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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
The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI), a national working group of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, invites you to sign our newly-drafted policy consensus statement on environmental agents associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. This policy statement is based on the scientific consensus statement that LDDI published earlier this year and details specific policy initiatives to be taken to protect children from exposures that may contribute to learning and developmental disabilities and autism.
To sign the statement, you need to provide your name, credentials and affiliation (please note that we request signers who have a stated organizational affiliation). The policy statement, the scientific statement, and the signature form for the policy statement are all available on the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html Signatures are requested by Monday September 1st.
If you have any questions regarding the statement, please contact primary author Steve Gilbert, PhD, DABT, at sgilbert@innd.org or Nancy Snow, MS, at nsnow@iceh.org. Thank you for considering signing.
Thursday and Friday, August 14 - 15, 2008
Arlington, Virginia
at The Performance Institute, 151 North Courthouse Road
Sponsor: The Performance Institute
This conference will focus on creating a plan of action to make your office green and to improve environmental excellence in government agencies. This event is for facility and building managers at all levels of government.
Price: $995, group discounts are available.
Website: http://www.performanceweb.org/CENTERS/EN/Events/E112/
Contact: The Performance Institute, 703-894-0481 or info@PerformanceWeb.org
Wednesday August 20, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Pasadena, California
at the Courtyard Marriott, 180 North Fair Oaks Avenue
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center (NWETC)
This course provides participants with an overview of key chemistry concepts associated with environmental contamination and provides a foundation for understanding contaminant transport and fate. This material is intended for environmental professionals who are not chemists but who require a fundamental understanding of chemistry principles for their work. This course is recommended for all environmental professionals working with contaminated soil and water with minimal formal training in the subject. It is also recommended for project managers seeking a review of the subject. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $250, $195 reduced tuition is available to those who qualify.
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/chem-403a_08-08_pasadena.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Thursday and Friday, August 21 - 22, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days
Pasadena, California
at the Courtyard Marriott, 180 North Fair Oaks Avenue
Sponsor: The Northwest Environmental Training Center
This course provides participants with an overview of key concepts essential to understanding environmental contamination and provides a fundamental understanding of the release and transport of chemicals in soil and groundwater. This material is intended for environmental professionals who are not chemists, but who require a fundamental understanding of contaminant behavior and monitoring parameters for their work. This course is recommended for all environmental professionals working with contaminated soil and water with minimal formal training in this subject. The course material will greatly enhance on-the-job training. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $495, $395 reduced tuition is available to those who qualify
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/chem-403b_08-08_pasadena.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976 or rsobol@nwetc.org
Monday August 25, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Oakland, California
at the Washington Inn, 495 10th Street
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center (NWETC)
This course provides participants with an overview of key chemistry concepts associated with environmental contamination and provides a foundation for understanding contaminant transport and fate. This material is intended for environmental professionals who are not chemists but who require a fundamental understanding of chemistry principles for their work. This course is recommended for all environmental professionals working with contaminated soil and water with minimal formal training in the subject. It is also recommended for project managers seeking a review of the subject. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $250, $195 reduced tuition is available to those who qualify.
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/chem-403a_08-08_oakland.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Tuesday August 26, 2008
noon - 1:00 p.m. Pacific time
Sponsor: University of Washington Northwest Center for Public Health Practice
The presenter will be Mack Sewell, DrPH, MS, state epidemiologist with the New Mexico Department of Health Office of Epidemiology.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.nwcphp.org/training/hot-topics
Wednesday August 27, 2008
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Easters time
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency
Participants will learn about the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Awards Program, how to translate your successful IAQ management program into an award winning model, and the process and components of previous award-winning applications. Speakers will be Jennifer Lemon of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division, and Past IAQ TfS award-winning programs.
Price: free
Website: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/591975066
Wednesday through Thursday, September 3 - 4, 2008
Columbus, Ohio
at the Crowne Plaza North Hotel
Sponsor: The National Association for the Dually Diagnosed (NADD) and others; for the full list see the website below.
At the completion of this conference, participants will be able to identify specific areas of pharmacologic management in which to use caution in a person with a dual diagnosis, describe the relationship between aggression and psychiatric illness in people with ASD and IDs, and much more. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: see http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/090308/register.shtml
Website: http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/090308/index.shtml
Contact: Lisa Christie, lchristie@thenadd.org
Tuesday September 9, 2008
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: The John Merck Fund through the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Environmental Health Initiative
Dr. Elizabeth A. Guillette will review pesticides and their action and suggested impacts on adults. She will then focus on the impacts on the neuromuscular and neuromental deficits found in the Yaqui Valley children and the meaning of these impacts to society.
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, Laura@aaidd.org
Monday September 8, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at Powell's downtown bookstore
Sponsor: Powell's Books
Join author Nena Baker for this book reading. In The Body Toxic, investigative journalist Nena Baker explores the many factors that have given rise to the dizzying array of chemical contaminants we are exposed to -- from manufacturing breakthroughs to policy decisions to political pressure to the demands of popular culture. While chemical advances have helped raise our standard of living, making our lives easier and safer in many ways, there are costs to these conveniences that chemical companies would rather consumers never knew about. Baker draws back the curtain on this untold impact and assesses where we go from here.
Price: free
Website: http://www.thebodytoxic.com/events.html
Wednesday September 10, 2008
8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Arlington, Virginia
The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes Street
Sponsor: McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (MLA), TSGE and Chemical Watch
The sponsors will present a day-long program designed for US companies confronting the complex regulatory requirements and business impacts of REACH. This timely, first-of-its-kind program will address the most critical implementation issues, including those that have emerged since the Pre-registration window opened in June 2008, and will examine how REACH may be causing market-access and supply-chain disruptions and, in turn, erecting significant barriers to trade. We will also focus on emerging TSCA legislative reform measures that, if enacted, would create a REACH-style system of chemicals management in the United States.
Price: $400
Website: http://www.reach-usa.com/
Contact: Bob Matthews, rmatthews@mckennalong.com
Thursday and Friday, September 11 - 12, 2008
Sacramento, California
at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1209 L Street
Sponsor: The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and many others. For a complete list see http://www.chps.net/greentools/sponsor.htm
This is a training event for professionals interested in creating healthy, environmentally-responsible schools. This year, the conference will focus on climate change, high-performance-school policy and existing schools. We call these The Big Three: the three largest challenges to the goal of creating healthy schools on a healthy planet. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: see http://www.chps.net/greentools/register.htm
Website: http://www.chps.net/greentools/index.htm
Contact: The Collaborative for High Performance Schools, 415-957-9888
Thursday through Tuesday, September 11 - 16, 2008
Toronto, Ontario Canada
at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen Street West
Sponsor: American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and American Association of Poison Control Centers
The annual conference provides an opportunity for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and scientists from around the world to participate in the sharing of knowledge on a wide variety of issues in clinical toxicology. In addition, there will be multiple original research papers presented and a number of symposia, as well as other traditional and novel continuing-education sessions. General objectives and symposia include identifying the risks and treatments of occupational and environmental hazards to humans, ethical dilemmas in toxicology, case studies in maternal-fetal toxicology, and more.
Price: see http://www.clintox.org/Documents/08_NACCT_Brochure.pdf
Website: http://www.clintox.org/
Contact: Contemporary Forums Conference Management, 800-377-7707
Friday September 12, 2008
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at the World Trade Center
Sponsor: Environmental Law Education Center
Topics include 1) federal & state policies & laws addressing toxics, 2) proposed legislation for the 2009 legislative session, 3) municipalities' responses, 4) water quality standards & fish consumption, 5) comprehensive chemical reform, 6) pesticides & pharmaceuticals, 7) recent research on toxics & public health, and 8) what approach should we take in addressing toxics?
Price: $450 early registration through August 29th, $495 after, with discounts for government and nonprofits
Website: http://www.elecenter.com/agenda_2008-09-12.htm
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
Job opening, Portland, Oregon. The Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) is seeking a community outreach manager to lead a variety of outreach projects that help individuals live green and to assist their program staff in mobilizing the public in support of public policies that protect the environment. The primary area of focus will be a suite a projects that help parents and caregivers protect children from exposures to toxic pollution. In addition, this position will build OEC's citizen activist networks and organize citizens in support of legislation that slows global warming and reduces toxins in our environment. Future outreach projects may support OEC's other strategic goals. Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and an example of a communication piece you have developed by September 3rd.
http://www.oeconline.org/about-us/jobs
New Continuing Education modules from ATSDR. The United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has issued four new continuing education modules to increase the primary care provider's knowledge of hazardous substances in the environment and to aid in the evaluation of potentially exposed patients. Continuing medical education (CME) for physicians, continuing nursing education (CNE) for nurses, continuing education units (CEU) for other professionals, and continuing education contact hours (CECH) for certified health education specialists (CHES) are offered in support of this series. The four new topics are 1) Beryllium Toxicity, 2) Cadmium Toxicity, 3) Tetrachloroethylene Toxicity, and 4) Taking an Exposure History.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.html
EPA's National Fish Advisory Program website. The new Fish Kids website uses interactive stories and games to teach kids from eight to 12 years of age about contaminants in fish and fish advisories.
http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories/kids
Nominations sought for the Board of Scientific Counselors. The National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCEH/ATSDR) of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is soliciting nominations for possible membership to its Board of Scientific Counselors. This Board provides advice and guidance to the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the director of the CDC and the director of NCEH/ATSDR, regarding program goals, objectives, strategies and priorities in fulfillment of the agencies' mission to protect and promote people's health. The Board provides advice and guidance to help NCEH/ATSDR work more efficiently and effectively with its various constituents and to fulfill its mission in protecting America's health. Nominees will be selected from experts having experience in preventing human diseases and disabilities caused by environmental conditions. Experts in the disciplines of toxicology, epidemiology, environmental or occupational medicine, behavioral science, risk assessment, exposure assessment, and experts in public health and other related disciplines will be considered. Consideration is given to representation from diverse geographic areas, gender, ethnic and minority groups, and the disabled. Members may be invited to serve up to four-year terms. Nominees must be US citizens. he following information must be submitted for each candidate: name, affiliation, address, telephone number, and current curriculum vitae. E-mail addresses are requested if available. Nominations should be sent, in writing, and postmarked by October 31, 2008, to Sandra Malcom, Committee Management Specialist, NCEH/ ATSDR, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway (MS-F61), Chamblee, Georgia 30341. Telephone and facsimile submissions cannot be accepted.
New funding opportunity from EPA's Global Change Research Program. The US Environmental Protection Agency's Global Change Research Program is seeking applications proposing research to better understand the interactions of climate change, air pollution regulatory programs, greenhouse gas mitigation policies, and efforts to adapt to a changing climate, and how these interactions affect air quality.
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2008/2008_star_adaptation.html#Synopsis
Wood may be cheap, but cost to air quality may be high. With heating oil prices rising, more residents are turning to wood as a primary heat source for the winter ahead. While wood may be cheap, the cost in air quality may be high. North Andover Eagle Tribune, Massachusetts, 12 August 2008.
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_225024820.html
Lead may lurk in backyard gardens. As backyard vegetable gardens undergo a renaissance, environmental officials and scientists are warning homeowners to be careful before planting: There might be lead in the soil. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 11 August 2008.
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/08/11/lead_may_lurk_in_backyard_gardens/
Lejeune water contamination bill could force EPA to establish standard. A bill prompted by water contamination at Camp Lejeune could force the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a public water standard to limit trichloroethylene (TCE). Jacksonville Daily News, North Carolina, 11 August 2008.
http://www.jdnews.com/news/water_58714___article.html/bill_tce.html
Dow's dioxins. Two rivers downstream of Dow Chemical's plant in Midland, Mich., are polluted with dioxins. Dow has cleanup work to be done. Everyone agrees on that. But not much else. This saga of pollution, politics, and struggle over cleanup has nationwide implications. Chemical & Engineering News, 11 August 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/86/8632cover.html
Industry fights effort to ban baby product chemical. State officials and scientists are criticizing a chemical-industry campaign, saying its ads are misleading and designed to scare consumers into keeping products that could harm children on the market. Orange County Register, California, 10 August 2008.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bpa-products-chemical-2120038-food-safe
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome a largely overlooked problem. It is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects in the US. Researchers estimate that one in 100 children may be affected by some type of the disorder, making it more common than autism. Frederick News-Post, Maryland, 10 August 2008.
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=78626
Mercury in the Great Salt Lake is studied. The Great Salt Lake is so briny that swimmers bob in the water like corks. And, for reasons scientists cannot explain, it is heavily laden with toxic mercury. Associated Press, 9 August 2008.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hmurb7fDc-FqPFQV_JMjLXLU4hswD92EA1FO0
No matter what flame retardant is used, it shows up in the environment. Another chapter has been added to the troubled history of flame retardants. The latest compounds used to reduce the risk of fire have been found in household dust for the first time. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 9 August 2008.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080809.ZOE09//TPStory/Environment
Clean home could give child asthma. A study suggests that women who clean vigorously during pregnancy and when their children are young may be leaving them more vulnerable to asthma. London Daily Express, United Kingdom, 8 August 2008.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/55994/Clean-home-could-give-child-asthma
Controversial autism treatment. Parents looking for help for their autistic children are calling on researchers to test an unproven and controversial new treatment option, "chelation," which helps flush metals, including lead, out of the body. Sioux Falls KELO TV, South Dakota, 8 August 2008.
http://www.keloland.com/healthbeat/newsdetail6387.cfm?Id=0,72713
Dental experts defend fluoride in water; activists claim link to brain damage. Canadian dental experts defended the use of fluoride in drinking water Thursday as some environmental activists claimed international studies show the chemical can cause brain damage in children and called for an end to the "60-year experiment." Canadian Press, 8 August 2008.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i9nBlrur47kQNc5C06L7HyVR8V8g
Elevated cancer risk found in city. Residents of a broad swath of South Seattle face elevated cancer risks because of air pollution, a soon-to-be released government study finds. The risks are significantly elevated in pockets of industrial pollution -- and skyrocket near highways. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 8 August 2008.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/374066_badair08.html
S&S Foods of Azusa recalls frozen beef after E. coli outbreak. A California food company is recalling 153,630 pounds of frozen ground beef after an E. coli outbreak shut down a Boy Scout camp in Virginia this week and sickened at least 22 people, health officials said Thursday. Los Angeles Times, California, 8 August 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-beef8-2008aug08,0,3378915.story
Toxins linger even in clean laundry. Scientists are beginning to realize the chemical ingredients used in traditional detergents are full of toxins that harm both people and the environment. Galveston County Daily News, Texas, 8 August 2008.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=eadbc1ce6448ee04
Monsanto looks to sell dairy hormone business. The move comes as more retailers, saying they are responding to consumer demand, are selling dairy products from cows not treated with the artificial hormone. New York Times, 7 August 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/business/07bovine.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
High temps on turf fields spark safety concerns. New York City has canceled contracts for turf that contains recycled tires, due to concerns that the rubber adds to the heat-absorbing effect. Morning Edition, NPR, 7 August 2008.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93364750
Broccoli cuts diabetic risk of heart disease. Researchers believe a compound in broccoli could reverse the negative effects of diabetes on the heart. Edinburgh Scotsman, Scotland. 7 August 2008.
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Broccoli-cuts-diabetic-risk-of.4365496.jp
EPA continues work to understand potential impacts of pharmaceuticals in water. Today, EPA is seeking comment on an Information Collection Request (ICR) that will be used in a detailed study of unused pharmaceutical disposal methods by hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices and veterinary hospitals. EPA is seeking more information on the practices of the health care industry to inform future potential regulatory actions, and identify best management and proper disposal practices. EPA Newsroom, 6 August 2008.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/names/hq_2008-8-6_pharm?OpenDocument
Lead found in two brands of imported candy. Health officials issued a warning Tuesday about two types of candy from Mexico and Malaysia that are laced with lead and could cause severe medical problems. San Jose Mercury News, California, 6 August 2008.
http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_10112715?nclick_check=1
Agent Orange exposure doubles veterans' likelihood of getting prostate cancer. Veterans exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange are twice as likely to get prostate cancer as other veterans, UC Davis researchers found in a study published online by the journal Cancer. Sacramento Bee, California, 5 August 2008.
http://www.sacbee.com/health/story/1132599.html
Environmental justice in action. During Richmond's recent public hearings on expansion plans for the Chevron refinery, Dr. Henry Clark was there to speak on the potential health consequences of the project on residents around the oil processing facility, particularly people in disadvantaged communities. Contra Costa Times, California, 5 August 2008.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/columns/ci_10099443
Kids more vulnerable to swimming-related illness. Children age 10 and younger are more likely than older kids and adults to be sickened by swimming in bacteria-contaminated water, researchers from EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Reuters, 4 August 2008.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/health/story.html?id=28944543-2332-4e70-b1c1-187c676ce0d5
Report: Cold medicine could be life-threatening for babies. A "surprising" number of small children taken to the emergency room after they stop breathing or lose consciousness have over-the-counter cold medications in their systems, according to the authors of an article in today's Pediatrics. USA Today, 4 August 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-08-04-otc_N.htm
The cell tolls for thee. When Vini Khurana, PhD, an Australian neurosurgeon, announced that the link between cell-phone use and cancer was irrefutable -- the result of his analysis of more than 100 studies -- it set off alarm bells around the world. MSN, 4 August 2008.
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100211877&page=1
Dying to be beautiful! Are your beauty products killing you? You expect the food you buy to be safe, and there are huge public outcries when it isn't, yet the same stringent standards are not universally applied to cosmetics companies. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 4 August 2008.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1041224/Dying-beautiful-Are-beauty-products-killing-you.html
Get ready to itch and sneeze. A warmer planet could mean we'll suffer more (and stronger) allergies. The impact of global warming and increased CO2 on allergies is being studied by government agencies, scientists and doctors. Newsweek, 3 August 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/150502
Cleaning up the house. What you can't see could make you sick. While much environmental debate is over how fast the ice caps and forests will disappear, the great indoors look more likely to get to you first. Newsweek, 3 August 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/150501/output/print
Congress sends Bush bill banning lead in toys. The Senate on Thursday passed and sent to the White House legislation that bans lead from children's toys and seeks to ensure that chemicals posing possible health problems will not end up on toys and articles that kids chew on and play with. Associated Press, 2 August 2008.
http://www.wibw.com/nationalnews/headlines/26183349.html
Scars linger in Love Canal. Several former residents reminisced about their naive youth as they revisited the deserted streets of the Love Canal neighborhood Friday, 30 years after a poison sludge devastated families with miscarriages and cancers and gave rise to the federal Superfund program. Associated Press, 2 August 2008.
http://ktar.com/?nid=45&sid=921233
US inquiry claims 'safe' insecticides cause health problems. A class of insecticides derived from flowers -- long believed to be environmentally safe -- is in fact causing significant human health problems in the US, according to an inquiry released today by public-interest campaigners. London Guardian, England, 2 August 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/31/environment.usa
[Editor's note: read the report at http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/pesticides/ ]
Bad air can boost blood pressure. Breathing smog-soaked air has been found to raise blood pressure levels in a new study confirming a direct link between air pollution and hypertension. Edmonton Sun, Alberta, 2 August 2008.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2008/08/02/6335481-sun.html
Few rules on nanotech. As questions continue to grow about nanotechnology's potential dangers, so do concerns about how the small stuff should be regulated. Living On Earth, 2 August 2008.
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=08-P13-00031&segmentID=3
California settles potato chip lawsuit. California on Friday settled lawsuits against four potato chip and French fry makers after the companies agreed to reduce the levels of a cancer-causing chemical in their product, Attorney General Jerry Brown said. Reuters, 2 August 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN0143075720080802
Bills target perchlorate, set standard. The federal government may have to set a drinking water standard limiting a common inland contaminant if a U.S. Senate committee gets its way. Redlands Daily Facts, California, 1 August 2008.
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_10062635
Cement kilns release 2 times more mercury than EPA thinks. Cement plants release more than two-times as much toxic mercury as the EPA estimates, according to a study by two watchdog groups. The Daily Green, 1 August 2008.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/mercury-cement-47073102
Study shows smoke's effect on air quality in bars. Marathon County health officials have said all along that Wausau's restaurant-only smoking ban is insufficient to protect public health and now they say they have the data to prove it. Wausau Daily Herald, Wisconsin, 1 August 2008.
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080801/WDH0101/808010637/1981/WDHbusiness
Oregon accounts for 40 million pounds of herbicides, insecticides. After a nine-year political scrum, Oregon released its first accounting of pesticide use Wednesday, cataloging more than 40 million pounds of 551 fumigants, herbicides and insecticides applied in 2007. Portland Oregonian, Oregon, 31 July 2008.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/07/oregon_accounts_for_40_million.html
Sleuthing for precursors to drinking-water treatment byproducts. A breakdown product of a pesticide widely used in Germany becomes a human carcinogen during ozonation in water-treatment processes, researchers find, raising issues for future toxicity testing. Environmental Science & Technology, 31 July 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/esthag/asap/html/es801944f.html
Producing usable materials from e-waste. New technologies being developed in China and Eastern Europe may create usable materials from e-waste. Developing such technologies is challenging because of the toxicity of many electronics components. Environmental Science & Technology, 31 July 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/esthag/asap/html/es801954d.html
Judge rules against selling pollution credits to power plants. In a lawsuit brought by the NRDC and other groups, a judge told the air quality district that it could not subsidize plants until it fully reported on the environmental effect under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Los Angeles Times, California, 31 July 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-powerplant31-2008jul31,0,4101262.story
5 tips to increase your cell phone safety. "I hope you're talking to me on a speakerphone," Devra Davis barks at me when I call her on my cell phone. "You'd better not be holding that phone up to your head." Cell phones do emit radiation. No one knows definitively whether it's enough to worry about. CNN, 31 July 2008.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/07/31/ep.cell.phones.cancer/
Is a dangerous pesticide sprayed near your home? A pesticide used to kill insects on farm fields across the United States -- diazinon -- has the OK of the federal government, but a coalition of farmworkers and environmentalists is suing to stop the use of the chemical. The Daily Green, 31 July 2008.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/diazinon-pesticide-47072906
Carcinogen worries stick to food packaging. The packaging of many products contains a chemical that the EPA considers potentially carcinogenic and wants businesses to voluntarily stop using by 2015. Los Angeles Times, California, 30 July 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus30-2008jul30,1,279380.column
Feds: Synthetic turf OK, kids 'not at risk' from lead exposure. Young children are "not at risk from exposure to lead" in artificial turf fields, according to a nationwide evaluation of the surfaces by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. USA Today, 30 July 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2008-07-29-artificial-turf_N.htm
Health Canada recalls plastic toys. Health Canada is recalling more than 7,500 plastic toy machine guns, binoculars and horseshoe magnets because they contain dangerous levels of lead paint. CanWest News, Canada, 30 July 2008.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=26c8f6cc-d561-4c47-9e70-8977d6705d38
Pre-pregnancy diabetes tied to more birth defects. Diabetic women who get pregnant are three to four times more likely to have a child with birth defects than other women, according to new government research. Associated Press, 30 July 2008.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MED_DIABETES_BIRTH_DEFECTS?SITE=KYLOU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
