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Coordinated nationally by the Institute for Children's Environmental Health |
To join the Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment (PCHE) and receive this bulletin, please complete the form at http://www.partnersforchildren.org/members.html#member.
For information about additional events, please visit our searchable calendar of events at http://www.partnersforchildren.org/conferences.html.
February 8, 2007
9:00 a.m. Pacific / Noon Eastern
Jointly hosted by CHE, Health Care Without Harm, and Physicians for Social Responsibility, this call will feature special guest Cindy Parker, MD, MPH, of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. For this call Dr. Parker's presentation will first review the latest scientific consensus on climate change and human contributions to it, and then explore the broad array of human health impacts expected or suspected -- these include not only infectious disease risks, but also increased human risks from extreme weather events, from drought and water shortages, and from changes to agriculture and food systems. To join this call and receive dial-in information, please RSVP as described below. A copy of the presentation will be made available to registered participants prior to the call.
Contact: Julia Varshavsky, Julia@HealthandEnvironment.org
February 8 - 9, 2007
Chicago, Illinois
at the Renaissance Chicago O'Hare Suites Hotel
This regional effort builds on the launch of the Communities in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments (http://www.asthmacommunitynetwork.org/keydrivers.aspx). Through interactive sessions with model programs from the Great Lakes region, asthma forum participants will learn how to implement proven successful strategies in their community-based programs. EPA will also recognize model and emerging asthma programs. Representatives of health-care plans and providers, government health and environmental agencies, advocacy and other nonprofit organizations, schools, employers, universities and others affiliated with community asthma programs are invited to the forum.
Website: http://www.epa.gov/region5/air/radon/asthmaforum/glasthmaforum07.html
Contact: Lara Lasky, lasky.lara@epa.gov
February 8 - 10, 2007
Los Angeles, California
at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel
The 2007 conference will bring together partners who work toward our common goal of creating safe, healthy, and livable communities for all.
Website: http://www.newpartners.org/index.html
Contact: Vallia Dahdouh, 916-448-1198 x327 or vdahdouh@lgc.org
February 21, 2007
10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Victoria, British Columbia Canada
at Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites, 345 Quebec Street
Emerging infectious diseases and toxics are pressing issues for wildlife professionals. This one-day symposium will provide current information regarding the implications of emerging infectious diseases and toxics for wildlife and ecosystem management, wildlife and human health perspectives, media representation of the issues, and recommended safe practices to avoid exposure and/or spread. Experts in emerging infectious diseases and toxics will present their research on the following topics: avian influenza, West Nile virus, chronic wasting disease, hantavirus, chytridiomycosis, herbicide/amphibian interactions (glyphosate and atrazine), and insecticide poisoning in birds of prey. We will also discuss the accuracy of media presentations, public perception and effectiveness of government policies.
Website: http://www.snwvb.org/victoria-meeting2.html
Contact: Elke Wind, 250-716-1119 or ewind@telus.net
See solicitation at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=12472&mode=VIEW
This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals for financial assistance to eligible entities through the Community for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program. CARE is a unique community-based, community-driven, multimedia demonstration program designed to help communities understand and reduce risks due to toxics and environmental pollutants from all sources. The CARE grant program will help communities form collaborative partnerships, develop a comprehensive understanding of the many sources of risk from toxics and environmental pollutants, set priorities, and identify and carry out projects to reduce risks through collaborative action at the local level. CARE's long-term goal is to help communities build self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will continue to improve human health and local environments into the future. This is the third year requesting proposals for the CARE grant program; the first was in the spring of 2005. The objective of the CARE grant program is to investigate the effectiveness of the CARE process--whether this cross-Agency, multi-media program provides greater environmental benefits than either non-collaborative or single media approaches. For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/CARE/.
from Michael J DiBartolomeis, PhD, DABT, Chief, Occupational Lead Poisoning Prevention Program & California Safe Cosmetics Program
As you may already know, on July 1, 2007, a new California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will be created that will be made up of the public health prevention programs currently in the California Department of Health Services (CDHS). The portion of CDHS related to provision of health care services will become a new department called the California Department of Health Care Services. The Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control (DEODC) will be a part of the new public health department. DEODC's programs include occupational and environmental health and investigations, child and adult lead poisoning prevention, the environmental health laboratory, and new programs such as biomonitoring and safe cosmetics, among others.
CDPH will have a Public Health Advisory Committee made up of a total of 15 members (nine appointed by the Governor and six appointed by the Legislature) to provide input to the programs and policies of this new department.
We are urging you to consider who you know that has knowledge, ideas, and experience in promoting public health, worker health, and/or environmental health -- and who might want to serve as an advisor to CDPH as the agency charts its new directions toward improving the health of Californians. For more information, please visit http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb or write to mdibarto@dhs.ca.gov.
from the Associated Press, Manufacturing.Net
February 5, 2007
http://www.manufacturing.net/article/CA6413246.html?industryid=44336
NAIROBI, Kenya - The U.N. called Monday for tighter regulation on technology to change or create materials at the atomic and molecular level, a process being used to develop new drugs, foods and other commercial products. In its annual report of the global environment, the U.N.'s Environment Program said "swift action" was needed by policy makers to properly evaluate the new science of nanotechnology. Although nanotechnology could transform electronics, energy industries and medicine, more research is needed to identify environmental, health and socio-economic hazards, Achim Steiner, who heads UNEP, said in the 87-page report.
Article Summary: Nanotechnology is technology on the scale of a billionth of a meter, or about one 80,000th of the width of a human hair: the scale of atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology materials are being developed for use in drugs, foods, cosmetics and medical devices. UNEP says in its report that it remains unclear what nanoparticles will do when released into the earth's atmosphere, water or soil. Denmark's Environment Minister Connie Hedegaard told journalists that the European Union had set up a number of scientific commissions to look into the effects of nanotechnology and to decide what kind of regulation should be applied. Priority must be given to assessing the potential risks of nanomaterials already being mass-produced, UNEP said in its report. The agency is calling for global test protocols and greater cooperation between private- and public-sector industries and between the developing and industrialized world. UNEP also wants public education about nanotechnology to raise awareness and provide information on the potential benefits and risks.
by Abram Katz, New Haven [Connecticut] Register
February 5, 2007
http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17810050&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=566835&rfi=6
The American cleanliness craze may come back to haunt us. Millions of Americans are slathering antibacterial products on their hands, unaware that the chemicals are considered unnecessary, are breeding resistant germs and appear to threaten the environment, experts said. We're encouraged to spray germ destroyers on "odor-causing bacteria" in bathrooms and kitchen counters. Everything from soaps to chopsticks to steering wheels to toys to toothpaste is imbued with these poisons. Consequently, traces of the chemicals triclosan and tricloban have been detected in mother's milk and 60 percent of the rivers and streams of the United States. The persistent chemicals also end up in sludge that is used in fertilizer to grow the grains and produce we eat.
Article Summary: Many questions surround triclosan and tricloban, but the companies that use them have no financial incentive to answer them. And it's not as if triclosan or tricloban is a bulwark of public health. Physicians, environmental health scientists and infectious disease doctors said that, despite the advertising hype and proliferation of germ-killing goods of all kinds, simple soap and water is better for home use. In addition, repeated use of antibacterials eliminates the weak bacteria and enhances strains able to shrug the chemicals off. Even most hospitals do not use antibacterial cleaners, preferring alcohol-based liquids to disinfect hands before and after seeing patients.
No scientific studies to date suggest that triclosan reduces the spread of food-borne illnesses or infectious diseases. However, overuse of triclosan could become a contributing factor to the rise in antibiotic resistance, according to Stuart B. Levy, professor of microbiology at Tufts University and director of the Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance in Boston. In addition, the consequences of exposing children to triclosan and tricloban are not known.
by Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
February 5, 2007
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/302553_initiative06.html?source=mypi
WASHINGTON -- Even a slightly underactive thyroid -- too mild for symptoms -- during pregnancy might trigger premature birth and babies born with lower IQs. But doctors don't know if treating a symptom-free mother would help. Now the National Institutes of Health is beginning a major study of pregnant women to find out, a key question amid growing debate about whether more mothers-to-be should get their glands checked.
Article Summary: About 27 million Americans have either an overactive or underactive thyroid, the bow tie-shaped gland in the neck that produces hormones that regulate metabolism and stimulate almost every type of tissue. Only about half have been diagnosed, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. An underactive thyroid, called hypothyroidism, is accompanied by hard-to-recognize symptoms: fatigue, constipation, weight gain, forgetfulness, a hoarse voice, dry skin. A thyroid sluggish enough to cause symptoms is called "overt hypothyroidism." During pregnancy, having enough thyroid hormones is important for fetal brain development -- especially during the first trimester, when the fetus depends solely on the mother for them -- and for avoiding a miscarriage or premature birth. So mothers-to-be with overt hypothyroidism are supposed to be treated. Treatment becomes more difficult with mildly underactive thyroids, which may not provide fetuses enough of the hormones even if the mothers report no symptoms. And when thyroid hormone levels are normal, mothers' bodies still may harbor immune system cells called antibodies that subtly attack the gland -- antibodies also linked to prematurity and pregnancy loss, and that are more common in women with other autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes. A 1999 study found that untreated hypothyroidism increases the risk of having children with lowered IQs, whether the mother had thyroid symptoms or not, and a 2005 study of more than 17,000 pregnant women found those with asymptomatic hypothyroidism had almost twice the risk of a premature baby as did women with normal thyroids. Currently, hospitals in 11 states are beginning to screen thousands of otherwise healthy pregnant women to find 1,000 with asymptomatic thyroid problems. Half will get thyroid medication. Scientists will track their children's brain development through age 5. Recommendations for pregnant women include testing and treatment when indicated.
by Jamie Talan, New York Newsday
February 5, 2007
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hslead0206,0,3014503.story?coll=ny-leadhealthnews-headlines
Low levels of mercury and lead exposure can damage developing brain cells -- a finding that might help explain how these toxicants can lead to a host of mental and medical problems, a new study said.
Article Summary: Mark Noble, a professor of biomedical genetics and neurobiology at the University of Rochester and senior author of the study in the journal PLoS Biology, explained: "There is a huge problem in toxicology. There are 80,000 to 150,000 environmental toxicants about which we know nothing. Nobody knows how to screen for them or even where to start." Noble and his colleagues conducted their work in the laboratory, where they subjected so-called glial progenitor stem cells in the brain to low levels of lead and mercury. They found that these brain cells stopped dividing. They simply shut down. The mercury levels previously were thought to be safe in humans -- 5 to 6 parts per billion. When the researchers looked at the cellular pathways affected by these exposures, they found the toxicants were disrupting cell function by increasing oxidative stress. Glial progenitor cells also are present in adult brains. Noble said they have no idea what effects low level environmental toxicants are having but he suspects they might be making these brain cells more vulnerable to damage and disease.
The study could be a major step in identifying methods of prevention and treatment, since finding one targeted pathway provides hope for identifying a single treatment for many kinds of environmental exposures. Noble's laboratory is studying a chemical called n-acetyl-cysteine, a potent antioxidant, that works to protect this pathway and could prevent abnormal cell damage and its consequences.
by Randall Chase, Associated Press, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
February 5, 2007
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16629649.htm
DOVER, Del. -- One year after accepting a government challenge to work toward eliminating the use of a potentially dangerous chemical used to make Teflon and other products, the DuPont Co. said Monday it plans to stop using the chemical by 2015. The Environmental Protection Agency asked the Wilmington-based chemical giant and seven other companies last year to commit to a 95 percent reduction in environmental emissions and product content levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and associated chemicals by 2010. DuPont makes the chemical at a plant near southeast Ohio in Parkersburg, W.Va. The companies also were asked to work toward the elimination of PFOA and associated chemicals from emissions and products by 2015.
Article Summary: DuPont said technological advances have allowed it to remove more than 97 percent of trace levels of PFOA and associated chemicals from surface protection fluorotelomers used in products such as oil-resistant paper packaging and stain- and water-repellent textiles. DuPont also has been able to reduce PFOA content by at least 97 percent in fluoropolymer coatings used in Teflon cookware, architectural coatings and electronics applications. DuPont also has reduced manufacturing emissions of PFOA by 94 percent worldwide since 2000, and expects to achieve reductions of 97 percent by the end of this year. While studies continue, DuPont maintains that there are no human health effects known to be caused by PFOA, and that Teflon-coated cookware is safe. An EPA science advisory board last year concluded that PFOA should be classified as a likely carcinogen.
DuPont is one of the largest users of PFOA and the only company that manufactures it in the United States. In 2005, the company agreed to pay more than $107 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by Ohio and West Virginia residents living near a DuPont plant in Parkersburg, W.Va., who claimed that DuPont intentionally withheld and misrepresented information about the human health threat posed by PFOA.
by Louis Porter, Vermont Press Bureau, Barre-Montpelier Times Argus
February 5, 2007
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070205/NEWS01/702050350/1002/NEWS01
MONTPELIER -- Vermont has developed the reputation of being among the vanguard of states in regulating and reducing environmental pollution of mercury. But a proposed ban on mercury-containing tooth filings may prove tricky for lawmakers, who are hearing from some dentists that the material is necessary to cheaply and durably fix some teeth. Mercury, which accumulates in fish and other animals and is toxic in several forms, can get into the environment as small parts of fillings break down or vaporize or when bodies are cremated, advocates of the bill worry. But opponents of the bill say that as dentists voluntarily reduce their use of mercury and use state-required separators to keep dental mercury from going down the drain in their offices, the amount of mercury pollution in the environment from dental work has been reduced to a tiny fraction of the problem.
Article Summary: The bill would prohibit the use of mercury amalgam tooth fillings after the start of 2011, except on back molars. Some dentists in the state have essentially quit using mercury containing fillings, as composites -- the white fillings that match the color of teeth -- have gotten easier to use and more durable. But keeping the ability to use mercury fillings is important because they work better in certain places, such as in cavities in the back teeth and other places in the mouth where it is difficult to dry out the area, said David Blanck, a dentist in Burlington. Sharon Moffett, acting commissioner of the Department of Health, said the state is not supporting the ban on dental mercury. A less controversial portion of the proposal would also require that thermostat manufacturers collect mercury-containing thermostats as they are replaced through a bounty program which would offer $5 per thermostat.
by Alex Dobuzinskis, Los Angeles Daily News
February 4, 2007
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_5158993
Researchers know the rocket fuel component perchlorate can be harmful to humans, they just can't agree on how much of it makes drinking water unsafe. State and federal agencies have set different levels, and environmental groups have battled industry over the science of understanding perchlorate's health effects.
Article Summary: Perchlorate impacts the thyroid and the intake of iodine, which could affect pregnant women and fetuses and permanently damage a fetus or infant's IQ level. California, the National Academy of Sciences and Massachusetts have all used a 2002 study that tested the effects of perchlorate on humans. But they came to different results. California in 2004 set six parts per billion as a goal for how much perchlorate should be tolerated in drinking water, although the state is still formulating an enforceable standard. Massachusetts last year set the nation's first enforceable drinking water standard for perchlorate at two parts per billion. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which a few years ago was considering a standard of one part per billion, revised its assessment based on a National Academy of Sciences study. The EPA considers anything below 24.5parts per billion a safe level, but it has no enforceable standard. The EPA standard was taken from the National Academy of Sciences recommendation. Scientists divided the level of perchlorate it would expect to affect a healthy human by a factor of 10. That resulted in the finding that 24.5 parts per billion should be the limit for perchlorate in drinking water. But a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released last year suggests it could take less perchlorate than that to harm pregnant women and their fetuses, especially those with low iodine levels. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group has translated the amount of perchlorate identified in the CDC study as potentially harmful as five parts per billion.
by Katy Stech, Charleston Post and Courier
February 4, 2007
http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=business&tableId=129110&pubDate=2/4/2007
The homeland security spotlight has shifted to the nation's 15,000 chemical manufacturing plants, including the dozen or so in the Charleston region. Spurred on by worse-case scenarios, the Department of Homeland Security recently issued a draft of plans that would make chemical industry officials tighten the borders around their facilities.
Article Summary: The proposed regulations, called the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, would require companies to conduct a risk-assessment program and then make government-recommended changes based on the results. Those changes could include extra security measures, such as guarding against sabotage from employees, and establishing a "chemical buffer zone" that would include improving fencing and installing remote surveillance devices. The overarching goal, according to US Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, "is to come up with a reasonable solution to what I think is a real problem, which is chemical plants being overly vulnerable to an attack." The government's risk assessment would rank chemical facilities based on the amount of toxic chemicals they handle. The list includes chlorine gas and sulfur dioxide, which are classified as "high risk" and are subject to the strictest regulation. The public has until Wednesday to comment on the proposed rules. The final regulations are expected to go into effect April 4. Congress granted Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff the authority to regulate chemical plants in September by passing the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007.
by Douglas Fischer, Oakland Tribune
February 4, 2007
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_5156161
SAN FRANCISCO -- Your ability to reproduce -- and the health of your child and even your child's children -- hinges on an exquisitely timed series of chemical reactions controlled by infinitesimally tiny amounts of hormones.
Article Summary: Last week hundreds of researchers gathered at the University of California, San Francisco, warned society may be scrambling those reactions with great peril with synthetic chemicals. The chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, are found everywhere in our environment: food, lotions, shampoos, baby bottles, toys, appliances, even casings for medicines. They mimic hormones at levels scientists only recently have been able to measure, and some are active at concentrations of a part-per-trillion or less. In many cases, the effect of such pollution on our bodies remains as unknown and mysterious as the processes they potentially disrupt. The list of potential effects, scientists conclude, cover every aspect of reproductive and sexual development -- from preconception to menopause. Every key developmental stage is driven by a tightly choreographed fluctuation in hormones. The science of endocrine disruptors is still controversial, and the effects in humans are uncertain. Government panels assessing the evidence for many compounds repeatedly have found no need for concern. But scientists say disturbing gaps remain in our knowledge, such as the role testosterone plays in a baby boy's brain development and how synthetic fragrances enhance the ability of more harmful compounds to cross the placenta. Recent research found that mice exposed in utero to bisphenol-A, a estrogenic additive used to line food cans and make plastic shatterproof, saw a 40 percent increase in chromosomally abnormal eggs. The result was a three-generation hit: The mother, her fetus and the fetus's eggs -- the mother's grandchildren. Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a drug given in the 1940s to the 1970s to pregnant women prone to have miscarriages, did not harm the mothers, but DES ravaged the reproductive tracts of their children.
by Cherie Black, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
February 3, 2007
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/302360_olympichouse03.html
Article Summary: Dubbed by some as the "autism diet," a gluten- and casein-free way of eating is often used by people diagnosed with the digestive disorder celiac disease. Gluten products such as wheat, rye and barley are eliminated, as are dairy products, which contain the protein casein. Stobbe said for some children, especially the more severe autism cases and those with physical complaints, the diet works well. They are calmer, have better attention spans and have less severe behavioral disturbances. Why the diet seems to work isn't completely understood. One theory involves the "leaky gut syndrome," in which the autistic child's body isn't able to process proteins found in wheat and dairy products, said Gary Stobbe, medical director of Seattle's Autism Spectrum Treatment and Research Center, a nonprofit organization that diagnoses, treats and manages people with autism. The undigested chunks of protein get into the bloodstream and affect the brain. Another theory is the body's immune system is reacting to the proteins in the body. One study under way at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York looks at the effects of the diet in autistic children between the ages of 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. Sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, it began in 2004 and should be completed in 2008. Dr. Geraldine Dawson, director of the University of Washington's Autism Center, is waiting for data from more studies before she'll recommend the diet to her patients, but tells parents who have decided to try it to make sure a nutritionist is involved. She said about half the children seen at the center are on the diet, which has worked for some, and not others.
by Aimee Cunningham, Science News
February 3, 2007
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070203/fob2.asp
Within the construction debris strewn across the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina is a disturbing amount of arsenic, according to a new study. The tainted rubble, as it is currently managed, might contaminate groundwater, the researchers say.
Article Summary: Before 2004, chromated copper arsenate (CCA) was the preservative most commonly used to prevent pest infestation of construction wood. Because of arsenic's toxicity, the Environmental Protection Agency has since banned use of the chemical for residential projects. However, many old utility poles, decks, and fences contain CCA-treated wood. Helena M. Solo-Gabriele, an environmental engineer at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, and her colleagues surveyed debris in New Orleans. Having found that CCA-treated wood accounted for 23 percent of the wood waste that they examined, Solo-Gabriele's team estimated that 1,740 metric tons of arsenic hides within hurricane debris scattered across Louisiana and Mississippi. Louisiana normally bars lumber treated with arsenic from entering unlined landfills. But the emergency rules in place since Katrina lifted that ban. "I believe the storm-debris landfills will be the environmental legacy of these storms," says John H. Pardue, an environmental engineer at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
by Dina Cappiello, Houston Chronicle
February 3, 2007
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4523206.html
Houston is trying to become the first place in Texas to set a standard for hazardous air pollutants, a move that would make the city stricter than the state and federal government in policing the amount of cancer-causing substances in its air. An amendment proposed to the city's nuisance ordinance would allow Houston to sue industrial facilities emitting toxic pollutants that, over time, could cause one additional person in 1 million to contract cancer. Neither Texas nor the federal government has enforceable thresholds for the 187 chemicals deemed hazardous because they can cause cancer and other serious health effects.
Article Summary: The proposal is the latest in a series of actions taken by the mayor to give the city more control over its air pollution, a process that began in August 2005, when the city stopped inspecting local industrial plants for the state. If passed, the action would put Houston, and White, at odds with the state environmental agency, some local legislators and industry, which despite studies showing Houston has high concentrations of some air toxics have opposed previous efforts. How the city would enforce the standard is unclear. Although data collected at state air pollution monitors could be used to determine when a threshold was exceeded, the city still would have to prove a particular facility caused the problem.
by Howard Weiss-Tisman, Brattleboro [Vermont] Reformer
February 2, 2007
http://www.reformer.com/headlines/ci_5141029
MONTPELIER -- Vermont's existing lead paint law does not do enough to protect children from lead poisoning and a more aggressive, statewide program will have to be adopted to eliminate lead exposure, according to a report released by the Attorney General's office.
Article Summary: State health officials have been reacting to sources of lead poisoning only after children are sickened, with the state's youngest citizens serving "unacceptably as the proverbial canaries in a coal mine," the report said. While the number of children tested has increased since the state first adopted its lead paint law, and the number of children with dangerous levels of lead in their blood has dropped, stronger enforcement and a more vigorous education campaign is required to eliminate the issue. Vermont passed a voluntary lead paint law in 1994, but every year about 300 children are poisoned. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible damage, and is especially dangerous for children whose brains are going through rapid stages of development. The state must move its focus away from cleaning a residence after a child's blood shows high levels of lead, and toward a more proactive approach that abates lead paint in homes before it sickens more children, the report found. Sorrell also announced that Vermont was going to be the first state in the nation to lower its "acceptable" blood lead level from 10 micrograms per deciliter -- the level used by the Centers for Disease Control -- to five micrograms per deciliter. The Attorney General's office wants to hand out automatic fines to landlords who do not complete essential maintenance practices and the report recommends that some landlords might have to pay for dust samplings by licensed and certified inspectors.
See related articles from Arizona and New York at http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/167617 and http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/494286p-416394c.html.
by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay News, Washington Post
February 2, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/02/AR2007020201198.html
Global warming not only poses significant threats to the Earth's ecology, it may also unleash unprecedented health risks, experts say. On Friday, an international panel of scientists released a report predicting that global warming due to greenhouse-gas emissions will continue for centuries, no matter what's done to check pollution. The result will be killer heat waves, devastating droughts, rising sea levels and fiercer storms.
Article Summary: That flooding and drought with bring attendant health problems, McGeehin said. "There are health effects secondary to flooding, such as contaminated water supplies, that could result in the spread of infectious diseases," said Michael A. McGeehin, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects. Droughts, which are becoming more common and longer lasting, can lead to starvation and the destruction of entire ways of life, particularly in regions -- such as sub-Saharan Africa -- that are least equipped to deal with such catastrophes. McGeehin also foresees the possible spread of mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and encephalitis. "As the climate warms, we may see a change in the range of vector-borne diseases," he said. The effects of climate change are already apparent, as some of these mosquito-borne diseases are spreading to new areas as the world warms and precipitation increases. Dr. Paul Epstein, associate director of Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment, noted that even in the United States, ticks, mosquitoes and other insects that carry disease -- such as West Nile virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Eastern equine encephalitis and Lyme disease -- are already spreading to areas once considered too cold for them to survive. In addition, increasing air pollution from the continued burning of fossil fuels will cause higher rates of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, as well as increases in pollen and mold spores. Improving the public health infrastructure in the United States and other developed countries and improving surveillance and people's access to health care is necessary to blunt the effects. In response to the threat of climate change, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is creating an "action plan" to address the health risks posed by global warming. Epstein noted that public health officials and physicians all have to be bringing attention to the politicians and call for clean energy -- it's fundamental for public health.
by Don Colburn and Bill Graves, Portland Oregonian
February 1, 2007
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/11703021339120.xml&coll=7
Article Summary: Two-thirds of the U.S. population, or nearly 200 million Americans, drinks from fluoridated water supplies. Proponents cite the 60-year history of fluoridation and its track record of safety. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls fluoridation one of the 10 most important public health advances of the 20th century, and it estimates that every dollar invested in fluoridation saves $38 in dental costs. But in Oregon, an unlikely coalition -- anti-government conservatives, advocates of local control, and environmentalists -- has blocked statewide fluoridation. Opponents, including a vocal minority of doctors and dentists, raise a variety of concerns. Some say the mainstream pro-fluoridation consensus in the dental profession is based more on conventional wisdom than on hard science. Others say mass fluoridation unfairly trumps individual choice. Still others argue against fluoridation on environmental grounds, saying the health benefits are not sufficient to justify adding a chemical to clean water. Critics also cite a 2006 National Research Council report that raised questions about high doses of fluoride and a recent advisory by the American Dental Association to limit use of fluoridated water in mixing baby formula. Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, an osteopathic physician, says he has seen no studies that prove fluoride to be safe or unsafe. Nor is it clear, he adds, that ingested fluoride prevents cavities, though direct application certainly does.
by Gene Emery, Reuters, Australian
February 1, 2007
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21152321-1702,00.html
THE lavender and tea tree oils found in some soaps, shampoos, hair gels and body lotions can produce enlarged breasts in boys, researchers reported today. These plant oils were linked to abnormal breast development in three boys, which was reversed when they stopped using them, Dr. Clifford Bloch of Pediatric Endocrine Associates in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and colleagues reported.
Article Summary: The study, published in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests these oils could act in ways similar to the hormone estrogen. Both oils are sold over the counter in their 'pure' form and are present in an increasing number of commercial products. In laboratory tests, scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina found that both substances can mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen and block male hormones that control both masculine characteristics and inhibit the growth of breast tissue.
by Warren King, Seattle Times
February 1, 2007
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003550558_airpollution01m.html
Air pollution has long been known to be bad for the lungs. But new University of Washington research, involving thousands of older women in dozens of cities nationwide, shows that it also raises the risk of women dying from heart disease or stroke. The increased risk comes from tiny airborne particles typically found in engine exhaust. And the damage they cause to arteries in the heart and brain is worse than previously believed, the study found.
Article Summary: The scientists found that the greater the level of the so-called "fine particulate" pollution, the greater the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Even a relatively slight increase boosted the risk significantly. The risk of dying from a stroke or heart attack increased 76 percent for each 10-microgram increase in the particles in a cubic meter of air. The danger of nonfatal strokes and heart attacks from the same rate of pollution increase pushed the risk up 24 percent. Other pollutants measured in the study did not increase the risk of heart disease or stroke. The research focused on women because there was a readily available group already enrolled in long-term health research coordinated by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Joel Kaufman, the UW professor of environmental sciences who directed the study, said, ""There is no reason to think it isn't the same for men." In a commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine, Harvard scientists Douglas Dockery and Peter Stone said the current findings by Kaufman and his colleagues "strongly support the recommendation for tighter standards for long-term fine-particulate air pollution."
by Rebecca Renner, Environmental Science & Technology
January 31, 2007
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/jan/policy/rr_lead_air.html
Article Summary: When the U.S. EPA raised the possibility of removing lead from the list of six "criteria" air pollutants it regulates because ambient lead levels are no longer a problem in most parts of the country, the idea was widely ridiculed by environmental groups and a few key members of Congress as the action of an industry-friendly administration. The draft paper comes just months after a scientific summary by EPA advisers concluded that no safe human level for lead exposure exists. Delisting lead as a criteria pollutant fits with the letter of the Clean Air Act (CAA), but as a practical matter doesn't protect public health. The new leaders of two congressional committees that oversee EPA's activities, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), immediately denounced the delisting option and cited lead's well-known effects on the brain development of young children. Airborne concentrations of lead in the U.S. have fallen dramatically over the last 30 years.
Those who support EPA's delisting suggestion say that it may well be time to stop worrying about the very low levels of lead in the air over most parts of the country and instead focus on the high lead levels in the air around some industrial sites, such as lead smelters and battery recyclers. Currently lead is controlled as a criteria pollutant and as a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP). But delisting lead as a criteria pollutant would actually wind up relaxing standards for smelters and other point sources, says Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Lynn Goldman, a former EPA assistant administrator. If EPA removes lead from the criteria list, protection from lead exposure also will be weakened, particularly for individuals living near point sources such as smelters and battery recycling plants, she says.
by Greg Campbell, Fort Collins Weekly
January 31, 2007
http://www.fortcollinsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=470&Itemid=35
Scientists say mercury emissions create pollution "hotspots" around coal-fired power plants that could be at least partially responsible for high mercury levels being found in fish at Horsetooth Reservoir.
Article Summary: It's difficult to get a straight answer about how much mercury the Rawhide coal-fired power plant releases into the atmosphere each year -- there are concerns that reported emissions are inaccurate across the board-- but the Colorado Utilities Coalition puts it close to 170 pounds per year, making Rawhide among the top power plants in the state emitting mercury. Last week, mercury levels in some species of fish were found to be double what's considered safe for human consumption in nine Colorado lakes, including Horsetooth Reservoir, which is within 40 miles of the Rawhide plant. The discovery brings into clear focus the potential impact of pollution from coal-fired power plants at a time when state regulators, environmentalists and industry representatives are haggling over how to reduce their mercury emissions. Mercury becomes a human health concern when it enters waterways. There, it changes into methyl mercury, which is absorbed by aquatic plants and plankton, which in turn are eaten by small fish. Methyl mercury bioaccumulates in fish, meaning it simply keeps adding up. This effect amplifies up the food chain, with each larger fish retaining all the mercury consumed by the smaller fish it has eaten over its lifetime. The EPA sets the safe level of mercury in fish at .5 parts per million; anything above that renders the fish unsafe for human consumption.
Twenty-two states are implementing stricter mercury-reduction regulations than the EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule, part of President Bush's Clear Skies Initiative. Under the EPA rule, utilities are required to reduce their mercury emissions by an average of 70 percent by 2018. Critics say that the federal rules are flawed in that they allow a so-called "cap and trade" provision. In other words, it allows cleaner utilities to sell credit for unemitted mercury to other utilities that exceed the requirement, even if the utility is in another state. It remains to be seen if Colorado will follow suit and eliminate cap and trade for mercury. New technology using activated charcoal injection into flue gases has proven to be 90 percent effective at removing mercury in a manner that manufacturers say is cost-effective to the utility.
from the Canadian Press, Toronto Star
January 31, 2007
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/176729
Ontario residents are ready for a ban on smoking in vehicles carrying children, and it's time for the provincial government to enforce one, a representative of the Ontario Medical Association said Wednesday.
Article Summary: Dr. Ted Boadway, a health consultant for the OMA, cited figures from the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit that showed support in the province for such a ban increased from 68 per cent in 2002 to 78 per cent in 2005. The OMA issued a statement Wednesday urging the provincial government to follow in the footsteps of Bangor, Maine, which approved a new law Jan. 8 prohibiting people from smoking in vehicles transporting children. Violators face fines up to $50 (U.S.). Ontario doctors said Wednesday they applaud the province's smoking ban that went into effect last year, but added that more must be done to increase awareness that adult tobacco use is also a child health problem. Even very short exposure to second-hand smoke can trigger an asthmatic attack in children, while effects on lung health have a long-term impact, Boadway said. A 2004 report by the OMA found that second-hand smoke is 23 times more toxic in a car than in a house, and research has shown that levels of toxins generated by cigarette smoke won't be significantly affected by open windows unless you can generate a 'tornado-like wind' in the car.
