These bulletins are archived and searchable on the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/bulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the CHE-Washington regional group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Washington State Regional Group at the bottom of the application.
Companion bulletins are available for different audiences:
While there is overlap with this bulletin, there are some events and announcements unique to those bulletins.
1) Seminar Series: Seeking Sustainable Solutions
Tonight, February 11, 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
The series opens with a seminar titled "Energy and Water in the West: Priorities for a Healthy Washington" that highlights a major dilemma as our nation seeks to reduce its reliance on oil: the burden placed on our limited water supplies through the development of many renewable energy sources. In the second part of this seminar, we will bring these issues home to Washington State, as we discuss environmental legislative priorities and what our state is doing now to meet the changing needs of our region. With Michael Hightower and Joan Crooks. The two other lectures will be "Climate Change and Water: Local Perspectives on a Global Problem" on March 25th and "Exploring Energy & Design: Smart Solutions for the Built Environment" on May 13th.
Price: $5-15; see the website
Website: http://sustainablepath.org/category/seminar-series/
Contact: 206-443-8464 or info@sustainablepath.org
1) Elements of a successful program: A case study from the Boston Housing Authority
Wednesday February 11, 2009
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Asthma Regional Council of New England, Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Housing Authority
Presented by tenant representatives and housing officials from the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), this webinar is the second in the three-part series, "Implementing an Effective Pest Control Program using Integrated Pest Management." This webinar will detail the process of planning, implementing and evaluating an IPM program in public housing facilities, and it will describe BHA's challenges and accomplishments in implementing IPM.
Price: unknown
Website: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/260795469
2) Washington Climate Change Impacts Assessment Conference
Thursday February 12, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Washington State Convention Center
Sponsor: University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
The conference will provide an opportunity to learn more about the results of the WACCIA assessment and to discuss implications for Washington's communities and ecosystems. Updates on global climate change science, resources for building adaptive capacity for climate change, and state-level actions to address climate change will also be discussed.
Price: $100 through January 30th, $135 thereafter
Website: http://cses.washington.edu/cig/outreach/waccia/#Home
Contact: Debra Bryant, 206-616-1902 or debryant@u.washington.edu
3) Ports, Movement of Goods, and Respiratory Health
Thursday February 12, 2009
12:30 - 1:20 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Room T-625
Sponsor: University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and NIEHS Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health
The speaker will be Andrea Hricko, MPH, director of the Community Outreach and Education Program at the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center at the University of Southern California, and Edward Avol, MS, professor of Clinical Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California.
Price: unknown
Website: http://depts.washington.edu/envh580/
Contact: Sarah Fischer, fischs@u.washington.edu
4) Human Health Risk Assessment Workshop: Practical Approaches to Estimating Risk and Developing Site-specific Cleanup Levels
Thursday and Friday, February 12 - 13, 2009
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Kirkland, Washington
at the Kirkland Computer Lab
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
This class is hands-on, covering all the steps in a risk assessment. Emphasis will be placed on fate and transport modeling to estimate exposure point concentrations. RISC software will be used for classroom exercises, however the principles learned are readily applicable to other risk assessment software. Each participant will have their own computer workstation throughout the class.
Price: $895 ($845 reduced tuition is available for Native American tribes; government employees; nonprofits; students; and NAEP, NEBC, NWAEP members).
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/rem-402_02-09_kirkland.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
5) Fundamental Contaminant Chemistry
Monday February 23, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Bellevue, Washington
at 1100 112th Ave NE, West Building Conference Room
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
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.
Price: $250, or $195 reduced tuition available for Native American tribes; government employees; nonprofits; students; and NAEP, NEBC, NWAEP members
Website: http://nwetc.org/chem-403a_02-09_bellevue.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1979 or info@nwetc.org
6) Chemical and Heavy Metal Toxicity Seminar
Friday through Sunday, February 27 - March 1, 2009
Seattle, Washington
Sponsor: Klinghardt Academy of Neurobiology
Chemical and heavy metal toxicity is at the core of many medical issues (cancer, neurological illnesses, fatigue, MS and others). This seminar focuses on solutions. What are the relevant diagnostic tests and safe, effective, reliable and affordable strategies to deal with the body burden of chemicals and metals? Please check the website below for more information.
Price: $675, $425 students
Website: http://www.klinghardtneurobiology.com/calendar.htm
Contact: Klinghardt Academy of Neurobiology, 303-499-4700
Online Calendar. All upcoming events are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.chenw.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) resource. IPMopedia in the latest addition to the Toxipedia resource website. IPMopedia offers free and up-to-date integrated pest management advice direct from green gardening experts.
http://toxipedia.org/wiki/display/ipmopedia/IPM+Education+Project
National Healthy Schools Day. National Healthy Schools Day is a day to promote and celebrate healthy school environments that are conducive to learning and protect occupant health. This year's activities are scheduled for April 27th.
http://www.nationalhealthyschoolsday.org/
Students in grades 4 to 12 invited to share ideas about climate change on new EPA blog. The blog will present a new topic each week. The website will also include other tools such as a carbon calculator for students to evaluate their energy use, and daily action steps. US Environmental Protection Agency.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/1D6F1750E647469B85257559005C67E3
Updated asthma guidelines for health-care providers. These guidelines are aimed at integrating environmental management of asthma into pediatric health care. National Environmental Education Foundation.
http://neefusa.org/health/asthma/asthmaguidelines.htm
International film competition. The International Network on Children's Health, Environment and Safety (INCHES) is launching an International Film Competition on Health and Environment. The competition, called "Focus on Children in a Healthy Environment" and centered on the themes "Climate" and "Environmental Health", will run until September 1, 2009 and is open to all nationalities and ages.
http://www.inchesnetwork.net/filmcompetition.html
New lead rule released. Beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. US Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm
Fact sheet on melamine. The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units have published a new fact sheet titled "Melamine: Information for Pediatric Health Professionals."
http://aoec.org/PEHSU/documents/melamine_factsheet.pdf
Online tutorial offers help to governments, groups seeking Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grants. Local governments and community groups eligible for funding from EPA's Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program are being alerted to a new online tutorial aid that offers help in completing their 2009 grant applications.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/C2FFB5DCF3C793CC8525755400691026
Report: Girl, Disrupted. Girl, Disrupted: Hormone Disruptors and Women's Reproductive Health is a 35-page report that was written for nonscientists to explain what's known, what's suspected and what should be the focus of additional research regarding contaminants linked to conditions including early puberty, infertility, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, breast cancer and others.
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/doc/5492
Toward a new U.S. chemicals policy: Rebuilding the foundation to advance new science, green chemistry and environmental health. Existing policies have produced a U.S. chemicals market in which the safety of chemicals for human health and the environment is undervalued relative to chemical function, price and performance. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800404/abstract.html
Groups want lead out of lipstick. The US Food and Drug Administration has yet to release the results of its own testing for lead in lipstick, despite pressure from senators and repeated calls from health groups, officials of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported. United Press International.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/02/09/Groups_want_lead_out_of_lipstick/UPI-12721234224388/
Mediterranean diet 'can protect from Alzheimer's.' Eating a Mediterranean diet can protect the brain against developing Alzheimer's and other memory problems, a new study suggests. London Daily Telegraph, England.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/4569592/Mediterranean-diet-can-protect-from-Alzheimers.html
Growth hormone could help reverse autism-like condition in girls. A hormone that promotes brain development could serve as a possible treatment for Rett syndrome, the most common form of autism-like symptoms in girls, new research claims. London Daily Telegraph, England.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/4570525/Growth-hormone-could-help-reverse-autism-like-condition-in-girls.html
Retailers face penalties for selling toxic toys. A federal law regulating toxic chemicals in children's products goes into effect Tuesday, putting pressure on retailers to clear the shelves of toys containing illegal amounts of lead and other toxic compounds. San Francisco Chronicle, California.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/09/BAP115NMEH.DTL
[Editor's note: Read related articles: http://www.syracuse.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-6/123396774135000.xml&storylist=topstories, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toys6-2009feb06,0,4793143.story and http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-consumer-lead31-2009jan31,0,309448.story ]
The dioxin debate. A group of one hundred organizations is calling on the government to release a twenty-year-old report on a toxic group of chemicals called dioxins. Environment Report, Michigan.
Monday, February 09, 2009.
http://www.glrc.org/story.php?story_id=4342
Toxic contamination starts at home: Study. When women from 120 middle-class homes learned their bodies contained low levels of toxic chemicals, most of them blamed chemical spills, waste dumping or secret military experiments. They were stunned to learn the truth was closer to home. Canwest News Service, Canada.
Monday, February 09, 2009.
http://www.canada.com/Health/story.html?id=980710
A new window into hormone-altering chemicals. A new interactive database, including a timeline showing how human fetuses develop, displays scientific data about controversial chemicals in a graphic way. Environmental Health News.
Monday, February 09, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/critical-windows
Marijuana testicular cancer link. The study of 369 men, published in the journal Cancer, found being a regular marijuana user doubled the risk compared to those who never smoked it. BBC.
Monday, February 09, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7869709.stm
Biomonitoring facility could link chemicals to diseases. Biomonitoring involves sampling human fluids and tissues to find out the chemicals to which people been exposed and see if the levels fluctuate over time. The types of diseases the subjects develop is noted in hopes of matching certain chemicals and levels with health outcomes. Canwest News Service.
Saturday, February 07, 2009.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/Health/Biomonitoring+facility+could+link+chemicals+diseases/1265778/story.html
Does colloidal silver boost immunity or overall health? Considered potentially toxic by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, silver enjoys a lustrous reputation in alternative health circles. Proponents believe that silver in its many forms can kill germs, boost the immune system and generally improve health. Los Angeles Times.
Saturday, February 07, 2009.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-skeptic9-2009feb09,0,2063918.story
Obama administration to seek tougher controls on mercury, scrapping Bush administration plan. The Obama administration signaled Friday that it will seek more stringent controls on mercury pollution from the nation's power plants, abandoning a Bush administration approach that the industry supported. Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune. Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://www.startribune.com/nation/39209087.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ
Children's Environmental Health: an underrecognised area in paediatric health care. The recognition that adverse environments can significantly and specifically affect the growth and development of a child from early intrauterine life through to adolescence, as well as impact their health later in adulthood, is relatively recent and has not fully reached health care providers involved in paediatric care.
Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/9/10/abstract
Some workplaces may alter cancer risk. The occupation or industry in which one works may either increase or decrease risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, an immune system cancer often found in middle-aged adults. Reuters UK.
Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idUKTRE5146BQ20090205?sp=true
Dietetic association urges commitment to healthy lifestyle. The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position statement on weight management calling for people to make a "lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors" that includes the prevention of weight gain. The Downey Patriot, California.
Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://www.thedowneypatriot.net/view_full.php?article=0000049474
Sunlight could hold key to MS prevention. A new study of families through three generations has found a link between multiple sclerosis and insufficient exposure to sunlight and lack of vitamin D in pregnancy or childhood. The prevalence of MS is higher in countries further away from the equator. ABC News, Australia.
Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2484363.htm
Living near big power line may up Alzheimer's risk. Older people living within 50 meters of major power lines are at increased risk of dying from Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia, research from Switzerland shows. Reuters Health.
Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/02/05/eline/links/20090205elin004.html
Is recycling coal fly ash at farms environmentally safe? Tons of coal fly ash -- the same substance that caused a massive emergency in Tennessee -- are recycled in soil, raising questions about buildup of arsenic and other toxic substances in food crops. Environmental Health News.
Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/recycling-coal-waste-at-farms
Toddlers less able to detox arsenic than infants. As babies grow into toddlers, their ability to alter arsenic into less harmful forms changes, leaving them less able to get rid of the cancer-causing metal and perhaps, more susceptible to its effects. Environmental Health News.
Friday, February 06, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/toddlers-less-able-to-detox-arsenic
Keep you, your unborn baby safe. Steer clear of these pregnancy no-no's to help keep you and your baby safe and healthy. Don't use chemicals. Products including herbicides, pesticides, paint, stains and some cleaning solutions may be harmful to your baby. Wilmington News Journal, Ohio.
Thursday, February 05, 2009.
http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=45&SubSectionID=142&ArticleID=173285&TM=71335.35
Not just HFCS and peanut butter: Here are 10 other risky foods. As if we don't have enough to be worried about already. In the midst of food safety scares from salmonella in peanut butter and mercury in high fructose corn syrup, Sprig has produced a list of 10 other foods that can be dangerous. US News & World Report.
Thursday, February 05, 2009.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/02/04/not-just-hfcs-and-peanut-butter-here-are-10-other-dangerous-foods.html
[Editor's note: Read a related article about contaminated peanut butter going to schools and disaster victims: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-salmonella-fema6-2009feb06,0,1907573.story ]
Study: hormone use doubles breast cancer risk. New evidence suggests that the decline in the use of hormone therapy may be tied to a dip in the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer. All Things Considered, NPR.
Thursday, February 05, 2009.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100255457
[Editor's note: Read a related article about a connection between exposure to chemicals [including phthalates and bisphenol A] in everyday products and breast cancer risk: http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=99790&catid=8 ]
6 surprising sources of air pollution in your home. The most widely quoted statistic about air quality is this: the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be two- to five-times more polluted than the air outdoors. The Daily Green.
Thursday, February 05, 2009.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/indoor-air-pollution-47020404
Melamine in milk linked to kidney disease in children. A study of kidney disease risk in Chinese children who were exposed to milk contaminated with melamine shows that exposure to melamine-contaminated powdered formula increased the risk of urinary stones by up to sevenfold. Reuters Health.
Thursday, February 05, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/02/04/eline/links/20090204elin024.html
Child care goes 'green.' The Oregon Environmental Council endorses day-care providers who strive to reduce a wide range of environmental toxins -- such as pesticides and lead. Now the Oregon program, the first of its kind in the nation, is launching pilots in seven states. Salem Statesman Journal, Oregon.
Thursday, February 05, 2009.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090205/NEWS/902050347/1001
Study: Radiation levels high for cardiac CT scans. Patients are receiving the equivalent of 600 chest X-rays when they get CT scans for heart disease and not enough clinics are using known ways to reduce this exposure, researchers reported yesterday. Reuters.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/02/04/study_radiation_levels_high_for_cardiac_ct_scans/
Older autos source of flame retardants. Dust in used cars contains high levels of potentially toxic flame retardant chemicals, known as PBDEs, reports a study that measured them in older autos found at US dealerships. Environmental Health News.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/older-autos-flame-retardants/
Smoking in pregnancy cuts blood flow to the fetus. Smoking during pregnancy reduces blood flow to the developing fetus and, in turn, retards growth, new research suggests. Reuters Health.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/02/03/eline/links/20090203elin028.html
Mobile phone cancer link 'still uncertain.' Mobile telephone use is unlikely to cause cancer, although the effects of long term use, and on children, are still unknown, according to an EU study released on Tuesday. Agence France-Presse.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/mobile-phone-cancer-link-still-uncertain-20090204-7x0h.html
Traffic-related air pollution shortens lifespan. People living close to highways, large roads or other sources of high levels of traffic-related air pollution die earlier than those farther away, finds a study conducted in Toronto, Ontario. Environmental Health News.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/traffic-related-air-pollution-shortens-lifespan/
Green bulbs undergo safety testing. Yellowhead County will continue to hand out CFL light bulbs unless they are proven to be harmful by Health Canada. Health Canada is currently testing certain types of CFL bulbs following a British health warning that some of the bulbs can emit higher than normal UV radiation levels. Edson Leader, Canada.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009.
http://www.edsonleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1416246
Stimulant drugs cause cocaine-like brain changes. A common stimulant drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can cause brain changes in mice similar to those seen in cocaine addiction, U.S. researchers said on Monday. Reuters.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0247127820090202
Study links children's lead levels, SAT scores. Could a decades-long drop in the concentration of lead in children's blood help explain rising SAT scores? A Virginia economist who pored over years of national data says there's an "incredibly strong" correlation, which adds to a growing body of research on lead's harmful effects. USA Today.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-02-02-lead-SAT_N.htm
Idaho lab develops arsenic removal technique. The Idaho National Laboratory has developed a technique for removing arsenic from water that is seven times more effective than anything currently available, Energy Department officials say. Associated Press.
Monday, February 02, 2009.
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/745359.html
Numerous items recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. High School Musical Manicure Kits are being recalled by Fantas-Eyes due to risk of lead exposure. JAKKS Pacific has recalled Spa Factory Aromatherapy kits because they could explode. Wheeling WTRF TV, West Virginia. Monday, February 02, 2009.
http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=51167
Thyroid hormone levels of pregnant Inuit women and their infants exposed to environmental contaminants. While this study provided little evidence that the environmental contaminants analysed in this study [PCB congener 153, HO-PCBs, PCP and HCB] affect thyroid hormone status in Inuit mothers and their infants, the possibility that PCP may
decrease thyroxine levels in neonates requires further investigation. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Sunday, February 01, 2009.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800219/abstract.html
Long-term traffic-related exposures and asthma onset in schoolchildren in Oslo, Norway. Investigators were not able to find positive associations of long-term traffic-related exposures with asthma onset or with current respiratory symptoms in 9- to 10-year-old children. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Sunday, February 01, 2009.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/11491/abstract.html
Ask AP: Does road salt affect human, environmental health? Road-salt dust would fall into a larger category of air pollution known as particulate matter. That includes dust stirred up by highway traffic and released into the air by industries such as rock quarrying and gravel mining. Associated Press.
Sunday, February 01, 2009.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090130/LIFESTYLE14/901300435
Controlling radon lessens risk of lung cancer. Even before those Garth Elementary test results were made public, Gov. Steve Beshear had proclaimed January as Kentucky Radon Action Month, underscoring the importance of testing for radon exposure. Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky.
Sunday, February 01, 2009.
http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/679506.html
Parkinson's link to manganese. Manganese, a metal that is naturally present in the human body, may contribute to Parkinson's disease when defective genes interact to enhance its toxicity, according to a study published on Sunday. Agence France-Presse.
Sunday, February 01, 2009.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Tech%2Band%2BScience/Story/STIStory_332966.html
Petition calls for ban of popular herbicide. The New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban the sale of 2,4-D, the common name for 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and products containing the herbicide. Florence Times Daily, Alabama.
Sunday, February 01, 2009.
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090201/ARTICLES/902010346/1011/NEWS?Title=Petition_calls_for_ban_of_popular_herbicide
Compact fluorescent light bulbs: Do energy savings outweigh mercury hazard? Many people are turning to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. But there is also a concern because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury. US Environmental Protection Agency.
Friday, January 30, 2009.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/00C07CCB32CF4FAB8525754D0073D8D1
Silent stalker: Household mold can cause damage to health and wallet. All mold's tiny spores need are water and food. Thousands grow naturally outside, but it's when they become house guests that these molds present problems for the structure and its inhabitants. Northern Virginia Daily.
Friday, January 30, 2009.
http://www.nvdaily.com/lifestyle/2009/01/silent-stalker-household-mold.html
Hair dyes not linked to multiple myeloma risk. Women who've used hair dyes, even for decades, do not seem to have an elevated risk of multiple myeloma, a cancer in which malignant plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow, a new U.S. study suggests. Reuters Health.
Friday, January 30, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/01/29/eline/links/20090129elin002.html
Quick, cheap test for mad cow. North American and German researchers announced a breakthrough on Friday toward a cheap, fast blood test for BSE, or so-called 'mad cow disease' in livestock. Agence France-Presse.
Friday, January 30, 2009.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/World/Story/A1Story20090130-118315.html
Home renovations by affluent families can unleash lead threat. Home renovations, repairs and painting can lead to elevated lead levels in children and are changing the dynamics of lead-poisoning risk among children, according to a new U.S. study. HealthDay News.
Friday, January 30, 2009.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/01/29/home-renovations-by-affluent-families-can-unleash.html
Chemicals 'may reduce fertility.' Perfluorinated chemicals [including PFOA and PFOS] commonly found in food packaging, upholstery and carpets may be damaging women's fertility, say US scientists. BBC.
Thursday, January 29, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7855323.stm
PFOA slows breast development in mice exposed via mom. Breast gland development is delayed in mice that were exposed for only a short time through their mothers -- during late pregnancy or while nursing -- to a now widely used chemical found in nonstick cookware and food packaging. Environmental Health News.
Thursday, January 29, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/pfoa-impairs-breast-development-in-mice/
Analysis finds toxins high in contained ash spill. High levels of arsenic and elevated levels of radioactive radium have been found in the sludge released in a massive coal ash spill at a Tennessee power plant, Duke University scientists reported Wednesday. Associated Press.
Thursday, January 29, 2009.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article_ap?id=139464
Study finds moms share phthalates with their babies. Researchers in Taiwan find that phthalates can pass from pregnant women to their unborn babies and affect reproductive development in their daughters. Environmental Health News.
Thursday, January 29, 2009.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/phthalates-in-moms-and-babies/
Warnings Botox can cause birth defects. Botox can cause birth defects, women contemplating the anti-wrinkle treatment have been warned. The Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia (CPSA) on Tuesday urged its members to stick to national guidelines for the use of Botox. Australian Associated Press.
Thursday, January 29, 2009.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/lifeandstyle/lifematters/warnings-botox-can-cause-birth-defects/2009/01/27/1232818427668.html
Cured meats tied to childhood leukemia risk. Children who regularly eat cured meats like bacon and hot dogs may have a heightened risk of leukemia, while vegetables and soy products may help protect against cancer, a new study suggests. Reuters Health.
Thursday, January 29, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/01/28/eline/links/20090128elin003.html
Bisphenol A data in NHANES suggest longer than expected half-life, substantial non-food exposure, or both. This study investigated the relationship between urine BPA concentration and fasting time in a population-based sample. Overall, BPA levels did not decline rapidly with fasting time in this sample. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0800376/abstract.html
Residential exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides and risk of childhood leukemia. Study findings suggest that PCBs, which are considered probable human carcinogens and cause perturbations of the immune system, may represent a previously unrecognized risk factor for childhood leukemia. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0900583/abstract.html
Pollutants remain in Americans' blood despite bans. Researchers have found that levels of some of the most troublesome contaminants for human health are lower than in previous years but persist in most Americans' blood, even decades after being banned. Environmental Science & Technology.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es803694d?cookieSet=1
C8 study finds tie to high blood pressure. A huge health study that focuses on a chemical that DuPont uses to make Teflon has found a link to high blood pressure. Columbus Dispatch, Ohio.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/01/28/C8study.ART_ART_01-28-09_B3_2NCNA6H.html?sid=101
Environmental contaminants may help beat breast cancer: SFU researcher. A Simon Fraser University researcher has found that ubiquitous environmental contaminants such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can play a role in beating breast cancer. Vancouver Sun, Canada.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/Environmental%20contaminants%20help%20beat%20breast%20cancer%20researcher/1223573/story.html
It's closer to you than you think. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) somehow affect every person's life in the United States, maintains Jody Allen Crowe, an educator who's become an expert on the subject. Crookston Daily Times, Minnesota.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://www.crookstontimes.com/news/x1722733640/It-s-closer-to-you-than-you-think
Chickenpox vaccine not tied to strokes in kids. Unlike chickenpox itself, the vaccine against chickenpox does not increase the risk of stroke or brain inflammation in children, according to a large US study. Reuters Health.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/01/27/eline/links/20090127elin024.html
Higher asthma rates linked to fast food. The team found that while breastfed children have a lower risk of asthma -- confirming what others have found -- that protective effect vanishes if they eat fast food more than once or twice a week. Canwest News Service, Canada.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/Higher%20asthma%20rates%20linked%20fast%20food/1223838/story.html
Peanut processor knowingly sold tainted products. The Georgia peanut plant linked to a salmonella outbreak that has killed eight people and sickened 500 more across the country knowingly shipped out contaminated peanut butter 12 times in the past two years, federal officials said yesterday. Washington Post.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/27/AR2009012702992.html
[Editor's note: read a related article about how the recall depended on company approval: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/policy/03peanut.html?_r=1 ]