Consumer Concern for Chemicals Drives New Business Solutions

Consumer Concern for Chemicals Drives New Business Solutions
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumer-concern-for-chemicals-drives-new-business-solutions-134749338.html

"Today a coalition of companies and environmental health groups working to protect consumers from toxic chemicals, the BizNGO Group, released two important frameworks to help companies choose more sustainable plastics and safer chemicals for their products: The Principles for Sustainable Plastics, and Chemical Alternatives Assessment Protocol (v.1.0): How to Select Safer Alternatives to Chemicals of Concern to Human Health or the Environment. Both were co-developed by companies and environmental health advocacy groups in the BizNGO Group, working to advance safer chemicals and materials in our economy."

Landlords, managers settle mold lawsuit

Landlords, managers settle mold lawsuit
http://knox.villagesoup.com/news/story/landlords-managers-settle-mold-lawsuit/470867

"The landlords and managers of an apartment in Thomaston have agreed to pay a tenant $20,000 over her complaint that there was extensive mold contamination for several years that led to serious health problems."

US Gov Owners and Donald Rumsfeld poison US with diet sweetener?

US Gov Owners and Donald Rumsfeld poison US with diet sweetener?  
http://www.opednews.com/Diary/US-Gov-Owners-and-Donald-R-by-Steven-G-Erickson-111127-579.html

 

"The below documentary, "Sweet Misery", starts out slow, but there is a lot in it. If only one tenth of one percent is true, we should not trust the US Government to regulate any food, additive, or drug. We should be concerned about what is being added to our water, our food, and what medicines are approved for use."

New video illustrates health impact of the environment throughout history

New video illustrates health impact of the environment throughout history
http://www.publichealthnewswire.org/?p=1882 

Hidden risks of lurking chemicals

Hidden risks of lurking chemicals
http://www.theage.com.au/national/hidden-risks-of-lurking-chemicals-20111129-1o54p.html

"AUSTRALIANS are exposed to chemicals linked to cancer, diabetes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder every day, a population health expert says."

Laptop Wi-Fi said to nuke sperm, but caveats abound

Laptop Wi-Fi said to nuke sperm, but caveats abound
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/28/us-laptop-sperm-idUSTRE7AR2FO20111128

 

"The digital age has left men's nether parts in a squeeze, if you believe the latest science on semen, laptops and wireless connections."

Five toxic holiday gifts you should never buy a loved one for Christmas

Five toxic holiday gifts you should never buy a loved one for Christmas
http://www.naturalnews.com/034253_Christmas_gifts_toxic_chemicals.html 
 
"Gift-giving is a wonderful activity, but many people who give gifts to family and friends don't realize they're actually giving the recipient cancer, or diabetes or attention deficit problems."

Use of laptop computers connected to internet through Wi-Fi decreases human sperm motility and increases sperm DNA fragmentation

Use of laptop computers connected to internet through Wi-Fi decreases human sperm motility and increases sperm DNA fragmentation
http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(11)02678-1/abstract

Conrado Avendaño, M.S., et al.

Objective
To evaluate the effects of laptop computers connected to local area networks wirelessly (Wi-Fi) on human spermatozoa.

Design
Prospective in vitro study.

Setting
Center for reproductive medicine.

Patient(s)
Semen samples from 29 healthy donors.

Intervention(s)
Motile sperm were selected by swim up. Each sperm suspension was divided into two aliquots. One sperm aliquot (experimental) from each patient was exposed to an internet-connected laptop by Wi-Fi for 4 hours, whereas the second aliquot (unexposed) was used as control, incubated under identical conditions without being exposed to the laptop.

Main Outcome Measure(s)
Evaluation of sperm motility, viability, and DNA fragmentation.

Result(s)
Donor sperm samples, mostly normozoospermic, exposed ex vivo during 4 hours to a wireless internet-connected laptop showed a significant decrease in progressive sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation. Levels of dead sperm showed no significant differences between the two groups.

Conclusion(s)
To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the direct impact of laptop use on human spermatozoa. Ex vivo exposure of human spermatozoa to a wireless internet-connected laptop decreased motility and induced DNA fragmentation by a nonthermal effect. We speculate that keeping a laptop connected wirelessly to the internet on the lap near the testes may result in decreased male fertility. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to prove this contention.

Electrosensitivity: A Patient with Burn-like Skin Manifestations

Electrosensitivity: A Patient with Burn-like Skin Manifestations
http://www.kompetenzinitiative.net/assets/aschermann_electrosensitivity_final_2011.pdf

"This report describes a patient with preexisting multiple chemical sensitivity who has developed a pronounced elec-tromagnetic hypersensitivity. According to the patient, he is even able to distinguish various sources of electromag-netic fields (e.g. Wi-Fi, DECT or cell phone, DVB-T TV). His symptoms range from skin manifestations, which require treatment, to hypertension and brain-related disorders as well as intestinal bleeding. The unusual skin reactions, which look like burns and have occurred several times, appear to be especially worrisome. An explanation of what caused them is still lacking."
 

Lifestyle: When allergies go west

Lifestyle: When allergies go west
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v479/n7374_supp/full/479S2a.html

"Modern living seems somehow to make our immune systems overly sensitive. Is cleanliness at fault — or something else?"

Traffic pollution may be linked to diabetes risk

Traffic pollution may be linked to diabetes risk
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_119051.html

"People who live in areas with high levels of traffic-related air pollution may face a slightly increased risk of developing diabetes, Danish researchers conclude in a new study."

Payments to Doctors by Pharmaceutical Companies Raise Issues of Conflicts

Payments to Doctors by Pharmaceutical Companies Raise Issues of Conflicts
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/us/payments-to-doctors-by-pharmaceutical-companies-raise-issues-of-conflicts.html?_r=1

"Thousands of Texas doctors, researchers and medical experts — including more than 100 who are employed by the state and are paid with taxpayer dollars — routinely supplement their salaries with income from pharmaceutical companies."

Mold Making Cañon City Family Sick

Mold Making Cañon City Family Sick
http://www.krdo.com/news/29847998/detail.html

"A 4-year-old in Cañon City is slowly getting sicker. The young boy is having trouble breathing and his mom says it's due to mold in the home."

B.C. smart meter opponents seeking signatures

B.C. smart meter opponents seeking signatures
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/11/24/bc-smart-meter-initiative.html

 

"A citizen's group says it might use B.C.'s Recall and Initiative Act to try to stop BC Hydro's plans to install smart meters.  Stop Smart Meters.ca says the government is ignoring information that proves the new devices are a health hazard and pose a potential invasion of privacy."

Why are so many children being born with sex defects?

Why are so many children being born with sex defects?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2064554/Why-children-born-sex-defects.html

 

"Growing up in a remote community on the west coast of Scotland in the Fifties, there was little opportunity for a boy with an embarrassing problem to discuss it with anyone."

Mold inside of military housing causes frustration, illness for many

Mold inside of military housing causes frustration, illness for many
http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-mold-inside-of-military-housing-causes-frustration-illness-for-many-20111122,0,1731769.story

"NewsChannel 3's first investigation of mold inside Lincoln Military Housing aired just 24 hours ago.

Since then, dozens and dozens of families have emailed us and sent us messages on Facebook about horror stories from their homes."

Beware of toxic and dangerous toys on store shelves this Black Friday and Holiday Season

Beware of toxic and dangerous toys on store shelves this Black Friday and Holiday Season
http://newyorkcity.injuryboard.com/defective-and-dangerous-products/beware-of-toxic-and-dangerous-toys-on-store-shelves-this-black-friday-and-holiday-season.aspx?googleid=296290

"Just in time for the Holidays, a consumer group analyzing toys currently on store shelves has found that some contain dangerously high levels of toxins, are strangulation or choking hazards or are so loud they could harm children's hearing.  Trouble in Toyland, the 26th annual toy safety report of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, raises awareness about dangerous toys and offers safety guidelines to help consumers make safe toy purchases for children."

Suppression of natural killer cell activity on Candida stellatoidea by a 50 Hz magnetic field.

Suppression of natural killer cell activity on Candida stellatoidea by a 50 Hz magnetic field.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16771296

 

Canseven AG, Seyhan N, Mirshahidi S, Imir T.

Electromagn Biol Med. 2006;25(2):79-85.

Source
Department of Biophysics, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey. canseven@gazi.edu.tr

Abstract
Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) is ubiquitous for almost all individuals living in industrialized countries. Epidemiological and laboratory studies suggest that exposure to Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) EMF increase cancer risk. The immune system functions as one of the body's main protective mechanisms, and Natural Killer (NK) cells are a subset of lymphocytes that can destroy several types of tumor cells. In this study, we investigated, NK cell activity after exposure to a 50 Hertz (Hz), 2 mT magnetic field generated by a Helmholtz Coil. Nineteen male, 10-12 week old guinea pigs were used, and NK cytotoxic activity of splenocytes was measured in vitro by natural anticandidial colorimetric index. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied for statistical analysis. NK cell cytotoxic activity was decreased in exposed compared to controls. Our data suggests that part of the immune system, the NK cell, can be suppressed by a 50 Hz magnetic field.

PMID: 16771296 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

The Mouse Trap: The dangers of using one lab animal to study every disease.

The Mouse Trap
The dangers of using one lab animal to study every disease.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_mouse_trap/2011/11/lab_mice_are_they_limiting_our_understanding_of_human_disease_.html

"Mark Mattson knows a lot about mice and rats. He's fed them; he's bred them; he's cut their heads open with a scalpel. Over a brilliant 25-year career in neuroscience—one that's made him a Laboratory Chief at the National Institute on Aging, a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins, a consultant to Alzheimer's nonprofits, and a leading scholar of degenerative brain conditions—Mattson has completed more than 500 original, peer-reviewed studies, using something on the order of 20,000 laboratory rodents. He's investigated the progression and prevention of age-related diseases in rats and mice of every kind: black ones and brown ones; agoutis and albinos; juveniles and adults; males and females. Still, he never quite noticed how fat they were—how bloated and sedentary and sickly—until a Tuesday afternoon in February 2007. That's the day it occurred to him, while giving a lecture at Emory University in Atlanta, that his animals were nothing less (and nothing more) than lazy little butterballs. His animals and everyone else's, too."

BPA Levels Spike After Eating Canned Soup: Study

BPA Levels Spike After Eating Canned Soup: Study
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_118986.html

"Urinary levels of the chemical went up 1,200 percent"

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Reflections by Dr. L. Christine Oliver and Alison Johnson

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Reflections by Dr. L. Christine Oliver and Alison Johnson
http://thetruthaboutmcs.blogspot.com/2011/11/multiple-chemical-sensitivity.html



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

A Neighborhood in Peril: Garfield residents desperate to move, but bound to Superfund neighborhood

A Neighborhood in Peril: Garfield residents desperate to move, but bound to Superfund neighborhood
http://www.northjersey.com/news/134225348_Desperate_to_move_.html

"He called it his "man cave," a woodworking shop that was a respite from the two-bedroom apartment he shared with his wife and three daughters on Lincoln Place in Garfield.  The basement often flooded during a hard rain. And unbeknown to Riccio, that floodwater coated his basement with hexavalent chromium, a deadly carcinogen.  Riccio, 56, died of leukemia in May 2008."

Residents complained of symptoms after leak

Residents complained of symptoms after leak
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/residents-complained-of-symptoms-after-leak-20111121-1nr20.html
 
"EIGHT residents of the Newcastle suburb of Stockton contacted a government hotline to complain of rashes and breathing difficulties after the leak of a carcinogen, hexavalent chromium, from Orica's Kooragang Island plant in early August.

But while the information was recorded by officials from the Office of Environment and Heritage, it has never been disclosed by the government, which has claimed there were ''no adverse health impacts'' from the leak."

Shelters go organic for holiday

Shelters go organic for holiday
http://www.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2011-11-21-homeless-organic_ST_U.htm

"Thanksgiving meals served at some homeless shelters this week will come with a gastronomic halo that few might expect: organic and locally grown foods."

Archive of the Environmental Management of Pediatric Asthma Webinar

Archive of the Environmental Management of Pediatric Asthma Webinar

http://www.neefusa.org/health/asthma/index.htm

EPA Releases Guidelines to Ensure Healthy Indoor Air during Home Energy Upgrades

EPA Releases Guidelines to Ensure Healthy Indoor Air during Home Energy Upgrades

New protocols protect indoor air quality while enhancing home energy efficiency
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/9B9A8F11C192BDDA8525794B005A8670

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Healthy Indoor Environment Protocols for Home Energy Upgrades to better integrate health protections into energy efficiency programs. This first-of-its-kind guidance will provide the home energy industry the ability to identify, manage, and reduce health risks during home energy upgrades, retrofits or remodeling."

Lentiviral-mediated RNAi knockdown yields a novel mouse model for studying Cyp2b function.

Lentiviral-mediated RNAi knockdown yields a novel mouse model for studying Cyp2b function.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22083726

Damiri B, Holle E, Yu X, Baldwin WS.  Toxicol Sci. 2011 Nov 14. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Source
Environmental Toxicology Program, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634.

 

Abstract
There are few in vivo knockout models available to study the function of Cyp2 members involved in the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous chemicals. These models may help provide insight into the CYPs responsible for the detoxification and activation of drugs, environmental toxicants, and endobiotics. The aim of this work is to produce a potent Cyp2b-knockdown (KD) mouse for subsequent study of Cyp2b function. We made a quintuple Cyp2b-KD mouse using lentiviral-promoted shRNA homologous to all five murine Cyp2b subfamily members (Cyp2b9, 2b10, 2b13, 2b19, and 2b23). The Cyp2b-KD mice are viable, fertile, and without obvious gross abnormalities except for an increase in liver weight. Expression of the three hepatic Cyp2b members, 2b9, 2b10, and 2b13, is significantly repressed as demonstrated by qPCR and Western blotting. The CAR activator, TCPOBOP was used to determine if shRNA-mediated Cyp2b10 repression could be outcompeted by Cyp2b10 induction. TCPOBOP-treated Cyp2b-KD mice show 80-90% less Cyp2b protein expression than TCPOBOP-treated WT mice, demonstrating that Cyp induction does not out-compete the repressive function of the shRNA. Untreated and TCPOBOP-treated Cyp2b-KD mice are poor metabolizers of parathion compared to WT mice. Furthermore, Cyp2b-KD mice are sensitive to parathion, an organophosphate insecticide primarily metabolized by Cyp2b enzymes, when compared to WT mice. In summary, we designed a shRNA construct that repressed the expression and activity of multiple Cyp2b enzymes. We foresee that this novel Cyp2b-KD mouse model will significantly improve our understanding of the role of Cyp2b enzymes in chemical sensitivity and drug metabolism.

PMID: 22083726 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Big 6 agrochemical companies indicted for crimes against humanity

PRESS RELEASE – Embargoed until 00:01 16/11/2011

Big 6 agrochemical companies indicted for crimes against humanity

From 3-6^th December 2011, the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT) will convene in Bangalore, India, to hear cases brought against six multinational agrochemical companies who stand accused of violating human rights by promoting reliance on the sale and use of pesticides known to undermine internationally recognised rights to health, livelihood and life.

Known as the 'Big 6', the indicated agrochemical corporations are Monsanto, Dow, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta and DuPont. Collectively, these companies control 74% of the global pesticide market, making the pesticide/agricultural biotechnology industry one of the most consolidated sectors in the world.

The World Bank estimates that 355 000 people per year die of unintentional pesticide poisoning. "The aim of taking the Big 6 to the PPT is to give a voice to the otherwise voiceless victims of pesticides around the world who have suffered as a result of the relentless promotion of toxic poisons by these multinational companies." Said Nick Mole, PAN UK Policy Officer.

Cases from the UK and Europe will focus on the loss of bees due to neonicotinoid pesticides developed and sold by Bayer; Graham White, a beekeeper said, "Bee losses in the UK and Europe have been catastrophic, with over a million colony deaths since 1993; there is a massive body of peer-reviewed scientific evidence from European universities, which indicate that neonicotinoids are having a lethal impact on bees and other pollinating insects. It is high time that the companies that manufacture these toxic pesticides are held to account for the damage they have done."

Cases from the UK will also focus on the damage that has been done to the health of UK citizens by organophosphate (OP) pesticides, most notably sheep dips. In the UK many hundreds of individuals and their families have had their lives devastated by exposure to OP pesticides and have had no recognition or compensation for their suffering. "We hope that by taking these companies to the PPT we will raise the issue of OP poisoning in the UK and bring to the attention of the public and politicians the suffering that has been caused" stated Elizabeth Sigmund of the Organophosphate Information Network.

During the course of the tribunal, Pesticide Action Network will invite witnesses including scientists, medical doctors, and lawyers, to prove the charges through expert testimony on pesticides, genetic engineering, intellectual property rights, and other subjects germane to the cases at hand. The PPT will also hear testimony from farmers, farm workers, beekeepers, mothers, young people, scientists and consumers from around the world. The defendants will be served and summoned to offer their perspectives and responses.

 Also under indictment are the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organisation; these entities are charged with facilitating corporate concentration of power through their policies and programs. Additionally, the governments of Switzerland, Germany, and the United States – the home nations of six defendant companies – have been indicted for colluding with, and failing to regulate, corporate power.

The verdict from the hearing will be given on 6^th December.

-- ENDS –

NIH grant proposal announcement: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Etiology, Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, and Treatment (R21)

NIH grant proposal announcement: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:  Etiology, Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, and Treatment (R21)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-033.html

"This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) and co-sponsoring Institutes and Centers (ICs) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) encourages investigator(s)-initiated applications that propose to examine the etiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), sometimes referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), in diverse groups and across the lifespan.

Applications that address gaps in the understanding of the environmental and biological risk factors, the determinants of
heterogeneity among patient populations, the common mechanisms influencing the multiple body systems that are affected in ME/CFS are encouraged.

The NIH is particularly interested in funding interdisciplinary research that will enhance our knowledge of the disease process and provide evidence based solutions to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life of all persons with ME/CFS. This interdisciplinary research may include the building of scientific teams to study and develop biomarkers, innovative treatment modalities, and/or the modifiable risk and protective processes specifically targeted by preventive and/or treatment interventions.

Applications submitted under this mechanism should be exploratory and novel, and should break new ground or extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications."

Further details can be found here:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-033.html

Industry fights with health advocates over worker exposure to carcinogen

Industry fights with health advocates over worker exposure to carcinogen
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/194449-industry-fights-with-health-advocates-over-worker-exposure-to-carcinogen

"Business and labor interests are locked in a more than decade-long battle over how to limit worker exposure to a known carcinogen."

The weighty problem of POPs.

The weighty problem of POPs.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/11/2011-1116-pops-birth-weight-at-six/

"Research from Spain shows a link between prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and weight gain in children."

Clean fracking: Moving to replace chemicals

Clean fracking: Moving to replace chemicals
http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/16/news/economy/clean_fracking/index.htm

"Last summer a Halliburton executive did the unthinkable: He took a big ol' swig of hydraulic fracturing fluid.

No, he didn't have a death wish. And yes, he appears to be doing just fine. He did it to prove a point: fracking fluid need not be toxic.

What the exec drank was a new formulation of fracking fluid made with ingredients sourced from the food industry rather than the chemical industry."

Living In Industry's Shadow: Maywood Family Learns What's Inside Them

Living In Industry's Shadow: Maywood Family Learns What's Inside Them
Third of three parts.
http://egpnews.com/?p=32540

NEWS, Science, & Links Summary for the W/E 11/18/2011

Tools to Evaluate Chemical Ingredients in Products
http://www.greenchemistryandcommerce.org/retailer.overview.php

Signatures gathered to put smart meter issue to Naperville voters
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-naperville-smart-meters-1117-20111117,0,1778612.story

Study shows nanoparticles used as additives in diesel fuels can travel from
lungs to liver
http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=23439.php

Brainflammation: The Role of the Innate Immune System in CNS Disorders
http://www.nyas.org/Events/Detail.aspx?cid=0b4785bf-4b6b-4bbd-9b22-0286aa7ad920

Study: Exposure to common air fresheners can cause allergies, asthma
http://www.infowars.com/study-exposure-to-common-air-fresheners-can-cause-allergies-asthma/

At Senate hearing, trade groups split over efforts to ravamp chemical-safety
law
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/at-senate-hearing-trade-groups-split-over-efforts-to-ravamp-chemical-safety-law/2011/11/17/gIQArxU9VN_story.html

BPA exposure can alter memory in adults, rodent study suggests.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/11/2011-1116-bpa-memory-adult-rats/

Report: Secret Chemicals Revealed in Common Household Cleaners
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/23337-1

TSA Puts Off Safety Study of X-ray Body Scanners
http://www.propublica.org/article/tsa-puts-off-safety-study-of-x-ray-body-scanners

J&J to nix baby-product contaminant within 2 years
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-rt-us-johnsonandjohnsontre7ag02m-20111116,0,327780.story

Toxic chemicals all around us, Lewiston panelists say
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/city/2011/11/16/toxic-chemicals-all-around-us-lewiston-panelists-say/1116401

Toxic Beauty Products
http://technorati.com/women/article/toxic-beauty-products/

Richland Student Kicked Off School Bus For Spraying Perfume
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/richland-student-kicked-off-school-bus_n_1094958.html

Fragrance sensitivity a real health concern
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinionletters/940086-263/fragrance-sensitivity-a-real-health-concern.html

Europe Bans X-Ray Body Scanners Used at U.S. Airports
http://www.propublica.org/article/europe-bans-x-ray-body-scanners-used-at-u.s.-airports

Milk Thistle Extract Stops Lung Cancer in Mice, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115145236.htm

Why Americans still breathe known hazards decades after 'clean air' law
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/11/16/7406/why-americans-still-breathe-known-hazards-decades-after-clean-air-law

Prefrontal Cortex and Executive Function Impairments in Primary Breast
Cancer
http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/11/1447

Girl, 13, left in 'waking coma' and sleeps for 23 hours a day after severe
reaction to cervical cancer jabs
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2061267/Schoolgirl-Lucy-Hinks-left-waking-coma-severe-reaction-cervical-cancer-jab.html

NIH-Funded Study Finds Occupational Chemical Exosure May Be Linked to
Parkinson's Risk
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2011/ninds-14.htm

Risk of disease partially set in womb, scientists say
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pregnancy-guilt-20111113,0,917616.story

Air quality 'puts lives at risk'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15693627

California pioneers plan for trimming toxins
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/12/california-pioneers-plan-reducing-toxins-consumer-/

Tarnished Gold: The Sickness of Evidence-based Medicine (Volume 1)
http://www.amazon.com/Tarnished-Gold-Sickness-Evidence-based-Medicine/dp/1466397292

Inhalable Toxic Chemicals in Aircraft Cabin Air
http://nigeriamasterweb.com/blog/index.php/2011/11/13/inhalable-toxic-chemicals-in-aircraft-cabin-air

Veteran battles disorder, and for his benefits
http://poststar.com/news/local/veteran-battles-disorder-and-for-his-benefits/article_a82842b4-0da2-11e1-a1cc-001cc4c002e0.html

What Does ExxonMobil Have to Do with Child Safety?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2011/11/11/what-does-exxonmobil-have-to-do-with-child-safety/

What stops children with a chronic illness accessing health care: a mixed
methods study in children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-11-308.pdf

Mount Sinai ME/CFS Research Center Meeting for patients and doctors
http://www.enlander.com/conference.html

Diana Fairchild Passed Away on November 5th
http://obits.staradvertiser.com/2011/11/09/diana-fairchild/

Tap Water: Running A Risk?
http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/nov/10/2/tap-water-running-risk-ar-2685246/

Many Are Claiming Health Problems Caused by Smart Meters
http://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/many-are-claiming-health-problems-caused-smart-meters?mid=5267

Fukushima crisis 'stunting children's growth'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-10/fukushima-crisis-27stunting-children27s-growth27/3658940

[Influence of air pollution on birth weight].
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22070001

Many common beauty products may contain dangerous toxins
http://www.kwgn.com/news/kdvr-many-common-beauty-product-may-contain-dangerous-toxins-20111109,0,779286.story

Car interiors 'poisoning drivers'
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=487202&type=Metro

Pneumonia linked to smoke from cooking fires
Prenatal maternal exposure to woodsmoke also hurts kids' IQs
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/11/10/cooking-fire-pneumonia-risk.html

Research links pesticides, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/09/2011-1104-pesticide-fat-predict-lymphoma/

Where regulators failed, citizens took action - testing their own air
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/11/10/7355/where-regulators-failed-citizens-took-action-testing-their-own-air

Lourdes Salvador
www.mcs-america.org

Disclaimer:
Articles and links are not necessarily the opinion of MCS America, Lourdes
Salvador, and/or the volunteers who assemble this information. We will be
not responsible for misuse of this information. Posting does not constitute
endorsement. We have no financial interest in anything posted. This post is
provided free of charge via volunteer effort.

Tools to Evaluate Chemical Ingredients in Products

Tools to Evaluate Chemical Ingredients in Products
http://www.greenchemistryandcommerce.org/retailer.overview.php

 

"Introduction

Increasing regulatory requirements and consumer and media pressure to sell safer or "green" products are driving retailers "to understand more about the chemical ingredients in the products they sell and to find safer alternatives to chemicals of concern. Some retailers are developing their own tools or systems to evaluate the chemical content of the products they buy and sell, some are working with developers of 3rd party evaluation systems to develop customized tools, and others are working collaboratively to develop tools useful to a whole industry sector. Many retailers lack the resources to educate themselves about the tools and systems available so the Retailer Portal database and summary document have been designed to help retailers begin the education process.

Tools

The tools included in the Retailer Portal are either free or commercially available and enable retailers to evaluate chemicals or chemical-containing products for their potential human health and environmental impacts and identify chemicals or materials that are regulated or are of concern and not yet regulated. Most of the evaluative systems go beyond ensuring compliance with existing environmental regulations and provide additional information to retailers and manufacturers whose goal is to "green" their product lines by selling chemicals and chemical-containing products that are safer throughout the supply chain. A weakness of all tools and systems assessed is a lack of available data on product chemical content and toxicity through supply chains."

Signatures gathered to put smart meter issue to Naperville voters

Signatures gathered to put smart meter issue to Naperville voters
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-naperville-smart-meters-1117-20111117,0,1778612.story

"A group opposed to the installation of "smart" meters to monitor electricity use in Naperville has gathered more than 4,000 signatures in its bid to allow residents to weigh in at the polls on whether the city should abandon the project."

Study shows nanoparticles used as additives in diesel fuels can travel from lungs to liver

Study shows nanoparticles used as additives in diesel fuels can travel from lungs to liver

http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=23439.php

 

"Recent studies conducted at Marshall University have demonstrated that nanoparticles of cerium oxide -- common diesel fuel additives used to increase the fuel efficiency of automobile engines -- can travel from the lungs to the liver and that this process is associated with liver damage."

Brainflammation: The Role of the Innate Immune System in CNS Disorders

Brainflammation: The Role of the Innate Immune System in CNS Disorders
http://www.nyas.org/Events/Detail.aspx?cid=0b4785bf-4b6b-4bbd-9b22-0286aa7ad920

Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The New York Academy of Sciences

"Neuroinflammation has been implicated in nearly every disorder of the CNS. As the resident innate immune cells of the CNS, microglia are the vanguard in host defense and in tissue repair. Their constant surveillance of the CNS enables them to rapidly respond to invading pathogens as well as mechanical or chemical injury. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that chronic or maladaptive activation of these very same cells plays a critical role in a variety of CNS disorders (including autism, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, PD, ALS, and MS). Furthermore, recent work suggests that peripheral monocytes (another component of the innate immune system) may also become activated and then recruited to the CNS where they contribute to the regulation of neuroinflammation and the course of such disorders. These two cell populations, separated by the blood brain barrier and time, may therefore provide a key link between peripheral and central inflammatory processes. This symposium gathers experts on microglia/monocyte biology to discuss the role of the innate immune system in neurological disorders, what insights can be learned about their biology from their dysfunction in various disease contexts, and possible therapeutic interventions."

Study: Exposure to common air fresheners can cause allergies, asthma

Study: Exposure to common air fresheners can cause allergies, asthma
http://www.infowars.com/study-exposure-to-common-air-fresheners-can-cause-allergies-asthma/

"Millions of Americans use scented candles, air freshener sprays, plug-in deodorizers and diffusers to make their living spaces smell clean and pleasant, but are the chemicals in these products safe? New research compiled by scientists from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., and the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic suggests that various chemical additives in air fresheners can trigger allergies, asthma and other health problems."

At Senate hearing, trade groups split over efforts to ravamp chemical-safety law

At Senate hearing, trade groups split over efforts to ravamp chemical-safety law
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/at-senate-hearing-trade-groups-split-over-efforts-to-ravamp-chemical-safety-law/2011/11/17/gIQArxU9VN_story.html

 

"The nation's leading chemical manufacturers on Thursday bashed a Senate measure that would revamp the nation's chemical safety law, as concerns mount that ingredients used in making everyday consumer products may lead to serious health problems."

Report: Secret Chemicals Revealed in Common Household Cleaners

Report: Secret Chemicals Revealed in Common Household Cleaners
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/23337-1

"A dirty secret lurks in common household cleaning products, according to new independent lab testing on 20 popular products that found nearly all contained undisclosed toxic chemicals."

J&J to nix baby-product contaminant within 2 years

J&J to nix baby-product contaminant within 2 years
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-rt-us-johnsonandjohnsontre7ag02m-20111116,0,327780.story

"Johnson & Johnson, responding to complaints about a potentially carcinogenic chemical in its baby shampoos, said it plans within two years to eliminate formaldehyde-releasing preservatives from hundreds of its baby products."

TSA Puts Off Safety Study of X-ray Body Scanners

TSA Puts Off Safety Study of X-ray Body Scanners
http://www.propublica.org/article/tsa-puts-off-safety-study-of-x-ray-body-scanners

"The head of the Transportation Security Administration has backed off a public commitment to conduct a new independent study of X-ray body scanners used at airport security lanes around the country."

BPA exposure can alter memory in adults, rodent study suggests.

BPA exposure can alter memory in adults, rodent study suggests.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/11/2011-1116-bpa-memory-adult-rats/

"Bisphenol-A at a level below the U.S. safe daily dose impairs memory and alters brain structure in adult male rats exposed to the chemical just once."

Toxic chemicals all around us, Lewiston panelists say

Toxic chemicals all around us, Lewiston panelists say
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/city/2011/11/16/toxic-chemicals-all-around-us-lewiston-panelists-say/1116401

"The products in front of Steve Taylor seemed innocent enough: a rubber duck, a few tin cans, a glass jar of baby food and plastic water bottles.

Each, however, contained chemicals that could be harmful to human health and are largely unregulated by the government, the program director for the Environmental Health Strategy Center told a crowd in a Central Maine Medical Center conference room Tuesday evening during a workshop on chemicals found in everyday life."

Toxic Beauty Products

Toxic Beauty Products
http://technorati.com/women/article/toxic-beauty-products/

"I don't know if you've noticed but for some reason when you're conscious about what kinds of foods to eat, you become aware of other things that go anywhere near your body. And that's what I'm talking about today-health and beauty products. Since our skin is our largest organ, absorbing everything we put on it, we've got to be smarter about what products we're actually using."

Fragrance sensitivity a real health concern

Fragrance sensitivity a real health concern
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinionletters/940086-263/fragrance-sensitivity-a-real-health-concern.html

"With the holiday season just around the corner and people making their gift lists, I know I speak for migraine sufferers around the world with "fragrance sensitivity," namely from perfume and cologne, requesting that you reconsider such purchases."

Europe Bans X-Ray Body Scanners Used at U.S. Airports

Europe Bans X-Ray Body Scanners Used at U.S. Airports
http://www.propublica.org/article/europe-bans-x-ray-body-scanners-used-at-u.s.-airports

"The European Union on Monday prohibited the use of X-ray body scanners in European airports, parting ways with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, which has deployed hundreds of the scanners as a way to screen millions of airline passengers for explosives hidden under clothing."

Milk Thistle Extract Stops Lung Cancer in Mice, Study Shows

Milk Thistle Extract Stops Lung Cancer in Mice, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115145236.htm

"Tissue with wound-like conditions allows tumors to grow and spread. In mouse lung cancer cells, treatment with silibinin, a major component of milk thistle, removed the molecular billboards that signal these wound-like conditions and so stopped the spread of these lung cancers, according to a recent study published in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis."

Why Americans still breathe known hazards decades after 'clean air' law

Why Americans still breathe known hazards decades after 'clean air' law
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/11/16/7406/why-americans-still-breathe-known-hazards-decades-after-clean-air-law

"Politics, industry and 'hopelessly irrational' EPA stymie air toxics crackdown"

Richland Student Kicked Off School Bus For Spraying Perfume

Richland Student Kicked Off School Bus For Spraying Perfume
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/richland-student-kicked-off-school-bus_n_1094958.html

"A student in Richland, Washington thought the school bus smelled bad, so she sprayed perfume. But apparently, dousing a bus in No.5 (or any flowery scent) is against the school district's rules -- and she was kicked off when she wouldn't hand over the bottle to the driver. The 15-year-old's parents, Clair and Carrie Doyle, were outraged."

Prefrontal Cortex and Executive Function Impairments in Primary Breast Cancer

Prefrontal Cortex and Executive Function Impairments in Primary Breast Cancer
http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/11/1447

Shelli R. Kesler, PhD; Jamie S. Kent, MA; Ruth O'Hara, PhD

Arch Neurol. 2011;68(11):1447-1453. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2011.245

Objectives  To examine differences in prefrontal-executive function between breast cancer (BC) survivors with and without a history of chemotherapy treatment compared with healthy control women and to determine the associations between prefrontal cortex deficits and behavioral impairments, as well as certain demographic and disease variables.

Design  Observational study.

Setting  University-based research facility.

Participants  Twenty-five women with BC who had received chemotherapy, 19 women with BC who had not received chemotherapy, and 18 healthy female controls, all matched for age and other demographic variables.

Results  Women with BC demonstrated significantly reduced activation in the left middle dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and premotor cortex compared with healthy controls. The chemotherapy group also demonstrated significantly reduced left caudal lateral prefrontal cortex activation and increased perseverative errors and reduced processing speed compared with the other 2 groups. Reduced left caudal lateral prefrontal cortex activation was significantly correlated with higher disease severity and elevated subjective executive dysfunction in the chemotherapy-treated women. Older age and lower educational level were associated with increased executive function impairment in the chemotherapy group.

Conclusions  These findings provide further evidence of neurological impairment associated with primary BC irrespective of treatment history. The left caudal lateral prefrontal region may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of chemotherapy and/or disease severity and may represent a novel biomarker of subjective executive dysfunction in chemotherapy-treated women. Furthermore, negative effects of chemotherapy on brain function may be exacerbated by such factors as increased age and lower educational level.

Author Affiliations: Stanford Cancer Center, Palo Alto (Dr Kesler), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford (Drs Kesler and O'Hara and Ms Kent), California.

Girl, 13, left in 'waking coma' and sleeps for 23 hours a day after severe reaction to cervical cancer jabs

Girl, 13, left in 'waking coma' and sleeps for 23 hours a day after severe reaction to cervical cancer jabs
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2061267/Schoolgirl-Lucy-Hinks-left-waking-coma-severe-reaction-cervical-cancer-jab.html

"Lucy Hinks is unable to walk or talk after having injections at school
Parents warn others to check on potential side effects of Cervarix vaccine"

Risk of disease partially set in womb, scientists say

Risk of disease partially set in womb, scientists say
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pregnancy-guilt-20111113,0,917616.story

"New field of research explores links between mother's health during pregnancy and illnesses years later."

Air quality 'puts lives at risk'

Air quality 'puts lives at risk'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15693627

"The government's failure to meet EU standards on air pollution is "putting the health of UK residents at risk", says the Environmental Audit Committee."

California pioneers plan for trimming toxins

California pioneers plan for trimming toxins
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/12/california-pioneers-plan-reducing-toxins-consumer-/

"Long a pacesetter in efforts to control dangerous chemicals, California is moving toward sweeping new rules to reduce toxins in cleaning products, cosmetics, electronics, toys and possibly many other consumer goods."

Tarnished Gold: The Sickness of Evidence-based Medicine (Volume 1)

Tarnished Gold: The Sickness of Evidence-based Medicine (Volume 1)

http://www.amazon.com/Tarnished-Gold-Sickness-Evidence-based-Medicine/dp/1466397292

 

"Evidence-based medicine, the "gold standard" of medical decision making, is increasingly unpopular with clinicians. They are right to have reservations. EBM breaks the laws of so many disciplines that it cannot be considered scientific or even rational. Decision science and cybernetics show the disturbing consequences of such flaws. EBM fosters marginally effective treatments, based on population averages rather than individual need. Its mega-trials are theoretically incapable of finding the causes of disease, yet swallow up research funds. Ultimately, EBM cannot avoid risking patients' health. It is time for medical practitioners to discard EBM's tarnished gold standard, reclaim their clinical autonomy, and provide individualised treatments to patients. This book explains why and how."

Inhalable Toxic Chemicals in Aircraft Cabin Air

Inhalable Toxic Chemicals in Aircraft Cabin Air
http://nigeriamasterweb.com/blog/index.php/2011/11/13/inhalable-toxic-chemicals-in-aircraft-cabin-air

"A particularly pernicious example is vague diagnosis as a psychiatric ailment which, if nothing else, prevents the correct treatment being applied. Highly encouragingly, successful biochemical treatments are being developed and are already available. A very important advance in biomedical science is the development of an assay for the main metabolic products of inhaled tricresyl phosphates. This will enable anyone thought to be suffering from exposure to be promptly and correctly diagnosed. It seems obvious that whenever aircrew have to be hospitalized after a flight all passengers should be medically checked. "

 

NIH-Funded Study Finds Occupational Chemical Exosure May Be Linked to Parkinson's Risk

NIH-Funded Study Finds Occupational Chemical Exosure May Be Linked to Parkinson's Risk

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2011/ninds-14.htm

"A new research report contributes to the increasing evidence that repeated occupational exposure to certain chemical solvents raises the risk for Parkinson's disease. Researchers analyzed the occupational histories of twins in which one of the pair developed the neurodegenerative disorder, and assessed that twin's likelihood of exposure to six chemicals previously linked to Parkinson's. Of the six chemicals investigated, researchers concluded that two common chemical solvents, trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PERC), are significantly linked to development of this disease.  This study, supported in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, appears in the Nov. 14, 2011 issue of Annals of Neurology."

Veteran battles disorder, and for his benefits

Veteran battles disorder, and for his benefits
http://poststar.com/news/local/veteran-battles-disorder-and-for-his-benefits/article_a82842b4-0da2-11e1-a1cc-001cc4c002e0.html

"Some of life's simple pleasures - being outside on a summer day or eating a slice of pizza - cause Matt Connery's skin to burn and his throat to close.

Exposure to chemicals when Connery was deployed to Iraq with the Army six years ago has left him disabled, and forced him to barricade himself in his house."

What Does ExxonMobil Have to Do with Child Safety?

What Does ExxonMobil Have to Do with Child Safety?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2011/11/11/what-does-exxonmobil-have-to-do-with-child-safety/

"It's easy to forget sometimes that oil companies are involved in a lot more than oil, or even energy in its various forms. Exxon Mobil, for example, produces a number of chemicals that have little to nothing to do with energy, including isopropyl alcohol (used for coatings, rubbing alcohol and electronics), methyl ethyl ketone (used for paint, coatings and adhesives solvent), benzene (used in styrofoam and nylon products) and a handful of plasticizers like phthalic anhydride and Jayflex® Plasticizer/Phthalates.

Over the past several years, Exxon has been working to protect its chemical business by lobbying against various proposals to reform chemical regulations in the United States."

What stops children with a chronic illness accessing health care: a mixed methods study in children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)

What stops children with a chronic illness accessing health care: a mixed methods study in children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-11-308.pdf

Carly M Webb1, Simon M Collin2, Toity Deave 3, Andrew Haig-Ferguson2, Amy
Spatz1, Esther Crawley2§

Abstract

Background

Paediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is relatively common and disabling with a mean time out of school of more than one academic year. NICE guidelines recommend referral to specialist services immediately if severely affected, within 3 months if moderately affected and within 6 months if mildly affected. However, the median time-to-assessment by a specialist service in the UK is 18 months. This study used a mixed-methods approach to examine factors associated with time taken to access specialist services.


Methods

Time-to-assessment was analysed as a continuous "survival-time" variable in Cox regression models using data from self-completed assessment forms for children attending a regional specialist CFS/ME service between January 2006 and December 2009. Semi-structured interviews about barriers experienced in accessing healthcare for their child were conducted with nine parents of children aged <17 years (8 individual and one parent couple). Interviews were digitally recorded and analysed using "thematic analysis".

Results

405 children were assessed between 2006 and 2009 and information on school attendance was available on 388. Only 1/125 with severe CFS/ME and 49/263 (19%) with mild to moderate CFS/ME were seen within NICE recommended timeframe.  Increased fatigue was associated with shorter time to assessment (HR = 1.15; 95% CI 1.03, 1.29 per unit increase in Chalder fatigue score; P=0.01). Time-to-assessment was not associated with disability, mood, age or gender. Parents described difficulties accessing specialist services because of their own as well as their GP's and Paediatrician's lack of knowledge. They experienced negative attitudes and beliefs  towards the child's condition when they consulted GPs, Paediatricians and Child Psychiatrists. Parents struggled to communicate an invisible illness that their child and not themselves were experiencing.
 
Conclusions

GPs, Child Psychiatrists and Paediatricians need more knowledge about CFS/ME and the appropriate referral pathways to ensure timeliness in referral to specialist services.

Mount Sinai ME/CFS Research Center Meeting for patients and doctors

Mount Sinai ME/CFS Research Center Meeting for patients and doctors
http://www.enlander.com/conference.html

When:

Sunday Nov 20, 2011 from 11am to 2pm

 

Where:
Mount Sinai Medical Center Research Building
lcahn Institute
1425 Madison Avenue (at 98th St)
New York, NY 10029
 
First floor Seminar room.
 
Topics:
New methods in diagnosis and treatment of ME/CFS
 
Participants include:
Dr. Eric Schadt
Dr. Derek Enlander
Dr. David Bell
Dr. Kenny DeMeirleir
Dr. Judy Mikovits [panel
discussion]
 
Topics will include:
New Horizons in Genomics and Gene research ME/CFS
Treatment using
*  Ampligen
*  GcMaf, MAF 314, MAF 878
*  Retuximab
*  CMX 001
*  Nexavir lotion and suppositories
*  Hepapressing
*  IMMUNOPROP
*  Methylation Cycle 

There will be a panel discussion afterwards including all
participants.
 
REGISTRATION:
$30 in advance online
$40 at the door
 

Diana Fairchild Passed Away on November 5th

Diana Fairchild Passed Away on November 5th

http://obits.staradvertiser.com/2011/11/09/diana-fairchild/

"November 5, 2011 Author and early pioneer activist for airline passenger safety, died in New York City following a brief illness. She was 67. For over 20 years, Diana steadfastly advocated for passengers' right to nontoxic conditions aboard airplanes. Her 21-year career as an international flight attendant was cut short in 1987 when she was medically grounded with injuries from unregulated pesticide spraying in aircraft cabins. In 1992, she published the best-selling book Jet Smart which exposed the previously unknown health hazards of flying and forced government mandated changes in airline policies. Diana was born in NYC in 1944. She graduated from Boston University after spending a year at the Sorbonne in Paris. She lived in Hawaii for 23 years before moving back to Manhattan in 2007. Diana was well-known for her wit, her charm and her lifetime love affair with writing books, teaching seminars and dancing the tango."

Tap Water: Running A Risk?

Tap Water: Running A Risk?
http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/nov/10/2/tap-water-running-risk-ar-2685246/

"When we met Michelle Anderson, she was teaching her home-schooled son about the scientific method, the process by which problems can be solved through doing research, developing a hypothesis, conducting experiments and drawing conclusions."

Many Are Claiming Health Problems Caused by Smart Meters

Many Are Claiming Health Problems Caused by Smart Meters
http://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/many-are-claiming-health-problems-caused-smart-meters?mid=5267

"A broad consortium of government agencies, environmental groups, and utilities and their industry organizations is touting the benefits of a "smart grid." Generally, this is conceived as an extensive revamp of the electrical system to make it more efficient and reliable, less polluting, and less expensive. Proponents of the smart grid envision it as having many benefits to both electric utilities and their customers — and see its costs largely as the dollar costs of building infrastructure. 

One component of the smart grid is smart meters, which operate as part of electric, gas, or water systems, and transmit meter readings to the utility many times a day, often via radio waves but sometimes via hard-wiring. This allows utilities to save money since meter readers are no longer needed. It also gives utilities frequent input on how much demand there is on their system at any one time, allowing them to fine tune their operations, use various tools (such as demand-based pricing) to equalize demand throughout the day and reduce peak loads, and plan for future supply needs.

The concepts sound good to many people, but serious flaws are becoming apparent as utilities rapidly install smart meters across the country, according to a rising chorus of critics. They are concerned about privacy (since they say utilities can interpolate many behavioral aspects of building occupants via the detailed reporting of utility use), security (since any utility's system could be hacked), and accuracy (with reports of very inaccurate readings from a small percentage of meters). Each of these issues warrants investigation and coverage.

Another major issue is possible human health impacts from smart meters. That is the focus of the remainder of this Tip."

[Influence of air pollution on birth weight].

[Influence of air pollution on birth weight].
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22070001

[No authors listed].  Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2011 Sep-Oct;139(9-10):651-6.

[Article in Serbian]

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:
Epidemiological studies point out that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is a risk for low birth weight.

OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of outdoor and indoor air pollution on the occurrence of low birth weight.

METHODS:
The measurement of outdoor air pollutants, sulphur dioxide and black smoke was carried out daily at the Institute for Public Healthcare of Nis at two measuring locations, in Nis and Niska Banja during 2003. Subjects were 367 pregnant women, nonsmokers and who were not profesionally exposed to air pollution. Data on exposure to source of indoor air pollution (passive smoking and mode of heating) was determined on the basis of a questionnaire. Data on the characterisitics of newborns were taken from the register of Obstetrics and Gyanecology Clinic of Nis.

RESULTS:
We determined that exposure of pregnant women to outdoor air pollution and wood heating systems had influence on the occurence of low birth weight. Exposure to passive smoking had no influence on neonatal low birth weight.

CONCLUSION:
Exposure of pregnant women to outdoor and indoor air pollutants can have negative influence on the occurrence of low birth weight.

PMID: 22070001 [PubMed - in process]

Air Pollution and Anemia as Risk Factors for Pneumonia in Ecuadorian Children: A Retospective Cohort Study.

Air Pollution and Anemia as Risk Factors for Pneumonia in Ecuadorian Children: A Retospective Cohort Study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22050924

Harris AM, Sempertegui F, Estrella B, Narvaez X, Egas J, Woodin M, Durant JL, Naumova EN, Griffiths JK.
Environ Health. 2011 Nov 3;10(1):93. [Epub ahead of print]

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND:
: Ambient air pollution and malnutrition, particularly anemia, are risk factors for pneumonia, a leading cause of death in children under five. We simultaneously assessed these risk factors in Quito, Ecuador.

METHOD:
S: In 2005, we studied two socioeconomically similar neighborhoods in Quito: Lucha de los Pobres (LP) and Jaime Roldos (JR). LP had relatively high levels of air pollution (annual median PM2.5 = 20.4 ug/m3; NO2 = 29.5 ug/m3) compared to JR (annual median PM2.5 = 15.3 ug/m3; NO2 = 16.6 ug/m3). We enrolled 408 children from LP (more polluted) and 413 children from JR (less polluted). All subjects were aged 18-42 months. We obtained medical histories of prior physician visits and hospitalizations during the previous year, anthropometric nutrition data, hemoglobin levels, and hemoglobin oxygen saturation via oximetry.

RESULTS:
: In anemic children, higher pollution exposure was significantly associated with pneumonia hospitalization (OR = 6.82, 95%CI = 1.45-32.00; P = 0.015). In non-anemic children, no difference in hospitalizations by pollution exposure status was detected (OR = 1.04, NS). Children exposed to higher levels of air pollution had more pneumonia hospitalizations (OR = 3.68, 1.09-12.44; P = 0.036), total respiratory illness (OR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.92-4.47; P < 0.001), stunting (OR = 1.88, 1.36-2.60; P < 0.001) and anemia (OR = 1.45, 1.09-1.93; P = 0.013) compared to children exposed to lower levels of air pollution. Also, children exposed to higher levels of air pollution had significantly lower oxygen saturation (92.2% + 2.6% vs. 95.8% + 2.2%; P < 0.0001), consistent with air pollution related dyshemoglobinemia.

CONCLUSIONS:
: Ambient air pollution is associated with rates of hospitalization for pneumonia and with physician's consultations for acute respiratory infections. Anemia may interact with air pollution to increase pneumonia hospitalizations. If confirmed in larger studies, improving nutrition-related anemia, as well as decreasing the levels of air pollution in Quito, may reduce pneumonia incidence.

PMID: 22050924 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Free full text

Many common beauty products may contain dangerous toxins

Many common beauty products may contain dangerous toxins
http://www.kwgn.com/news/kdvr-many-common-beauty-product-may-contain-dangerous-toxins-20111109,0,779286.story

"Are you spreading cancer causing chemicals on your face when you apply your make-up?

Is your shampoo giving you tumors? There's new concern about the potentially toxic ingredients used to make beauty products. "The average woman uses 9 to 12 products a day. It's just a toxic potion that we are just putting in our skin," said Physician Assistant Katie Young."

Car interiors 'poisoning drivers'

Car interiors 'poisoning drivers'
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=487202&type=Metro

"EXCESSIVE levels of poisonous chemicals are found in the interiors of more than 70 percent of private cars in Shanghai, a local environmental protection association claimed yesterday."

Pneumonia linked to smoke from cooking fires

Pneumonia linked to smoke from cooking fires
Prenatal maternal exposure to woodsmoke also hurts kids' IQs
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/11/10/cooking-fire-pneumonia-risk.html

"Smoke from open fires and dirty cookstoves — used by almost half the world's population — is linked to severe pneumonia, especially among women and young children, a new study has found."

Fukushima crisis 'stunting children's growth'

Fukushima crisis 'stunting children's growth'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-10/fukushima-crisis-27stunting-children27s-growth27/3658940

"Eight months on from the nuclear meltdowns at Japan's Fukushima plant the long-term cancer risks for children are in the spotlight, but a new study has highlighted more immediate problems.

Thousands of children living in the fallout zone are confined indoors because of radiation fears, and doctors worry they are not growing at a sufficient rate."

Where regulators failed, citizens took action - testing their own air

Where regulators failed, citizens took action — testing their own air
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/11/10/7355/where-regulators-failed-citizens-took-action-testing-their-own-air

Until 'bucket test' and insider tips, polluter said to underreport emissions for years

"For the past three decades, Jeani Thomson has been pleading with New York state officials to protect her and her neighbors from air pollution that regularly spreads into her yard from an industrial plant a mile away. Many mornings, a foul-smelling, thick fog settles around her modest house in Tonawanda, a working class town of 16,000 just outside Buffalo. The "toxic blue haze," as Thomson calls it, smells like ammonia, sulfur and "an oily exhaust."

She believes it has made her sick. Ailments have transformed her, she said, from a fit mail carrier who walked a 13-mile route into a survivor of multiple illnesses who takes 22 medications and now moves with difficulty on stiff legs. Though only 57 years old, she has only one lung, and half a stomach. Her doctors have diagnosed her with a rare skin rash, as well as asthma and arthritis. Though she claims never to have had a cigarette, her voice has the raspy sound of a smoker. On bad days, she says, she inhales oxygen."

Research links pesticides, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Research links pesticides, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/09/2011-1104-pesticide-fat-predict-lymphoma/

"Higher pesticide levels measured in people well before they were diagnosed with cancer are associated with an elevated risk of lymphoma later in life."

How to Detox Your Car Seat

How to Detox Your Car Seat
http://www.onearth.org/blog/how-to-detox-your-car-seat

"If I were in the market to buy a new car seat, I would cross-check safety ratings with the list at www.healthystuff.org. While they have not checked for all potentially dangerous chemicals, they have based their ratings on the level of lead, cadmium, chlorine, arsenic, bromine, and mercury found in the car seats. (These substances have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer.) You can find seats that perform well in crash tests and in toxicity tests, but it's not easy to find a perfect fit, especially when you have to look at cost, size, functionality, and availability."

Rat bait should not poison kids

Rat bait should not poison kids
http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8700

"In 2008, EPA determined that certain kinds of rat bait pose "unreasonable risk" to children, pets and wildlife. The Agency gave rodenticide manufacturers three years to voluntarily adopt new safety measures."

Organic Bytes #302: News and Action

 

SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage   #301, November 3, 2011 IN THIS ISSUE Label GMOs 2012 Actions Quote of the Week Little Bytes Dear Organic Bytes readers, We have streamlined the format of Organic Bytes starting with this issue. We hope that you find it more readable and informative than ever! Label GMOs 2012 Organic Consumers best opportunity for a strategic victory against Monsanto in 2012 is the California Ballot Initiative for mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. We're at a crucial moment in the campaign. OCA's lobbying partner, the Organic Consumers Fund, needs to raise at least $50,000 in the next 30 days to carry out public education and to help our coalition partners recruit, train, and deploy several thousand volunteer petition gatherers. In early January our volunteer petition gatherers will fan out across California and gather the signatures of 800,000 registered voters. A win in California, a state that commands 10% of the retail grocery market nationwide, would be a crippling blow to the sale and production of GMO crops across the country and worldwide. Please chip in $25, or $50 or whatever you can afford to help today Read the filing press release ACTIONS Do you shop at Trader Joe's? Ask this California-based natural and organic food retailer to kick Monsanto out of their stores and join us in the fight for mandatory GMO labels! Last week We asked you to help us stop the secret Farm Bill. Here's the latest opportunity to take action   Drink organic wine? The industry wants to weaken standards. Take action here   Please take action on the above items and forward widely to your friends! We can use your help spreading the word! Support the OCA Stop Monsanto and Move the Organic Revolution Forward Since the first battle over organic standards in 1998, OCA has been "growing the revolution" - fighting against genetically engineered foods, preserving strict organic standards, expanding the organic market, and spreading the good news that organic agriculture can sustainably feed the world while reversing global warming. The time is right to step up our efforts and move the Organic Revolution forward, but OCA needs your financial support to do so. Please Donate QUOTE OF THE WEEK Surviving the Approaching Storm: Organic Transitions "We are fast approaching a tipping point in terms of climate disruption, food production, financial meltdown, and Peak Oil. To survive and thrive in turbulent times we will need to organize ourselves at the grassroots level to carry out a series of Organic Transitions - not only in terms of food and farming, but also in transportation, housing, health, and education. While remaining engaged in pressing governments and businesses to green and revitalize the economy and stabilize the climate, OCA believes that we must "dig in" and prepare ourselves locally and regionally to become as "organic" and self-reliant as possible." Learn More Little Bytes More health, justice & sustainability news   "Your Neighbor's Garden" Creator Helped Grow a Movement Read GMOs Are Taking Over Your Pantry Read The Fire Next Time is Now: Environmental Historian Angus Wright's Call For a Planetary Patriotism Read 10,000 Surround White House to Protest Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline Read Rural Farmers Unite to Feed Wall Street Protestors Read Half of All Hospital Rooms Contaminated with Deadly Superbugs Read Study Says Pesticides in Food Chain Causes ADHD in Children Read The Local Food, Farms And Jobs Act Read Shareholder to Monsanto: Be Transparent about Genetically Engineered Food Risks Read Consumers Losing Faith in Big Food Read Sponsored Message Homeopathy Is Under Attack - The Organic Community Needs To Help! Homeopathic medicine is perhaps the greenest, safest and most effective healthcare option for organic families. It is a 200 year old system of medicine used by over 250 million people worldwide. Homeopathy has a laudable and extensively documented clinical record and there are literally hundreds of high quality, peer-reviewed basic science, pre-clinical and clinical studies showing its effects. (Go here for more information on this system and the extensive research supporting efficacy.) Sadly - the same business forces working to disrupt the organic community are escalating their attacks on homeopathy around the world - hoping to destroy it in the name of corporate profits. OCA wants to do something to help! The National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) is the non-profit organizing body for homeopathic medicine in the U.S. They educate consumers and practitioners about the system and how to use it - while protecting it from these attacks. OCA is encouraging all our members to consider membership in the NCH. It is an organization that makes a real difference in this country. Members of OCA can join NCH for as little as $49 in the first year ($55 in following years) and 20% of your first year membership fee will be contributed back to the important work of OCA! Read more and join NCH Connect With OCA! Facebook Pages: organicconsumers millionsagainst comingclean Twitter Feeds: @organicconsumer @againstmonsanto @OCA_comingclean More: rss feed youtube channel 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 Subscribe & Read past issues and print- friendly PDF versions of Organic Bytes