safety of kids' gifts tucked under the tree this year. Toronto Star, Ontario, 22 December 2007.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/286534
Everyday items, complex chemistry. Holiday shoppers this season may still worry if the toys they buy contain lead, but some scientists are urging consumers to focus on the lack of hazard information on the chemicals in everyday products. New York Times, 22 December 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/business/22chemicals.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin
'Foreign-born kids more prone to lead-poisoning in NY.' Foreign-born children who come to New York with their immigrant parents are five times more likely to suffer from lead poisoning than US-born kids, a new study by Health Department shows. Press Trust of India, India, 22 December 2007.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1140842
For some, fluoridated water still hard to swallow. Malibu, CA, has begun the largest fluoridation project in US history. Los Angeles Times, California, 22 December 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fluoride22dec22,1,2338669.story?ctrack=5&cset=true
Very few children here tested for lead poisoning. Lead seems to be lurking everywhere these days. Seattle Times, Washington, 22 December 2007.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004085648_leadkids21m.html
WV adds fish advisory for selenium. Regulators have begun warning state residents not to eat fish from certain waterways because of high levels of selenium pollution. Charleston Gazette, West Virginia, 21 December 2007.
http://wvgazette.com/section/Business/200712209
Debate escalates over chemical in plastic bottles, cans. Colorful, clear, hard plastic bottles are standard issue among people who want to stay hydrated while not destroying the planet; recent debate over the safety of the bottles, however, has changed that. Eugene Register Guard, Oregon, 21 December 2007.
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=38348&sid=1&fid=1
High lead levels found in kids' jewelry. Laboratory tests commissioned by The Seattle Times reveal that some of the baubles for sale in local stores are tainted with dangerous amounts of lead. Seattle Times, Washington, 20 December 2007.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004083834_lead20m.html
More flame retardants found in house dust. Two flame retardants used in consumer goods have been found at very high levels in some homes suggesting that people in the developed world may be exposed to significant concentrations of flame retardants beyond what previous research has indicated. Environmental Science & Technology, 20 December 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/dec/science/kb_hbcddust.html
House votes to raise safety-agency funding. The House unanimously approved a landmark bill to increase funding for the beleaguered Consumer Product Safety Commission, strengthen its enforcement powers, step up testing of products and reduce lead limits in children's toys. Wall Street Journal, 20 December 2007.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119811758303341395.html
Flu shot risks worry parents. Health officials are stepping up efforts to get children and adults vaccinated against the flu, but some parents are concerned about what they say is a dangerous level of mercury in the vaccine. The Brunswick News, 20 December 2007.
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/open_access/news/290566532096907.php
Where is mercury coming from? The main source of the large mercury plume is 25 gold mines located in a relatively small area of northern Nevada. Idaho Mountain Express, Idaho, 19 December 2007.
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005118490
