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In the News:
Get quick access to breaking stories around the world.
5 February Surrounded by air pollution. Once a refuge for people desperate to breathe the clean desert air, metropolitan Phoenix now battles the smog and smudged horizons the refugees were trying to escape. The pollution clogs lungs, aggravates asthma and traps people with respiratory diseases in their homes when conditions worsen. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona. 5 February Sludge with human waste sparks debate in Lehigh Valley. Thomas Shetayh and other Lynn Township residents want neighboring farmers to stop using sewage sludge to grow crops, a practice residents say is polluting their water supply and leaving a stench in the air. Allentown Morning Call, Pennsylvania. 5 February Harmful particles go unmeasured. Maricopa County maintains an inventory of the major pollution sources across the metropolitan area, tracking dust from dirt roads and construction sites, fuel exhaust from highways and industrial operations, and organic compounds from industrial plants and landfills. And the US EPA says the inventory is inaccurate. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona. 5 February Climate in DC doesn't favor clean-air rules. In February 1998, the Governor's Air Quality Strategies Task Force delivered a thick report recommending actions that could reduce air pollution in metropolitan Phoenix. Since then, almost nothing has happened to address the threat of traffic-related pollution sources along major roads and freeways or to help children or adults with respiratory illnesses aggravated by air pollution. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona. 5 February Air pollution worse than smoking mother. Exhaust fumes and ground-level ozone increase the risk for premature birth, according to a study by a team of researchers at Umea University in northern Sweden. The Local Sweden, Sweden. 5 February Gulf oil spill's 'trial of the century' could end before it begins. BP and negotiators for federal and state governments are frantically working to confect a settlement so they won't have to leave the fate of billions of dollars in potential pollution fines and spill damage payments in the hands of U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier. The trial is set to being in three weeks. New Orleans Times-Picayune, Louisiana. 5 February Could drought threaten South Africa's rooibos tea? South Africa's rooibos tea only grows in a small area and erratic weather patterns - blamed by some on climate change - mean the plant and the new industry are now under threat. BBC. 5 February Sacrificing the desert to save the Earth. Industrial-scale solar development is well underway in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. The federal government has furnished more public property to this cause than it has for oil and gas exploration over the last decade — 21 million acres, more than the area of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties put together. Los Angeles Times. 5 February Mexico drought chokes cattle, crops. The worst drought on record in various parts of Mexico has destroyed millions of acres of cropland and left millions of livestock without food, leading to fears about potential food shortages at a time when U.S. states like Texas are also suffering unusually dry weather. Wall Street Journal. 5 February Planes, trains, automobiles; but bicycles? Today, less than 13 percent of US kids use the old foot-mobile, or ride their two wheelers to class. Making children more mobile was what the Federal Safe Routes to School program was all about. It could soon come to a screeching halt. It’s one of the programs on the chopping block as Congress considers a new federal transportation bill. Living On Earth. 5 February New transportation bill proposes big changes. The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has proposed a sweeping, new transportation bill. The legislation would encourage private companies to build their own toll roads and pay for infrastructure with money from oil companies. Living On Earth. 5 February Environment agency becomes crunch issue in Rio talks. The UN Environment Programme is emerging as a hot issue in preparations for June's Rio conference, styled as a once-in-a-generation chance to restore a sick planet to good health. Agence France-Presse. 5 February Colorado may restrict shale fracturing at former bombing range. Proposed drilling on a former bombing range that contains unexploded munitions and a landfill prompted Colorado lawmakers this week to introduce a bill that would require rules for fracking near toxic-waste sites. Bloomberg News. 5 February Outdoor groups urge Corbett to uphold moratorium on state forest gas leases. Pennsylvania's 20 state forests encompass more than 2.2 million acres, giving residents year-round access for pursuits such as hiking, snowmobiling, boating, hunting and fishing. But with a budget shortfall looming in Harrisburg and the Marcellus Shale fracking industry expanding in the region, sportsmen say they are worried. Altoona Mirror, Pennsylvania. 5 February Cleanup may put wildlife at risk. A federal agency is reviewing whether DuPont's plan to dredge mercury-laced sediment from a corner of Pompton Lake is comprehensive enough to prevent dangerous levels of mercury from contaminating fish downriver. Bergen County Record, New Jersey. 5 February Plans to secretly test 30,000 NHS blood transfusion patients as CJD fears escalate. Thousands of NHS patients could be secretly monitored by the Government for symptoms of the human form of mad cow disease amid concerns that there could be another wave of infections. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom. More news from today Hot Topics
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New Science:
Understand new scientific results that expand knowledge of environmental links to health.
It takes just a single generation in captivity to genetically change a wild fish's offspring so they are less able to reproduce in the wild, report researchers who studied three generations of the endangered steelhead fish from Oregon's Hood River. The more successful a wild caught fish is in captivity – by producing high numbers of offspring – the worse off the offspring are at reproducing successfully in the wild. This study is the first to explain the cause: unintentional genetic adaptation to captivity. More... Women were more likely to be obese, have high blood pressure or have gestational diabetes during pregnancy if their mother smoked while pregnant, finds a study of more than 70,000 women in Norway. This study is the first to identify an increased risk of gestational diabetes among women whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. Results here are consistent with other studies finding links between prenatal smoking and obesity in children as well as small increases in blood pressure. More... PCBs may interfere with immune system development in infants exposed in the womb and early in life, report researchers from the United States and Slovakia. Infants with higher PCB exposure during gestation and as newborns had smaller thymus organs at birth and at 6 months of age but not at 13 months. These results suggest that early life exposure to PCBs might impact the development of the immune system, but the effects seem to be limited to early infancy. The long-term implications of these changes remain to be determined. More... Children and young adults from areas with highly polluted air in Mexico had physical and genetic changes in their brains akin to those found in adults with Alzheimer's disease. The changes seen are surprising because they are not supposed to occur in younger brains. Over half of the brains from the urban areas showed signs of amyloid-B plaques and 40 percent had pretangle material. In contrast, none of the brains from the rural areas had either condition. More... A new study from Spain reports that infants born to mothers who cooked with gas stoves had slightly lower intelligence scores at ages 1 and 2 than those in homes without gas cookers. In homes with gas, infant scores were better if there was an exhaust fan above the stove. Gas stoves are so common that these small decreases in infant intelligence may lead to more children with lower IQs and fewer with higher IQs in the future. More... Lead exposure may increase lifelong pessimism, according to a new study. Researchers found that lead levels in aging men were associated with increased pessimism even after controlling for other important factors such as socioeconomic status. Lead is known to affect the nervous system and affect intelligence, memory and behavior. Research also shows it is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. More... A new study raises concern about children's exposure to mercury through fish eating, tying it for the first time to hormone changes that increase chronic stress and associated immune system dysfunction. The highest mercury levels detected in the study had about 20-25 percent lower cortisol in saliva samples compared with lowest mercury levels. Mercury levels measured in the children were well below the levels considered a health risk by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More... A new study found that higher in utero and childhood exposure to a solvent known as PCE, or tetrachloroethylene, increased the risk of cigarette, drug, and alcohol use as a teenager and young adult. These results are consistent with previous animal and human studies reporting that PCE can affect both behavior and cognition in animals and humans. This is the first study to evaluate the behavioral consequences of early life PCE exposure in adulthood. More... In the first study of its kind, scientists in Denmark report that women exposed near the time of conception to relatively common levels of a particular phthalate are more likely to experience early pregnancy loss compared to women with lower exposures. The phthalate associated with the losses, MEHP, is a breakdown product of a phthalate, DEHP, widely used in plastics. Only exposures around conception - and not in the prior month - were linked to the loss. More... Fish exposed to low levels of common flame retardants called PBDEs for most of their lives pass the chemicals – and more surprisingly, the associated toxic effects – along to their progeny. While parent's health effects were minimal, the exposures reduced hatch rates and altered the thyroid hormone system of the next generation. The study is important because it shows that flame retardants can trigger thyroid hormone disruption in the next generation whether or not the offspring are exposed to the chemicals. More... Bisphenol A seems impossible to avoid. It contaminates food, thermal receipts and drinks served in certain plastic bottles. A new study finds its reach goes even further. Researchers detected trace amounts of BPA in a wide variety of paper products most of us touch every day. While levels of BPA exposure from these paper products, including toilet paper, paper towels, newspapers and business cards are much lower in comparison to what occurs through food, the results add to the long list of products that lead to human contact with BPA. More... Worldwide mercury pollution is expected to increase dramatically by 2050, unless major policy changes are implemented. Even the best-case scenario suggests major actions will only dent mercury deposition to the United States. Once emitted, mercury can be deposited within days, but some stays aloft for months. In the worst-case scenario, Asia will more than double its current mercury emissions by 2050. Much of these increased emissions from Asia are due to India's growing use of coal. More... Researchers in China have found that adults over the age of 40 with higher levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine tend to be obese, have more abdominal fat and be insulin resistant. These metabolic disorders can lead to further and more harmful health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Since BPA exposure is widespread - almost all people in the United States carry it in their bodies - the study's results highlight a potentially significant health risk from exposure to the contaminant. More... New evidence from a laboratory study shows that selenium helps freshwater fish get rid of stored methylmercury. The results help researchers further understand the complex relationship between selenium and methylmercury observed in wild fish populations. Ultimately this knowledge could help reduce mercury bioaccumulation in fish and thus human exposures to the toxic form of mercury. More... A modified version of a well-known but inefficient chemical catalyst can propel faster, cleaner reactions that turn plants into biodiesel fuel better than existing methods. While the catalyst may solve a major stumbling block in the effort to produce biodiesel, the process will need more testing in industrial settings. Biodiesel production is gaining in importance as petroleum supplies become more limited and concern about climate change grows. Biodiesel can be used in unmodified diesel engines. More... Girls with limited access to food enter into their first menstrual cycle at slower rates and up to a year later than those who have not consistently gone hungry, according to a long-term study of Ethiopian girls. The girls not affected by poor nutrition were more than twice as likely to reach puberty at age 14 than the girls facing food insecurity, according to a new study. More... Chemists have demonstrated a new approach using simpler methods that require less energy and solvent than conventional approaches to synthesize a key ingredient of a widely used over-the-counter medicine. It's all about shaking, 'mechanochemistry.' To make the drug this new way, they mix the two main dry ingredients then add the rest and vigorously shake the paste in a special shaker. The new method also creates no harmful by-products. More... A single dose of bisphenol A (BPA) given to mice during infancy had lasting effects on their behavior as adults, report Swedish scientists in the journal Toxicology. Recent studies in humans and rodents suggest that in utero BPA exposure may impact offspring behavior. Future studies will need to determine if single or chronic exposures have lasting impacts on child behavior in humans. More... A new study of two now-banned persistent chemicals, PCBs and DDE, finds compelling evidence linking PCBs to reduced birth weight of newborn babies. In contrast, the research did not find a link with DDE, a metabolite of the insecticide DDT. The results from this analysis of multiple studies indicate that current exposures to PCBs - while generally lower than before the substances were banned four decades ago - are still harmful to the growing fetus. More... Levels of DDT – a mostly banned pesticide still allowed for malaria control in some tropical regions – increased three-fold in breastfeeding mothers after one indoor spraying, finds a study in Mozambique. Currently, about a dozen countries in sub-Saharan Africa still spray DDT in homes to kill or repel mosquitoes, because it is relatively cheap and effective in malaria prevention. More... |
New Reports:
By organizations working to protect human health from environmental exposures.
At least 1,600 pet deaths related to spot on treatments with pyrethroids were reported to the EPA over the last five years, according to an analysis of EPA pesticide incident exposure data by the Center for Public Integrity. That is about double the number of reported fatalities tied to similar treatments without pyrethroids, such as Frontline and Advantage — although these products also have critics. Pets and pesticides: Let’s be careful out there. Published by Center for Public Integrity. Environmental factors are key drivers in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, according to a comprehensive review of how the environment affects aging. Relevant environmental influences include common dietary patterns, toxic chemical exposures, inadequate exercise, socio-economic stress and other factors. These influences can begin in the womb and continue throughout life, setting the stage for the later development of neurodegenerative as well as other chronic diseases. Environmental threats to healthy aging. Published by Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility. Hundreds of companies located in the U.S. produce or import hundreds of chemicals designated as dangerous by the European Union. These chemicals are being produced in the U.S. in large amounts and at many different sites in 37 states. Across the Pond. Published by Environmental Defense. Laboratory tests reveal adolescent girls across America are contaminated with chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products. Studies link these chemicals to potential health effects including cancer and hormone disruption. Teen girls' body burden of hormone-altering cosmetics chemicals. Published by Environmental Working Group. It takes a lot of nerve to go up against the $3 trillion-a-year global chemical industry. Ask University of Missouri-Columbia scientists Frederick Vom Saal and Wade Welshons. They've been in the industry's crosshairs for more than a decade, for their research on bisphenol A. What the chemical industry doesn't want you to know. Published by Environmental Working Group. New measurements reveal that toddlers and preschoolers typically had 3 times as much toxic flame retardants in their blood as their mothers. In total 11 different flame retardants were found in these children, and 86 percent of the time the chemicals were present at higher levels in the children than their mothers. Fire Retardants in Toddlers and Their Mothers. Published by Environmental Working Group. Pyrethrins, extracted from the chrysanthemum plant, and their synthetic relatives, pyrethroids, have exploded in popularity over the last decade. The number of reported human health problems, including severe reactions, attributed to pyrethrins and pyrethroids, increased by about 300 percent over that period. Perils of the new pesticides. Published by Center for Public Integrity. Overall, several auto manufacturers showed improvement over last year’s findings, including Mazda, General Motors and Nissan. General Motors, whose average vehicle ranking improved by 27%, showed the most improvement of the domestic automakers. Average child car seat scores improved by 28% overall, proving that toxic chemicals are not required for the manufacturing of child car seats and interior automobile components. 2nd annual guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children’s car seats. Published by Ecology Center of Michigan. Regulators remain oblivious to the harmful effects of bisphenol A and need to act urgently to protect consumers. despite firm scientific consensus about the health hazards of the chemical, European authorities are shirking their responsibilities and attempting to postpone any decision on whether this substance should require authorisation until 2013. Blissfully unaware of bisphenol A: Reasons why regulators should live up to their responsibilities. Published by Friends of the Earth Europe. An investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products finds that 4 out of 5 contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don't adequately protect skin from the sun's damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena. Sunscreens. Published by Environmental Working Group. Millions of U.S. workers will all benefit from the project of defeating global warming and transforming the United States into a green economy. Constructing windfarms, retrofitting buildings, building and operating mass transit, installing solar all create jobs that are in the same areas of employment in which people work today. Job opportunities for the green economy. Published by Center for American Progress. The plastics problem is growing in scale and complexity due to a collision of factors. These include government neglect of endocrine disruption; explosive growth of the plastics industry; lack of labeling requirements; and near universal human exposure. Plastics that may be harmful to children and reproductive health. Published by Environment and Human Health, Inc. There is no evidence that industry-touted replacements being rushed to market to replace a Teflon chemical are safer. Instead, it appears that DuPont and other manufacturers are continuing a decades-long pattern of deception about the health risks of PFOA and related chemicals. Toxic chemicals in food packaging and Dupont's greenwashing. Published by Environmental Working Group. Commonly used baby and children’s products, and upholstered household furniture contain dangerous levels of halogenated fire retardants. 56% of all infant carriers, 44% of all car seats, 40% of all strollers and 19% of all portable cribs were found to have high levels of halogenated fire retardants. Killer cribs. Published by Friends of the Earth. A chemical used to make Teflon, food wrappers and dozens of other products may harm the immune system, liver and thyroid and cause higher cholesterol in children The health effects observed in research in Ohio are strong indicators of health problems that might be caused by PFOA in average Americans. Early life exposure to chemicals in food packaging linked to adult obesity. Published by Environmental Working Group. First synthesized nearly 120 years ago and now used ubiquitously in modern commerce, bisphenol A is headed toward phase-out. A turning point was reached in April 2008, as federal authorities in Canada and the US both raised health concerns about the material. Major retailers have begun pulling it from market shelves, and even Nalgene has said it will end use of BPA in its water bottles. Bisphenol A Timeline: From Invention to Phase-Out. Published by Environmental Working Group. Climate change is having a greater and faster impact on the Arctic than previously thought. Melting of arctic sea ice and the Greenland Ice Sheet is severely accelerated, prompting concerns that both may be close to their 'tipping point'; the point where, because of climate change, natural systems may experience sudden, rapid and perhaps irreversible change. Arctic impact accelerates. Published by World Wildlife Fund - UK, United Kingdom. The EPA is under siege from political pressure. On numerous issues—ranging from mercury pollution to groundwater contamination to climate change—political appointees have edited scientific documents, manipulated scientific assessments, and generally sought to undermine the science behind dozens of EPA regulations. Interference at the EPA. Published by Union of Concerned Scientists. The stakes in the debate over bisphenol A safety are exceedingly high—economically, politically and biologically. The FDA’s safety standard remains conspicuously out of date. The public should not have to wait for years for unequivocal epidemiological evidence to determine the risks of this chemical. Battles over bisphenol A. Published by Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy. Overwhelming evidence shows that exposures to natural and pharmaceutical estrogens are strong determinants of breast cancer risks. Some industrial chemicals and pesticides, as well as a large number of chemicals used in consumer products, have estrogenic characteristics. Risk reduction will not be achievable without considering preventable causes, particularly exposure to chemicals. Breast cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals: An appraisal of the scientific evidence. Published by ChemTrust, Health and Environment Alliance. |
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