The Week in Environmental Health News, March 01 to 05, 2010

In order to help you find topics that interest you, this week’s articles are categorized under:

Environmental Contaminants
Food
General
Influenza
International
Water

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS

Girls with prenatal exposure to bisphenol A more aggressive, hyperactive: Study

By Mark Iype, Canwest News Service. Calgary Herald

“OTTAWA — Daughters of women who were exposed to a common chemical found in plastics, while they were pregnant are more likely to show aggressive and hyperactive behaviours as two-year-olds, a new study shows…”

“A Massive, Toxicological Experiment with Our Children”

The Autism – Environment Link By Steven Higgs, Counter punch (2010)

“One of the nation’s leading voices on children’s environmental health has called for focused and expanded research into the cause-effect relation between industrial chemicals and autism.

“Long and tragic experience that began with studies of lead and methylmercury has documented that toxic chemicals can damage the developing human brain to produce a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders,” Dr. Philip Landrigan from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine wrote in a Jan. 16, 2010, article in the medical journal Current Opinion in Pediatrics.

Today’s children, he noted, “are at risk of exposure to 3,000 synthetic chemicals produced in quantities of more than 1 million pounds per year, termed high-production-volume (HPV) chemicals. HPV chemicals are found in a wide array of consumer goods, cosmetics, medications, motor fuels and building materials….”

Read more at: http://www.counterpunch.org/higgs03042010.html. Published March. 4, 2010 Cited Mar 5.

Agriculture and Rural Groups Defend EPA’s Ability to Protect Climate, Public Health

CONTACT: Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy (IATP), Ben Lilliston, (612) 870-3416, ben@iatp.org

Over 25 groups urge Senate action on climate to protect farmers’ livelihoods

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – March 3 – Over 25 organizations representing agriculture organizations and rural communities sent a letter to the Senate yesterday, urging Senators to reject attempts to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s ability to enforce the Clean Air Act.

The letter is in response to Senate Joint Resolution No. 26, an attempt led by Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski to block EPA efforts to regulate greenhouse gases to protect public health under the Clean Air Act. The groups stated that comprehensive legislation to address climate change is ultimately the best approach. Climate legislation has stalled in the Senate, but the lack of legislative progress should not “preclude the EPA from effectively enforcing the Clean Air Act,” the letter said….”

Read more at: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/03/03-0. Cited 2010 Mar 04.

EPA Drastically Underestimates Coal Waste Pollution’s Threat to Human and Environmental Health

Frank, J. Drastically Underestimates Coal Waste Pollution’s Threat to Human and Environmental Health (2010) Alert Net. (On-line)

“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has severely underreported the severity of coal ash waste pollution and its threat to human and environmental health throughout the United States, a new independent study released February 24 by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Earthjustice says.

The EPA’s tally of coal ash contamination locations last year did not include an additional 31 sites that should have been included in the totals, stated the study, entitled “Out of Control: Mounting Damages From Coast Ash Waste Sites.”

UNMC researchers say common farm chemicals may pose risk for thyroid disease

HealthCanal.com (2010)

“A recent University of Nebraska Medical Center research study has found that farm women who work with common pesticides have a greater risk of thyroid disease.

UNMC researchers found 12.5 percent of the women had thyroid disease compared to 1 to 8 percent in the general population. They evaluated data of 16,529 women married to farmers licensed to apply pesticides in Iowa and North Carolina.

The data are from the Agricultural Health Study, a long-term study of licensed pesticide applicators, sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute….”

Read more: http://www.healthcanal.com/environmental-health/5990.html. Cited 2010 Mar 01.

Federal Agency Launches New BPA Studies

Newsinferno.com. (2010). Cited 2010 Mar 03.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) just initiated 11 new animal studies into the possible effects from exposure to the industrial chemical bisphenol A—BPA—NIEHS director Linda Birnbaum told Congress, reported Reuters.

“There are concerns about multiple possible health effects of BPA exposure,” Birnbaum told Congress at a House Energy and Commerce Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing, quoted Reuters. “While much of the exposure to BPA in humans occurs through the diet, other sources of exposure include air, dust and, water,” she added. The hearing was convened to look at endocrine disruptors in drinking water….”

An interview with Linda Birnbaum director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program

By Jane Kay, Environmental Health News, Nov. 20, 2009

“Nearly a year ago, toxicologist Linda Birnbaum was named director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. She sat down with Environmental Health News journalist Jane Kay in San Francisco on Wednesday to answer questions about the environmental health risks we face today….”

Bottle of the bulge: why plastics may make you fat

March 4, 12:33 PMMilwaukee Sustainable Food Examiner, Lori Weaver

“Certain plastics have been linked to a laundry list of ills, from cardiovascular disease to cancer. But now some scientists believe that substances in our environment—like the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) common in many water bottles—may be contributing to America’s obesity epidemic as well.

BPA estrogen mimicking abilities causes obesity. Scientist Retha Newbold of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health feels that obesity is not only about food choices and lack of exercises but from chemicals leaching out plastic bottles….”

FOOD

EU approves modified maize, potato

EU approves modified maize, potato (2010) The Malta Independent Online.

The approval by EU of genetically modified potato and maize is creating an uproar in Europe.

“The go-ahead for the Amflora potato – developed by Ludwigshafen, Germany-based BASF SE – marked the first green light in 12 years to grow a genetically modified food in the European Union….”

Read more: http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=102439. Cited 2010 Mar 03.

Suit: Fish Oil Contains Undisclosed PCB Levels

Manufacturers’ failure to warn violates longstanding California law

By Jon Hood, ConsumerAffairs.com. March 4, 2010

“In the world of over-the-counter dietary supplements, fish oil has attained an unrivaled status. Unlike fad drugs that flame out or quietly disappear, fish oil has steadily grown in popularity. Indeed, in a February ConsumerLab.com poll, more respondents said they use fish oil than a standard multivitamin pill.

But a lawsuit filed on Tuesday says there’s a dark side to the supplements that most consumers aren’t aware of: many of them dangerously high levels of PCBs, a chemical linked to birth defects and several types of cancer….”

39% Of Bagged Salad Is Gross, Some Has Poop

The Consumerist. By Ben Popken on February 25, 2010 3:55 PM

“..Consumer Reports tested for total coliforms and other bacteria including enterococcus. According to industry experts, 10,000 or more colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) is excessive. The tests of 16 different brands had 39% exceeded that level for total coliforms, and 23% for enterococcus….”

Foodborne illness costs US $152 billion annually, landmark report estimates

Contact: Ben Grossman-Cohen, bgrossman-cohen@mrss.com

Pew Health Group, Public release date: 3-Mar-2010

“WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new study by a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) economist estimates the total economic impact of foodborne illness across the nation to be a combined $152 billion annually.

The Produce Safety Project, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts at Georgetown University, published the report, Health-Related Costs from Foodborne Illness in the United States. In addition, an interactive online map that graphically represents this cost information for every state in the nation is available at www.MakeOurFoodSafe.org/cost_map.

The report ranks states according to their total costs related to foodborne illness and cost per case for an individual, which is $1,850 on average nationwide. The ten states with the highest costs per case are: Hawaii, Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, the District of Columbia, Mississippi, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey….”

GENERAL

Increased Violence toward teachers

Hatred, violence in our schools’ classrooms. Lucy Hood From: The Advertiser February 27, 2010.

“The Occupational Health and Safety Incident/Accident Report shows students were “deliberately” responsible for 98 per cent of the 2957 injuries reported by teachers from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2009….”

Hotter weather increases hospitalization, says study

Hotter weather increases hospitalization, says study (2010) Central Valley Business Times.

“Hotter weather is sending more Californians to the hospital for serious ailments, with each 10-degree rise linked to an increase of more than 400 percent in hospital admissions for heat stroke, according to a new state study.

Researchers examining the link between temperature and hospital admissions found that rising temperatures also increased the number of residents hospitalized for pneumonia, kidney failure, and dehydration….”

Read more at: http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=14520. Cited 2010 Mar 03.

Maine considers cellphone warning

Maine considers cellphone warning (2010) UPI.com

“Maine is considering a bill that would require warning labels about the risks of electromagnetic radiation on cellphones sold in the state, a legislator says.

Rep. Andrea Boland, a Democrat, says the Children’s Wireless Protection Act would require warning labels on cellphones and their packaging, alerting users to the risks of brain cancer from electromagnetic radiation emitted from the devices — and cautioning that children and pregnant women should keep the devices away from their heads and bodies.

Opponents of the bill say there is no proof of a link between the cellphone electromagnetic radiation and brain cancer and leukemia…”

Read more at: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/03/03/Maine-considers-cellphone-warning/UPI-69941267675328/. Published: March. 3, 2010 Cited Mar 5.

INFLUENZA

How To Sell Germ Warfare – Can hand sanitizers like Purell really stop people from getting the flu?

Debate over the relevance of using alcohol based hand sanitizers.

By Darshak Sanghavi. (2010) Slate.

“Our homes and workplaces, we’re told, are trying to kill us. Recently, a University of Arizona microbiologist named Charles Gerba, author of hundreds of scientific papers about household microbes, gave a terrifying lecture at the offices of the Food and Drug Administration. Gerba—who, incidentally, has a child with the middle name Escherichia—that’s what the “E” in E. coli stands for—explained that a kitchen sponge and sink are home to thousands of times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Plus, 10 percent of household dishrags contain salmonella. After playing with other children, toddlers have more fecal bacteria on their hands than does a person exiting a public toilet stall. Those toilets, by the way, aerosolize so many droplets with each flush that Gerba compares their dispersion to “the Fourth of July.” And every public swimming pool he’s ever tested has contained disease-causing viruses….”

Read more at: http://www.slate.com/id/2245896/?GT1=38001. Cited 2010 Mar03.

INTERNATIONAL

Health Care Crisis in Darfur — Concern About Dependance on Aid Organisations

Dabrowska, K. Health Care Crisis in Darfur, Concern About Dependance on Aid Organisations (2010) Suite101.com

“The Sudanese government and Darfur’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement signed a peace agreement on 24 February 2010. Now they are faced with making the country safe by removing amunition from the environment and by empowering the population by concentrating on providing health centre, schools and safe drinking water….

Read more at Suite101: Health Care Crisis in Darfur: Concern About Dependance on Aid Organisations http://subsaharanafricanaffairs.suite101.com/article.cfm/health-care-crisis-in-darfur#ixzz0hXaXfgns. Published March. 4, 2010 Cited Mar 5.

WATER

Lead pipe removal risky.

By JONATHAN SHER, The London Free Press (lfpress.com). Last Updated: February 27

“A costly program meant to protect Londoners from lead in tap water may instead be placing thousands at risk, a leading expert says.

Each year city hall spends more than $750,000 to replace about 500 lead service lines with copper pipes to bring water to the property lines of older homes. While city hall allows homeowners to also replace lead lines under their properties, many forego the roughly $1,500 cost, leaving new copper pipes connected to lead pipes.

It’s a strategy London city engineer Pat McNally says is key to reducing lead in drinking water — he plans to replace the public share of the remaining 8,000 or so lead service lines by 2025.

This practice is common throughout Canada, but south of the border, it has come to a screeching halt….”

Read more at: http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/02/27/13051031.html. Cited 2010 Mar 01.

Study Investigates Long-Term Viability of Water Treatment and Hygiene Intervention in Rural Guatemala

Contact: Jennie Ward-Robinson, Ph.D., 979-845-0391, Institute for Public Health and Water research.

Monthly visits will encourage Household water treatment and handwashing.

“The challenge in these interventions is sustaining the behavior by making it habitual,” said Arnold. “This is a well-known struggle in many public health interventions, and I think that a useful contribution from academics would be formative research into adoption barriers, social marketing messages and intervention delivery – all important issues that our study did not address.” The original intervention recruited local women to promote household water treatment and handwashing in monthly home visits to participant households.

Read more at: http://www.ipwr.org/documents/090908.pdf. Cited 2010 Mar 01.

UCLA engineers develop faster method to detect bacterial contamination in coastal waters – Method cuts testing time from a day or more to less than an hour

Contact: Matthew Chin, mchin@support.ucla.edu, 310-206-0680

University of California – Los Angeles. Public release date: 2-Mar-2010

“Currently, beachgoers are informed about water-quality conditions based on results from the previous day’s sample. Scientists must collect samples in the field, then return to a lab to culture them for analysis — a process that takes a minimum of 24 hours.

Now, engineers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have sped up the process of analyzing bacterial concentrations to under one hour, through the development of a new in-field, rapid-detection method.

Since bacteria levels can change quickly in the water column, a one-day turnaround time simply isn’t fast enough to adequately protect swimmers or prevent unnecessary beach closures, the engineers say.

This issue is especially pertinent in California, where gastrointestinal illness that can result from contact with contaminated beach waters has been estimated to cost Orange and Los Angeles county beach visitors between $21 million and $51 million per year in sick days and related issues….”

‘World’s most useful tree’ provides low-cost water purification method for developing world

Contact: Ben Norman, Lifesciencenews@wiley.com. Public release date: 3-Mar-2010

“A low-cost water purification technique published in Current Protocols in Microbiology could help drastically reduce the incidence of waterborne disease in the developing world. The procedure, which uses seeds from the Moringa oleifera tree, can produce a 90.00% to 99.99% bacterial reduction in previously untreated water, and has been made free to download as part of access programs under John Wiley & Sons’ Corporate Citizenship Initiative.

A billion people across Asia, Africa, and Latin America are estimated to rely on untreated surface water sources for their daily water needs. Of these, some two million are thought to die from diseases caught from contaminated water every year, with the majority of these deaths occurring among children under five years of age. Michael Lea, a Current Protocols author, and a researcher at Clearinghouse, a Canadian organisation dedicated to investigating and implementing low-cost water purification technologies, believes the Moringa oleifera tree could go a long way to providing a solution….”

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Tagged as: Environmental Health News