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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
various dates in March, April and May 2008
various times
at six locations throughout Multnomah County, Oregon
Sponsor: Multnomah County Health Department
Join Multnomah County in learning how your health is more than health care or personal choice. Each episode of the PBS documentary Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? will sound the alarm about America's glaring socio-economic and racial inequities in health, and search for root causes. The county is asking the community, especially those who have historically been left out of decision-making, to help them understand what actions they should take to address these challenges.
Price: free and open to the public
Website: http://www.mchealth.org:80/healthequity/calendar.shtml
Contact: Health Equity Initiative, 503-988-3030 ext. 22068 or health.equity@co.multnomah.or.us
Thursday April 10, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Part one of a six-part series, the goal of this course is to enable health assessors to perform a knowledge-based preliminary evaluation of environmental radiation data that have been obtained at hazardous waste sites. Topics include structure of the atom, interactions with matter and physical units. NCEH/ATSDR staff and NCEH/ATSDR partner staff who prepare public health products or conduct community involvement/health education/health intervention activities as part of the health assessment process are invited to attend. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: unknown
Website: http://app2.erg.com/registration/course_listing.cgi
Contact: Erin Dopfel, 781-674-7229 or erin.dopfel@erg.com
Saturday and Sunday, April 12 - 13, 2008
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, 800 Convention Place
Sponsor: Global Exchange and Co-op America, plus other partners listed on the website
The City of Seattle and the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment are co-hosting this first ever Northwest green festival. Through the city's Clean and Green Seattle projects, you'll learn how neighbors, community nonprofits and city departments are working together to make their city a healthier place to live.
Price: $15 per person, $10 for seniors and students, children under 12 are free
Website: http://www.greenfestivals.org/content/view/767/390/
Contact: visit http://www.greenfestivals.org/component/option,com_contact/task,view/contact_id,11/Itemid,26/
Sunday through Wednesday, April 13 - 16, 2008
New Orleans, Louisiana
at the Center for Bioenvironmental Research, Tulane and Xavier Universities, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-3
Sponsor: Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities
Endocrine disruption is a manifestation of a larger biological issue -- that is, the complex signaling networks that exist within and between organisms. These signaling networks can be maintained or perturbed by environmental factors. At e.hormone we intend to develop the tools for a new science of environmental signaling and to invite participants to further develop the Environmental Signaling Network.
Price: see http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/eh2008/registration2008.html
Website: http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/eh.html
Contact: Center for Bioenvironmental Research, e.hormone@tulane.edu
Tuesday April 15, 2008
7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Avenue
Sponsor: Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Join Arjun Makhijani, PhD, founder and president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research for a discussion of his newest book. A recognized authority on energy issues, Dr. Makhijani has recently published Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy, the first analysis of a transition to a U.S. economy based completely on renewable energy, without any use of fossil fuels or nuclear power.
Price: The lecture is free and open to the public. A hosted reception will be held from 6:30 to 7:30; reservations are required and a $35 donation is requested.
Website: http://www.wpsr.org/
Contact: Idil Levitas, 206-547-2630 or idill@wpsr.org
Thursday April 17, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Part two of a six-part series, the goal of this course is to enable health assessors to perform a knowledge-based preliminary evaluation of environmental radiation data that have been obtained at hazardous waste sites. Topics include naturally occurring radioactive elements, radioactive decay and decay chains, and concepts of "equilibrium." NCEH/ATSDR staff and NCEH/ATSDR partner staff who prepare public health products or conduct community involvement/health education/health intervention activities as part of the health assessment process are invited to attend. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: unknown
Website: http://app2.erg.com/registration/course_listing.cgi
Contact: Erin Dopfel, 781-674-7229 or erin.dopfel@erg.com
Tuesday through Saturday, April 22 - 26, 2008
San Francisco, California
Sponsor: SF Environment, UC Berkeley Extension, EcoCity Builders, Blue Practice, Green Century and Helen and William Mazer Foundation
The International Ecocity Conference Series brings together the key innovators, decision makers, technologists, businesses and organizations shaping the conversation around ecological and sustainable city, town and village design, planning and development. We intend to put these issues on the economic and environmental agenda for 2008 and beyond: people, nature, sustainable development, economies & technologies, and incentives & support structures.
Price: see http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=130178
Website: http://www.ecocityworldsummit.org/index.htm
Contact: 510-419-0850
Thursday April 24, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Part three of a six-part series, the goal of this course is to enable health assessors to perform a knowledge-based preliminary evaluation of environmental radiation data that have been obtained at hazardous waste sites. Topics include instrumentation and radiation measurement/detection, basic statistics needed for radiation evaluation and issues associated with detection and measurements. NCEH/ATSDR staff and NCEH/ATSDR partner staff who prepare public health products or conduct community involvement/health education/health intervention activities as part of the health assessment process are invited to attend. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: unknown
Website: http://app2.erg.com/registration/course_listing.cgi
Contact: Erin Dopfel, 781-674-7229 or erin.dopfel@erg.com
Thursday April 24, 2008
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at the Doubletree Hotel-Lloyd Center, 1000 NE Multnomah
Sponsor: Oregon Environmental Council
Obesity is generally thought of as an individual problem, an offshoot of the couch-potato syndrome, in which people eat too much while exercising too little. But now scientists are asking about the ways that exposure to low levels of contaminants may predispose people to obesity. Research from an increasing number of studies suggests that minute exposures to common chemicals might pre-program people to be obesity-prone.
Price: $35, $25 for members and nonprofit or governmental agency employees
Website: http://www.oeconline.org/events
Contact: Oregon Environmental Council, 503-222-1963 or info@oeconline.org
Sunday April 27, 2008
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Greenlake PCC Natural Market classroom, 7504 Aurora Avenue North
Sponsor: Washington Action for Safe Water
Join Washington Action for Safe Water in its efforts to educate our community about the toxicity of fluoridation.
Price: unknown
Contact: Washington Action for Safe Water, safewater@comcast.net
Tuesday April 29, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
London, United Kingdom
at the Royal College of Physicians, 11 Saint Andrews Place
Sponsor: Royal College of Physicians
This conference will explore the growing UK debate on global health, with updates on communicable and chronic disease. Coming after the publication in 2007 of Lord Crisp's "Global health partnerships" and Sir Liam Donaldson's "Health is global: proposals for a government-wide strategy," the conference will discuss their impact and the latest Government initiatives. Drawing together experts from the clinical and policy worlds, it will examine the role the UK has to play through the prism of its foreign policy. The conference will offer an opportunity for people from different fields to interact in lively and informative debate.
Price: 150 GBP
Website: http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/event/details.aspx?e=1012
Contact: Dr. Michael Pelly, 020 7935 1174 x 252/300/436 conferences@rcplondon.ac.uk
Wednesday April 30, 2008
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Lynnwood, Washington
at the Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th Street Southwest
Sponsor: The Breast Cancer Fund and the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington
Instructors Sandra Steingraber, PhD, and Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, will present an in-depth look at the links between toxic chemicals in our environment, breastfeeding and breast cancer. This conference is intended for physicians, nurses, lactation consultants, registered dieticians, and other health professionals. Online registration for this conference ends on Monday April 21st.
Price: physicians $100, others $85, luncheon only $30
Website: http://www.breastcancerfund.org/lookingupstream
Contact: Pam Tazioli, 206-524-4405 or pamela@breastcancerfund.org
Thursday May 1, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Part four of a six-part series, the goal of this course is to enable health assessors to perform a knowledge-based preliminary evaluation of environmental radiation data that have been obtained at hazardous waste sites. Topics include terminology and the concepts of radiation exposure, radiation dose, critical organ and external and internal dosimetry models. NCEH/ATSDR staff and NCEH/ATSDR partner staff who prepare public health products or conduct community involvement/health education/health intervention activities as part of the health assessment process are invited to attend. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: unknown
Website: http://app2.erg.com/registration/course_listing.cgi
Contact: Erin Dopfel, 781-674-7229 or erin.dopfel@erg.com
Thursday May 1, 2008
3:30 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the University of Washington School of Public Health, Hogness Auditorium, A-420 Health Sciences
Sponsor: Dean's Office, School of Public Health
David Cay Johnston will deliver this 2008 Stephen Stewart Gloyd Endowed Lecture. Mr. Johnston's latest book is titled "Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You With the Bill)." He also wrote the 2004 best seller "Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich--and Cheat Everybody Else."
Price: unknown
Website: http://apps.sphcm.washington.edu/envhlth/cal/cal.asp?mo=5&dd=All+Days&yr=2008&calendar=envhlth
Contact: Holly Weese, 206-685-6643
Thursday May 8, 2008
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Sponsor: Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Research
Numerous questions exist regarding the health effects, heterogeneity, composition and sources of PM10-2.5 characteristic of specific locations and comparisons between locations, especially rural versus urban areas. EPA's National Center for Environmental Research, Science To Achieve Results (STAR) grantees will meet to discuss research plans, methods and early results with scientists from EPA, state agencies, other Federal agencies and industry. The workshop will be open to the public.
Price: unknown
Website: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/events/#may08
Contact: Sherri W. Hunt, 202-343-9644 or hunt.sherri@epa.gov
Thursday May 8, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Part five of a six-part series, the goal of this course is to enable health assessors to perform a knowledge-based preliminary evaluation of environmental radiation data that have been obtained at hazardous waste sites. Topics include typical environmental concentrations of radioactive materials, common materials that may contain radioactive elements and environmental pathway analyses. NCEH/ATSDR staff and NCEH/ATSDR partner staff who prepare public health products or conduct community involvement/health education/health intervention activities as part of the health assessment process are invited to attend. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: unknown
Website: http://app2.erg.com/registration/course_listing.cgi
Contact: Erin Dopfel, 781-674-7229 or erin.dopfel@erg.com
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Members. The Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment welcomes these new members:
For a searchable database with a wealth of information about PCHE members, please visit the PCHE website: http://www.partnersforchildren.org/members.html
National Public Health Week. This week, the American Public Health Association leads National Public Health Week. This year's theme is "Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance."
http://www.nphw.org/nphw08/default.htm
National Children's Study Request for Proposals. The National Children's Study has issued of a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for additional Study Centers. The study plans to establish another wave of new Study locations and Centers across the country and is soliciting proposals by interested organizations to serve as Study Centers. Proposals are due May 2, 2008.
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NICHD/Reference-Number-NIH-NICHD-NCS-08-21/listing.html
National Healthy Schools Day. On April 28th, schools, parents, personnel, advocates and agencies nationwide will work to promote healthy and green school environments for all children. National Healthy Schools Day is the first day of School Building Week, April 30 through May 4th. More information, including a list of national and state-based events, is available from CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust.
http://sbw.cefpifoundation.org/
EPA Smart Growth Request for Application. The 2008 Request for Applications for Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) is now open through May 8, 2008. This annual, competitive solicitation is open to state, local, regional and tribal governments (and nonprofits that have partnered with a governmental entity) that want to incorporate smart growth techniques into their future development.
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm
EPA Brownfields Request for Applications. EPA announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities and nonprofit organizations to provide training, research and technical assistance to communities facing brownfield cleanup and redevelopment challenges. EPA is interested in projects in the areas of protection of human heath and the environment, sustainable development and equitable development. The proposal deadline is May 1, 2008.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/trta.htm
EPA Seeks Public Comment on Possible Drinking Water Contaminants. EPA is asking for public comment on a list of 104 possible drinking water contaminants that may need to be regulated. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA includes on the draft Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) currently unregulated contaminants that are known to occur in public water systems and which may require regulation. This draft CCL lists 93 chemical contaminants or groups and 11 microbes and describes the process and basis for selecting these contaminants.
http://epa.gov/aging/press/epanews/2008/2008_0220_1.htm
Request for Proposals. EPA is making available approximately $500,000 for Tribal Lead Grants, Tribal Educational Outreach on Lead Poisoning and Baseline Assessment of Tribal Children's Existing and Potential Exposure and Risks Associated with Lead. EPA is accepting grant proposals from Federally-recognized Indian tribes and tribal consortia to support Tribal educational outreach and to conduct a baseline assessment of Tribal children's existing and potential exposure to lead-based paint and related lead-based paint hazards. The closing date for applicants to submit proposals under this announcement is April 21, 2008. Applicants can apply via mail or online: http://www.grants.gov
http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/rfp030608.pdf
Health Disparities Funding Opportunity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) on "Elimination of Health Disparities through Translation Research (R18)".
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/CD08-001.htm
Lead levels in children's jewelry match those of car batteries. Six out of 10 children's jewelry items for sale in Canada tested at the government's product safety laboratory in the last two years had dangerous and illegal levels of lead -- some with levels comparable to car batteries made of almost pure lead. CanWest News, Canada, 8 April 2008.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=5c0f67cd-25eb-4602-bd31-c6f18f44374a&k=43026
Tranquillisers putting children's lives at risk. New evidence has shown children's lives are being put at risk by a surge in the use of controversial tranquillising drugs which are being prescribed to control their behaviour, the Guardian has learned. London Guardian, England, 8 April 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/07/mentalhealth.drugs
Babies gain weight with less sleep. Infants and toddlers who slept fewer than 12 hours in a 24-hour period were twice as likely to be overweight than longer sleepers by the time they're 3 years old, a study showed Monday. USA Today, 8 April 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-07-sleep-weight_N.htm
Probe urged after News finds toxin in school buildings. Politicians, parents and teachers demanded an immediate response Monday to the Daily News' revelation that toxins lurk in the caulking at dozens of city schools. New York Daily News, New York, 8 April 2008.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2008/04/08/2008-04-08_probe_urged_after_news_finds_toxin_in_sc.html
[Editor's note: see an opposing view at http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=4&aid=80256 ]
Government sued after approving 4 pesticides. Environmental and farmworker advocates have sued the Bush administration for allowing the continued use of four pesticides, saying it brushed aside its own findings showing danger to workers, children and wildlife. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 8 April 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/08/BA6P101C4R.DTL
Anti-mercury steps sought. The Board of Public Works on Thursday evening will consider amending the city's current code on sewer use to include a mercury minimization program. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 8 April 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=736693
Scientists warn of nuclear war's dire effects. A team of U.S. experts warns that even a limited nuclear war between India and Pakistan could cause a near-global threat to the Earth's atmosphere and the human life it protects. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 8 April 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/08/MN6D1005GM.DTL&type=science
Teenage tanners 'increase skin cancer risk by 75% with sunbeds.' Young people who use sunbeds are increasing their risk of life-threatening skin cancer by up to 75 per cent, Cancer Research UK has warned. London Times, England, 8 April 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article3705630.ece
Living the toxin-free life. There are plastic baby bottles that leach chemicals, lotions and fragrances with toxins that can enter the bloodstream and disrupt enzymes, and household cleaning products that sanitize but can cause health problems. Attleboro Sun Chronicle, Massachusetts, 8 April 2008.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2008/04/08/features/2989676.txt
Poor left out of environmental loop. When you're struggling with bills, the last thing on your mind is global warming or your carbon footprint. But those with low incomes will be most affected by climate change, and are often the least informed. Albany Times Union, New York, 7 April 2008.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=678647&category=REGION&newsdate=4/7/2008
Drug errors hurt children at higher rate. Medicine mix-ups, accidental overdoses and bad drug reactions harm roughly one out of 15 hospitalized children, according to the first scientific test of a new detection method. Associated Press, 7 April 2008.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.errors07apr07,0,3018205.story
Time to update environmental regulations. Should public health standards for endocrine-disrupting compounds be based upon sixteenth century dogma or modern endocrinology? San Francisco Medicine, 7 April 2008.
http://www.sfms.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=2506&SECTION=Article_Archives
Toxins teeming in the workplace. Suffering from fatigue, headaches, nausea, dry cough or eye, nose or throat irritation? Your workplace may be to blame. Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Oklahoma, 7 April 2008.
http://newsok.com/article/3225659/1207504885
Health problems reported after aerial spraying. Hundreds of families in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties reported health problems last year after an aerial spray of pesticides containing synthetic insect pheromones in a campaign to eradicate the light brown apple moth. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 7 April 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/06/MNROVUMES.DTL&type=health
Cantwell blasts old mining law. Dawn Mining stopped mining in 1984, but environmental and health consequences at the Spokane Indian Reservation remain. Now, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. is helping through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Indian Country Today, 7 April 2008.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416961
Early findings on air pollution's effects on brain cause concern. Hundreds of studies have linked air pollution to early deaths, heart attacks, reduced lung function, lung cancer and other health problems. Now, scientists are finding out what it does to people's brains. Riverside Press-Enterprise, California, 6 April 2008.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_brain07.34fc63e.html
Parents want to know if they can solve behavior problems with diet. Using diet modification to treat a child's behavior problems has been popular and controversial since the 1920s, though there is very little proof of long-lasting results. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 6 April 2008.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/357840_nohle07.html
'Toxic trailers' raise fears about RVs. Air quality advocates say ordinary camper trailers and motorized recreational vehicles can be unhealthy because no federal or state agency attempts to bar manufacturers from using materials containing formaldehyde. Indianapolis Star, Indiana, 6 April 2008.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/LOCAL/804060353/1003/BUSINESS
Climate change: Dangerous to your health? Doctors have warned of disastrous health outcomes over the next 10 years, particularly among children and the elderly, unless greater action is taken on climate change. Australian Associated Press, 6 April 2008.
http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/04/06/CLIMATE_CHANGE_Dangerous_to_your_health
[Editor's note: see a related article highlighting a statement from the Ontario College of Family Physicians: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=976452 ]
Mattress eco-matters: don't take it lying down. Your mattress might be an environmental nightmare. Washington Post, 6 April 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/03/AR2008040303081.html
Tainted medicine. Financial conflicts of interest are raising some upsetting questions about the trustworthiness of research. Los Angeles Times, California, 6 April 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-kassirer6apr06,0,6496536.story
Teflon toxin found in W.Va. residents. Thousands of residents who live near a DuPont Co. plant in Parkersburg, W. Va., have elevated levels of a chemical used to make the nonstick coating Teflon, according to early results from a massive screening. Wilmington News Journal, Delaware, 6 April 2008.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/NEWS08/804060354
Organic compound in household products may make human breast cells cancerous. Researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute found that Bisphenol A makes normal, non-cancerous human breast cells express genes characteristic of aggressive breast cancer cells. Asian News International, South Asia, 6 April 2008.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/230222.php/Organic-compound-in-household-products-may-make-human-breast-cells-cancerous
The war on lead. Lead is a quiet threat both before and after it comes in contact with people. Chipping paint or dust may not be readily noticed and the side effects of lead poisoning do not show up right away. Marshalltown Times-Republican, Iowa, 6 April 2008.
http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/504773.html?nav=5005
Food additives 'could be as damaging as lead in petrol.' Artificial food colours are set to be removed from hundreds of products after a team of university researchers warned they were doing as much damage to children's brains as lead in petrol. London Independent, England, 5 April 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/food-additives-could-be-as-damaging-as-lead-in-petrol-804890.html
Judge sides with industry in air-quality case. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has slapped down efforts by the state Department of Environmental Quality to enact new regulations of hazardous air pollutants. Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Arizona, 5 April 2008.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/232964
Weeding out toxic pesticides. The Greenwich Board of Selectmen is considering banning pesticide applications on school grounds, athletic fields and parks. Greenwich Citizen, Connecticut, 5 April 2008.
http://www.greenwichcitizen.com/localnews/ci_8798892
Green clean: Chemical concern grows, so do 'friendly' products. The household cleaning products aisle of the grocery store presents a dizzying array of choices … and some scary-sounding possibilities, if you read the fine print. Davenport Quad-City Times, Iowa, 5 April 2008.
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/04/05/features/home_garden/doc47f69731c08af854658680.txt
International community should raise voice against use of Depleted Uranium: Justice Jain. The international community and all citizens of the world must raise a unified voice against the future use of depleted uranium and force those nations that have used depleted uranium munitions to recognize the immoral consequences of their actions and assume responsibility for medical care and thorough environmental remediation, appealed Justice Vijender Jain, Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court. Punjab Newsline, India, 5 April 2008.
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/9726/38/
Smoking ban bill wins final approval. Maine's law, which will take effect 90 days after this spring's legislative session ends, will outlaw smoking in cars in which youths under 16 are present. Associated Press, 5 April 2008.
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=162537&zoneid=500
What are these chemicals and what do they do? According to the EPA, the air we breathe inside our homes could be up to five times as polluted as the air outside. Davenport Quad-City Times, Iowa, 5 April 2008.
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/04/04/features/home_garden/doc47f6966868503319100311.txt
Mexico City bans smoking in all public places. Mexico City today banned cigarette smoking in all public places, from bars to office buildings, to reduce the amount of carcinogens inhaled by residents of the smog-filled capital. Reuters, 4 April 2008.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=6cdbb7f1-efd3-47ef-93fc-2728bf4d541e&k=39077
Global warming raises malaria, cancer risk in U.K. Global warming will bring added health risks to the U.K., including the possibility of malaria infections and higher cancer rates, the British Medical Association said. Bloomberg News, 4 April 2008.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a68vO2Bt5hds&refer=latin_america
Bike helmets do more harm than good. A controversial verdict of a new evaluation of cycle helmets concludes that they are "detrimental to public health in Australia." Sydney Australian, Australia, 4 April 2008.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23481766-23289,00.html
Medical study finds PCBs problems in east Alabama city. A study of more than 1,000 east Alabama residents who live amid one of the world's worst pockets of PCBs contamination found health concerns including heart problems and diabetes could be linked to the chemical. Associated Press, 3 April 2008.
http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-35/1207158858220450.xml&storylist=alabamanews
Vets 'at risk from miscarriage.' Female vets over-exposed to the anaesthetics, X-rays and pesticides they use could be raising their chances of miscarriage, research suggests. BBC, UK, 3 April 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7326459.stm
Toxic fumes, blisters and brain damage : The cost of doing business? After years living near the largest industrial farm in New York, residents' health symptoms take on national relevance as the EPA prepares to roll back air-pollution reporting requirements for industrial animal farms. Ithaca Times, New York, 3 April 2008.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19446417&BRD=1395&PAG=461&dept_id=216620&rfi=6
Gadget recycling may be poisoning China's children. Think about this next time you upgrade your PC: toxic metals from old electronic goods are finding their way into school grounds in China. New Scientist, England, 3 April 2008.
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19826505.700-gadget-recycling-may-be-poisoning-chinas-children.html
Lawmaker seeks ban on thimerosal. Joining a wave of concern over the use of mercury-based preservatives in vaccines, Rep. J. Russell Jackson (D-Newport) has introduced legislation that would ban the use of thimerosal in childhood vaccines. Newport This Week, Rhode Island, 3 April 2008.
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/314756571165212.php
California Democrats push bills to fight spread of autism. Undeterred by the state's budget woes, Democratic lawmakers Wednesday unveiled eight bills to address the dramatic rise in diagnosis of children with autism. Sacramento Bee, California, 3 April 2008.
http://www.sacbee.com/health/story/832784.html
Heat on flavoured cigarettes. Health Minister Nicola Roxon has slammed tobacco companies for targeting children by adding chocolate, vanilla and licorice flavours to cigarettes and has put a national ban on the agenda. Sydney Australian, Australia, 3 April 2008.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23475212-23289,00.html
Breast cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals: An appraisal of the scientific evidence. Overwhelming evidence shows that exposures to natural and pharmaceutical estrogens are strong determinants of breast cancer risks. ChemTrust, Health and Environment Alliance, 2 April 2008.
http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=69
[Editor's note: see a related article at http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/avoiding-chemical-exposure-way-halt-breast-cancer/article-171326 ]
Kids' health and IQ could improve with congestion pricing plan. Not only would there be less pollution, but asthma, heart disease and even kids' IQs could improve under the NY congestion pricing plan, experts say. New York Daily News, New York, 2 April 2008.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/04/02/2008-04-02_kids_health_and_iq_could_improve_with_co.html
Gregoire signs nation's toughest toy safety measure. Toy safety rules that started as a strong sprint, then nearly stumbled out of the race, finally wobbled across the finish line Tuesday when Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law the toughest standards in the nation. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 2 April 2008.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/357287_toys02.html?source=mypi
FEMA trailer hazard precipitates new study. Accused of taking months to correct a misleading report about the possible health risks of formaldehyde in FEMA trailers, a government agency has announced a five-year study of Gulf Coast children to determine the long-term effects of exposure. Newhouse News Service, 2 April 2008.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/120712514418500.xml&coll=2
Mom's fish intake may boost child's brain power. Preschoolers whose mothers regularly ate low-mercury fish during pregnancy may have sharper minds than their peers, a study suggests. Reuters, 2 April 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL16678020080401
EPA rule seeks to shield children from lead paint. Contractors renovating U.S. homes built before 1978 must take special precautions to avoid exposing children to lead paint under a regulation announced Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency. Los Angeles Times, California, 1 April 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-fi-lead1apr01,1,5658295.story
Preventing lead poisoning a serious business for governments. Cleveland is one of the worst cities in the country when it comes to the percentage of children with high levels of lead in their blood. Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio, 1 April 2008.
http://blog.cleveland.com/lifestyles/2008/04/preventing_lead_poisoning_a_se.html
Autism's simmering controversy. This month, federal officials conceded that 9-year-old Hannah Poling of Athens, Ga., should be awarded damages from a federal vaccine-injury fund because vaccines worsened a rare mitochondrial dysfunction. This, they said, led to autism-like symptoms. Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky, 31 March 2008.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/NEWS01/803310418&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
Why eating just one sausage a day raises your cancer risk by 20 percent. One sausage a day can significantly raise the risk of bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, experts have warned. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 31 March 2008.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=550729&in_page_id=1774
Group shares stories, warnings about asbestos poisoning. Andrew Manuel's seemingly benign back pain turned out to be something far more sinister, and within two years, the married father of three shed 65 pounds, underwent surgery to have a lung removed and endured chemotherapy and radiation to no avail. He died at 42 of mesothelioma. Detroit Free Press, Michigan, 31 March 2008.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080330/NEWS05/80330041/1007
Mobile phones 'more dangerous than smoking.' Mobile phones could kill far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded. London Independent, England, 30 March 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/mobile-phones-more-dangerous-than-smoking-802602.html
[Editor's note: See an opposing point of view at http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=440019 ]
WA monitoring stations keep an eye on pesticide drift. At secret locations near orchards in the Yakima Valley, scientists have set up air-monitoring stations to try to find out if dangerous levels of pesticides are drifting near homes, schools or day care centers, threatening public health. Yakima Herald Republic, Washington, 30 March 2008.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2766
EPA drops ball on danger of chemicals to children. Like many parents, New Berlin mom Becky Fisco figures that if the chemicals sprayed on crib mattresses could make her 5-month-old baby sick, government regulators would warn her about it. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 30 March 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=733566
Event discloses high toxin levels in children's toys. The handheld device resembled a price scanner, but after it zapped his son's Fisher Price roller vacuum toy, sticker shock wasn't what upset state Sen. Bob Duff. Stamford Advocate, Connecticut, 30 March 2008.
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_8745729
Baby rice warning: study finds high levels of carcinogenic arsenic. A third of baby food rice on sale in the UK tested by scientists has been found to contain so much inorganic arsenic, a human carcinogen, that it would be illegal in some countries. London Independent, England, 30 March 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/baby-rice-warning-study-finds-high-levels-of-carcinogenic-arsenic-802603.html
Schools look to clean up buses' belching. Proactive Georgia school districts have begun working to minimize the impact of school buses that belch pollutants, observers and officials say, and federal money might be in the offing for some of the projects. Jacksonville Times-Union, Florida, 29 March 2008.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/032908/geo_262782899.shtml
Dad's hidden influence. Growing evidence suggests that a father's age and his exposure to chemicals can leave a medical legacy that lasts generations. Science News, 29 March 2008.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080329/bob9.asp
Climate change may boost health risks. Scientists expect the average yearly temperature in Washington to rise one degree Fahrenheit every 10 years, and the climate change will have massive impacts on health. Longview Daily News, Washington, 29 March 2008.
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/28/area_news/10177406.txt
Pesticide Parkinson's link strong. There is strong evidence that exposure to pesticides significantly increases the risk of Parkinson's disease, experts believe. BBC, UK, 29 March 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7318188.stm
Hormone worries halt plastic baby bottle sales. Canadian retailers have begun pulling plastic baby bottles containing bisphenol A from their shelves as demand dries up from health-conscious customers. CanWest News, Canada, 29 March 2008.
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/national/story.html?id=a01217f0-6fcd-4f07-b333-d80ccc90a4e9
Moving reserve discussed. Leaving behind the toxic air the polluted water at the Aamjiwnaang First Nation reserve in the heart of Chemical Valley sometimes looks easier to Ada Lockridge than fighting government and industry to clean it up. Sarnia Observer, Ontario, 28 March 2008.
http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=960651
Ban fast food in schools, says WHO expert. A visiting expert from the World Health Organisation has called for a blanket ban on fast food in school campuses to save the younger generations all over the world from the danger of obesity and diabetes. Doha Peninsula, Qatar, 28 March 2008.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=March2008&file=Local_News200803288425.xml
Possible suicide link prompts FDA to probe Merck asthma drug. The Food and Drug Administration said it is investigating a possible association between the widely used asthma medication Singulair and behavioral changes, including suicide. Wall Street Journal, 28 March 2008.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120663164096268731.html
Six baby cough medicines pulled. Cough remedies aimed at very young children are to be removed from shelves amid fears of accidental overdose. The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has ordered six products be permanently removed from sale for children aged under two. BBC, UK, 27 March 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7315924.stm
UK researcher raises 'red flag' on new drugs. A University of Kentucky researcher is suggesting that drugs being developed based on a Nobel Prize-winning genetic breakthrough may have dangerous side effects -- casting doubt on a research area attracting billions of drug company dollars. Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky, 27 March 2008.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/NEWS01/803270448
Garden hoses' safety. "Warning: This hose contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. Wash hands after use." Santa Barbara Independent, California, 27 March 2008.
http://www.independent.com/news/2008/mar/27/garden-hoses-safety/
PBS to air study on link between money, health. If you tell Dr. Anthony Iton where you live and how much money you make, he'll tell you how long you're likely to live. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 27 March 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/26/BUC0VPO45.DTL
Gadgets can contain banned chemical. The sex-toy industry is like a bad pet owner who lets their dog chew on toxic toys. Edmonton Journal, Canada, 27 March 2008.
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/reallife/story.html?id=ba363f57-39d6-4337-b65d-a5cadad0b014
Environmentalists seek formaldehyde exposure limit. Environmental activists are urging EPA to set a national standard limiting the amount of formaldehyde that can be released by wood products used in homes. Chemical & Engineering News, 26 March 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i13/8613news6.html
Study: Premature birth has lingering effects. Being born prematurely can cause health problems that haunt people into adulthood and even affect their own children, a study shows. USA Today, 26 March 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-25-premature-birth_N.htm
Hair dyes found to increase cancer risk. Hairdressers and barbers are at increased risk of developing cancer -- because of their use of hair dyes. And the risks could extend to personal use of the dyes, according to international experts. London Independent, England, 26 March 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/hair-dyes-found-to-increase-cancer-risk-800458.html
WVU study finds health risks higher in coalfields. New research from West Virginia University concludes that people who live in Appalachia's coalfields are far more likely to have chronic heart, lung and kidney problems. Associated Press, 26 March 2008.
http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/357343.html
Little action seen so far to fix the water supply. Traces of 56 human and veterinary pharmaceuticals or their byproducts -- like the active ingredients in medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems -- have been detected in Philadelphia's drinking water. Associated Press, 26 March 2008.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080326/FEATURES14/803260305/1028/FEATURES14
Mining poses threat to women's health. Hard to believe, but a recent study revealed that the average life span of women in East Parej coal field is 45 years. Calcutta Telegraph, India, 26 March 2008.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080326/jsp/jharkhand/story_9057781.jsp
