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Toxics 'R' Us
Everyday folk found to be contaminated with toxic chemicals |
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09 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 9:16 AM on 09 Nov 2007 Volunteers across the U.S. were found to have toxic bisphenol-A, PBDEs, and phthalates in their blood and urine, says a small study sponsored by a coalition of environmental health groups. The "Is It in Us?" study analyzed 35 people from seven states; while the sample size was too small to be representative of the larger population, the results were quite similar to those of a hu ... |
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| Topics: Centers on Disease Control and Prevention, green living, health, news, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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Patty Ache
Asbestos legislation watered down, disappointing activists |
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06 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:08 PM on 06 Nov 2007 Public-health advocates who in June praised legislation to ban asbestos now say the version passed by the Senate last month was watered down so significantly that they no longer support it. Thanks in large part to industry lobbying, many products containing cancer-causing asbestos wouldn't be banned under the new version of the bill. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who has labored for years to ge ... |
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| Topics: health, legislation, news, politics, toxics, US Senate (all these topics) |
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Banana Split
Six farmworkers compensated for pesticide exposure, six cases dismissed |
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06 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 3:00 PM on 06 Nov 2007 Six farmworkers who became sterile after working on a Nicaraguan banana plantation three decades ago were awarded a total $3.3 million from Dole Food Co. and Dow Chemical, after a judge agreed that the corporations "actively suppressed information about" the "reproductive toxicity" of now-banned pesticide DBCP. Six other plaintiffs with a similar claim had th ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, business, health, industrial ag, litigation, news, Nicaragua, toxics (all these topics) |
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Leaded Gasoline Is a Crime -- No, Literally
Phasing out leaded gasoline may have reduced crime rates, says research |
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22 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:39 PM on 22 Oct 2007 Thank the Clean Air Act for significantly reducing violent crime rates in the U.S., says researcher Jessica Wolpaw Reyes. The legislation was behind the phaseout of leaded gasoline in the 1970s and '80s, which significantly reduced blood levels of the heavy metal in Americans. The arc of lead-exposure rates seems to match the arc of violent crime i ... |
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| Topics: health, news, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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Berry Bad News
EPA approves carcinogenic pesticide |
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08 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 1:45 PM on 08 Oct 2007 Just when we think the U.S. EPA might have some sense, it goes and approves a carcinogenic pesticide, ignoring scientists' warnings that "pregnant women and the fetus, children, the elderly, farmworkers, and other people living near application sites would be at serious risk." As a substitute for ozone-depleting fumigant methyl bromide, California and Florida strawberry growers and other farmers will w ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, California, Florida, health, news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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The Age of Ban
Senate passes asbestos ban, Democrats want to rid toys of lead |
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05 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:38 PM on 05 Oct 2007 Hey, you with the asbestos-contaminated attic: The Senate has unanimously passed a measure to ban importation, manufacture, processing, and distribution of products containing asbestos. Forty other nations have already banned the cancer-causing mineral, which is found in more than 3,000 consumer products in the U.S. Speaking of things that should have happened a long time ago, Democrat ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, legislation, news, parenting, politics, toxics, US Senate (all these topics) |
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DDT, Yeah You Know Me
Study suggests link between DDT exposure and breast cancer |
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01 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 1:04 PM on 01 Oct 2007 Women exposed to the pesticide DDT as children are five times as likely to develop breast cancer, according to a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Draw your own conclusions. source: Los Angeles Times From the Archives Veg Out. Today is World Vegetarian Day. Lejeune Bugged. U.S. Navy must notify N.C.-based Marines of exposure to contamin ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, health, news, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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Lejeune Bugged
U.S. Navy must notify N.C.-based Marines of exposure to contaminated water |
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01 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:14 AM on 01 Oct 2007 Some 1 million Marines stationed at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune between 1958 and 1987 drank, cooked with, and showered in toxic water; under a defense reauthorization bill amendment recently approved by the Senate, the U.S. Navy would be required to, um, let them know. The federal government closed the base's wells in the mid-'80s after confirming they were contaminated w ... |
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| Topics: Department of Defense, health, news, North Carolina, toxics, water pollution (all these topics) |
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Sludging Along
U.S. agencies don't prioritize public in toxin-affected communities |
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28 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:27 AM on 28 Sep 2007 The U.S. Department of Energy found high levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide in the soil of suburban Versailles, Pa., and has neglected to inform local officials. The U.S. EPA was lackadaisical about cleaning up toxic paint sludge left by automaker Ford in Trenton, N.J., and disregarded complaints from the community. Luckily, those failures of the U.S. government to protect and infor ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, health, jackassery, New Jersey, news, Pennsylvania, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Into the Drink
California may require labels on bottled water, EPA strengthens lead-in-water regulations |
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27 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:08 PM on 27 Sep 2007 Bottled-water companies would have to disclose the source of their H2O under a bill that has passed through the California legislature and awaits the pen of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill would require companies to list the minerals, chemicals, and bacteria present in bottled water, as well as whether it came originally from a well, aquifer, spring, or ... |
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| Topics: California, food, green living, health, news, regulation, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Lead-ers of Tomorrow
Lead levels in toxic toys were off the charts |
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19 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:04 AM on 19 Sep 2007 In reaction to the recent lead-painted-toy recalls, no doubt some laissez-faire non-parents shrugged it off -- when pretty much everything is tainted with toxins, what's a little lead in paint? Except that, well, it was more than just a little lead. Some of the toys recalled by Mattel this summer contained 180 times the legally allowable level of the heavy metal, while some kids' jewelry sold by ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, news, parenting, toxics (all these topics) |
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Pick Your Poison
Pesticides up to no good, says new research |
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18 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:08 PM on 18 Sep 2007 A decrease in pesticide availability led to an associated decrease in suicide rates in Sri Lanka, researchers publishing in the International Journal of Epidemiology have concluded. In 1995 and 1998, restrictions were put into place on importation and sales of highly toxic pesticides in Sri Lanka; in 2005, the country's suicide rate was half what it had been in 1995. "Changes in the availability o ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, health, news, Sri Lanka, toxics (all these topics) |
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Put the Cure in Mercury
Mercury contamination in fish declines when emissions go down |
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18 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:41 PM on 18 Sep 2007 Mercury contamination of waterways and marine life doesn't have to be an ongoing problem -- all we have to do is limit industrial mercury emissions. Easy! After a seven-year experiment in a Canada lake, researchers publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that mercury concentrations in fish would decline relatively quickly if their ecosystem w ... |
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| Topics: coal, fishing, food, health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Permanent Depress
Top 10 most polluted places on earth tallied by Blacksmith Institute |
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13 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 3:11 PM on 13 Sep 2007 China, India, and Russia are each home to two of the most polluted places on earth, with sites in Azerbaijan, Peru, Ukraine, and Zambia rounding out the top 10, says the second annual tally by the nonprofit Blacksmith Institute. Some 12 million people total live in the affected areas, which are tainted largely by chemical-weapons manufacturing, heavy-metal and coal mining, and ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, health, news, toxics, water pollution (all these topics) |
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Arsenic and a New Case
Drinking water across the globe contaminated by arsenic, says research |
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30 Aug 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:15 PM on 30 Aug 2007 Some 137 million people across the globe unknowingly consume water with unsafe levels of arsenic, according to new research. The odorless, tasteless chemical occurs naturally in soil, but also reaches drinking water from agricultural and industrial sources and the vials of paperback-mystery villains. Arsenic can lead to lung, bladder, and skin cancer and is "the mo ... |
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| Topics: health, news, toxics, water pollution (all these topics) |
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This Gives Us Paws
Flame retardants linked to thyroid disease in house cats |
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17 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| This Gives Us Paws Flame retardants linked to thyroid disease in house cats Thyroid disease in house cats may be linked to common flame retardants called PBDEs, according to U.S. EPA researchers. In a small study of 23 cats, all the felines had blood concentrations of the chemical 20 to 100 times higher than average U.S. adults -- who, it oughta be noted, carry the highest human PBDE load in the world. PBDEs first beg ... |
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| Topics: animal welfare, health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Peekaboo, ICU
Hospitals opt for less-toxic medical equipment |
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16 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Peekaboo, ICU Hospitals opt for less-toxic medical equipment As the wee tots who end up in neonatal intensive care tend to be a bit on the vulnerable side, leading medical organizations are urging hospitals to swap medical equipment containing icky chemical DEHP -- which can include IV tubing and blood bags -- for safer alternatives. The good news: some DEHP-free products are cheaper and lighter than their toxic counterparts. The bad ... |
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| Topics: health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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BPA: Here to Stay?
Controversial panel will decide whether bisphenol A poses a health risk |
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08 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| BPA: Here to Stay? Controversial panel will decide whether bisphenol A poses a health risk Last week, several dozen scientists issued a consensus statement that ubiquitous chemical compound bisphenol A likely poses health and reproductive risks to humans. This week, an expert panel will finalize a report for the U.S. National Toxicology Program on whether humans should indeed try to stay away from BPA; ... |
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| Topics: health, news, politics, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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Are Those Bisphenol Genes You're Wearing?
New study confirms that bisphenol A can mess with animal genetics |
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02 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Are Those Bisphenol Genes You're Wearing? New study confirms that bisphenol A can mess with animal genetics Know what time it is? It's time to check in on bisphenol A, the chemical in many plastics that gets creepier by the day. Despite continuing claims by the chemical industry that products containing the compound -- which can include baby bottles, water bottles, toys, dental sealants, and fo ... |
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| Topics: food, health, news, parenting, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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Prints: Not Charming
Laser printers can emit high levels of unhealthy small particles, study says |
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02 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Prints: Not Charming Laser printers can emit high levels of unhealthy small particles, study says Remember how computers were going to usher in the Paperless Office? We so should have done that. An Australian study has found that many laser printers emit high levels of small particles that can be harmful to human health, with the highest-emitting machines rivaling the small-particle pollution of ci ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, news, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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Just When You Thought It Was Safe-ish
Rush-hour steam-pipe explosion rattles Manhattan |
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19 Jul 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Just When You Thought It Was Safe-ish Rush-hour steam-pipe explosion rattles Manhattan An 83-year-old underground steam pipe exploded near New York City's Grand Central Terminal during rush hour yesterday, causing one death, more than 40 injuries, and a lot of rattled nerves. After the initial explosion -- a plume as high as the Chrysler Building that onlookers compared to a volcano, the Yel ... |
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| Topics: electricity grid, energy, health, New York City, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Airing on the Side of Caution
Chemical dangers to air-breathing animals overlooked, researchers say |
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13 Jul 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Airing on the Side of Caution Chemical dangers to air-breathing animals overlooked, researchers say A new study in Science says regulators have overlooked the effects that thousands of chemicals could have on air-breathing organisms. Such as, for instance, people. In general, regulators study how chemicals accumulate in aquatic-based food chains; they look at how toxics dissolve in water and ... |
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| Topics: food, green living, health, news, scientific research, toxics (all these topics) |
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Spit on Polish
Community advocates focus on dangers of nail salons |
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27 Jun 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Spit on Polish Community advocates focus on dangers of nail salons They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and the rising tide of eco-awareness is now lifting ... nail salons. The fume-filled shops are getting attention from groups eager to expose their health risks, which can include cancer and birth defects. The U.S. EPA has given two Seattle-area nonprofits a $100,000 grant for a three-year "Toxic Beau ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, news, Seattle, toxics (all these topics) |
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Don't Drink the Water and Don't Breathe the Air
Feds misled Manhattan residents about post-9/11 health effects, says report |
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22 Jun 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Don't Drink the Water and Don't Breathe the Air Feds misled Manhattan residents about post-9/11 health effects, says report The U.S. government misled New Yorkers about residential asbestos levels after 9/11, says, um, the U.S. government. In a report released this week, the Government Accountability Office takes issue with the U.S. EPA's claims that only a "very small" number of indoor air sampl ... |
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| Topics: health, Hillary Clinton, New York, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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Got to Get Ourselves Back to the Pesticide-Free Garden
Pesticide exposure increases risk of Parkinson's disease, study says |
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01 Jun 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Got to Get Ourselves Back to the Pesticide-Free Garden Pesticide exposure increases risk of Parkinson's disease, study says A new study from researchers at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland concludes that pesticide exposure increases the risk of getting Parkinson's disease, a degenerative condition affecting the nervous system. Patients from five European countries participated in the study, published in the Journal ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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