Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 

May your year be filled with lots of fresh air!

Seventh Generation Highlights Its Chemical Free Detergent

Seventh Generation Highlights Its Chemical Free Detergent
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/business/media/30adco.html?_r=1

"LAUNDRY detergents have promised brighter colors and whiter whites for decades, but one brand of detergent is saying that approach should be hung out to dry.

"She should glow, not her clothes," said a recent print advertisement for laundry detergent made by Seventh Generation, the eco-friendly line, which showed a young girl in a sundress. Along with being nontoxic and biodegradable, the ad says the detergent has no "optical brighteners."

Widely used in detergents for decades, optical brighteners work not because of what they lift out of clothes but rather what they leave behind. The chemicals permeate fabrics, causing them to selectively absorb and fluoresce light to appear more white or vibrant."

The sick building syndrome as a part of the autoimmune (auto-inflammatory) syndrome induced by adjuvants.

[Comment:  Adjuvants are additives in vaccines to cause the immune system to respond.]

The sick building syndrome as a part of the autoimmune (auto-inflammatory) syndrome induced by adjuvants.

Israeli E, Pardo A.  Mod Rheumatol. 2010 Dec 29. [Epub ahead of print]
The Chaim Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, 52621, Tel-Hashomer, Israel, eitanister@gmail.com.

Abstract

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term coined for a set of clinically recognizable symptoms and ailments without a clear cause reported by occupants of a building. In the 1990s the term "functional somatic syndromes" was applied to several syndromes, including SBS, multiple chemical sensitivity, repetition stress injury, the side effects of silicone breast implants, the Gulf War syndrome (GWS), chronic fatigue syndrome, the irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia. Recently, Shoenfeld and Agmon-Levin suggested that four conditions-siliconosis, macrophagic myofascitis, the GWS, and post-vaccination phenomena-which share clinical and pathogenic resemblances, may be included under a common syndrome entitled the "autoimmune (auto-inflammatory) syndrome induced by adjuvants". Comparison of the clinical manifestations, symptoms, and signs of the four conditions described by Shoenfeld and Agmon-Levin with those described for SBS shows that nine out of ten main symptoms are present in all 5 conditions. Shoenfeld and Agmon-Levin further propose several major and minor criteria, which, although requiring further validation, may aid in the diagnosis of this newly defined syndrome. We propose here that SBS may also be included as a part of "Shoenfeld's syndrome".

PMID: 21188456 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Plasma neuropeptide Y: a biomarker for symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Plasma neuropeptide Y: a biomarker for symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fletcher MA, Rosenthal M, Antoni M, Ironson G, Zeng XR, Barnes Z, Harvey JM, Hurwitz B, Levis S, Broderick G, Klimas NG.  Behav Brain Funct. 2010 Dec 29;6(1):76. [Epub ahead of print]

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complex, multi-symptom illness with a multisystem pathogenesis involving alterations in the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Abnormalities in stress responses have been identified as potential triggers or mediators of CFS symptoms. This study focused on the stress mediator neuropeptide Y (NPY). We hypothesized that NPY would be a useful biomarker for CFS.

METHODS: The CFS patients (n = 93) were from the Chronic Fatigue and Related Disorders Clinic at the University of Miami and met the 1994 case definition of Fukuda and colleagues. Healthy sedentary controls (n = 100)) were from NIH or VA funded studies. Another fatiguing, multi-symptom illness, Gulf War Illness (GWI), was also compared to CFS. We measured NPY in plasma using a radioimmunoassay (RIA). Psychometric measures, available for a subset of CFS patients included: Perceived Stress Scale, Profile of Mood States, ATQ Positive & Negative Self-Talk Scores, the COPE, the Beck Depression Inventory, Fatigue Symptom Inventory, Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination, Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36, and the Quality of Life Scale.

RESULTS: Plasma NPY was elevated in CFS subjects, compared to controls (p=.000) and to GWI cases (p=.000). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses indicated that the predictive ability of plasma NPY to distinguish CFS patients from healthy controls and from GWI was significantly better than chance alone. In 42 patients with CFS, plasma NPY had significant correlations (<0.05) with perceived stress, depression, anger/hostility, confusion, negative thoughts, positive thoughts, general health, and cognitive status. In each case the correlation (+ or -) was in the anticipated direction.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first in the CFS literature to report that plasma NPY is elevated compared to healthy controls and to a fatigued comparison group, GWI patients. The significant correlations of NPY with stress, negative mood, general health, depression and cognitive function strongly suggest that this peptide be considered as a biomarker to distinguish subsets of CFS.

PMID: 21190576 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Full Text

Environmental risk factors for respiratory symptoms and childhood asthma.

Environmental risk factors for respiratory symptoms and childhood asthma.

Kasznia-Kocot J, Kowalska M, Gorny R, Niesler A, Wypych-Slusarska A.

Ann Agric Environ Med. 2010 Dec;17(2):221-9.

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia, Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, Poland. kasznia_kocot@poczta.onet.pl.

Abstract

The presented cross-sectional study, comprised a group of 1,130 children from 13-15 years of age living in Upper Silesia, Poland, was undertaken to ascertain the role of environmental factors in the development of adverse respiratory health outcomes. To estimate the prevalence of these effects, the ISAAC questionnaire supplemented by questions related to risk factors was used. Bronchial asthma was identified in 4.5 percent of the children, asthma diagnosed by physicians in 8.7 percent, and prevalence of wheezing in the previous 12 months in 12.6 percent. The highest probability of wheezing was found in children with maternal genetic propensity (such as asthma, allergy), exposed to maternal smoking, or was connected with household risk factors such as the presence of dampness/mould or living in 50-year-old building. Female gender and attendance at nursery school were shown to be protective factors against wheezing. The probability of asthma was nearly twice as high in children residing in damp/mouldy dwellings, heated by coal-fired furnaces and living in the immediate vicinity of a road with heavy traffic. This study revealed that exposure to indoor (tobacco smoke, coal stove emission, mould or dampness in dwelling) and outdoor (traffic pollution) air contaminants are major environmental factors responsible for adverse respiratory health effects in children.

PMID: 21186763 [PubMed - in process]

Organic Bytes: Organic Solutions 2011

 

Subscribe  | Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Organic Solutions 2011 #257, December 30, 2010 In this issue: 1800 Days: Organic Solutions to the Global Crisis, A Year-End Message from the OCA Director Holiday Appeal: Support the Great Organic Transition Alert of the Week: Stop GMO Contamination of Organic! Videos of the Week: Videos to Inspire Your New Year's Resolutions Little Bytes A Year-End Message from the OCA Director 1800 Days: Organic Solutions to the Global Crisis Beyond the deliberate disinformation and gloom and doom of the daily news, we must take decisive action to save ourselves and the future generations. A growing corps of scientists and climatologists have delivered the final warning: we are within 1,800 days – or five years - of passing the atmospheric point of no return, whereby increasing greenhouse gas pollution and global warming will take us over the cliff of climate catastrophe. On the other hand, the grassroots-practical, ready-to-be-scaled-up, healthy and climate-friendly solutions that we need to move away from the precipice are everyday more evident: organic food and farming, green buildings, smart transportation, renewable energy, sustainable living. We are fortunate to have five years or 1800 days to turn things around, to put an end to business as usual, to slash fossil fuel use, to phase-out the coal industry, to retool the electrical grid, to retrofit residential and commercial buildings, and to sequester as much CO2 in the soil as possible through organic farming, ranching, and land management. We have 1800 productive days to reverse the global suicide economy and supercharge a Great Transition toward organic and sustainable ways of living, governance, and commerce. The hour is late. But the power of the people is greater than Fossil Fuel and Food Inc.'s out-of-control technology. Please join us. Please support our efforts. Year-End Appeal: OCA Needs Your Support Help Drive the Great Organic Transition Over the next year and five years, the Organic Consumers Association will focus on strategic grassroots campaigns to promote health, justice, and sustainability, with a special emphasis on local-based practical solutions to the energy and climate crisis. Organic farming and ranching not only uses less fossil fuel and emits fewer climate-disrupting gases, but can actually clean greenhouse gas pollution from the atmosphere; while at the same time feeding the world, improving public health, and restoring biodiversity. If we can move the world's 12 billion acres of farm and ranch lands into a transition to organic, and preserve and restore our 10 billion acres of forests, at least 50ppm of CO2 can be drawn down from the atmosphere and stored naturally and safely in the soil. This is literally the difference between present and future climate stability or climate hell. Organic soil and land management can and must be scaled up now in order to buy us the time we need to make the long-term transition to radical energy efficiency and solar, wind, and geothermal power. Obviously this Great Organic Transition is not going to be easy. Our energy-, chemical-, and GM-intensive food and farming system needs to shift from one where 125,000 megafarms produce 75% of the food, to a mass movement of millions of farmers, ranchers, and urban gardeners growing organic food for their local communities. Factory farms and feedlots belching methane and nitrous oxide must be phased out. Twenty-four billion pounds of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer needs to be replaced with organic compost and compost tea derived from food and yard waste. This Great Transition will require a massive shift in public consciousness to wake up the majority of the population who are being force-fed a nutrition-poor diet of genetically engineered junk food and animal products. Please donate today and help OCA launch our 2011 core campaigns, Millions for Zero Waste/Maximum Compost, and Millions Against Monsanto: Truth-in-Labeling. Please make your year-end donation today. Alert Update Stop GMO Contamination of Organic! So far, 29,210 OCA activists have written Obama's USDA, urging Secretary Vilsack to give up his idea of "coexistence" between GMOs and organic. "Coexistence" will inevitably lead to GMOs contaminating organic crops and destroying the organic seed supply. Instead, Vilsack should: Block Monsanto's new GM alfalfa and any other GM crop that isn't fully safety-tested Implement a strict-liability, polluter-pays rule that holds Monsanto responsible for the harms their GM crops and herbicides cause farmers, farm workers, the environment and consumers Require all Frankenfoods tainted with Monsanto's GMOs and chemicals to be labeled. Please write to the USDA to tell them what you think of their new Environmental Impact Statement on GM alfalfa before the comment period ends on January 23, 2011. Take Action Video of the Week Videos to Inspire New Year's Resolutions for an Organic Revolution What we eat, where it comes from, how it was produced, and by whom, have a decisive impact on the world around us. Our food choices determine whether we are causing or alleviating hunger, poor health, environmental destruction, climate change, poverty among farmers, exploitation of farm workers, and abuses of farm animals. The Organic Consumers Association has identified 12 priorities for action over the next 12 months. These are our New Year's resolutions. We'll be trying to make these priorities official policy at the federal, state and local levels, but they also make a good to-do list for daily living. In hopes of inspiring you, here's an inspirational video that illustrates each. 1. Eat Organic 2. Grow Organic 3. Compost 4. Boycott Factory Farms 5. Support Carbon Farms 6. Defend the Forests 7. Grow Edible Forest Gardens 8. Protect Wild Fish 9. Save the Bees 10. End Exploitation of Farm Workers 11. Promote Local Farmers 12. Learn from First Nations Watch Little Bytes Eliot Coleman: Of Course Organic Farming Can Feed the World READ MORE Year-Round Farmer's Markets Spreading Across the US READ MORE EPA Swats Away Controversy Over Bee-Killing Pesticide READ MORE Study Shows Neurobehavioral Deficits in Children of Farmworkers Exposed to Organophosphate Pesticides READ MORE Panel Challenges Gulf Seafood Safety All-Clear READ MORE LOCAL HI NEWS OF THE WEEK HI - Get Involved Locally Learn more about OCA related action alerts and other news in HI here. Message from our Sponsors Dr. Bronner's is Celebrating Our 60th Anniversary! Marking the 60th Anniversary of the company, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps is pleased to announce that all classic liquid & bar soaps are now not only certified under the USDA National Organic Program, but also certified Fair Trade! In addition, we are pleased to introduce a revolutionary new range of high-quality organic products, from hair rinses to shaving gels – all certified under the same USDA program that certifies organic foods. Please visit us on the web at DrBronner.com Become an OCA Sponsor! Every issue of Organic Bytes now goes to 250,000 organic consumers with a thousand new subscribers each week. Please help us and your business by letting our subscribers know who you are and that you support the work of the OCA. Please contact us if you want more information! (Note: select "Sponsorship Coordinator" from the dropdown menu) Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power! Organic Bytes is a publication of Organic Consumers Association 6771 South Silver Hill Drive - Finland, MN 55603 - Phone: 218-226-4164 - Fax: 218-353-7652 Read past issues and print- friendly PDF versions of Organic Bytes Subscribe | Connect with us:

NEWSLETTER: MCS America News - January 2011

MCSA NEWS
January 2011, Volume 6, Issue 1

 

Entire PDF Edition: http://mcs-america.org/january2011.pdf (View, Download, and Print)

 

Direct Links to Articles Inside This Issue:

 

A Plan for the Worst

Surviving Surgery and Hospitalization

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg2345.pdf  

 

The Gulf of Mexico is Dying

A Special Report on the BP Oil Spill

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg67891011.pdf  

 

Pesticide Poisoning in Preschool Children

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg12.pdf  

 

A New Pandemic

Sensitivity Related Illnesses

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg1314.pdf  

 

Are You at Risk for MCS?

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg151617.pdf  

 

Household Cleaning May Not Be Healthy

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg1819.pdf  

 

Ion Generators on Air Filters Pollute the Air

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg2021.pdf  

 

Patient Support & Resources

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg2223242526272829.pdf  

 

Community News

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg30.pdf  

 

Featured Research Studies

http://mcs-america.org/january2011pg313233.pdf  

 

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities America

http://www.mcs-america.org

admin@mcs-america.org

 

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National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures, January 5-6, 2011

You're invited to join the National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures by registering to participate in this free WebDialogue that takes place on January 5-6, 2011. We look forward to learning your views!

 

Register at:  http://www.webdialogues.net/cs/nationalconversation-action/create/cs_emv

 

More Information:  http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/nationalconversation

Canadians in denial about air pollution impact: Study

[Comment:  Weren't we all invincible at one time?]

 

Canadians in denial about air pollution impact: Study
http://www.canada.com/health/Canadians%20denial%20about%20pollution%20impact%20Study/4033886/story.html

"The average Canadian is in denial about the impact of air pollution on human health, assuming that it is either a long-term threat or a risk factor for vulnerable parts of the population, says a newly-released federal report."

Arnold Schwarzenegger backs down on gutting of California's Green Chemistry Initiative

[Comment:  Schwarzenegger goes green again on chemical initiative.  A lovely shade too, I might add!]

Arnold Schwarzenegger backs down on gutting of California's Green Chemistry Initiative
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2010/12/arnold_wont_gut_chemicals_law.php

"In the face of withering media coverage in LA Weekly and elsewhere, the Schwarzenegger Administration has pulled an about-face on the gutting of new chemical regulations by the state's Department of Toxic Substances Control."

U-M gets $1.4M for grant on prenatal chemicals

U-M gets $1.4M for grant on prenatal chemicals
http://www.freep.com/article/20101228/FEATURES08/101228006/U-M-gets-1.4M-for-grant-on-prenatal-chemicals#ixzz19SCfDaHP

"The University of Michigan has received a $1.4 million, three-year grant to study the effects of prenatal exposure to certain toxins. The Ann Arbor school is opening a center in Detroit to conduct the research."

A Chemical Conundrum: How Dangerous Is Dioxin?

A Chemical Conundrum: How Dangerous Is Dioxin?
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/28/132368362/a-chemical-conundrum-how-dangerous-is-dioxin

"In December of 1982, the people of Times Beach, Mo., were forced to abandon their town forever because the Environmental Protection Agency found high levels of a chemical called dioxin.

At the time, dioxin was considered one of the world's most dangerous chemicals. But nearly 30 years later, the EPA still can't seem to decide just how dangerous it really is."

Smart meter alert

Smart meter alert
http://www.thecanaryreport.org/2010/12/28/smart-meter-alert/

"It is a shocking travesty that harmful equipment can be placed on one's home, without recourse, in 2010."

Allergic? Dust often, with a mask

[Comment:  "Members of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology advise moving insecticides, stored gasoline and other irritants to a shed and not running the car in the garage."  Insecticides and gasoline aren't "irritants", they're POISONS!]

Allergic? Dust often, with a mask
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/12/28/Allergic-Dust-often-with-a-mask/UPI-47261293564536/

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. allergy experts say indoor allergy and asthma triggers can include not only dust, pet dander and mold but noxious fumes from an attached garage.

Members of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology advise moving insecticides, stored gasoline and other irritants to a shed and not running the car in the garage.

PETITION: President Obama: Act now on cancer-causing chemicals

President Obama: Act now on cancer-causing chemicals
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6639/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4873

"In a groundbreaking report released in May of 2010, the President's Cancer Panel provided strong confirmation that exposure to toxic chemicals is an important and under-recognized risk factor for cancer, and recommended that the government take immediate action to reverse this trend.

Acknowledging the devastating toll that a cancer diagnosis takes on an individual and a family, the report urges policymakers to shift their focus to reducing environmental cancer risk and enacting stronger chemical regulations.

Don't allow the Obama Administration to ignore this call to act by scientists, physicians, and public health experts. Sign the petition asking President Obama to confront the cancer plague on this nation and make cancer prevention a priority."

Aging mobile homes: Mold is a life-and-death issue

Aging mobile homes: Mold is a life-and-death issue
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20101226/NEWS/12260327/1011/NEWS10/Iowa-s-aging-mobile-homes-Mold-is-a-life-and-death-issue

"Fumbling in the darkness, Newton dropped his cell phone as he called his daughter, and fell to the floor of his mobile home. All he could think to yell as he lost consciousness was "Help!" - a cry that probably saved his life.

Newton, 55, a disabled painter, had gone to bed that Friday night in early October feeling good. When he awoke, he was covered in rashes from head to toe, inside his body and out. His esophagus had become so swollen in the short time he had been sleeping that he began choking on his own saliva.

What likely almost killed Newton was mold, a health hazard prevalent in the oldest mobile homes, medical experts say."

Nerve-Zapping Implants May Help Fibromyalgia Pain

[Comment:  This sounds a bit extreme, but for what it's worth, here it is. It is counter to what many of us about the human body in that it is disrupting normal pain signals to obliterate pain rather than finding and resolving the source of the pain.]

Nerve-Zapping Implants May Help Fibromyalgia Pain
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/pain-management/fibromyalgia/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100268325&page=1

"After 15 years of battling fibromyalgia with medication and exercise, Lisa Simpson still had cramping, spasms, and pain all over her body.  "Just to have my 7-pound Chihuahua walk over my legs would cause severe pain," the 37-year-old medical assistant recalls.

Simpson had all but given up on finding relief when, in 2004, she saw a ray of hope. She was working in the office of an anesthesiologist at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., Mark Thimineur, MD, who had begun surgically implanting tiny, nerve-stimulating devices into fibromyalgia patients."

Homeowners aim to clear the air

Homeowners aim to clear the air

Some steps are needed to cut back on home's indoor pollution

http://www.jsonline.com/features/homeandgarden/112216794.html

 

"The holidays are nearly over, so you can sit back and breathe a bit easier.

Or maybe not.

This time of year, with chilly weather here to stay, our homes are buttoned up so tight that the air we're breathing may not be as healthy or fresh as we think it is.

There are chemicals in the cleaning products we've used to make our homes sparkle for holiday guests, and in the air freshener we've been spritzing around to make the house smell festive. Smoke from candles and cozy fireplaces adds to the mix.

"By having houses that aren't well ventilated and are too tight, you can end up with higher levels of various irritants, said Matt Marcum, environmental program manager at the American Lung Association of Illinois."

California to rewrite toxic-chemical regulations

California to rewrite toxic-chemical regulations
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F12%2F25%2FBA201GVJFU.DTL
 
"California will take another stab at writing regulations that limit the toxic chemicals in consumer products after too many people said the rules weren't strict enough."

EMS workers in a fog over disinfectant's feared danger

folks, if 100 EMT's are saying they're ill, the stuff is toxic. Schools, especially, do not need to be using this kind of disinfectant.  Kids need exposure to germs to develop a healthy immune system.  Exposing them to toxicants when their immune system is not fully developed is a recipe for disaster!]

 

EMS workers in a fog over disinfectant's feared danger
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2010/12/ems_workers_in_a_fog_over_disi.html

"It took a few months before officials with the Professional Emergency Medical Services Association of New Jersey (PEMSA) say they put two and two together.  In the months after the Monmouth-Ocean Hospital Service Corporation (MONOC) began using newly acquired machines to disinfect its ambulances in May 2009 by pumping the vehicles full of pesticide fog, paramedics began experiencing troubling ailments, PEMSA officials say. PEMSA represents emergency medical personnel across New Jersey."

Christmas Lights Shows

Merry Christmas! Here are some classic Christmas Lights Shows!





Key Words: multiple chemical sensitivity, chemical sensitivity, chemical sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivities, MCS, EI, environmental illness, sick building syndrome, idiopathic environmental intolerance, fibromyalgia, chronic fatiuge, FM, CFS, mold illness, clinical ecology, alternative medicine, environmental medicine, neuropathy, encephalopathy, toxic, chemical

Air pollution: mechanisms of neuroinflammation and CNS disease.

Air pollution: mechanisms of neuroinflammation and CNS disease.

Trends Neurosci. 2009 Sep;32(9):506-16. Epub 2009 Aug 26.
Block ML, Calderón-Garcidueñas L.
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Campus, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. MBlock@vcu.edu

Abstract

Air pollution has been implicated as a chronic source of neuroinflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that produce neuropathology and central nervous system (CNS) disease. Stroke incidence and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease pathology are linked to air pollution. Recent reports reveal that air pollution components reach the brain; systemic effects that impact lung and cardiovascular disease also impinge upon CNS health. While mechanisms driving air pollution-induced CNS pathology are poorly understood, new evidence suggests that microglial activation and changes in the blood-brain barrier are key components. Here we summarize recent findings detailing the mechanisms through which air pollution reaches the brain and activates the resident innate immune response to become a chronic source of pro-inflammatory factors and ROS, culminating in CNS disease.

 

Full Text:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2743793/pdf/nihms132349.pdf

Woman's struggle brings disease to light

Woman's struggle brings disease to light
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/553500/Woman-s-struggle-brings-disease-to-light.html?nav=5006

"When Charles Town resident Claudia Patterson first started experiencing the symptoms of fibromyalgia, one of her biggest fears was that she would have to abandon the stage."

[Allergic diseases in children and farming environment.]

[Allergic diseases in children and farming environment.]
[Article in French]

Hulin M, Annesi-Maesano I.

Rev Mal Respir. 2010 Dec;27(10):1195-1220. Epub 2010 Oct 30.
Inserm, U707, EPAR, 75012 Paris, France; UPMC, faculté de médecine, université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie-Paris 6, UMR_S 707, EPAR, site Saint-Antoine, 27, rue Chaligny, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Children living in rural areas had lower prevalence of allergies than children from cities, in relation to farming exposure.

STATE OF ART: Exposure to farm animals and consumption of raw milk appear to play an important role in the protection afforded by the agricultural environment, and this at different stages of child development. The mechanisms involved in these effects are still controversial, and recent publications cast doubt on the role of endotoxins initially suggested. It seems that exposure to indoor air pollution, characterized by excessive biocontaminants (mold, allergens …) is a key element in the development of allergic diseases.

PERSPECTIVES: The establishment of cohort studies, a better assessment of exposure to pollution at home but also in farm buildings and the study of gene-environment interactions should improve the knowledge on the protective effect towards allergy of farming environment.

CONCLUSIONS: The farming environment, very specific, could be an important model for better understanding the mechanisms involved in allergic and respiratory diseases. In addition, urbanization and thus reduction of the rural environment, may well explain the increased prevalence of allergies observed in the past 50 years.

Copyright © 2010 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
PMID: 21163397 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Appeals court: Organic farm can seek damages from pesticide company

Appeals court: Organic farm can seek damages from pesticide company
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16923054

"Four years ago, the president of Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo, Larry Jacobs, received an unfortunate phone call from Whole Foods. The retail giant notified him that it was rejecting the organic dill he had sold the chain because his culinary herb had tested positive for pesticides."

Salinas, California: The Salad Bowl of Pesticides

Salinas, California: The Salad Bowl of Pesticides
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/21/salinas-california-the-salad-bowl-of-pesticides/

"Locals call this place the world's salad bowl. Dole, Naturipe and Fresh Express are here, where much of the global fruit and vegetable trade emerges in neat green fields just over the hills from the Pacific Coast."

Cosmetics regulation under scrutiny in 2010

[Comment:  Industry can't self-regulate.  That's a joke!  An independent regulation board is required.  Instead of opposing these bills, they ought to spend their time and money on changing to safe ingredients.  It's the only thing that makes sense.]

 

Cosmetics regulation under scrutiny in 2010
http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Formulation-Science/Cosmetics-regulation-under-scrutiny-in-2010

"US regulation of cosmetics products has come under scrutiny this year as both consumer groups and the industry have made calls to improve the current system.

Currently, cosmetic products are covered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the application of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and 2010 has seen a number of calls to tighten the control of the regulatory body on the industry."

EPA Provides Public with Easier Access to Chemical Information

EPA Provides Public with Easier Access to Chemical Information

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has introduced a new web-based tool that will enable the public to search for and have easy access to health and safety studies on industrial chemicals. As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's continued efforts to enhance EPA's chemical management program and increase transparency, the chemical data access tool allows users to conduct a chemical-specific search for health and safety studies that have been submitted to the agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The tool will also be added to Data.Gov, a website developed by the Obama Administration to provide public access to important government information."

More about the new web tool: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/transparency.html

More on chemicals: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/

Is Exposure Making You Sick?

Is Exposure Making You Sick?
http://www.personalliberty.com/alternative-medicine/is-exposure-making-you-sick/

"There is no question that a large and growing number of people have developed illnesses largely caused from present-day environmental chemicals. Whether you have arthritis, memory difficulties, heart trouble, thyroid weakness, or one of a myriad of other chronic idiopathic (arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause) illnesses, exposure to chemicals may be to blame."

Risky Business: EPA Builds List of Potentially Dangerous Chemicals

Risky Business: EPA Builds List of Potentially Dangerous Chemicals
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/21/risky-business-epa-builds-list-of-potentially-dangerous-chemica/

"As the rates of learning disabilities, autism and related conditions rise, the Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to release a roster of the pollutants likely to contribute to these or other neurological disorders.

In an ongoing, three-year effort, an EPA team has determined which developmental neurotoxicants -- chemicals that damage a fetal and infant brain -- may pose the biggest risk to the American public.

Some compounds on the EPA's list are ubiquitous in household products, drinking water, medicine, and within the environment. They range from cadmium, used to etch colorful cartoons onto children's glasses, to flame retardants used to fireproof upholstered furniture."

Organic Bytes: Coexistence with Monsanto: Hell No!

Subscribe | Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Coexistence with Monsanto: Hell No! #256, December 22, 2010 In this issue: Quote of the Week: USDA Secretary Vilsack on the "Uneasy Coexistence" of Organic and GMOs Essay of the Week: Coexistence with Monsanto: Hell No! by Ronnie Cummins Holiday Appeal: Help OCA Mobilize Millions Against Monsanto Three Steps Necessary to Stop GMO Contamination of Organics Alert of the Week: Stop GMO Contamination of Organic! Video of the Week: The Secret Life of Beef Little Bytes Quote of the Week USDA Secretary Vilsack on "Uneasy Coexistence" of Organic and GMOs "We have seen rapid adoption of biotechnology in agriculture, along with the rise of organic and non-genetically engineered sectors over the last several decades. While the growth in all these areas is great for agriculture, it has also led, at times, to conflict or, at best, an uneasy coexistence between the different ways of growing crops. We need to address these challenges and develop a sensible path forward for strengthening coexistence of all segments of agriculture in our country. All are vital and a part of rural America's success. All should be able to thrive together." -USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, December 16, 2010 Read More Essay of the Week Coexistence with Monsanto: Hell No! by Ronnie Cummins "Monsanto and their agro-toxic allies are now turning to Obama's pro-biotech USDA for assistance. They want the organic community to stop suing them and boycotting their products. They want food activists and the OCA to mute our criticisms and stop tarnishing the image of their brands, their seeds, and companies. They want us to resign ourselves to the fact that one-third of U.S. croplands, and one-tenth of global cultivated acreage, are already contaminated with GMOs. That's why Monsanto recently hired the notorious mercenary firm, Blackwater, to spy on us. That's why Monsanto has teamed up with the Gates Foundation to bribe government officials and scientists and spread GMOs throughout Africa and the developing world. That's why the biotech bullies and the Farm Bureau have joined hands with the Obama Administration to preach their new doctrine of 'coexistence.'" Read More   Holiday Fundraising Appeal: Help OCA Mobilize Millions Against Monsanto GMO and organic crops cannot "coexist." Organic crops will inevitably be contaminated with Monsanto's GMOs. We need your support to continue our three-pronged campaign to protect organics from GMOs. If you support a moratorium on new GMOs, strict liability for GMO contamination of organic crops, and mandatory labels for all GMO foods, please support our Millions Against Monsanto campaign. Please Donate   Three Steps Necessary to Stop GMO Contamination of Organics No new GMOs! The federal government doesn't safety-test new GMOs to see whether they're safe to eat, whether they'll cause problems on the farm, or whether they'll harm the environment. Unless GMOs are proven safe, they shouldn't be approved. Strict liability! Who should pay when organic crops are contaminated with GMOs? Or when a GMO food triggers an allergy? Or when farm workers and their families are made sick by the herbicides GMO crops require? Or when farmers lose crops because Monsanto's crops and herbicides have destroyed their soil, left their plants vulnerable to disease, and spawned herbicide-resistant super-weeds. Monsanto the polluter should pay! The biotech and chemical companies should pay for the harms their products cause, not the consumer, the taxpayer, the farm worker or the farmer! Truth-in-Labeling! Consumers can't make informed decisions on what to eat until all foods containing GMOs are properly labeled. Allergies, illnesses and the long-term public health impacts attributable to GMOs will be impossible to track until GMO foods are labeled and we know who's eating them. Help the OCA stop new GMOs, make GMO labels mandatory, and make Monsanto pay for GMO contamination. Help the OCA stop new GMOs, make GMO labels mandatory, and make Monsanto pay for GMO contamination. Please Make Your Year-End Donation Today Alert of the Week Stop GMO Contamination of Organic! Monsanto can't plant its new herbicide-resistant GM alfalfa because the courts say the Bush Administration's approval of the crop was illegal. Bush's USDA failed to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement. Obama's USDA is trying to help Monsanto get its seeds out of the courts and into the fields by making slight adjustments to "business as usual." They've produced an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that finally acknowledges the problem of GMO contamination for organic and other non-GM crops, and proposes ways to prevent this, including geographical restrictions and buffer zones for GM alfalfa seed and hay production. These limits on GM alfalfa production would be the first significant regulation of GMO crops. Corn, soy, cotton, and canola are currently grown without any restrictions and there's nothing to stop organic varieties of these crops from being contaminated. In this respect, the Obama USDA's proposal is a positive step forward, but it doesn't go far enough to protect farmers or consumers. First, it assumes that GM alfalfa is safe for farm animals to consume, that GM alfalfa sprouts are safe to eat, that humans can be safely exposed to modified alfalfa genes in milk and meat, and that herbicide-resistant alfalfa is safe for the environment. But the USDA hasn't researched the safety of GM alfalfa, even though it is widely known that GM foods are more likely to trigger allergies; that GM foods are less nutritious; often toxic to lab and farm animals; and capable of contaminating human digestive bacteria. The USDA is also overlooking evidence that herbicide-resistant crops destroy soil, reduce soil capacity to sequester greenhouse gases, make crops more vulnerable to disease, increase herbicide use, and spawn super-weeds that turn farmers to herbicides that are even more dangerous than RoundUp. Second, while the EIS suggests ways to prevent contamination, it doesn't say what the remedy will be when the geographical restrictions and buffer zones fail to protect organic and other non-GM farmers from contamination. In the past, Monsanto has successfully sued contaminated farmers, claiming they stole Monsanto's patented GMO traits. The USDA must make clear that Monsanto would be strictly liable for contamination. Finally, the EIS doesn't consider the right of consumers to choose whether or not to eat GM food. The USDA must require mandatory GM labels. This is also the only way to track the public health damage of GMOs in the food supply. If the USDA won't safety-test GM foods then at least they can inform consumers of how to avoid them and monitor the collateral damage to people who eat GMOs. Please write to the USDA to tell them what you think of their new Environmental Impact Statement before the comment period ends on January 23, 2011. Take Action Video of the Week The Secret Life of Beef How does eating feedlot beef contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions that are threatening to turn climate change into climate catastrophe? How does industrial meat production impact our soil, air and water? Watch the Secret Life of Beef to find out why you should boycott Food Inc.'s industrial beef. Watch Now Little Bytes Consumers Less Likely to Trust So-Called 'Natural' Product Label Claims READ MORE FDA Trying Voluntary Restrictions on Antibiotics READ MORE Destruction of GM Sugar Beet Crops Delayed Following Appeal by Monsanto READ MORE House Passes Final Food Safety Bill READ MORE Turning Agriculture from Problem to Solution READ MORE LOCAL HI NEWS OF THE WEEK HI - Get Involved Locally Learn more about OCA related action alerts and other news in HI here. Message from our Sponsors Eden Foods Offers OCA Customers 15% Discount Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers who goes beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond. As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a 15% discount rate on any Eden Foods products by going here. Learn More Become an OCA Sponsor! Every issue of Organic Bytes now goes to 250,000 organic consumers with a thousand new subscribers each week. Please help us and your business by letting our subscribers know who you are and that you support the work of the OCA. Please contact us if you want more information! (Note: select "Sponsorship Coordinator" from the dropdown menu) Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power! Organic Bytes is a publication of Organic Consumers Association 6771 South Silver Hill Drive - Finland, MN 55603 - Phone: 218-226-4164 - Fax: 218-353-7652 Read past issues and print- friendly PDF versions of Organic Bytes Subscribe | Connect with us:

Campaigners target sandblasted jeans on health grounds

Campaigners target sandblasted jeans on health grounds
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6362209,00.html

"Campaigners are eager to put an end to the practice of sandblasting jeans because of a link with the disease silicosis. In Turkey, where the practice is now banned, thousands of ex-workers are thought to be suffering."

EPA to Inspect City Classrooms for PCBs

EPA to Inspect City Classrooms for PCBs
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703886904576031971304714528.html

"In an escalating dispute with New York City education officials, federal authorities say they will soon begin inspecting classrooms for PCB contamination because the city is downplaying the potential danger to children."

How can innovations in technology and research reduce exposures to toxic chemicals?

How can innovations in technology and research reduce exposures to toxic chemicals?
http://www.psr.org/environment-and-health/environmental-health-policy-institute/how-can-innovations-in-technology-and-research-reduce-exposures-to-toxic-chemicals.html

"Reducing the health risks from toxic chemicals in the environment is a complex project involving a multi-tiered approach. One approach is to address the consequences of chemical exposure after the fact, such as by advancing the treatments of illnesses that result from toxic chemical exposure. While this may have valuable health benefits, it is an inefficient way to reduce health risks. Another approach is to try to prevent exposure to toxic chemicals already in the environment, such as through abatement and clean-up of toxic waste dumps, or by urging consumers to use caution in the store aisles. Again, this is important to the individual citizen living next to a waste site, and the individual consumer at the check-out counter, but it is a relatively inefficient way to address the health effects of toxic chemical exposure. Yet another approach is to try to prevent toxic chemicals from gaining entry to the market, such as by limiting the introduction of toxic chemicals into commerce. This approach takes prevention to a more basic level. But what if we tried to address toxic chemicals at the most primary level of prevention – by preventing them from being invented? Environmental health experts and chemical engineers working on fundamental prevention have explored the ways in which technology and research can shepherd in a decidedly new chemical era, one that does not compromise human health. This month, our contributors explain more about how engineering technology and research on toxic chemicals may be harnessed to protect the public health."

Serum Fluoride Level and Children's Intelligence Quotient in Two Villages in China

Serum Fluoride Level and Children's Intelligence Quotient in Two Villages in China
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=F0787068E7DA57D46BBBF7D712A3209F?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1003171#top

Xiang Q, Liang Y, Chen B 2010. Serum Fluoride Level and Children's Intelligence Quotient in Two Villages in China. Environ Health Perspect :-. doi:10.1289/ehp.1003171

Abstract

Background: Animal studies show that brain fluoride levels increase with increasing exposure to fluoride. Human studies have indicated an association between high levels of drinking-water fluoride and lower intelligence. Data on the association between serum fluoride and children's intelligence quotient (IQ) are limited.

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the relationship between serum fluoride and children's IQ.

Methods: We collected blood samples from 512 children aged 8-13 years from two villages (Wamiao and Xinhuai) in China. We also used minitype fluoride ion selective electrode and Combined Raven's Test for Rural China (CRT-RC) to measure serum fluoride and children's IQ.

Results: In Wamiao, the mean (± SD) concentration of fluoride in serum was 0.081± 0.019 mg/L, and average children's IQ was 92.02 ± 13.00; in Xinhuai, fluoride concentration was 0.041 ± 0.009 mg/L and average IQ was 100.41 ± 13.21. The regression coefficients between serum fluoride and children's IQ were –0.163 (p = 0.015) in Wiamiao, and 0.054 (p = 0.362) in Xinhuai. Serum fluoride levels were negatively associated with IQ after adjusted for age and sex, the ORs for IQ < 80 across groups with serum fluoride measuring < 0.05, 0.05–0.08, > 0.08 mg/L were 1, 2.22 (95% confidence interval: 1.42–3.47), and 2.48 (95% confidence interval: 1.85–3.32) (p for trend < 0.001) respectively. IQ was not related to family income and parent's education level. There was a significant positive relation between serum fluoride and drinking-water fluoride.

Conclusions: The results indicated that fluoride in drinking water was highly correlated with serum fluoride, and higher fluoride exposure may affect intelligence among children.