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1) The next quarterly CHE-WA meeting will be held Friday September 14th from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Antioch University Seattle. Michael Lerner, PhD, founder and president of Commonweal and co-founder of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, will be our featured guest speaker.
2) The Climate Change and Health Working Group has published a fact sheet on climate change and human health in Washington. You can access both the full fact sheet and the executive summary on CHE-WA's website: http://washington.chenw.org/Climategroup.html
Thursday September 13, 2007
7:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the NW Environmental Education Council, 650 S. Orcas Street, Suite 220
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
Two films of conference highlights, each 30 minutes long, will be shown: 1) Lois Gibbs, 25 Years of an Inspirational Journey: From Love Canal to the Nation. How society is moving away from counting the bodies resulting from bad industrial and pollution policies, to prevention, precaution and other winning strategies for a healthy, safe and economically sound future. 2) Tzeporah Berman, Corporate Campaigns and the New Environmentalism: Places, People and the Fate of our Last Great Forests.
Price: free, donations will be accepted
Website: http://www.nweec.org/ea.htm
Contact: sluoma@nweec.org
Wednesday September 19, 2007
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Qwest Field
Sponsor: King County, WestStart and others listed on the website
Keynote speaker for the event is Terry Tamminen, former Cal-EPA director, top environmental advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger and author of Lives per Gallon. He will join clean vehicle industry leaders, policy makers, climate transportation experts and car, truck and bus fleet users invited to take part in this first-of-its-kind-event. Participants will receive hands-on demonstrations of currently available clean vehicles and their related technologies and fuels, and learn how to break down perceived barriers to their widespread purchase and use, and how to get them on the streets now. Participants will also learn how to invest in clean vehicles, technologies and fuels, and build new connections and partnerships to help shape policies and develop support for making clean vehicle investments today.
Price: $35.00
Website: http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/cleanvehiclesnow/default.aspx
Contact: Elizabeth Willmott, 206-296-430 or elizabeth.willmott@metrokc.gov
Wednesday September 19, 2007
5:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Pacific
Sponsors: Collaborative on Health and the Environment's Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Autism Society of America; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4; Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability; Learning Disabilities Association of America; John Merck Fund; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit; University of Maryland School of Nursing
Presenters in this second of a seven-part series: 1) Leslie Rubin, MD, president of the Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability and Visiting Scholar at the Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics: "From Substances to Society"; 2) David Bellinger, PhD, MSc, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital: "Lead, Socioeconomic Factors and Child Development"; and 3) Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at the Environmental Working Group: "Toxics in Cord Blood and Body Burden Studies: Implications for Child Development."
Price: free
Website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html
Contact: Elise Miller, emiller@iceh.org
Saturday September 22, 2007
10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Harbor Island Marina
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
Take a tour of the Duwamish River from Harbor Island upriver to the 'Turning Basin' and Hamm Creek estuary. Learn about the river cleanup and restoration process from local experts and see eagles, ospreys, otters and other wildlife -- all while enjoying some organic food and drink.
Price: $25
Website: http://www.nweec.org/ea.htm
Contact: sluoma@nweec.org
Monday September 24, 2007, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. (Portland, Oregon)
or Tuesday September 25, 2007, noon - 2:30 p.m. (Seattle, Washington)
Sponsor: Oregon Center for Environmental Health, Healthy Building Network, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Learn how hospitals, health systems and architecture firms are working together to reduce the use of toxic materials in hospitals, promoting green building and healthier environments. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, dioxins (by-products of polyvinyl chloride), phthalates and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) are hazardous substances commonly found in the materials that coat the floors, walls and ceilings of health care facilities. These materials have a multitude of impacts on the healing environment of the patient, the working environment of the doctor, nurse and other staff, the health of the surrounding communities and the environment. They also create a toxic burden through their manufacture, disposal and maintenance. This workshop is targeted to nurses, physicians, facilities managers, architects, designers, specifiers, environmental health & safety officers, purchasing staff and building managers.
Price: free, but space is limited; please register by September 17, 2007
Website: http://www.noharm.org:80/us/healthybuilding/roundtables
Contact: for the Portland session: Emma Sirois, 503-233-1510 or emma@oregon-health.org
or for the Seattle session: Nancy Dickeman, 206-354-2170 or nancyd@wpsr.org
Tuesday September 25, 2007
7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Group Health, 320 Westlake Avenue N, Combined Conference Rooms GHQ W281, W283 and W285
Sponsor: Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
The speaker will be Ann Marie Kimball, MD, MPH, professor of epidemiology in the University of Washington Department of Health Services. This community forum is open to the public.
Price: free, donations will be accepted
Website: http://wpsr.squarespace.com/calendar/
Contact: 206-547-2630
Thursday September 27, 2007
7:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Camp Long Environmental Learning Center Main Building, 5200 35th Ave. SW
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
Narrated by Alanis Morissette and Keanu Reeves, The Great Warming is a dramatic film about climate change that sweeps around the world to reveal how a changing climate is affecting the lives of people everywhere. It has been called "the best film about global warming ever shot", and taps into the growing groundswell of public interest in this topic to present an emotional, accurate picture of our children's planet. The Great Warming includes hard-hitting comments from scientists and opinion-makers about America's lack of leadership in what is certainly the most critical environmental issue of the 21st century, as well as new scenes documenting the emerging voice of the American Evangelical community urging action on climate change.
Price: free, but donations will be accepted
Website: http://www.nweec.org/ea.htm
Contact: sluoma@nweec.org
Wednesday October 3, 2007
2:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Pacific
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment's Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Autism Society of America; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4; Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability; Learning Disabilities Association of America; John Merck Fund; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit; University of Maryland School of Nursing
Presenters will be 1) Martha Herbert, MD, PhD, clinical associate in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Morphometric Analysis and assistant professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School: "The Emerging Whole-Body, Gene-Environment-Epigenetics Approach in Autism Research and Treatment"; 2) Susan Schantz, PhD, professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: "Neurodevelopmental Effects of PCBs, MeHg and Other Contaminants: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies"; and 3) Allison Davis, PhD, RN, clinical instructor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and affiliate of The Arc of Anne Arundel County: "A Vulnerable Population: Environmental Health Exposures and the Developmental Disabilities Community." CME credits will not be available for these calls.
Price: free
Website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html
Contact: Elise Miller, emiller@iceh.org
Thursday October 4, 2007
7;00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Camp Long Environmental Learning Center, 5200 35th Avenue SW, Main Building
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
Produced and narrated by DiCaprio, The 11th Hour provides an eagle's-eye view of the looming environmental crisis along with real solutions. The film includes interviews with over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who discuss the state of the world and the state of humanity.
Price: free, donations will be accepted
Website: http://www.nweec.org/ea.htm
Contact: sluoma@nweec.org
Thursday October 11, 2007
9:00 a.m. Pacific / noon Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment and Health Care Without Harm
This teleconference will be a discussion about the health risks, medical applications and policy issues associated with nanotechnology. Featured presenters will be Dr. John Balbus, director of health programs at Environmental Defense; Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the International Center for Technology Assessment; and Ian Illuminato, health and environment campaigner for Friends of the Earth. The call moderator will be Steve Heilig, MPH, director of public health and education for CHE and the San Francisco Medical Society. A science update will be provided by Jennifer Sass, PhD, senior scientist for Health and Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/1894
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/
New Members. CHE-Washington welcomes these new members:
For a searchable database of organizations with which CHE-WA members are affiliated, please visit the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/members.html
Job Opening: Washington Toxics Coalition Publications and Website Manager, Seattle, Washington. WTC is seeking a talented, hard-working Publications and Website Manager. This is a full-time position whose primary responsibility is to produce high-quality publications and manage a top-tier website for the organization.
http://www.watoxics.org/about/publications-website-manager/
Job Opening: Compliance and Enforcement Specialist, Olympia, Washington. This Community, Trade and Economic Development Specialist 2 position coordinates the compliance and enforcement activities of the lead-based paint (LBP) licensing program. Primary duties include developing, documenting and implementing LBP compliance and enforcement protocols and procedures, contracting with and monitoring regional inspectors, investigating consumer complaints and inspecting lead-based paint abatement projects.
http://www.cted.wa.gov/DesktopModules/CTEDPublications/CTEDPublicationsView.aspx?tabID=0&ItemID=4969&MId=965&wversion=Staging
Job Opening: Manager, EPA Lead Paint Certification Specialist 3, Olympia, Washington. This position is the advanced level technical expert for the Environmental Protection Agency's lead-based paint certification and enforcement program, which contributes to the agency's goal to protect the health and safety of families and children. The position is responsible for all aspects of the daily operation of the lead-based paint program and for the supervision of two technical staff.
http://www.cted.wa.gov/DesktopModules/CTEDPublications/CTEDPublicationsView.aspx?tabID=0&ItemID=4970&MId=965&wversion=Staging
Nonorganic foods have greater unseen costs. Pesticides and herbicides are powerful poisons. They kill thousands of farmworkers and others every year, along with millions of fish and birds. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Hawaii, 11 September 2007.
http://starbulletin.com/2007/09/11/editorial/commentary.html
[Editor's note: This editorial is in response to one published at http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/OPINION/708270311]
Pregnant smokers may suffer depression. More than one in 10 pregnant women smoke, and new research suggests many of them also may suffer from depression, making kicking the habit even harder. Associated Press, 11 September 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/1500AP_HealthBeat_Pregnant_Smokers.html
Environmental pollution contributing to 40% of deaths worldwide. Water, air and soil pollution, along with other environmental factors, contribute to 40 percent of deaths worldwide each year, a new study by a Cornell University ecologist has revealed. Asian News International, South Asia, 11 September 2007.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/172985.php/Environmental-pollution-contributing-to-40-pc-deaths-worldwide
National child health study narrows focus. Researchers plan to follow hundreds of children in Waukesha County from birth to age 21 in an effort to study how the environment affects their health. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 11 September 2007.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=659185
Public caught in web of problematic health information. We are literally swamped with health information but, unfortunately, the quality of this information varies and it is often difficult to distinguish what is true from what is false. London Free Press, Ontario, 10 September 2007.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/2007/09/10/4483509-sun.html
Housecleaning goes 'green' with simple products. Proponents say that "cleaning green" is better for a family's health and safer for the environment. And it's catching on across the country. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pennsylvania, 10 September 2007.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/health/s_526517.html
High-frequency fears about Wi-Fi. Federal health authorities say they consider wireless technologies safe. But some experts say the abundance of radio waves is starting to show its effects on humans. Montreal Gazette, Quebec, 10 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=a808bb09-5e6c-46b4-a536-f26701e6b91e
The world's a dirty place when you are poor. Well, to steal from Ernest Hemingway, wouldn't it be pretty to think so? But some Americans are clearly more equal than others, especially when it comes to the environment. St. Petersburg Times, Florida, 9 September 2007.
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/09/Opinion/The_world_s_a_dirty_p.shtml
Should you be worried about reusing your water bottle? Water bottles everywhere! Single-serving ones from the gas station or the drugstore or bought in bulk at big box stores. Brightly coloured ones, made of hard plastic and designed for reuse. And now lightweight aluminum ones with ceramic liners. Montreal Gazette, Quebec, 8 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/weekendlife/story.html?id=321c2ac0-1af8-474a-b9c2-2d9ea5709ce8
Feud over 'organic' dry-cleaning claim. A feud erupted in the dry-cleaning industry after an article ran in The Arizona Republic in July featuring a young entrepreneur and his "organic" cleaning technique. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona, 8 September 2007.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0908organic0908.html
Vitamin D deficiency boosts risk of preeclampsia, study finds. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of life-threatening preeclampsia during pregnancy five-fold. Los Angeles Times, California, 8 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-sci-preeclampsia8sep08,1,4811025.story?ctrack=3&cset=true
Dioxane on the defensive. A recent study has found that some of the most popular baby shampoos contain an industrial solvent that is suspected of causing cancer in humans, along with damaging the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Living On Earth, 8 September 2007.
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=07-P13-00036&segmentID=2
Plastic may not be so fantastic for kids. More and more consumers -- new mothers are leading the pack -- are expressing concern about potentially toxic chemicals in plastic products. Los Angeles Times, California, 8 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-plastics10sep10,0,1321288.column
Packing on the compounds. 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. San Diego Union-Tribune, California, 7 September 2007.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/health/20070906-9999-lz1c06obese.html
Trade group: Cleaning products fight illness. Household cleaning products prevent illnesses, despite a Missoula nonprofit report warning that some ingredients are health hazards. Missoula Missoulian, Montana, 7 September 2007.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/09/07/news/mtregional/news07.txt
Toxic-toy scandal not all China's fault. The number of recalls involving toxic and dangerous toys from China is on track to reach record levels this year, a new report by two Canadian professors reveals. CanWest News Service, 7 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/money/story.html?id=d74415b7-a9ba-4e45-b502-467c7b9e7670
NIH: Create action plans to control kids' asthma. The National Institutes of Health has just released new guidelines to help parents prevent asthma attacks. National Public Radio, 6 September 2007.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14198137
Swimming in chlorine byproducts. A flurry of research relating swimming-pool-water treatment to potentially hazardous byproducts has come down the pike. New research indicates some additional byproducts that might be to blame for lung troubles and other possible health effects. Environmental Science & Technology, 6 September 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/sept/science/nl_swim.html
Activists say EPA missed deadline to set standards on pollution. Environmentalists sued the federal government Wednesday, complaining that it has failed to regulate emissions from oceangoing vessels that pollute the air and cause respiratory illness around ports nationwide. Associated Press, 6 September 2007.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/5111411.html
Some food additives raise hyperactivity, study finds. Common food additives and colorings can increase hyperactive behavior in a broad range of children, a study being released today found. New York Times., 6 September 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/health/research/06hyper.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1189100375-dYya/KbJOJYoaaW1zUZtOQ
Feds focus on lead in kids' jewelry. The federal government is proposing, for the first time, to regulate lead in children's jewelry. USA Today, 6 September 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2007-09-05-lead-jewelry_N.htm
Youth suicides increased as antidepressant use fell. Warnings from federal regulators four years ago that antidepressants were increasing the risk of suicidal behavior among young people led to a precipitous drop in the use of the drugs. Now a new study has found that the drop coincides with an unprecedented increase in the number of suicides among children. Washington Post, 6 September 2007.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090502303.html0
Home mould removal 'eases asthma'. Asthma sufferers who remove mould from their homes could see an improvement in their symptoms, a Cardiff University study has found. BBC, United Kingdom, 6 September 2007.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6979787.stm
Report buttresses argument against power lines. A scientific report released late last week joins others in raising serious public-health concerns over long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields from high-voltage power lines. Vancouver Province, British Columbia, 6 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=392a56cf-50c6-4c07-9745-630b9dbb7066
Global warming could mean more heart problems, doctors warn. Doctors warn that the warmer weather expected with climate change might also produce more heart problems. International Herald Tribune, 5 September 2007.
http://www.iht.com:80/articles/ap/2007/09/05/europe/EU-MED-Global-Warming-Hearts.php
submitted to this bulletin by Jim DiPeso
Aspartame cancer risks revisited. Two new studies suggest that aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in more than 6,000 diet products, beverages and pharmaceuticals, is a greater cancer risk than previously thought, especially if exposure begins in the womb. Environmental Health Perspectives, 5 September 2007.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2007/115-9/ss.html#aspa
Heart attacks tumble after Irish smoking ban. Ireland's rate of heart attacks fell by around a tenth in the year following the introduction of the world's first nationwide ban on workplace smoking, boosting the case for more similar bans, doctors said on Tuesday. Reuters, 5 September 2007.
http://sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=heart-attacks-tumble-afte&chanID=sa003&modsrc=reuters
Chemical sensitivity traps victims in their own bodies. They say they are the 21st century's version of canaries in the coal mine. They contend that with each passing year, more and more people are joining their ranks because "we are poisoning ourselves." Oakland Press, Michigan, 4 September 2007.
http://theoaklandpress.com/stories/090207/loc_20070902153.shtml
Mysteries of autoimmune diseases unravel. Autoimmune diseases, which researchers believe are caused by a genetic predisposition activated by some environmental exposure, are on the rise. USA Today, 4 September 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-09-03-autoimmune-advances_N.htm
Concern rises over effects of parabens. Consumer products labeled "paraben-free" are showing up in stores. For years, parabens have been used to inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds in personal-care products. But studies show that some parabens can mimic the activity of the hormone estrogen. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 4 September 2007.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-0904_health_parabens_r_qsep04,1,3858838.story?ctrack=2&cset=true
Study: obese toddlers have iron deficiency. Pudgy toddlers have an alarmingly high rate of iron deficiency, and Hispanic youngsters are more affected than other groups, a new study finds. Associated Press, 4 September 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Fat-Toddlers.html
Schools refining control of pests. In recent years, schools have faced calls to reduce their use of pesticides, particularly in light of environmental reports that say small children are vulnerable with the poisonous ingredients that kill bugs. Jacksonville Times-Union, Florida, 4 September 2007.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/090307/met_196514751.shtml
Toxic cocktail. Every day you can expect to be exposed to some 75,000 artificial chemicals. You swallow them in your food and they seep out of carpets, pillows and curtains, and drift into your lungs. Is living in this chemical soup doing us any harm? There are good reasons to think that it might be, especially because of the mixture. New Scientist, England, 3 September 2007.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19526190.700-toxic-cocktail.html
Made-in-China kids' pencils recalled over high lead levels. Another children's product made in China has been added to the growing list of recalls over concerns about lead, making it the fourth such recall in less than one month. Canadian Press, 2 September 2007.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070901.wpencilrecall0901/BNStory/National/home
Don't bite the dust. Both children and adults can accumulate substantial amounts of the hormone-perturbing agents known as PBDEs. House dust appears to be the biggest source. Science News, 1 September 2007.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070901/food.asp
Fetal damage to lungs can follow child into adulthood. Children born with frail lungs -- often because of toxic exposures during pregnancy -- do not improve as they grow up, but suffer worsening breathing problems into adulthood, a UA study has found. Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Arizona, 1 September 2007.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/199271
Life's feverish pitch killing us. New evidence from the World Health Organisation reveals that thousands of people around the world may be dying prematurely, or succumbing to disease, through the effects of chronic noise exposure. Sydney Australian, Australia, 1 September 2007.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22335936-23289,00.html
Not in whose backyard? While countless federal laws have been written to preserve wilderness and endangered species, no legislation has been tailored to protect what may be the most vulnerable landscape, the low-income communities that shelter most of America's polluting facilities. New York Times, 1 September 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magazine/02wwln-essay-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin
Estrogen deficit no good for brain. Women who have had their ovaries removed and not received extra estrogen have an elevated risk of cognitive impairment or dementia later in life. Taken with an earlier study, it suggests that estrogen has a different effect on the brain at different ages. Science, 31 August 2007.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/829/1
EPA criticized for not pushing stricter smog standard. Asthma patients, doctors and activists urged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials on Thursday to go further in tightening smog standards to protect children and others from ailments caused by dirty air. Associated Press, 31 August 2007.
http://www.chicoer.com/news/national/ci_6761323
Children exposed to parents smoking may go onto miscarry. Women who were exposed to their parents' smoking as children may have a higher likelihood of suffering a miscarriage, new research suggests. Sydney Daily Telegraph, Australia, 31 August 2007.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22339209-5006007,00.html?from=public_rss
Toys R Us recalls Chinese crayons. US branches of the retailer Toys R Us have recalled 27,000 Chinese-made paint and crayon sets after the wooden box packaging was found to contain lead. BBC, United Kingdom, 31 August 2007.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6970986.stm
DDT's resurrection. One year after WHO recommended the use of DDT in developing countries to prevent the spread of malaria, the debate over its safety continues. Environmental Science & Technology, 31 August 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/science/nl_ddt.html
EPA, industry score low on toxics test. The chemical industry deserves a "D" for not providing the U.S. EPA with data it promised years ago, a new report card from an advocacy group finds. It is adding fuel to calls to overhaul U.S. chemicals management laws. Environmental Science & Technology, 30 August 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/policy/jp_hpv.html
New doubts raised over mobile phone safety. Just five minutes of exposure to mobile phone emissions can trigger changes that occur during cancer development, according to new research. London Daily Telegraph, England, 30 August 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=0Y0SS5S3CQX3XQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/08/29/nphone129.xml
Smoking stays in your genes after you quit. Research reveals gene expression changes brought on by heavy smoking may persist long after the smoker has kicked the habit, which could be an explanation for the continued increased risk of lung cancer and other pulmonary ailments among former smokers. Nature, 30 August 2007.
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070827/full/070827-5.html
Grape juice protects women against breast cancer. The new finding, which has also been documented in the current issue of the Journal of Medicine Foods, explained that there is a natural compounds in concord grape juice which has the ability and power to protect healthy breast cells from DNA damage. Nigerian Tribune, Niger, 30 August 2007.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/30082007/hlt2.html
PVC, the poison plastic. Why is PVC called "the poison plastic," and what makes it so different from other plastics? Frisco Summit Daily News, Colorado, 30 August 2007.
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070829/NEWS/70829008/0/FRONTPAGE
Study eyes diabetes in pregnant women. A new, large study suggests that treating women who develop diabetes during pregnancy greatly reduces the chances that their baby will become obese during childhood. Associated Press, 28 August 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Diabetes-Pregnancy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Synergistic Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Exposure to Violence on Urban Asthma Etiology. Researchers found an association between traffic-related air pollution and asthma solely among urban children exposed to violence. Environmental Health Perspectives, August 2007
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2007/9863/abstract.html