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.
Tuesday July 29, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Northwest Environmental Training Center, 650 South Orcas Street, Suite 220
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
Do you want to learn more about the health effects of chemical exposures? Join Steven G. Gilbert, award-winning author, director and founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders, for this course. The course identifies potential health hazards of toxic chemicals and methods for preventing exposure. Chemicals we encounter in everyday life are used as examples to evaluate the hazards and risk of exposure and put them into perspective. Learn the basic principles of toxicology, tools for assessing the toxicology of chemicals, effects of chemicals on the body, and why some people are more sensitive to chemicals than others. Continuing education credits are available.
Price: $150 until July 5th, $245 after, $175 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify.
Website: http://nwetc.org/etox-510_07-08_seattle.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Monday through Friday, August 11 - 15, 2008
Seattle, Washington
at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Sponsor: Northwest Center for Public Health Practice
Network with other scholars who bring knowledge and experience from many perspectives, including epidemiology, communications, emergency preparedness, environmental health, program planning, evaluation, program management, leadership and other public health disciplines. In morning plenary sessions, experts will present their best thinking on climate change, built environment and communicable disease. In your course, you will learn methods, tools, and best practices in public health.
Price: $1200 if paid by June 21st, $1500 after June 21st, plus $100 GIS materials fee
Website: http://www.nwcphp.org/training/summer-institute/index_html
Contact: Northwest Center for Public Health Practice 206-685-1130 or nwcphp@u.washington.edu
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future 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/
Job opening: New York, New York. WE ACT for Environmental Justice (West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc.) is looking for two persons committed to environmental justice to work on development: a development associate and an individual giving manager.
http://www.weact.org:80/GetACTive/EmploymentatWEACT/tabid/263/Default.aspx
Indoor Air Quality Scientific Findings Resource Bank. This website serves as a resource for public health professionals, building professionals and others who seek scientific information about the effects of IAQ on people's health or work performance. The IAQ-SFRB provides information summarizing the state of scientific knowledge about the relationships between people's health and productivity and the IAQ conditions or associated building characteristics in which the people work or reside.
http://eetd.lbl.gov/ied/sfrb/
Children, coal don't mix, China study shows. Children born after the closure of a coal-burning plant in China had 60 percent fewer developmental problems, a study released Monday suggests, giving ammunition to those who argue the country should embrace cleaner sources of energy. Associated Press, 15 July 2008.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25677038/
Chemical companies, health groups spar on consumer safety. Chemical companies and health groups are battling over a provision in a consumer safety bill that would ban the use of plastic-softening chemicals found in many everyday products such as clothing, shoes and furniture. Washington Hill, District of Columbia, 15 July 2008.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/chemical-companies-health-groups-spar-on-consumer-safety-2008-07-14.html
Television could be hazardous to babies' growth: Study. A television chattering away in the background distracts children as young as 12 months -- even if the TV is playing adult programs -- and could represent "a significant environmental hazard" to their development, according to a study released Monday. CanWest News, Canada, 15 July 2008.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=15d91e5d-72a5-4750-98a0-a1f8ae7bbe49
U.S. lax on chemicals. News about dangerous chemicals in toys, cosmetics and cleaning products has a lot of Americans spending extra money. People want to make sure they're choosing things that are safe for their families. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan, 14 July 2008.
http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=4086
Nicotine drug 'may slow dementia.' Nicotine has toxic effects, and carries a strong risk of addiction, but scientists have shown it can also boost learning, memory and attention. BBC, UK, 14 July 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7497037.stm
129 things EPA wants to test your water for. While reports mailed to residents this month assure them that drinking water is safe, there are at least 129 potentially harmful chemicals and microbes not mentioned -- or even tested for yet. Melbourne Florida Today, Florida, 14 July 2008.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/NEWS01/807130333/1006/news01
Eco-friendly paints vary in odor despite VOC levels. Eco-friendly interior latex paints are those described as low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are chemicals that help cause the sharp smell of fresh paint. Mostly solvents, they can include formaldehyde, benzene and other compounds linked to ozone depletion. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia, 13 July 2008.
http://www.ajc.com/green/content/living/homeandgarden/stories/2008/07/11/EcoPaint_Comparison_0710.html
Hazardous flame retardant found in household objects. A flame retardant that was taken out of children's pajamas more than 30 years ago after it was found to cause cancer is being used with increasing regularity in furniture, paint and even baby carriers, and EPA's safety assessment is biased toward industry, again. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 13 July 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=771917
With mosquito season in full force, learn to bite back. The standard repellent has long been the chemical popularly known as DEET. Though DEET doesn't harm mosquitoes, some worry that it can harm people who use it. Los Angeles Times, California, 12 July 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/image/la-ig-beauty13-2008jul13,0,7597750.story
Dial back cellphone use, city officials tell parents. In what is believed to be the first policy of its kind in Canada, Toronto Public Health is advising children and teens to limit the time they spend on cellphones until more is known about potential health effects. Toronto Star, Ontario, 12 July 2008.
http://healthzone.ca/health/article/459099
Maybe we were doomed before birth. A baby's risk for future obesity can be affected by his or her mother's health and habits during pregnancy. Los Angeles Times, California, 12 July 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-programming14-2008jul14,0,3147002.story
Mom's smoking tied to oral birth defect. Pregnant women who smoke or regularly breathe second-hand smoke may be raising the odds that their baby will be born with a cleft lip. Reuters Health, 12 July 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/07/11/eline/links/20080711elin001.html
USDA to begin naming retailers in meat recalls. In a shift on federal food safety policy, the Bush administration soon will begin telling consumers during recalls whether their local grocery store has been stocking contaminated meat or poultry. Los Angeles Times, California, 12 July 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-recall12-2008jul12,0,5063654.story
Increase in melanoma skin cancer blamed on tanning. New research on the deadliest form of skin cancer shows escalating rates among women compared to male counterparts. New York Newsday, New York, 12 July 2008.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liskin0712,0,6236455.story
Governor signs key toxic waste bill. She signed it in a parking lot off of the Barnum Avenue Cutoff, on ground that was once considered one of the most toxic in the nation. Stratford Bard, Connecticut, 12 July 2008.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19846434&BRD=1637&PAG=461&dept_id=9180&rfi=6
Mental activity may affect autism-linked genes. New research suggests that some cases of autism arise from defects in genes that can be turned on or off by mental activity, a finding that sheds light on the devastating condition and might eventually lead to strategies to treat it. Washington Post, 11 July 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/10/AR2008071002750.html
Increasingly popular caviar raises health concerns. As demand for paddlefish caviar has grown, health officials have become uneasy about a variety of toxins found in the eggs, including mercury, chlordane and cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Associated Press, 11 July 2008.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g9g5gEPtagV1q2ApVjqu5jcgQU0QD91R56B00
The truth about plastic. The U.S. produced 28 million tons of plastic waste in 2005. Our food and water come wrapped in plastic. It's used in our phones and our computers, the cars we drive and the planes we ride in. But the infinitely adaptable substance has its dark side. Time Magazine, 11 July 2008.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821664,00.html
Environmental Protection Agency issues new rules on fumigant pesticides. The EPA issued new rules governing fumigant pesticides, which are used to sterilize soil before the planting of strawberries, tomatoes and other crops. Los Angeles Times, California, 11 July 2008.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2008/07/the-environment.html
EPA: I-5 bridge impacts on pollution, growth unexamined. In a challenge to Northwest highway planners, the federal government cites as inadequate the study of air and water pollution that could come from a new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. Portland Oregonian, Oregon, 11 July 2008.
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/07/epa_skeptical_of_i5_bridge_pro.html
Young people shunning sunscreen, study finds. A cross-country snapshot by the Canadian Cancer Society finds that on a typical summer day about 28 percent of adults spend at least two hours in the sun -- young adults aged 16 to 24 are soaking up the most rays, but are least likely to protect themselves from overexposure. Canadian Press, 10 July 2008.
http://healthzone.ca/health/article/457721
Micro materials could pose major health risks. The Council of Canadian Academies has waved a yellow flag in front of a rapidly expanding number of products containing nanomaterials, cautioning that the tiny substances might be able to penetrate cells and interfere with biological processes. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 10 July 2008.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080710.wnano0710/BNStory/Science/home
Officials add jalapeños to salmonella warning. Federal health officials now blame raw jalapeños for some of the illnesses in the three-month-old salmonella outbreak and yesterday advised the elderly, infants and people with compromised immune systems to avoid them. Washington Post, 10 July 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/09/AR2008070901982.html
U.S. joins G-8 plan to halve emissions. The United States for the first time joined the major industrialized countries Tuesday in committing to try to halve greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. Washington Post, 9 July 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/08/AR2008070800285.html
Dental industry gets an earful on mercury. The dental industry, asked to testify Tuesday about pollution from mercury in tooth fillings, found itself under attack from lawmakers who blame mercury for everything from autism in children to skin discoloration. Associated Press, 9 July 2008.
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/wire/sns-ap-dentists-mercury,0,812241.story
G8 to hear sanitation cash plea. The charity Water Aid is telling the G8 summit in Japan that investing in sanitation would be the single most effective way to cut child deaths. BBC, UK, 9 July 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7492576.stm
Smokeless tobacco products do raise cancer risk. Smokeless tobacco products, including products such as snuff and chew tobacco, do increase the user's risk of cancer--just not as much as smoking does. HealthDay News, 8 July 2008.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/07/02/smokeless-tobacco-products-do-raise-cancer-risk.html
Smoke-free policies prove effective. Smoke-free policies are extremely effective at reducing smoking rates, exposure to secondhand smoke, and even smoking-related heart disease, new research shows. HealthDay News, 8 July 2008.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/07/01/smoke-free-policies-prove-effective.html
USDA to define 'natural' personal care products. On May 29, state Attorney General Jerry Brown filed a lawsuit under Proposition 65 against four companies with "natural" personal care product lines containing the chemical 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen. Sacramento Bee, California, 7 July 2008.
http://www.sacbee.com/378/story/1064162.html
Mumbai sits on a pile of e-waste. More often than not, electronics are disposed of illegally. The raw material used in these gadgets turns into the biggest environmental hazard for the society. Mumbai Daily News and Analysis, India, 7 July 2008.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1176144
Studies on athletes show health risks from smog. In a 2004 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, elite female hockey players who were exposed to pollutants emitted by an ice-resurfacing machine were shown to have small airway dysfunction. Asthmatics and those with compromised lung and heart function may fare even worse. Los Angeles Times, California, 7 July 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-smogbox7-2008jul07,0,547425.story
Lockheed: U.S. must pay for rocket-test cleanup. One of the nation's largest federal defense contractors says the U.S. government should pay the cleanup costs -- likely in the tens of millions of dollars or more -- from pollutants leaked during the production and testing of U.S. military and space rockets. Washington Times, District of Columbia, 7 July 2008.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/07/lockheed-tells-us-to-finance-rocket-test-cleanup/
Scientists reopen debate over GM food. Heading towards the market are potatoes with 33% more protein content, modified tomatoes that could be capable of protecting against cancer and peanuts without the chemicals that cause deadly nut allergies. London Times, England, 6 July 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4276255.ece
Home dangers: Harmful to your kids. From plastic water bottles to shower curtains, author Libby McDonald says they're filled with environmental toxins; but her new rule book may be too long for some moms to handle. Jacksonville WJXT TV, Florida, 5 July 2008.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/16788829/detail.html
New home checklist. Eight things you should know about but regular inspection won't find. Raleigh News & Observer, North Carolina, 5 July 2008.
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1131194.html
Some towns fight mosquitoes before they bite. To spray or not to spray? As millions of mosquitoes hatch this summer, it's a question cities and towns across Hub Territory face. North Platte Telegraph, Nebraska, 5 July 2008.
http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2008/07/05/news/50000311.txt
Along with beauty, fireworks create a beastly mix of pollutants. When their blends of black powder, metals, oxidizers, fuels and other toxic ingredients are ignited, traces wind up in the environment, often spreading long distances and lasting for days, even months. Los Angeles Times, California, 4 July 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fireworks4-2008jul04,0,4886525.story
Of sommeliers and stomachs. A group of researchers has discovered that pairing red wines with red meat appears to be more than just a matter of taste. If the two mix in the stomach, compounds in the wine thwart the formation of harmful chemicals that are released when meat is digested. Economist, 4 July 2008.
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11662560
The 5 most creative ways to clean up pollution. We bury them underground, drown them in lagoons, or shove them out to sea -- no matter how remote a site, it may be full of the toxic by-products of modern life. Nuclear waste and heavy metals are just some of the noxious residue of our everyday existence. Discover, 3 July 2008.
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/28-the-5-most-creative-ways-to-clean-up-pollution
Folic acid in pregnancy "concern" unfounded. Folic acid supplementation during pregnancy does not boost the frequency of children born with potentially harmful mutations in a gene that metabolizes folate, research shows. Reuters Health, 3 July 2008.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2008/07/02/eline/links/20080702elin032.html
The dark side of dust. Those dust bunnies hiding under your toddler's bed are scarier than you might think. Once viewed as just a sign of unambitious housekeeping, dust has a dark side. Richmond Times-Dispatch, Virginia, 3 July 2008.
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/entertainment.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-03-0004.html
Rhode Island court throws out jury finding in lead case. The highest court in Rhode Island on Tuesday overturned a jury decision that would have forced three paint manufacturers to pay billions of dollars to clean up contaminated homes. New York Times, 2 July 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/business/02paint.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1215487997-TTt6bg9m3VIX3nrJQSEoxQ
Mother's junk food 'harms child.' Eating a poor diet when pregnant or breastfeeding may cause long-lasting health damage to the child, animal studies suggest. BBC, UK, 2 July 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7481026.stm
[Editor's note: See a related article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/health/2008/07/14/hpregnancy114.xml ]