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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
Companion bulletins are available for more specific audiences:
While there is overlap with this bulletin, there are some events and announcements unique to those bulletins.
1) Peak Oil and Health
Thursday March 12, 2009
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Baltimore, Maryland
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness
This conference can be attended either in person or via webcast. This conference will address the linkages between peak oil, climate change, our built environment, and the public's health. Special focus will be paid to identifying the consequences as well as envisioning solutions and building resistance to what will be a great threat to public health. Featured speakers are Representative Roscoe G. Bartlett and Howard Frumkin, MD, MPH, DrPH.
Price: free, but advance registration is required
Website: http://www.jhsph.edu/preparedness/events/eventscalendar.html
Contact: Center for Public Health Preparedness, 443-287-6735 or cphp@jhsph.edu
2) Film -- "Addicted to Plastic"
Thursday March 12, 2009
doors open at 6:15 p.m.; film at 7:00
Salem, Oregon
at the Grand Theater, 191 High Street NE
Sponsor: Salem Progressive Film Series
This feature-length documentary is about the solutions to our plastic pollution. It encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on five continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic's path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting-edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability.
Price: $3 or $2 for students
Website: http://www.salemprogressivefilms.net/films-coming.html
Contact: 503-588-8713
3) Society of Toxicology 48th Annual Meeting
Sunday through Thursday, March 15 - 19, 2009
Baltimore, Maryland
at the Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street
Sponsor: Society of Toxicology (SOT)
This meeting will include the latest scientific advances of the past 12 months, with five scientific themes: Biomarkers, Epigenetics, Inflammation and Disease, Nanotechnology, and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Price: see http://www.toxicology.org/AI/MEET/AM2009/registration.asp
Website: http://www.toxicology.org/AI/MEET/AM2009/am.asp
Contact: SOT, 703-438-3115 or sothq@toxicology.org
4) 237th ACS National Meeting & Exposition
Sunday through Thursday, March 22 - 26 2009
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sponsor: American Chemical Society
This conference will include scientific papers on a variety of multidisciplinary topics, including thematic programming around nanoscience. This meeting will provide two sessions: Nanoecotoxicity and Exposure of Engineered Nanomaterials.
5) Climate Change and Water: Local Perspectives on a Global Problem
Wednesday March 25, 2009
Reception 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Seminar 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Post-seminar networking 8:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
Downstairs at Town Hall on Eighth and Seneca (1119 Eighth Avenue)
Sponsor: Sustainable Path Foundation, along with Antioch University Center for Creative Change, ShoreBank Pacific and the Sequoia Foundation
Climate change is heating up our planet. Here in Washington we are beginning to get a glimpse of what the future holds for us -- sometimes too much water and, at other times, too little water. How do we respond to the prospect of more floods, drought, wildfires and other catastrophes? This seminar will look at our current situation and put forward community-wide solutions for how we respond to serious issues relating to growth, development, climate and community. We'll also look at personal solutions -- what you can do in your home, and with your lifestyle, that can reduce not just your carbon footprint, but also your "water footprint." With Philip Mote and Steve Malloch.
Price: $5-15; see the website
Website: http://sustainablepath.org/category/seminar-series/
Contact: 206-443-8464 or info@sustainablepath.org
6) Introduction to Managing Environmental Data with Microsoft Access
Wednesday and Thursday, March 25 - 26, 2009
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Bellingham, Washington
at Western Washington University Computer Lab - AW (Academic Instructional Center) 306
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
This course is designed for participants who wish to gain beginning to intermediate skills in using Microsoft Access to build relational databases for managing and mining their environmental data. This comprehensive class uses Access 2003 to cover in-depth the use of tables, queries, forms, reports and macros objects through extensive hands-on exercises. These Access database subjects are taught using real-world environmental examples with actual field data. This class is recommended for anyone desiring a concentrated exposure to Access training in a powerful two- to three-day class. This is the first of two classes in a series.
Price: $495, $395 for Native American Tribes; nonprofits; government agencies; students; and NAEP, NEBC, NWAEP members
Website: http://nwetc.org/comp-401_03-09_bellingham.htm
Contact: 206-762-1976
7) UKPHA'S 17th Annual Public Health Forum
Wednesday and Thursday, March 25 - 26, 2009
Brighton, UK
at the Brighton Centre
Sponsor: UK Public Health Association
The theme is "Health Inequalities -- Turning the Tide? Spotlight on Housing, Transport and Commissioning."
Price: see http://www.ukphaconference.org.uk/booking.html
Website: http://www.ukphaconference.org.uk/
Contact: see http://www.ukphaconference.org.uk/contactus.html
8) Managing Environmental Data With Microsoft Access, Applying the Tools
Friday March 27, 2009
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Bellingham, Washington
at Western Washington University Computer Lab - AW (Academic Instructional Center) 306
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
This is the second part of the Managing Environmental Data with Microsoft Access training class. In the first class, COMP-401, students learn the basic elements of constructing queries, forms, macros and reports. Now they build on and deepen those skills by creating end-user application examples that bring all of those newly-learned elements together. In addition, the Access analytic tools PivotCharts and PivotTables are introduced and an SQL primer is included. Comp-402 is split out into a separate class to allow students flexibility in their scheduling and may be taken at a later date although it is highly recommended that the two class series be taken together. Comp-402 is not meant to be taken as a stand-alone class without taking Comp-401.
Price: $250, $195 for Native American Tribes; nonprofits; government agencies; students; and NAEP, NEBC, NWAEP members
Website: http://nwetc.org/comp-402_03-09_bellingham.htm
Contact: 206-762-1976
9) Climate, Oceans, Infectious Diseases and Human Health: The Saga of Cholera
Friday March 27, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
at NIEHS Rall Building Rodbell ABC
Sponsor: NIEHS and Chris Portier, PhD
The speaker will be Rita Colwell, PhD, Distinguished University Professor at the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.
Price: unknown
Website: http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/pubevents/eventDetails.cfm?eventID=1000157084
Contact: 919-541-3484
10) Tolt Treatment Facility Tour
Saturday March 28, 2009
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Duvall, Washington
at the Tolt Treatment Facility, 12910 Kelly Road Northeast
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
The Tolt Treatment Facility processes water from the South Fork of the Tolt River, one of the two large, unfiltered surface water sources that supply 1.3 million people in and around Seattle with drinking water. The facility opened in 2000 to improve and increase the water supply. On this tour, learn about the types of pollutants in one of our drinking water sources that can and cannot be treated for, where the treated water is sent, and how this process affects salmon in the region.
Price: $15
Website: http://nweec.org/ea.php
Contact: Northwest Environmental Education Council, 206-923-1980
11) Translating Science to Policy: Protecting Children's Environmental Health
Monday March 30, 2009
New York, New York
at Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University, 2920 Broadway
Sponsor: Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH), in collaboration with WE ACT for Environmental Justice
This conference will celebrate CCCEH's 10-year anniversary, present key research findings and progress in community outreach and translation, and work towards needed policy changes for the next decade. Lisa Jackson, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, and Dr. Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will present as the keynote speakers.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.ccceh.org/conference09.html
Contact: Swapna Mehta, 212-304-7284 or cccehconference@columbia.edu
12) 2009 Nebraska Public Health Conference
Saturday and Sunday, April 8 - 9, 2009
Lincoln, Nebraska
at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel
Sponsor: Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
The conference is directed to public and allied health professionals, mental-health practitioners, social workers, environmental-health specialists, dieticians, nurses, physicians, health educators, advocates, behavioral health practitioners and others interested in the well being of Nebraskans.
Price: $150
Website: http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/Public_Health/conference/
Contact: NEphConf@dhhs.ne.gov
13) Film Double Feature -- "Contaminated Without Consent" and "Toxic Bust"
Thursday April 9, 2009
doors open at 6:15 p.m.; film at 7:00
Salem, Oregon
at the Grand Theater, 191 High Street NE
Sponsor: Salem Progressive Film Series
"Contaminated Without Consent" features eminent scientists and physicians, and people like you, examining the scientific foundations for concern and the implications for human health from this widespread contamination from toxic chemicals. Scientific studies link chemicals frequently found in consumer products to obesity, diabetes, birth defects, asthma, cancer, learning disabilities, and other health impacts. The video empowers viewers to take action in support of common sense solutions and urgently needed government reforms that will protect our families, homes, and the environment from toxic chemicals. In "Toxic Bust", a healthy woman finds a lump in her breast and her story launches this thought-provoking documentary that explores the relationship between breast cancer and exposure to toxic chemicals. As this newly diagnosed woman questions what may have caused her cancer, the film focuses on three breast cancer "hot spots," (Cape Cod MA, The SF bay area, and workers in Silicon Valley) to explore more fully the connection between cancer and chemical exposure in the household, community, and workplace. Does exposure to toxic chemicals at an early age increase your risk of getting breast cancer? What about working with hazardous substances or living near a toxic waste site? How safe are the products we use in our homes and on our bodies. Toxic Bust explores these questions and challenges the viewers to question how chemical use in the United States undermines the health of its citizens.
Price: $3 or $2 for students
Website: http://www.salemprogressivefilms.net/films-coming.html
Contact: 503-588-8713
Online Calendar. All upcoming events extending 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/
Job opening: Washington, DC. The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is hiring a Director of Environmental Health Policy to advance the association's environmental health policy mission including comprehensive chemical policy reform.
https://aaiddonline.aaidd.org/careercenter/CC07ViewJobPosting.aspx?jobPostingID=1490
World Cancer Report 2008. The World Cancer Report documents the frequency of cancer in different countries and trends in cancer incidence and mortality, describing the known causes of human cancer. International Agency for Research on Cancer.
http://www.iarc.fr:80/en/Publications/PDFs-online/World-Cancer-Report
'Critical Windows of Development' for babies unveiled by Dr. Colborn. Before a baby is ever born, it is subjected to chemicals that can harm his or her development. The chemicals, which can harm the baby in the womb and throughout life, can be found in the products used in everyday life -- baby bottles, cleaning products, food cans, fragrances, packaging materials, toys, cars, and many other products.
http://www.deltacountyindependent.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7292:critical-windows-of-development-for-babies-unveiled-by-dr-colborn&catid=35:north-fork&Itemid=239
Call for Proposals: Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act (PRIA 2) Partnership Grants. EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is soliciting initial proposals to advance partnerships that focus on pesticide risk management issues with a special focus on integrated pest management (IPM) approaches. Initial proposals must be received by April 15th.
http://www.epa.gov/pesp/PRIA2_Announcement_FY09.pdf
Call for proposals: Environmental Justice Grant Program. This program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working on or planning to work on projects to address local environmental and/or public health issues in their communities, using EPA's "Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Model." The deadline is April 10, 2009.
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/ej/grants/rfa-state-grant-2-12-09.pdf
Call for proposals: Indoor Air Grants. EPA Region 10 is soliciting proposals from organizations to fund indoor air quality (IAQ) projects that address any of the four grant program priority areas: 1) assistance on adoptions of EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools program; 2) indoor asthma triggers education and exposure reduction; 3) Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) education and exposure reduction; 4) general IAQ training, education and outreach for homes and/or commercial buildings. Proposals are due by April 17, 2009.
http://yosemite.epa.gov:80/R10/airpage.nsf/Indoor+Air/IAQ+RFP/
New study links deodorants to breast lumps. Research has shown that women who suffer repeated appearance of benign breast lumps might be more likely ultimately to develop cancer than those who do not. And there is a growing suspicion that these lumps could be linked to heavy use of antiperspirant products. London Daily Mail, England.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1160744/Can-anti-perspirants-harm-womens-breasts-New-study-links-deodorants-breast-lumps.html
Town to offer lead testing. Town health officials are offering free lead testing to day-care centers, a move that follows a new state requirement that every child under the age of 3 get screened for lead poisoning. Greenwich Time, Connecticut.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009.
http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_11874851
Researchers look at effects of weather, air pollution on headaches. A study of more than 7,000 patients, led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), provides some of the first large-scale data on how environmental conditions -- weather, as well as air pollution -- influence headache pain. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Monday, March 09, 2009.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/bidm-rla030409.php
Plastic pollution may change cattle DNA. Scientists have found DNA evidence that suggests that ranchers' suspicions might be true, heightening concerns about their cattle as well as their own health. Tests have revealed that herds as far as six miles downwind of the factories have more DNA disturbances than other herds not downwind
Monday, March 09, 2009.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-cattle-dna
Pennsylvania Department of Health launches new environmental health tracking tool. The Department of Health today launched the Pennsylvania Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, or PA EPHTN, which will track key environmental hazards, exposures, and health problems statewide. Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Monday, March 09, 2009.
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-09-2009/0004985170&EDATE=
Polluting paint thinners targeted. In a first for the nation, Southern California air pollution officials have passed a rule to slash the release of VOCs from consumer products. Los Angeles Times, California.
Monday, March 09, 2009.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/03/paint-thinners.html
7 surprising ways cell phones affect your health. Those who suspect their phones are frying their brains can likely rest easy. However, research and anecdotes have suggested a number of other means by which cell phones may adversely affect health. ABC News.
Monday, March 09, 2009.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/story?id=7017768
Congress considers reform of U.S. chemicals control law. The legal hurdles of existing law make it virtually impossible for the federal government to limit or ban the use of toxic chemicals or to even obtain the information needed to devise effective regulations, several witnesses testified before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. Environment New Service.
Sunday, March 08, 2009.
http://www.ens-newswire.com:80/ens/feb2009/2009-02-26-10.asp
[Editor's note: See a related article about calls from the chemical industry for tougher regulation: http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/40402882.html ]
Some prenatal vitamins lack iodine levels claimed, tests show. Most prenatal multivitamin supplements contain less iodine than stated on the label, which could put newborns at risk for poor brain development, U.S. researchers say.
Sunday, March 08, 2009.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/02/26/iodine-prenatal.html
Research centre to study workplace carcinogens. A new research centre dedicated to identifying and eliminating exposure to cancer-causing substances in the workplace opened in Toronto yesterday. Toronto Star, Canada.
Saturday, March 07, 2009.
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/597513
4 chemicals used in consumer products slapped with toxic label. The federal government on Friday declared four chemicals [2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) ethanol (DEGME); 2-Methoxyethanol acetate (2-MEA); 2-methoxy-1-propanol; and C.I. Pigment Red 3] widely used in paints, varnishes, stains and industrial cleaners as toxic to human health, paving the way for their possible ban in products. One of the chemicals is used in some hairs prays, skin creams and as a fragrance ingredient, according to Health Canada. Canwest News Service, Canada.
Saturday, March 07, 2009.
%3Cimg%20width=%2220%22%20height=%2220%22%20alt=%22news%20article%22%20border=%220%22%20src=%22http://www.iceh.org/images/news.gif%22%20align%20=%20%22left%22%20/%3E
Taking on toy safety. From peanuts to baby formula, recalls seem rampant. Now the toy industry has a plan, and the technology, to keep its products safe. Business Week.
Saturday, March 07, 2009.
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/mar2009/ca2009036_271002.htm?chan=careers_managing%20index%20page_top%20stories
Santa Clara County offering drop-off sites for unused drugs. On Thursday, the county announced its new Pharmaceutical Drop-Off Program, offering the public an environmentally friendly alternative to flushing or throwing away expired drugs.
Friday, March 06, 2009.
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_11846189?nclick_check=1
Fish and mercury: recipe for disaster? For most people, eating seafood a few times a week is considered healthy, but some people are at greater risk from the negative effects of mercury. KTLA TV, California.
Friday, March 06, 2009.
http://www.ktla.com/landing_extras/?Fish-and-Mercury-Recipe-for-Disaster=1&blockID=231266&feedID=1689
[Editor's note: See a related article about testing canned tuna for mercury: http://cbs5.com/consumer/tuna.mercury.test.2.951871.html ]
If diets don't work, what's the solution to obesity in America? Some say it's time to scrap efforts to help individuals lose weight in favor of broad policy solutions. US News & World Report.
Friday, March 06, 2009.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/diabetes/2009/03/05/if-diets-dont-work-whats-the-solution-to-obesity-in-america.html
Chewing tobacco use surges among boys. Use of snuff and chewing tobacco by U.S. adolescent boys, particularly in rural areas, has surged this decade, a federal agency said in a report on Thursday that raised concern among tobacco control advocates. Reuters Health.
Friday, March 06, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/05/eline/links/20090305elin008.html
No BPA for baby bottles in U.S. The six largest manufacturers of baby bottles will stop selling bottles in the United States made with bisphenol A, a controversial chemical widely used in plastics but increasingly linked to a range of health effects. Washington Post.
Friday, March 06, 2009.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/05/AR2009030503285.html
Schools to keep bugs at bay a safer way. Under a plan drawn up in January by the Environmental Protection Agency, all public schools are encouraged to adopt integrated pest management practices by 2015, which experts calculate will reduce use of pesticides by at least 70 percent. Environmental Health News.
Friday, March 06, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/school-pesticide-plan
FDA to test BPA exposure from medical devices. The FDA has initiated two studies to determine whether plastic components might be leaching BPA into patients during cardiopulmonary bypass and hemodialysis. Medical News.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Washington-Watch/13022
Exposure to traffic pollution and increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis. The observed association between exposure to traffic pollution and RA suggests that pollution
from traffic in adulthood may be a newly identified environmental risk factor for RA. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800503/abstract.html
Aluminum, silica in water affect Alzheimer's risk. Higher levels of aluminum in drinking water appear to increase people's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, whereas higher levels of silica appear to decrease the risk, according to French investigators. Reuters Health.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/04/eline/links/20090304elin024.html
Secondhand smoke may double likelihood of depression. Secondhand smoke not only can irritate your lungs, it also apparently can blacken your mood as well, a large study reports today. USA Today.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-04-secondhand-smoke_N.htm
Going green and enhancing indoor air quality. Besides being more airtight, many homes these days are built or remodeled using synthetic building materials that may release harmful chemicals into the air. These chemical emissions mix with dust, mold and fumes from common household items like air fresheners and scented candles. Orlando Sentinel.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/realestate/foreclosure/orl-foreclosures-going-green-story,0,606194.story
Report: Kiddie Kollege not alone. What happened at Kiddie Kollege some two years ago, when it was learned children at the Franklin Township day care were exposed to dangerous levels of mercury, was not an isolated incident in the United States. Gloucester County Times, New Jersey.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-4/123624062436690.xml&coll=8
C8 might damage sperm, study says. Men with higher levels of C8 [also known as PFOA] and similar chemicals in their blood have lower sperm counts and fewer normal sperm, according to a new scientific study published this week. Charleston Gazette, West Virginia.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://wvgazette.com/News/200903040154
Tests find bisphenol A in majority of soft drinks. The estrogen-mimicking chemical BPA, already banished from baby bottles and frowned upon in water jugs, has now shown up in significant levels in soft drinks. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090305.BPA05/TPStory
[Editor's note: See an article about Health Canada's response: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090306.BPA06/TPStory/ ]
NYC cracks down on idling. In an effort cut down on the noxious pollutants emitted from idling vehicles on its streets every year, New York City recently passed a law making vehicle idling of more than 60 seconds punishable by a stiff fine. E Magazine.
Thursday, March 05, 2009.
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4603
Overexposed: Imaging tests boost U.S. radiation dose. Findings issued by National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement add to already mounting evidence that doctors are ordering too many diagnostic tests, driving up the cost of health care in the United States and potentially harming patients. Reuters.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE5226IR20090304
Suffolk vote to ban BPA baby bottles first in nation. The Suffolk Legislature Tuesday voted in New York unanimously to ban polycarbonate baby bottles, a move county officials say would make it the first jurisdiction in the nation to do so. New York Newsday, New York.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009.
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/health/ny-poban0412513812mar04,0,3333946.story
[Editor's note: See a Suffolk County officials concerns about enforcing the ban: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-pobpa0512516513mar05,0,2871950.story ]
U.S. military is turning to a new idea: green training ammunition. Newer shells will both stop the unexploded ordinance problem by eliminating duds and contain no toxic metals that can leach into groundwater, the way that older practice rounds like the M918 do.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/technology_news/4307103.html
[Editor's note: See a related column about hunters switching to 'green' bullets: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/03/04/green.bullets/?iref=mpstoryview ]
Estrogen mimics at low doses change how brain cells manage dopamine. For the first time, scientists find that extremely low levels of some types of environmental estrogens disrupt specialized brain cells and their ability to regulate brain chemistry. All of the EEs tested changed the way cells released and reabsorbed dopamine, an important chemical messenger that governs movement and pleasure. Environmental Health News.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/low-level-EEs-alter-dopamine-from-brain-cells/
China enacts tough new food law. China has passed a strict new food safety law, after a series of scandals involving food processing companies which killed several people. BBC.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7917020.stm
Childhood: mold and pollen may affect asthma risk. Researchers have known for some time that the risk for asthma is greater in babies born in the fall and winter, and some studies have suggested that the flu virus is the cause. Now an analysis that controlled for viral illness has found other culprits: molds and pollen. New York Times.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/health/03chil.html?_r=1&ref=science
[Editor's note: See a related article about the reaction of children with asthma when removed from urban pollution: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=624562 and another about a possible connection between television viewing and asthma: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7918576.stm and another reporting on the risks in indoor air to asthmatic children: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-md.asthma02mar02,0,6247821.story ]
Hearing on chemical-limiting bills heats up. Industry representatives clashed with environmental health advocates Monday over a pair of bills designed to reduce children's exposure to chemicals during the first public hearing before the Consumer Protection Committee. Salem Statesman Journal, Oregon.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090303/LEGISLATURE/903030334/1001/NEWS
Do environmental stress, money woes hurt older women's health? A report in the November 2008 Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences states that older women expressing greater levels of financial stress are 60 percent more likely to die within five years than their less financially stressed counterparts. The Johns Hopkins University Gazette.
Monday, March 02, 2009.
http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2009/02mar09/02woes.html
[Editor's note: See a related article about the relationship between optimism and health in women: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1883402,00.html ]
Activists warn US lawmakers of uranium mining perils. A French physicist and a US actor joined representatives of indigenous peoples from Africa, Australia and the United States Friday to send US lawmakers a stark warning about the dangers of uranium mining. Agence France-Presse.
Monday, March 02, 2009.
http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Activists_warn_US_lawmakers_of_uranium_mining_perils_999.html
Air tests near schools a priority. In an unprecedented step aimed at protecting children from toxic chemicals, the U.S. EPA is expected to announce plans Monday to determine whether industrial pollution taints the air outside schools across the nation. USA Today.
Monday, March 02, 2009.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-03-01-epa_N.htm
Some good news: fewer kids have high lead levels. In a stunning improvement in children's health, far fewer kids have high lead levels than 20 years ago, new US government research reports -- a testament to aggressive efforts to get lead out of paint, water and soil. Associated Press.
Monday, March 02, 2009.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/01/america/MED-Children-Lead.php
[Editor's note: See a related article about continuing high lead levels in some children: http://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/local/local_story_058075142.html and another about high lead levels in painters' blood: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1930683152/High-lead-levels-in-painters-blood ]
Young environmentalists tackle West Oakland pollution. The students began to study how environmental pollution can cause health problems, such as asthma and cancers. They formed a youth environmental group called West Oakland Urban Students Uprising against Pollution. Oakland Tribune, California.
Sunday, March 01, 2009.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_11810857
TCE cleanup under Huron poses challenge. High pollution levels of hazardous chemicals under the former Huron IBM campus in Endicott has unknown impact on 4,000 workers. Levels are as much as 1,500 times allowable. Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, New York.
Sunday, March 01, 2009.
http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090301/NEWS01/903010342/1001
List of pesticide-free towns growing. Bernards Township last week joined a growing list of New Jersey towns to announce it is going "pesticide-free," by eliminating the use of chemical pesticides in parks and using them minimally on other township land. Newark Star-Ledger, New Jersey.
Sunday, March 01, 2009.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1235885232134710.xml&coll=1
UK tops league for toxic traffic fumes. Britain suffers from the most widespread levels of dangerous traffic fumes in Europe, posing a serious risk to health, according to a government report. London Times, England.
Sunday, March 01, 2009.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5822104.ece
U.S. funding is insufficient to address the human health impacts of and public health responses to climate variability and change. Future climate change is projected to exacerbate a number of current health problems, including heat-related mortality, diarrheal diseases, and diseases associated with exposure to ozone and aeroallergens.
Friday, February 27, 2009.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800088/abstract.html
[Editor's note: See a related article about the Obama administration's efforts to fast track greenhouse-gas policy: http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/10/10greenwire-epa-document-shows-endangerment-finding-on-fas-10053.html and another regarding EPA's proposing national reporting on greenhouse gas emissions: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/4BD0E6C514EC1075852575750053E7C0 ]
Film focuses on environmental justice. The coal-mining Appalachian Basin is truly America's third world. Coal extraction over a century has resulted in orange creeks, toxic groundwater, tainted lands, struggling economies, and very ill people. Salem News, Massachusetts.
Friday, February 27, 2009.
http://www.salemnews.com/pulife/local_story_058002243.html?keyword=secondarystory
A historical cleanup. The ports of Long Beach and L.A. began collecting a $70 fee that will help pay for the biggest cleanup of shipping-related diesel pollution ever attempted. The two ports are the region's biggest single source of cancer-causing diesel pollution, and now are becoming the cleanest in the world. Long Beach Press-Telegram, California.
Friday, February 27, 2009.
http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_11795699
Clean living way to beat cancer. Over 40% of breast and bowel cancer cases in rich countries are preventable through diet, physical activity and weight control alone, experts say. BBC.
Friday, February 27, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7908675.stm
PCBs alter rat hormones, organs in two generations. A PCB mix altered reproductive hormones and organ growth in two generations of female rats that were never directly exposed to the chemicals themselves. Environmental Health News.
Friday, February 27, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/pcbs-alter-growth-in-two-generations/
Lecture educates parents about household toxins. While many parents may think a child has to ingest a chemically-treated product to glean the effects of a toxin, each of us is interacting with chemicals daily via inhalation, food and water consumption, use of consumer products and through the skin, which is the body's largest organ. Greenwich Citizen, Connecticut.
Friday, February 27, 2009.
http://www.greenwichcitizen.com/localnews/ci_11796081
Diseases and health problems associated with chemical exposures rising. Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, led by chairman Rush (D-IL), convenes a hearing to focus on the failed federal toxics program. WCSH6.com.
Thursday, February 26, 2009.
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=101203&catid=8
New electronic gadgets galore! But what should you do with the old stuff? Recycling electronics -- also known as e-cycling -- keeps harmful toxins out of the waste stream, recovers valuable materials that can be reused, conserves virgin resources, and results in lower emissions (including greenhouse gases). US Environmental Protection Agency.
Thursday, February 26, 2009.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/720588E025D20AFB85257569006B3EB6
Toxins 'R' Us. Is your lipstick laden with lead? Is your baby's bottle toxic? Most people would be surprised to learn that the cosmetics industry in the United States is largely unregulated. U.S. chemical and manufacturing industries have fought regulation. Portland Oregonian, Oregon.
Thursday, February 26, 2009.
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/02/toxins_r_us.html
Acrylamide in food not linked to breast cancer. A potentially cancer-causing chemical found in some carbohydrate-rich foods appears to not raise the risk of breast cancer, the results of a large study suggest. Reuters Health.
Thursday, February 26, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/02/25/eline/links/20090225elin002.html
U.S. considers overhaul of food safety system. Salmonella traced to a peanut plant has put the system that safeguards the nation's food supply in the spotlight again. The jumble of agencies and regulations has long been criticized--but now the idea of streamlining it has support in the president's Cabinet. All Things Considered, NPR.
Thursday, February 26, 2009.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100830170
Household toxin hit parade. What do asbestos, mercury, and heroin all have in common? Each was at some point widely distributed to the public to be breathed, taken as medicine, and absorbed casually through toys -- here's looking at you, China -- with no knowledge of their health-destroying side effects. Edmonton See Magazine, Alberta.
Thursday, February 26, 2009.
http://www.seemagazine.com/article/news/news-main/toxin0226/
Good for you, good for Earth. There are plenty of reasons to be green. Watching out for air quality, conserving natural resources, reducing waste and slowing climate change are all good motivators to be conscientious of our environment. But watching out for our planet is also good for your health. Great Falls Tribune, Montana.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090224/MT_HEALTH/902240338
Just a little alcohol a day boosts cancer risk for women. The old motto may be everything in moderation, but middle-aged women who enjoy a daily glass of alcohol should try on a new mantra if they want to lower their cancer risk, new research suggests. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090224.walcoholstudy0224/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home
EPA is told to reconsider its standards on pollutants. Bush administration standards for pollutants like soot are "contrary to law and unsupported by adequately reasoned decisionmaking," a federal appeals court said Tuesday. New York Times.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/science/earth/25air.html?_r=1
Legislators back measures on phosphorus-based fertilizers, breastfeeding. Fertilizer with phosphorus would be banned from Wisconsin lawns under a bill approved Tuesday in the state Assembly. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/40236817.html
China illegal additives still blight food. Chinese dairy products, flour, meat and other foods remain dangerously tainted with illegal additives despite a crackdown, the country's health ministry said Tuesday. Reuters Health.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/02/24/eline/links/20090224elin010.html
