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

  • Environmental Contaminants
  • Food
  • General
  • HIV / AIDS
  • International

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS

Officials continue followup on fire (08 Mar 2010) The Western News. (On-line)

by B. Fuqua

A fire at a plywood plant in the city of Libby in Lincoln County, Montana saw the Health Department involved in the sampling of debris, ash and ambient air for the presence of asbestos. Amosite and Chrysotile were detected in a few samples. The county enlisted Environmental Restoration to remove debris from parks and school yards. Wet cleaning was done on the roadways and state highways were vacuumed by the State Highway Department. All materials are being disposed of in an appropriate asbestos cell at the county landfill.

Read the article at: http://www.thewesternnews.com/articles/2010/03/08/news/doc4b95c25dd8ed2918440979.txt. Cited 2010 Mar 09.

Waste Management to Add Landfill Plasma Gasification Unit (2010) Environmental Leader (On-line)

A plasma gasification projet for the Management’s Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington, Oregon will see the transformation of municipal solid waste into clean renewable energy in the form of fuels and gas.

Read article at:  http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/03/08/waste-management-to-add-landfill-plasma-gasification-unit/. Cited 2010 Mar 09.

Packaging and drinks industry dismiss calls to ban bisphenol A, (03 Mar 2010) Food and Drink Europe.com

By R. Harrington

“Minute levels of bisphenol A detected in drink cans pose no health risk to consumers, said beverage companies and a leading industry body as they rejected calls from an environmental group to ban the chemical.

The Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) said the report by BUND, the German arm of Friends of the Earth, actually underlined the safety of the packaging as consumers would have to drink thousands of cans every day to exceed the established tolerable daily intake (TDI) level for BPA. Drinks giants such as Coca-Cola and Red Bull also stressed that their containers and beverages were safe…

BUND acknowledged the levels were not harmful in themselves but nevertheless called for a ban on the chemical as consumption of canned drinks would add to consumers’ cumulative exposure to BPA…..”

Read article at: http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/Retail/Packaging-and-drinks-industry-dismiss-calls-to-ban-bisphenol-A. Cited 2010 Mar 12.

Breathers Beware: An Arlington gas well is a cash cow for UTA but a nightmare for neighbors (10 Mar 2010). Forth Worth Weekly. (On-line)

By J. Joyce

University of Texas at Arlington and Carrozo gas wells affect outdoor air quality

A former occupational health nurse moved to Forth Worth 24 years ago after developing hypersensitivity to chemicals. But in 2008, her health began to decline. She and her physician suspected that drilling operations conducted by Houston-based Carrizo Oil and Gas were the cause of her ailments. Test results taken at the wells showed the presence of VOCs ( benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), associated with the production of natural gas, at levels below the short term exposure threshold. Although the University of Texas and Carrizo believe they have done everything they could to limit environmental contamination, local residents, including the nurse, are not reassured.

Read the article at: http://www.fwweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2906:breathers-beware&catid=76:metropolis&Itemid=377. Cited 2010 Mar 11.

FOOD

North Carolinians urged to check pantries after recall of flavoring ingredient (09 Mar 2010). Citizen-Times.com. (On-line)

U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled food products flavored with hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) after tested items were found positive for Salmonella. Tennessee State environmental health officials are urging its citizen to return any food item from Basic Food Flavors Inc. in Las Vegas, Nev which contain HVP. The list of all possibly contaminated item is available at the following web address: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/

Read the article at: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100309/NEWS/100309029. Cited 2010 Mar 10.

Recalls: Snacks containing certain pretzels (08 Mar 2010) AllSalon. (On-line)

“GNS Foods, based in Arlington, Texas, have detected salmonella in a number of food products sold in Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. The list of items is displayed on the article. Consumer may call 800-882-6887 to obtain further information…”

Read the article at:  http://www.salon.com/food/2010/03/08/us_recalls/index.html. Cited 2010 Mar 10.

Health laws halt hot meal program (08 Mar 2010) The Boston Globe. (On-line)

By P. Schworm

Nine homeless men suffered from gastro intestinal illness after eating chili and chicken soup from the United Church of Christ in Medfield. Health authorities discovered that the meals were prepared in volunteers’ homes and handed out without a permit. Officials are enforcing the a state law where food for the needy is inspected and licensed. Some parishioners feel that it is preventing them from helping the hungry.

Read the article at: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/03/08/medfield_church_curtails_meal_program_after_nine_homeless_men_become_ill/. Cited 2010 Mar 09.

GENERAL

Heat therapy shown effective in treating cutaneous leishmaniasis among US soldiers in Iraq. (08 Mar 2010) EurekAlert. (On-line)

By K. Frager

Successful trial of heat therapy treatment of Leishmaniasis major skin lesions for US military and civilian personel deployed in Iraq and Afganistan. This treatment heals the skin lesions as well as sodium stibogluconate, but without the side effects.

“Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic to Iraq and Afghanistan, and more than 1,300 American military and civilian personnel have developed the parasitic skin infection since operations have commenced in these countries. Initially, the primary treatment option was evacuation to WRAMC for sodium stibogluconate treatment under an investigational drug protocol. Aronson and colleagues therefore tested the efficacy of the ThermoMed device, a potential tool for on-site treatment….”

Read the article at: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-03/plos-hts030210.php. Cited 2010 Mar 09.

Cell Phones and Radiation Exposure

Sturrock, C. Ways to reduce your radiation exposure from cell phone use (11 Mar 2010) Oregon Live. com. (On-line) Available: http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2010/03/ways_to_reduce_your_radiation.html. Cited 2010 Mar 12.

Limit Your Exposure To Cell Phone Radiation (2009) Environmental Working Group. (On-line) Available: http://www.ewg.org/cellphone-radiation. Cited 2010 Mar 12.

All Available Phones (2009) Environmental Working Group. (On-line) Available: http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone?allavailable=. Cited 2010 Mar 12.

Cougar crash renews calls for separate safety agency to oversee N.L. offshore. (10 Mar 2010) The Canadian Press

By A. Auld

“…But when one of the helicopters crashed a year ago killing 17 people, Kenny’s sense of ease quickly evaporated while attention turned to the safety of the aircraft flying workers to the platforms and the regime that oversees the lucrative industry….

In particular, observers, experts and employees said the crash of Cougar Flight 491 highlighted the need for a separate safety agency to replace an offshore regulator that has the competing tasks of promoting the industry and protecting workers.

The difficult question is a central one being asked about the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, the arms-length regulator that has both safety and resource management as two of its four mandates….”

Read the article at: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gK7BBp99xXHxPuoaeS2wlMTlj3BA. Cited 2010 Mar 11.

HIV / AIDS

Keeping public health policies in line with the HIV/AIDS epidemic (09 Mar 2010) Bay Windows, Guest Opinions. (On-line)

By G.K. Daffin

“The Massachusetts Legislature will soon have an extraordinary opportunity to reform the way our state tests for HIV/AIDS. Legislation currently being considered by the Joint Committee on Public Health will take a number of steps to modernize the Commonwealth’s HIV testing law, which has not been updated in over two decades….”

Read the article at: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=opinion&sc=guest_opinions&sc2=news&sc3=&id=103244. Cited 2010 Mar 10.

INTERNATIONAL

Dengue Fever On The Rise In Sultanate (10 Mar 2010) BruDirect.com. (On-line)

By R. Thien

“Bandar Seri Begawan – There’s a significant increase in dengue fever cases in the country, said the Ministry of Health’s Environmental Health Division. Since January, the division has recorded 35 cases compared to 38 cases (or the whole of last year.

For the first time, two cases of dengue haemorrhagic (ever have been reported, a more virulent form of dengue fever, where a patient bleeds through his skin, nose or eyes….”

Read the article at: http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010030917391/Third-Stories/dengue-fever-on-the-rise-in-sultanate.html. Cited 2010 Mar10.

Fifth Ministerial Conference on environment and health, Parma, Italy, 10-12 March 2010

Protecting children’s health in a changing environment (11 Mar 2010) World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

More than ever, children’s health is at risk from a changing environment.

The health impacts of environmental risk factors – inadequate water and sanitation, unsafe home and recreational environments, lack of spatial planning for physical activity, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and hazardous chemicals – are amplified by recent developments such as financial constraints, broader socioeconomic and gender inequalities and more frequent extreme climate events. They pose new challenges for health systems to reduce deaths and diseases through effective environmental health interventions….”

Read the article at : http://www.euro.who.int/parma2010. Cited 2010 Mar

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Toxins and Autism ?

March 11, 2010

Do Toxins Cause Autism?

Rosemary Stephen’s Recommended read: Kristof , N. Do Toxins Cause Autism? (2010) The New York Times. (On-line). Cited 2010 Feb 25. Read the article at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/opinion/25kristof.html.

The US CDC reports that autism affects almost 1% of American children. First identified in 1943, this medical condition has created a lot of tension between parents of autistic children and the medical field. In 1998, we were led to believe that vaccinations were linked to autism, but recently it has come to light that this is not the case [1]. Incidents of autism are, however, on the rise [2], so the question becomes – what is causing this increase ?

Mr. Nicholas Kristof, in his article entitled “Do Toxins Cause Autism?”, discusses the increasing suspicion that environmental toxins are the root cause of autism as well as the cause of some forms of cancer. Kristof looks at peer reviewed work published this year [3] and at the recent work by Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, a professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and the chairman of the school’s department of preventive medicine; Dr. Landrigan is increasingly confident that our daily exposure to various environmental chemicals “affects the brain as it is being formed ”and that “If babies are exposed in the womb or shortly after birth to chemicals that interfere with brain development, the consequences last a lifetime.

The author also mentions that toxicologists, endocrinologists and oncologists are uneasy about environmental chemicals. They believe it is time to look very closely at these chemicals and study how their effects on humans in general. One major concern is phthalate [4]. Phthalates are found in plastic containers, especially those coded 3, 6 and 7 and in personal products containing found in fragrances, shampoos, cosmetics and nail polishes.

Mr. Kristof presents an interesting summary of the issues and I agree with his statement that “we need accelerated research, regulation and consumer protection”.

Rosemary Stephen PMed, (cert) EOH, IPM
Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence

References:

[1] Kristof , N. Do Toxins Cause Autism? (2010) The New York Times. (On-line) Available: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/opinion/25kristof.html. Cited 2010 Feb 25

[2] Ibid. Cited 2010 Feb 25

[3] Weeks, Carly, Study that Linked Autism and Vaccinations Retracted. Globe Health, Health and Fitness, Globe and Mail, Feb. 03, 2010. Available: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/study-that-linked-autism-and-vaccinations-retracted/article1454629/. Cited 2010 March 8.

[4] Engel SM, Miodovnik A, Canfield RL, Zhu C, Silva MJ, Calafat AM, et al. 2010. Prenatal Phthalate Exposure is Associated with Childhood Behavior and Executive Functioning. Environ Health Perspect :-. doi:10.1289/ehp.0901470. Available: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.0901470#abstract0. Cited 08 March 2010.

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The Emotional Side of H1N1

March 10, 2010

H1N1: Pandemic was emotional as well as physical
Rosemary Stephen’s Recommended read: Park M. H1N1: Pandemic was emotional as well as physical (2010) H1N1: Fighting the Flue, CNN Health. (On-line) Available: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/23/h1n1.flu/. Cited 2010 Feb 24
Now that the current threat of H1N1 has subsided (at least in the public’s mind), it is interesting to [...]

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International Women’s Day

March 8, 2010

Elements is celebrating International Women’s Day
March 8, 2010 is International Women’s Day.
The day was honored for the first time by Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all women working in Public Health, Environmental Health and Occupational Health and Safety for their contributions to these professions.
When I [...]

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

March 7, 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 [...]

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A Week in Environmental Health News

March 2, 2010

Rosemary Stephen, the head blogger of Elements, is pleased to present a new weekly post that provides links to a small selection of the hundreds of news articles on Environmental Health available on the web each week. These articles will cover any and all topics and will range from breaking news to the highly informative, [...]

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Harvesting Rainwater

March 1, 2010

By: Rosemary Stephen PMed, (cert) EOH, IPM, Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence
Potable water is precious as only 1% of the earth’s water is suitable for human consumption [1]. Aquifers are increasingly under threat from unreliable weather patterns brought on by climate change as well as from development, from overpopulation and from deforestation. This [...]

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At Your Service… Part III

February 19, 2010

By: Rosemary Stephen PMed, (cert) EOH, IPM, Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence

When I was doing research for this blog, I was not sure what information I would find; aside from lab animals like mice and rats are there instances where animals and insects are used to protect people from hazardous tasks? Everyone has heard [...]

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Elements has moved to a new host server…

February 12, 2010

Hello everyone,
Just a short note to let you know that we have moved Elements to a new host server. You will notice that there is some work going on as not all the site managed the change over at the same time; there are also possibly a few broken links that need repair. These updates [...]

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MGs and Disease transition; The 2010 Winter Olympic Games

February 9, 2010

By: Rosemary Stephen PMed, (cert) EOH, IPM, Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence

Athletes will soon be competing for gold at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. They, however, will certainly not want to win gold in one category — communicable diseases. Every Olympic game, be it winter or summer, sees athletes and tourists from all over the [...]

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