News
Soy Foods: Eating too much of a good thing might be bad, scientists say
Americans consume over $4 billion of soy foods each year because of their many health benefits. But new studies suggest that eating large amounts of soy's estrogen-mimicking compounds might reduce fertility in women, trigger early puberty and disrupt development of fetuses and children. 'We know that too much genistein is not a good thing for a developing mouse; it may not be a good thing for a developing child,' said Retha Newbold of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Idling school buses spew black carbon, fine particles
Idling school buses spew tons of exhaust into the air, putting children at risk when they leave school at the end of each day. In New York City alone, idling vehicles emit as much pollution as nine million diesel trucks driving from the Bronx to Staten Island. But the city's laws requiring them to shut down their engines in school zones are poorly enforced.
EPA unveils plan to review 6 controversial chemicals, reform US toxics policy
President Obama’s top environmental official announced a new push to transform the way the nation regulates toxic chemicals that may endanger people and the environment. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson called the workings of a 1976 law 'inordinately cumbersome and time-consuming' and said the administration will promote a new chemical law in Congress.In the meantime, the EPA will analyze and regulate six high-profile, widely used chemicals that have raised health concerns, including BPA and phthalates.
Eating venison, other game raises lead exposure
New research raises questions about the safety of eating wild game, and triggers a renewed debate about banning lead ammunition. Tests by the CDC show that eating venison and other game can raise the amounts of lead in human bodies by 50 percent. The National Park Service has announced a controversial plan to ban lead bullets and fishing tackle, which Acting Director Dan Wenk said “will benefit humans, wildlife, and ecosystems inside and outside park boundaries.”
Hispanics face high cancer risk from breathing household chemical
Hispanics have a cancer risk from air pollutants as much as five times the rate of others living in the same cities. But it isn’t outdoor air posing the greatest danger; it is something much closer to home: Toilet deodorizers and moth repellents in their bathrooms and closets. Researchers call for a ban on the carcinogenic chemical used in the consumer products.
Threat down below: Polluted caves endanger water supplies, wildlife
Caves are home to some of the planet's most unusual creatures and important drinking water supplies. Now these underground resources are being polluted by surface activities, ranging from sewage spills to old factories. Experts call the problem "extensive and serious." Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, Crevice Cave in Missouri and Whispering Canyon Cave in Alaska are examples. "People need to be aware that there’s a subterranean ecosystem and that what happens on the surface impacts these unique ecosystems in a very real way," said David Culver, a biologist at American University.
Cancer in wildlife, normally rare, can signal toxic dangers
Wild animals normally are killed by cancer only in rare cases. But scientists have found that some deadly cancers in animals--including Quebec's belugas, California sea lions and North Sea flounder--seem to be triggered or accelerated by environmental contaminants. The tumors highlight the dangers that industrial activities pose – not just to animals, but to people in the same areas, exposed to the same chemicals. But lack of research and environmental obstacles mean most cancers in wildlife remain undetected.
California unveils new goal for controversial carcinogen in water
In a long-awaited move designed to protect people from cancer, California officials on Thursday proposed a new health goal for chromium 6 in drinking water that is thousands of times lower than the amount contaminating some water supplies. The recommendation culminates a decade of debate among scientists trying to decide what concentration is safe to drink. The contaminant was made famous by Erin Brockovich and a small Mojave Desert town that won the largest tort injury settlement in U.S. history. Water supplies there contained 10,000 times more chromium 6 than the California scientists now recommend as their new goal for protecting the public from cancer.
Germ-killing chemical from soaps, toothpaste building up in dolphins
Triclosan is the germ-killing chemical of choice in hundreds of products, including liquid hand soaps, toothpaste and deodorants. Now some scientists are calling for its removal from consumer products because it is building up in the ocean's food web. A new study found that one-third of the bottlenose dolphins tested off South Carolina and almost one-quarter of those tested off Florida carried traces of triclosan in their blood. The concentrations found in the dolphins are known to disrupt the hormones and growth and development of other animals.
Rural well water linked to Parkinson’s; California study implicates farm pesticides
Rural residents who drink water from private wells are much more likely to have Parkinson’s disease, a finding that bolsters theories that farm pesticides may be partially to blame, according to a new study. The risk to people in California's Central Valley was 90 percent higher for those who had private wells near fields sprayed with certain insecticides. People with the incurable neurological disease “were more likely to have consumed private well water, and had consumed it on average 4.3 years longer,” UCLA scientists reported. Unlike municipal water supplies, private wells are largely unregulated and are not monitored for contaminants.
Chemicals can turn genes on and off; new tests needed, scientists say.
A National Academies workshop examined the evidence of epigenetic effects and considered whether the thousands of chemicals in use today should be tested for them. Some pollutants and chemicals don't kill cells or mutate DNA. Instead, they may be more subtle, muting genes or turning them on at the wrong time, which can lead to diseases that are passed on for generations. Asthma in New York City children exposed to traffic exhaust is an example, experts say.
Do contaminants play a role in diabetes? Evidence is growing.
A Great Lakes study linking a pesticide in fish to diabetes adds to the growing chorus of studies suggesting that environmental contaminants may play a role in the widespread disease. "The science has been growing very, very rapidly, and to my mind, it’s one of the most exciting developments in the study of diabetes," said David O. Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany.
Boys' birth defect is not increasing, raising questions about phthalate syndrome
Hypospadias, one of the most common birth defects among baby boys, apparently is not increasing in the United States, casting doubt on whether boys are harmed by phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals thought to trigger reproductive abnormalities.
The environmental toll of plastics
From cell phones and computers to bicycle helmets and hospital IV bags, plastic has molded society in many ways that make life both easier and safer. But the synthetic material also has left harmful imprints on the environment and perhaps human health, according to a new compilation of articles authored by more than 60 scientists from around the world. Evidence is mounting that the chemical building blocks that make plastics so versatile are the same components that might harm people and the environment. And its production and disposal contribute to an array of environmental problems, too. Green solutions, however, are becoming available, the scientists say.
More preemies born in neighborhoods with heavy pollution from cars, trucks
Women exposed to air pollution from freeways and congested roads are much more likely to give birth to premature babies and suffer from preeclampsia, according to a study by California scientists published Wednesday. The findings, based on births in the Long Beach/Orange County region, add to the growing evidence that car and truck exhaust can jeopardize the health of babies while they are in the womb.
Weed killer kills human cells. Study intensifies debate over 'inert' ingredients.
Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup’s inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells. The new findings intensify a debate about so-called “inerts” — the solvents, preservatives, surfactants and other substances that manufacturers add to pesticides. Nearly 4,000 inert ingredients are approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
New diesel trucks and buses cut soot and smog more than 90%
For decades, diesel trucks and buses have spewed large amounts of soot, smog-causing gases and carcinogens into the air. But new diesel engines are more than 90 percent cleaner than a few years ago, far exceeding the emission reductions required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new independent study released Thursday. Data show new diesel technologies are working even better than expected.
Mohawk men: PCBs in native foods may be reducing testosterone
For two decades, the Mohawk Nation's Akwesasne territory has been turned into a human laboratory for studying the health effects of industrial chemicals. The latest finding? Low testosterone levels in men. Researchers say the contamination of the Mohawk has universal ramifications. The study provides the first human evidence that PCBs block male hormones.
High selenium linked to diabetes; Americans should stop taking selenium supplements, research team says
Most Americans have high selenium levels in their bodies, but diabetics have even more. A new study confirms a link between selenium and the disease, suggesting that "selenium supplements should not be used in the U.S. until there is a better understanding of their potential risks and benefits," the authors say.
Special Report: Thousands of kids exposed to dangerous liquid mercury in schools, homes. Contamination can last years, and cleanups are costly
When children encounter long-forgotten stashes of liquid mercury, schools have to shut down for days or weeks and the toxic trail left in classrooms, buses, homes and communities costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up. Found in many old science labs and used in some cultural ceremonies, mercury triggered more than 37,000 calls to U.S. poison control centers in a five-year period. One specialist found traces in 40% of schools tested.
