VIDEO - Resonance - Beings of Frequency

VIDEO
Resonance - Beings of Frequency
http://vimeo.com/54189727

"RESONANCE is a sensational eye opening documentary which reveals the harm we are doing by existing in an ocean of man made wireless frequencies.

Two billion years ago life first arrived on this planet; a planet, which was filled with a natural frequency. As life slowly evolved, it did so surrounded by this frequency. and Inevitably, it began tuning in.

By the time mankind arrived on earth an incredible relationship had been struck; a relationship that science is just beginning to comprehend.

Research is showing that being exposed to this frequency is absolutely integral to us. It controls our mental and physical health, it synchronizes our circadian rhythms, and it aids our immune system and improves our sense of wellbeing.

Not only are we surrounded by natural frequencies, our bodies are filled with them too. Our cells communicate using electro magnetic frequencies. Our brain emits a constant stream of frequencies and our DNA delivers instructions, using frequency waves. Without them we couldn't exist for more than a second.

This delicate balance has taken billions of years to perfect. But over the last 25 years the harmony has been disturbed. and disturbed dramatically.

Mankind has submerged itself in an ocean of artificial frequencies. They are all around us, filling the air and drowning out the earth's natural resonance.

To the naked eye the planet appears to be the same. But at a cellular level it is the biggest change that life on earth has endured; the affects of which we are just starting to see and feel."

Peds Come Out Against Pesticides

Peds Come Out Against Pesticides

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/PreventiveCare/36096

 

"Children should have as little exposure to pesticides as possible, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged.

A policy statement and technical report from the organization outlined steps for pediatricians to identify pesticide poisoning, evaluate for pesticide-related illness, provide appropriate treatment, and help prevent unnecessary exposure and poisoning."

New stain repellent chemical doubling in blood every 6 years.

New stain repellent chemical doubling in blood every 6 years.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/08/2012-1120-fluorinated-stain-repellent-rises-in-blood/

"As the phased-out stain repellent PFOS steadily decreases in people, its replacement is rising rapidly at levels that are doubling every six years, a Swedish study shows. Levels of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) in the women's blood rose 11 percent per year between 1996 and 2010. Whether there are any potential health effects of these exposures -- which are still far lower than PFOS levels -- is unknown."

Smart Grid Funding Misspent On Obsolete Technologies,

Smart Grid Funding Misspent On Obsolete Technologies, Says New Report
http://gettingsmarteraboutthesmartgrid.org/press_release_shortform.html

"Billions spent with taxpayer dollars on "smart meters" will not lead to U.S. sustainability; Place citizens and economy at risk"

EPA Webinar: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools - Basics for Winter

EPA Webinar:  Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools — Basics for Winter

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/730811858

Special Report: Government has little authority to stop unsafe cosmetics

Special Report: Government has little authority to stop unsafe cosmetics
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/brazilian-blowout

"Hair stylist Natalija Josimov combed the straightening solution through her client's hair. She snapped on the blow dryer, and a plume of white vapor wrapped them in a toxic cloud. Next came the 450-degree flat iron, letting loose another sharp stink of embalming fluid that burned her eyes and made her nauseous. Every day for months, Josimov performed three or four chemical straightening treatments at a New York City salon until she fell so ill she couldn't even stay in the same room. Josimov is accustomed to odors of peroxide, nail polish and permanent wave solution. But this is different: It's Brazilian Blowout, and its secret ingredient is formaldehyde, a carcinogen linked to nose and throat cancers, leukemia, respiratory problems and other health effects. Brazilian Blowout is a dramatic example of how little authority federal and state governments have over the estimated $30-billion annual cosmetics industry – even when there is compelling evidence that ingredients are dangerous. Under federal law, cosmetics companies don't have to disclose chemicals or gain approval for the 2,000 products that go on the market every year. And removing a cosmetic from sale takes a battle in federal court. "Although the sale of Brazilian Blowout in California violated five separate state health, environmental and consumer laws and resulted in numerous acute injuries, we have not been able to get it off the market," said Michael DiBartolomeis of the California Department of Public Health."

Farmers' lawsuit against Monsanto heads back to federal court

Farmers' lawsuit against Monsanto heads back to federal court
http://www.kjonline.com/news/federal-court-to-hear-lawsuit_2012-11-23.html

"Case questions company's right to genetically modified seed patents, seeks to reduce infringement cases."

Suit alleges chemical used to embalm caused mortician's cancer

Suit alleges chemical used to embalm caused mortician's cancer
http://www.northjersey.com/news/180665201_Chemical_used_to_embalm_targeted.html

"A lawsuit by a New Jersey mortician stricken with leukemia is casting a spotlight on embalming, a standard practice in the funeral industry.  William Moore, 38, of Secaucus claims his illness was caused by exposure to formaldehyde, an ingredient in embalming fluid. He is suing his workplace and several manufacturers of embalming chemicals.  Moore was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in 2010, according to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Hackensack. Federal toxicologists in 2011 listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen and said mortuary workers were among those at risk of developing various cancers."

Exposure to workplace chemicals can increase breast cancer risk, study says

Exposure to workplace chemicals can increase breast cancer risk, study says
http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Exposure+workplace+chemicals+increase+breast+cancer+risk+study/7570312/story.html

 
"Women working in certain types of jobs — mainly agriculture and industrial settings — appear to have about double the risk of developing breast cancer as women who do other kinds of work, a new Canadian study says.
The work suggests the increased risk is likely the result of exposures to chemicals used in some factory-type jobs and second-hand smoke in entertainment sector jobs, plus shift-work across a variety of these job sectors."

European Commission mulls perfume ingredient ban

European Commission mulls perfume ingredient ban
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20405276

"The European Commission is to consider restricting 12 ingredients used in the production of perfume which it is thought can cause allergic reactions in users."

Triclosan exposure linked to allergies in children

Triclosan exposure linked to allergies in children
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20121115/Triclosan-exposure-linked-to-allergies-in-children.aspx

"Norwegian children with high levels of urinary triclosan are more likely to have allergies than children with lower levels, report researchers in Allergy. In particular, the team found that 10-year-old children with high levels of exposure to the antibacterial chemical had an increased likelihood for having seasonal or inhalant allergies. "Based on the 'hygiene hypothesis' of allergy in childhood, excessive use of triclosan may alter the commensal microbiota flora leading to impairment of normal maturation of the immune system," say Randi Bertelsen (Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo) and colleagues."

Mold invades thousands of homes across flood zone in wake of Hurricane Sandy

Mold invades thousands of homes across flood zone in wake of Hurricane Sandy

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mold-invades-thousands-homes-wake-sandy-article-1.1204881

"You'll see it in the form of dime-sized, fuzzy, green spores clinging to chairs, black streaks of toxic mold lining the corners of dressers and two-inch-thick blankets of fungi covering garbage dumped along the road. Any way you slice it, it's all mold — and it can kill you."

Environmental Chemicals May Hurt Chances of Pregnancy

Environmental Chemicals May Hurt Chances of Pregnancy
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_131319.html

"Exposure starts in the kitchen, with the food you eat, experts say."

Living in Smoggy Areas May Reduce Seniors' Brainpower

Living in Smoggy Areas May Reduce Seniors' Brainpower

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_131417.html

 

"Study tied high pollution to lower test scores for memory, language."

Flame Retardants in Furniture, Carpets Might Affect Kids' Development

Flame Retardants in Furniture, Carpets Might Affect Kids' Development
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_131374.html

"California study found that higher exposures were linked to IQ, attention deficits"

Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to

Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to Aluminum and Acetaminophen Exposure
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/14/11/2227/pdf

Stephanie Seneff 1,*, Robert M. Davidson 2 and Jingjing Liu 1
1 Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; E-Mail: jingl@csail.mit.edu (J.L.)
2 Internal Medicine Group Practice, PhyNet, Inc., Longview, TX 75604, USA;
E-Mail: patrons99@yahoo.com (R.M.D.)

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: seneff@csail.mit.edu;
Tel.: +1-617-253-0451.

Received: 24 September 2012; in revised form: 16 October 2012 / Accepted: 5 November 2012 /
Published: 7 November 2012

Abstract:

 

Autism is a condition characterized by impaired cognitive and social skills, associated with compromised immune function. The incidence is alarmingly on the rise, and environmental factors are increasingly suspected to play a role. This paper investigates word frequency patterns in the U.S. CDC Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database. Our results provide strong evidence supporting a link between autism and the aluminum in vaccines. A literature review showing toxicity of aluminum in human physiology offers further support. Mentions of autism in VAERS increased steadily at the end of the last century, during a period when mercury was being phased out, while aluminum adjuvant burden was being increased. Using standard log-likelihood ratio techniques, we identify several signs and symptoms that are significantly more prevalent in vaccine reports after 2000, including cellulitis, seizure, depression, fatigue, pain and death, which are also significantly associated with aluminum-containing vaccines. We propose that children with the autism diagnosis are especially vulnerable to toxic metals such as aluminum and mercury due to insufficient serum sulfate and glutathione. A strong correlation between autism and the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is also observed, which may be partially explained via an increased sensitivity to acetaminophen administered to control fever.

 

Keywords: autism; vaccines; MMR; HEP-B; glutathione; sulfate; cholesterol sulfate; aluminum; mercury; acetaminophen

News from ONFCI

Deceived, Disabled, Dejected, Dehumanized, Dismissed, and Dying: The
Widespread Dilemma of MCS Disability.
http://www.ddc.ohio.gov/Pub/Reach1-08.pdf

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Reflections by Dr. L. Christine Oliver and
Alison Johnson Transcript
www.alisonjohnsonmcs.com

Veterans Injured by Chemicals Need Help
http://postbythelake.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/newsletterweb4.pdf

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Part One WCPN radio interview with Karen
Schaefer, 2.15.01
http://www.ideastream.org/news/feature/7086

MCS Policy For Medical Offices
http://www.ohionetwork.org/dedu/Story%20form%20of%20PROPOSED%20MCS%20POLICY%20FOR%20MEDICAL%20OFFICES.doc

Letter: Educate Your Building Manager
http://www.ohionetwork.org/IEQ/Sample%20letter%20for%20top%20ten.doc

ONFCI's Top Ten Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
http://www.ohionetwork.org/IEQ/Update%20to%20Top%20Ten%20Two%20pages.doc

MCS ACCOMMODATIONS

ONFCI November 28, 2003 Letter Urging CDC to Address MCS Epidemic
http://www.wtv-zone.com/infchoice/mcs/sample2.html

ONFCI 1998 letter responding to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry Report http://www.lassentech.com/eipress1.html

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Employee Policy
http://depts.washington.edu/exposure/CDC%20Indoor%20Environmental%20Quality%20Policy.pdf
CDC's Fragrance-Free Policy & More - See pages 9-10 (Appendix A, Section C -
Building Occupants)

Professor Anne C. Steinemann - Links to her fragrance sensitivity report and
other resources http://depts.washington.edu/exposure/useful_resources.html

Parma Fire Department - Ambulance Protocol
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/parma_mcs_protcol.pdf

Parma Community General Hospital - Paramedic Protocol
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/MCS08.pdf

Parma Heights Curbs Diesel Emissions on Ambulances
http://blog.cleveland.com/parmasunpost/2009/05/parma_heights_city_is_first_to.html

American Journal of Nursing MCS Article References (#29) Toni Temple's
Healthier Hospitals
http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=698036#68#68

Dismantling the Attitudinal Barriers Against MCS by Toni Temple
http://www.needs.com/product/NDNL-0410-01/l_Heavy_Metal_Detox

Healthier Hospitals: a comprehensive guide to assist in the medical care of
the patient with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) disability. Parma, OH;
1996. p. 28.
http://www.needs.com/product/Healthier_Hospitals/bk_Toni_Temple

Hospitalization for the Chemically Sensitive Patient
http://www.ctaz.com/~bhima/hospital.htm

MCS Activism Starting to Pay Off - U.S. Access Board adopts fragrance-free
policy for meetings
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/0302/0302ft1.html

National Institute Building Sciences (NIBS) Indoor Environmental Quality
Report
http://web.archive.org/web/20060714175343/http://ieq.nibs.org/ieq_project.pdf

MCS AWARENESS MONTH

http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Resolutions/2012/R2012-0011.pdf
http://ecowatch.org/2012/cuyahoga-council-passes-landmark-resolution/
Press Release Feb. 2012
http://beachwood.patch.com/announcements/news-from-onfci

Sample MCS Awareness Month Proclamations

Governor Strickland Recognizes May as MCS Awareness and Education Month
http://www.mcs-america.org/Ohio2007MCS.pdf

ONFCI News Release: http://www.ohionetwork.org/aware/strick_may.doc

Mayor Cyril M. Kleem, City of Berea
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/berea.pdf

Mayor Thomas P. Perciak, City of Strongsville
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/strongsville.pdf

ONFCI press release - Awareness Month 2009
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/2009release.pdf

MISCELLANEOUS

ONFCI's 2004 "Prevention Convention" at Playhouse Square Center - Press
Release
http://www.ohionetwork.org/News%20Releases/July%2016,%202004%20Prev%20Conv.%20News%20Release.doc

New Pesticide Legislation:
http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2012/04/cuyahoga_county_council_approves_anti-pesticide_legislation.html

Ten Commandments Of A Good Neighbor
http://www.ohionetwork.org/articles/10commands.html

Catalan community groups take the Minister of Health to Superior Court with a Criminal Law Suite

Catalan community groups take the Minister of Health to Superior Court with a Criminal Law Suite

http://afectadasporlosrecortessanitarios.wordpress.com/

"Several community groups in Catalonia have taken the Catalan Minister of Health, Boi Ruiz, to the Catalan Superior Court with a criminal law suit for the radical cutbacks in public health care carried out in the past two years. The law suit is based on Article 542 of the Spanish Criminal Code which says that it is an offense for a public official to impede citizens from carrying out their civic rights. And according to the Spanish Constitution, health care is a civic right.

The brutal cutbacks that the Ruiz administration has been carrying out in the past few months have included closing health care centers, shutting down emergency services, an increase of 42% in the waiting lists and many other austerity measures which have put Catalonians' health in danger. The groups that are suing Ruiz and 3 other leading health administrators, argue, with a 80-page law suit and 400 supporting documents, that Ruiz's excuse of having "economic problems" and "the crisis" for cutting back, are not valid, because no economic problem can justify braking the law, as Ruiz's administration has done and continues doing.

The law suit is also denouncing the following offenses regarding not providing help in emergency situations (Article 196 of the Spanish Criminal Code), traffic of influences (Article 428) and negotiations and activities forbidden to public officials (Article 441).

The groups that have presented the criminal law suit are: Liga del Síndrome Fatiga Crónica (the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis League), ATTAC-Acordem, ATTAC-Catalunya, CATAC-CTS-IAC (a public workers' union) and Dempeus per la Salut Pública ("On our Feet for Public Health"). These groups are under the umbrella of La PARS, Plataforma Afectadas por los Recortes Sanitarios (Regroupment of those affected by the health care cutbacks)."

Thimerosal-Induced Apoptosis in Mouse C2C12 Myoblast Cells Occurs through Suppression of the PI3K/Akt/Survivin Pathway.

Thimerosal-Induced Apoptosis in Mouse C2C12 Myoblast Cells Occurs through Suppression of the PI3K/Akt/Survivin Pathway.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23145070

 

Li WX, Chen SF, Chen LP, Yang GY, Li JT, Liu HZ, Zhu W.  PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49064. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049064. Epub 2012 Nov 7.

Source
Department of Toxicology, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, is one of the most widely used preservatives and found in a variety of biological products. Concerns over its possible toxicity have reemerged recently due to its use in vaccines. Thimerosal has also been reported to be markedly cytotoxic to neural tissue. However, little is known regarding thimerosal-induced toxicity in muscle tissue. Therefore, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of thimerosal and its possible mechanisms on mouse C2C12 myoblast cells.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:
The study showed that C2C12 myoblast cells underwent inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis after exposure to thimerosal (125-500 nM) for 24, 48 and 72 h. Thimerosal caused S phase arrest and induced apoptosis as assessed by flow cytometric analysis, Hoechst staining and immunoblotting. The data revealed that thimerosal could trigger the leakage of cytochrome c from mitochondria, followed by cleavage of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and that an inhibitor of caspase could suppress thimerosal-induced apoptosis. Thimerosal inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt(ser473) and survivin expression. Wortmannin, a PI3K inhibitor, inhibited Akt activity and decreased survivin expression, resulting in increased thimerosal-induced apoptosis in C2C12 cells, while the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway by mIGF-I (50 ng/ml) increased the expression of survivin and attenuated apoptosis. Furthermore, the inhibition of survivin expression by siRNA enhanced thimerosal-induced cell apoptosis, while overexpression of survivin prevented thimerosal-induced apoptosis. Taken together, the data show that the PI3K/Akt/survivin pathway plays an important role in the thimerosal-induced apoptosis in C2C12 cells.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:
Our results suggest that in C2C12 myoblast cells, thimerosal induces S phase arrest and finally causes apoptosis via inhibition of PI3K/Akt/survivin signaling followed by activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Visual event-related potentials as markers of hyperarousal in Gulf War illness: Evidence against a stress-related etiology. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23149040

Visual event-related potentials as markers of hyperarousal in Gulf War illness: Evidence against a stress-related etiology.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23149040

Tillman GD, Calley CS, Green TA, Buhl VI, Biggs MM, Spence JS, Briggs RW, Haley RW, Kraut MA, Hart Jr J.  Psychiatry Res. 2012 Nov 10. pii: S0925-4927(12)00206-5. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.08.004. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
Center for BrainHealth, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA.

Abstract
An exaggerated response to emotional stimuli is among the many symptoms widely reported by veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. These symptomologies have been attributed to damage and dysfunction associated with deployment-related exposures. We collected event-related potential data from 22 veterans meeting Haley criteria for Gulf War (GW) Syndromes 1-3 and from 8 matched GW veteran controls, who were deployed but not symptomatic, while they performed a visual three-condition oddball task where images authenticated to be associated with the 1991 Persian Gulf War were the distractor stimuli. Hyperarousal reported by ill veterans was significantly greater than that by control veterans, but this was not paralleled by higher amplitude P3a in their ERP responses to GW-related distractor stimuli. Whereas previous studies of PTSD patients have shown higher amplitude P3b responses to target stimuli that are placed amid trauma-related nontarget stimuli, ill veterans in this study showed P3b amplitudes to target stimuli - placed amid GW-related nontarget stimuli - that were significantly lower than those of the control group. Hyperarousal scores reliably predicted P3b, but not P3a, amplitudes. Although many factors may contribute to P3b amplitude differences - most notably depression and poor sleep quality, symptoms that are prevalent in the GW syndrome groups - our findings in context of previous studies on this population are consistent with the contention that dysfunction in cholinergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems, and in white matter and basal ganglia may be contributing to impairments in GW veterans.

PMID: 23149040 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Neurobehavioral function and low-level exposure to brominated flame retardants in adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Neurobehavioral function and low-level exposure to brominated flame retardants in adolescents: a cross-sectional study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23151181

 

Kici Ski M, Viaene MK, Den Hond E, Schoeters G, Covaci A, Dirtu AC, Nelen V, Bruckers L, Croes K, Sioen I, Baeyens W, Larebeke N, Nawrot TS.  Environ Health. 2012 Nov 14;11(1):86. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND: Animal and in vitro studies demonstrated a neurotoxic potential of brominated flame retardants, a group of chemicals used in many household and commercial products to prevent fire. Although the first reports of detrimental neurobehavioral effects in rodents appeared more than ten years ago, human data are sparse.

METHODS:
As a part of a biomonitoring program for environmental health surveillance in Flanders, Belgium, we assessed the neurobehavioral function with the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES-3), and collected blood samples in a group of high school students. Cross-sectional data on 515 adolescents (13.6-17 years of age) was available for the analysis. Multiple regression models accounting for potential confounders were used to investigate the associations between biomarkers of internal exposure to brominated flame retardants [serum levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners 47, 99, 100, 153, 209, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)] and cognitive performance. In addition, we investigated the association between brominated flame retardants and serum levels of FT3, FT4, and TSH.

RESULTS:
A two-fold increase of the sum of serum PBDE's was associated with a decrease of the number of taps with the preferred-hand in the Finger Tapping test by 5.31 (95% CI: 0.56 to 10.05, p = 0.029). The effects of the individual PBDE congeners on the motor speed were consistent. Serum levels above the level of quantification were associated with an average decrease of FT3 level by 0.18 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.34, p = 0.020) for PBDE-99 and by 0.15 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.004 to 0.29, p = 0.045) for PBDE-100, compared with concentrations below the level of quantification. PBDE-47 level above the level of quantification was associated with an average increase of TSH levels by 10.1% (95% CI: 0.8% to 20.2%, p = 0.033), compared with concentrations below the level of quantification. We did not observe effects of PBDE's on neurobehavioral domains other than the motor function. HBCD and TBBPA did not show consistent associations with performance in the neurobehavioral tests.

CONCLUSIONS:
This study is one of few studies and so far the largest one investigating the neurobehavioral effects of brominated flame retardants in humans. Consistently with experimental animal data, PBDE exposure was associated with changes in the motor function and the serum levels of the thyroid hormones.

PMID: 23151181 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Science-Based 'Cookbook for the Brain' Offers Food for Thought

Science-Based 'Cookbook for the Brain' Offers Food for Thought
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/774561?src=rsshttp://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/774561?src=rss

"A group consisting of a brain health expert, 2 nutritionists and recipe developers, and even several celebrity chefs have teamed up to create what they call one of the first best-evidence, science-based "cookbooks for the healthy brain.""

International Experience in Addressing Combined Exposures: Increasing the Efficiency of Assessment.

International Experience in Addressing Combined Exposures: Increasing the Efficiency of Assessment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23146753

Meek B.  Toxicology. 2012 Nov 9. pii: S0300-483X(12)00370-8. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2012.09.015. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
Associate Director, Chemical Risk Assessment, McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, One Stewart St., Suite 309, Ottawa, Ont. CANADA K1N 6N5. Electronic address: bmeek@uottawa.ca.

Abstract
More efficient methodology for assessing the impact of combined exposures to multiple chemicals has been considered in a project of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). Recommendations regarding terminology and the status of development of the framework, its content, review and application are described. Evolving experience in its application is illustrated by example (polybrominated diphenyls) with special emphasis on the critical content of problem formulation, the role of predictive tools in grouping of chemicals for consideration and the importance of explicit delineation of relative uncertainty and sensitivity for tiered assessment. Priorities in increasing the efficiency of risk assessment not only for combined exposures, but more generally based on experience acquired in developing the framework and its application in case studies are identified and recommendations included.

PMID: 23146753 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Discovery Could Lead to Faster Diagnosis For Some Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cases

Discovery Could Lead to Faster Diagnosis For Some Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cases
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/chronfatigue.htm  

"COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the first time, researchers have landed on a potential diagnostic method to identify at least a subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a complex disorder with no known definitive cause or cure.
In a pilot study of six patients, scientists detected specific antibodies linked to latent Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in blood samples from people who had experienced classic CFS symptoms and responded to antiviral treatment. Control blood samples from 20 healthy people showed no such antibodies."

Hello, it's your pilot speaking. I am about to go unconscious...

Hello, it's your pilot speaking. I am about to go unconscious...
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/358881/Hello-it-s-your-pilot-speaking-I-am-about-to-go-unconscious

"TWO weeks ago Captain Tristan Loraine, a former British Airways pilot who retired on medical grounds in 2006, sat at his computer to type the email he had been hoping to send for years. He and fellow medically-retired air crew he had spent the past few years trying to expose what they believe is one of the great ­global scandals of our times: that the air on passenger jets is not always safe."

Ticked Off About a Growing Allergy to Meat - ScienceNOW

Ticked Off About a Growing Allergy to Meat - ScienceNOW
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/11/ticked-off-about-a-growing-aller.html

"Tick bites have long been synonymous with bad news, responsible for transmitting diseases such as Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but this must be a carnivore or BBQ lover's worst nightmare. A growing body of research suggests that bites from a particular tick are causing an unusual allergic reaction to meat. At an allergy meeting last week, for example, a diagnostics lab presented evidence that the highest prevalence of the allergy is in the southeastern United States, where the tick primarily thrives. Yet American BBQ lovers and carnivores elsewhere may not rest easy; the allergy mysteriously afflicts people living in parts of the United States, even Hawaii, where the tick does not live."

Edible deodorant: Perfume candy to cure body odor?

[COMMENT: As if ADDING to the odor by making people stink of rose or other fragrance would help! Ingesting it sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen!]

Edible deodorant: Perfume candy to cure body odor?
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/12/edible-deodorant-perfume-candy-to-cure-body-odor/

Men warned of toxic ingredients in grooming products

Men warned of toxic ingredients in grooming products
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MCS-America/95671789291

"TORONTO – A Canadian environmental organization is warning men about toxic ingredients in their personal grooming products.  Environmental Defence has released a report detailing the prevalence of toxins in commonly used products marketed toward men, including shaving cream, deodorant, body wash and aftershave."

Pesticides used on fruit and vegetables 'may be putting young children at risk of cancer

Pesticides used on fruit and vegetables 'may be putting young children at risk of cancer
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2232925/Pesticides-used-fruit-vegetables-putting-young-children-risk-cancer.html

"Scientists warn children could be effected by 'cumulative risk' of pesticide exposure from foods.  Researchers suggest that varying a child's diet could help reduce exposure."

PBDEs linked to delays in development

PBDEs linked to delays in development
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/PBDEs-linked-to-delays-in-development-4039060.php

"Flame retardant compounds pervasive in most California households appear to delay the neurodevelopment of children exposed to the chemicals from the womb through the first years of life, UC Berkeley researchers say in a new study."

Finalists of air pollution sensor challenge announced

Finalists of air pollution sensor challenge announced
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2012/niehs-15.htm

"Four finalists have been selected in the My Air, My Health Challenge, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its challenge partners. Each finalist will receive $15,000, and will transform their designs to measure air pollutants and related physiological measurements into working systems. One overall winner will receive a cash award of $100,000 to be announced in June 2013."

Cellphone radiation impacts fetal brain development: Yale researchers

Cellphone radiation impacts fetal brain development: Yale researchers

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/10/cellphone-radiation-impacts-fetal-brain-development-yale-researchers

 

"Cellphone radiation exposure during pregnancy impacts fetal brain development and may cause hyperactivity, Yale School of Medicine researchers say."

China's birth defects blamed on pollution, unhealthy living

China's birth defects blamed on pollution, unhealthy living
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1079608/chinas-rising-birth-defects-blamed-pollution-unhealthy-living

"Incidence of problems in newborns has nearly doubled in 15 years and experts say environment and unhealthy lifestyle choices are the culprits."

Sandy Stirs Toxic-Site Worry

Sandy Stirs Toxic-Site Worry
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324073504578109550624063018.html

"Hurricane Sandy's environmental impact is still being assessed, but the worries for residents of New York and New Jersey are crystallized by one fact: Of the two states' 198 Superfund toxic-waste sites, 45 are within a half-mile of coastal areas vulnerable to storm surge."

Death after Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: Causal or Coincidental?

Death after Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: Causal or Coincidental?
http://sanevax.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Tomljenovic-Shaw-Gardasil-Causal-Coincidental-2167-7689-S12-001.pdf

Lucija Tomljenovic1* and Christopher A Shaw1,2,3
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada
2Program in Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada
3Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Canada

Abstract:

Background: The proper understanding of a true risk from vaccines is crucial for avoiding unnecessary adverse  reactions (ADRs). However, to this date no solid tests or criteria have been established to determine whether adverse events are causally linked to vaccinations.

Objectives: This research was carried out to determine whether or not some serious autoimmune and neurological ADRs following HPV vaccination are causal or merely coincidental and to validate a biomarker-based immunohistochemical (IHC) protocol for assessing causality in case of vaccination-suspected serious adverse neurological outcomes.
Methods: Post-mortem brain tissue specimens from two young women who suffered from cerebral vasculitis-type symptoms following vaccination with the HPV vaccine Gardasil were analysed by IHC for various immunoinflammatory markers. Brain sections were also stained for antibodies recognizing HPV-16L1 and HPV-18L1 antigen which are present in Gardasil.

Results: In both cases, the autopsy revealed no anatomical, microbiological nor toxicological findings that might have explained the death of the individuals. In contrast, our IHC analysis showed evidence of an autoimmune vasculitis potentially triggered by the cross-reactive HPV-16L1 antibodies binding to the wall of cerebral blood vessels in all examined brain samples. We also detected the presence of HPV-16L1 particles within the cerebral vasculature with some HPV-16L1 particles adhering to the blood vessel walls. HPV-18L1 antibodies did not bind to cerebral blood vessels nor any other neural tissues. IHC also showed increased T-cell signalling and marked activation of the classical antibody-dependent complement pathway in cerebral vascular tissues from both cases. This pattern of complement activation in the absence of an active brain infection indicates an abnormal triggering of the immune response in which the immune attack is directed towards self-tissue.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that HPV vaccines containing HPV-16L1 antigens pose an inherent risk for triggering potentially fatal autoimmune vasculopathies.

Practice implications: Cerebral vasculitis is a serious disease which typically results in fatal outcomes when undiagnosed and left untreated. The fact that many of the symptoms reported to vaccine safety surveillance databases following HPV vaccination are indicative of cerebral vasculitis, but are unrecognized as such (i.e., intense persistent migraines, syncope, seizures, tremors and tingling, myalgia, locomotor abnormalities, psychotic symptoms and cognitive deficits), is a serious concern in light of the present findings. It thus appears that in some cases vaccination may be the triggering factor of fatal autoimmune/neurological events. Physicians should be aware of this association.

Dutch court overturns cell permit on concern for bees

Dutch court overturns cell permit on concern for bees
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/dutch-court-overturns-cell-permit-on-concern-for-bees--906102 

"A court in Zutphen, Netherlands has annulled a permit for a UMTS antenna due to beekeeping activities in the area. The Winterswijk municipality gave KPN the permit to build the tower in November 2010. Five local residents filed an appeal against the permit, and the court found that the city did not motivate its decision well enough to show there would be no negative consequences from the cell site. One of the residents keeps bees around 80m from the proposed site; in the appeal against the site, he pointed to research in Germany and Switzerland on the effects of electromagnetic radiation on bees. The city pointed to other research showing bee deaths related to other factors and said the radiation in this case would be much less than in the German research. However the court found that the city needed to provide more concrete sources of research to sustain its argument and it could not be ruled out that the site would have an effect on the bees."

Noise sensitivity and multiple chemical sensitivity scales: Properties in a population based epidemiological study.

[COMMENT:  Let's start out with the premise that "Noise sensitivity is considered to be a self-perceived indicator of vulnerability to stressors in general and not noise alone." and state it like it's a proven fact.  In the process, systematically exclude people who have testable acute hearing, brain tumors, and other perfectly biological reasons for finding loud noise troubling and make all noise sensitivity a self-perceived vulnerability, then try to correlate it with MCS to discredit MCS.  Anyone else smell industry here?  Is it any wonder the two entities are easily differentiated?  Where's the real research?]

 

Noise sensitivity and multiple chemical sensitivity scales: Properties in a population based epidemiological study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23117535

Heinonen-Guzejev M, Koskenvuo M, Mussalo-Rauhamaa H, Vuorinen HS, Heikkilä K, Kaprio J.

Noise Health. 2012 Sep-Oct;14(60):215-23. doi: 10.4103/1463-1741.102956.

Source
Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 41, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.

Abstract
Noise sensitivity is considered to be a self-perceived indicator of vulnerability to stressors in general and not noise alone. Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) has to some extent been accompanied by noise sensitivity, indicating a moderate correspondence between them. The aim of this study is to investigate if the Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale and Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory's (QEESI) Chemical Intolerance Subscale can differentiate noise sensitivity and MCS as different entities, and if there are overlaps in the characteristics of noise sensitivity and MCS. In 2002, 327 individuals (166 men, 161 women; age range 45 - 66 years) from the Finnish Twin Cohort answered a questionnaire on noise-related and MCS items. Somatic, psychological, and lifestyle factors were obtained through earlier questionnaires for the same individuals. Both confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses (CFA and EFA) of the questionnaire items on the Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale and QEESI's Chemical Intolerance Subscale indicated the presence of three factors - Noise Sensitivity, Chemical Sensitivity, and Ability to Concentrate factors - arising from the forming of two factors from the items of the Weinstein's scale. In the regression analyses, among all subjects, the Noise Sensitivity Factor was associated with neuroticism and smoking, and the Chemical Sensitivity Factor was associated with allergies and alcohol use. The study indicates that the Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale and QEESI's Chemical Intolerance Subscale differentiate noise sensitivity and MCS as different entities.

PMID: 23117535 [PubMed - in process]

The feasibility of aromatherapy massage to reduce symptoms of Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance: A pilot study.

[COMMENT:  After we finally stop laughing at the utter absurdity of using aromatherapy, of all things, to treat MCS (BIG DUH), we do have to wonder what "period effects" are that restricted the results in the first period???  Seriously, can we do some REAL research for a change and stop trying to "relax" people in the hopes that relaxing will make medical conditions go away?  Relaxing doesn't cure cancer, it doesn't cure brain tumors, and it won't cure MCS.  Big waste of research $$$]

 

The feasibility of aromatherapy massage to reduce symptoms of Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance: A pilot study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23131370

Araki A, Watanabe K, Eitaki Y, Kawai T, Kishi R. Complement Ther Med. 2012 Dec;20(6):400-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2012.07.005. Epub 2012 Aug 16.

Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Japan; Hokkaido University, Centre for Environmental and Health Sciences, Japan.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance (IEI) is an acquired disorder with multiple recurrent symptoms, which is associated with diverse environmental factors that are tolerated by the majority of people. IEI is an illness of uncertain aetiology, making it difficult to treat using conventional medicine. Therefore, there is a need for novel therapies to control the symptoms of IEI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and impact of aromatherapy massage for individuals with IEI.

DESIGN:
Non-blinded crossover trial.

SETTING:
IEI patients who attended a clinic in Sapporo city were recruited, and sixteen patients were enrolled. Participants were clinically examined by an experienced medical doctor and met the criteria included in the working definition of IEI disorder.

INTERVENTIONS:
During the active period, participants received four one-hour aromatherapy massage sessions every two weeks. During the control period, the participants did not receive any massages.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS:
Scores on the IEI-scales trigger checklist, symptoms, life impact, and the State Anxiety Inventory were assessed before and after each period. Short-term mood enhancement was evaluated using the Profiles of Mood Status (POMS) before and after sessions.

RESULTS:
Due to period effects, evaluation of the results had to be restricted to the first period, and the result showed no effect of intervention. All six sub-scales of the POMS improved after each session (mean score differences: 4.89-1.33, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:
Aromatherapy was well tolerated by subjects with IEI; however, aromatherapy, as applied in this study, did not suggest any specific effects on IEI condition.

PMID: 23131370 [PubMed - in process]

Scents and sensitivity: As perfumed beauty products are blamed for allergies, more brands are going fragrance free

Scents and sensitivity: As perfumed beauty products are blamed for allergies, more brands are going fragrance free
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2227887/Scents-sensitivity-As-perfumed-beauty-products-blamed-allergies-brands-going-fragrance-free.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

"Think of how many beauty products you apply in a single day. You could easily have used ten before even leaving the house — all of them with their own scent, fighting for our olfactory attention.  No wonder that recent research from Mintel found that 28 per cent of us would prefer our skincare to come without a scent.  And while you might not think you're allergic to perfume, if you're in the 60 per cent of people who class their skin as being sensitive, you might find that it's the fragrance in your potions and lotions that is causing your skin to react."

Illness puts woman out in the cold

Illness puts woman out in the cold
http://www.telegram.com/article/20121104/COLUMN01/111049663

"Bonnie Belmonte slowly raked the storm-tossed leaves in the front yard of her clapboard bungalow off June Street. She was raised in the house and inherited the property when her father died in 2007. The mortgage is paid off and she's up to date on the taxes. These days, however, she lives in the blue Ford Focus parked in the driveway. Her house, quite literally, makes her sick."

WILDOMAR: Families suspect houses in illnesses

WILDOMAR: Families suspect houses in illnesses
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/wildomar/wildomar-headlines/20121102-wildomar-families-wonder-if-houses-made-them-sick.ece

"PART ONE: Four families walk away from their homes after an array of illnesses that some suspect was caused by contamination"

Effects of industrial wind turbine noise on sleep and health.

Effects of industrial wind turbine noise on sleep and health.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23117539

 

Nissenbaum MA, Aramini JJ, Hanning CD.

Noise Health. 2012 Sep-Oct;14(60):237-43. doi: 10.4103/1463-1741.102961.

Source
Northern Maine Medical Center, Fort Kent, Maine, USA.

Abstract
Industrial wind turbines (IWTs) are a new source of noise in previously quiet rural environments. Environmental noise is a public health concern, of which sleep disruption is a major factor. To compare sleep and general health outcomes between participants living close to IWTs and those living further away from them, participants living between 375 and 1400 m (n = 38) and 3.3 and 6.6 km (n = 41) from IWTs were enrolled in a stratified cross-sectional study involving two rural sites. Validated questionnaires were used to collect information on sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index - PSQI), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Score - ESS), and general health (SF36v2), together with psychiatric disorders, attitude, and demographics. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the effect of the main exposure variable of interest (distance to the nearest IWT) on various health outcome measures. Participants living within 1.4 km of an IWT had worse sleep, were sleepier during the day, and had worse SF36 Mental Component Scores compared to those living further than 1.4 km away. Significant dose-response relationships between PSQI, ESS, SF36 Mental Component Score, and log-distance to the nearest IWT were identified after controlling for gender, age, and household clustering. The adverse event reports of sleep disturbance and ill health by those living close to IWTs are supported.

PMID: 23117539 [PubMed - in process]

SURVEY: CFS & Interactions with Medical Professionals

Do you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome? How has your interaction with medical providers affected you? Would you like to share your experiences with others? Please participate in the survey below to add your voice to the body of research on chronic fatigue syndrome. After completing the survey, please share this link with others who suffer from CFS.   https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R79PHB2

NEWSLETTER: MCSA NEWS - November 2012

MCSA NEWS
October 2012, Volume 7, Issue 10 

 

Entire PDF Edition: http://mcs-america.org/November2012.pdf (View, Download, and Print)

 

 

 

Inside This Issue:

• Op-Ed:  Surviving Thanksgiving
• Scientific Study:  Mercury Removal Relieves Chronic Fatigue
• News:  Italian Court Links Mobile Phone Use to Brain Tumor 
• Patient Support & Resources
• Community News
• Featured Research Studies

 

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities America

http://www.mcs-america.org

admin@mcs-america.org

 

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Army: No health risk from secret St. Louis testing

Army: No health risk from secret St. Louis testing
http://www.stltoday.com/news/state-and-regional/missouri/army-no-health-risk-from-secret-st-louis-testing/article_b7d32de5-a67c-581d-b9d9-44f7d405f8b1.html

"An Army investigation into secret chemical testing in impoverished areas of St. Louis during the Cold War era has corroborated three previous studies that the testing posed no health risk to those who lived in the areas, according to a letter from a top Army official.  In the 1950s and 1960s, the Army used motorized blowers atop a low-income housing high-rise, on schools and in other locations to spray zinc cadmium sulfide, a fine fluorescent powder, into the air. The testing was part of a biological weapons program and St. Louis was chosen because it bore some resemblance to Russian cities that the U.S. might attack."

Perfume makers accused of failing to report toxic ingredients

Perfume makers accused of failing to report toxic ingredients
http://www.kval.com/news/consumertips/Perfume-makers-accused-of-failure-to-report-toxic-ingredients--176900111.html

"The Washington Toxics Coalition says a recent test of 20 perfumes used by tweens uncovered the presence of hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates in nine products. The non-profit group says five companies selling the products failed to disclose the potentially harmful chemicals as required by this state's Children's Safe Products Act of 2008."

Exploring Links between Arsenic and Diabetes, with Ana Navas-Acien

Exploring Links between Arsenic and Diabetes, with Ana Navas-Acien
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/2012/11/november-podcast/

"Arsenic is a problem in communities around the world, from Bangladesh to New Hampshire. It's one of the environmental chemicals the National Toxicology Program explored at a recent workshop as possibly contributing to the worldwide rise in diabetes. In this podcast, Ana Navas-Acien talks about a new review by investigators at that workshop, who summarize the evidence for a link between arsenic exposure and diabetes."

Understanding Exposures in Children's Environments

Understanding Exposures in Children's Environments
http://epa.gov/sciencematters/oct2012/underexp.htm

"EPA scientists and their partners provide key research outcomes for understanding and reducing environmental risks to children's health."

Lawyers want cash in digital lawsuit

Lawyers want cash in digital lawsuit

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/102512firstenberg#.UJQmQmePzCY

 

"Lawyers who defended clients sued by wireless foe Arthur Firstenberg want him to pay their legal fees and other costs totaling nearly $170,000.

Firstenberg, who says he is extraordinarily sensitive to the electromagnetic signals, sued Raphaela Monribot in early 2010, claiming she was damaging his health by using an iPhone, a Wi-Fi system, dimmer switches, compact fluorescent lights and other electronics in her house that backed up to his in a west-side neighborhood."

'I had turned into this old, frail man overnight'

'I had turned into this old, frail man overnight'
http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/826236---i-had-turned-into-this-frail-old-man-overnight

"Waterloo man blames sickness on wireless technology, but health officials say there's no link."

Improved chronic fatigue symptoms after removal of mercury in patient with increased mercury concentration in hair toxic mineral assay: a case.

Improved chronic fatigue symptoms after removal of mercury in patient with increased mercury concentration in hair toxic mineral assay: a case.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23115707

Shin SR, Han AL.  Korean J Fam Med. 2012 Sep;33(5):320-5. doi: 10.4082/kjfm.2012.33.5.320. Epub 2012 Sep 27.

Source
Department of Family Medicine, Wonkwang University College of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.

Abstract
Clinical manifestations of chronic exposure to organic mercury usually have a gradual onset. As the primary target is the nervous system, chronic mercury exposure can cause symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, headache, and poor recall and concentration. In severe cases chronic exposure leads to intellectual deterioration and neurologic abnormality. Recent outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and pathogenic avian influenza have increased fish consumption in Korea. Methyl-mercury, a type of organic mercury, is present in higher than normal ranges in the general Korean population. When we examine a patient with chronic fatigue, we assess his/her methyl-mercury concentrations in the body if environmental exposure such as excessive fish consumption is suspected. In the current case, we learned the patient had consumed many slices of raw tuna and was initially diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Therefore, we suspected that he was exposured to methyl-mercury and that the mercury concentration in his hair would be below the poisoning level identified by World Health Organization but above the normal range according to hair toxic mineral assay. Our patient's toxic chronic fatigue symptoms improved after he was given mercury removal therapy, indicating that he was correctly diagnosed with chronic exposure to organic mercury.

PMID: 23115707 [PubMed - in process]

Yes: Food labels would let consumers make informed choices

Yes: Food labels would let consumers make informed choices
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/yes-labels-on-gm-foods

"The paternalistic assertion that labeling of genetically modified foods "can only serve to mislead and falsely alarm consumers" is an Orwellian argument that violates the right of consumers to make informed decisions. Civilization rests on the confidence that an individual's basic human rights will be respected by the government, including the 'right to know.' The AAAS board failed to note that the FDA's testing program for GM foods is voluntary."

Unequal exposures: People in poor, non-white neighborhoods breathe more hazardous particles

Unequal exposures: People in poor, non-white neighborhoods breathe more hazardous particles
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/unequal-exposures

"Tiny particles of air pollution contain more hazardous ingredients in non-white and low-income communities than in affluent white ones, new research shows. The greater the concentration of Hispanics, Asians, African Americans or poor residents in an area, the more likely that potentially dangerous compounds such as vanadium, nitrates and zinc are in the mix of fine particles they breathe. Hispanics had the highest exposures to the largest number of these ingredients, while whites generally had the lowest. The findings of the Yale University study add to evidence of a widening racial and economic gap when it comes to air pollution. Communities of color and those with low education and high poverty and unemployment face potentially greater health risks even if their air quality meets federal health standards. Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Fresno are among the metropolitan areas with unhealthful levels of fine particles and large concentrations of poor minorities."

The link between lead poisoning and underperforming students

The link between lead poisoning and underperforming students
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/high-lead-toxicity-in-chicago-public-schools/Content?oid=7819530

"With mounting evidence that lead poisoning results in lower test scores, more children repeating grades, and worse, why has so little been done in Chicago to reverse the damage?

Patricia Robinson recalls a time when she fondly watched her son, Michael, then a toddler, sit in the windowsill of her Englewood home, completely engrossed. Matchbox car in hand, he would run the toy back and forth over the brown painted surface, making little vrooms and beep-beeps as he played. Ten years later, Robinson's warmth for that moment has long faded. That was where it started—where she believes Michael ingested the lead-filled dust that poisoned him, leaving him with lifelong learning disabilities. "There isn't a day I don't think about it," Robinson says. "It's taken over my life.""

Elemental concentrations of ambient particles and cause specific mortality in Santiago, Chile: a time series study

Elemental concentrations of ambient particles and cause specific mortality in Santiago, Chile: a time series study

http://www.ehjournal.net/content/11/1/82/abstract

Ana Valdés, Antonella Zanobetti, Jaana I Halonen, Luis Cifuentes, Diego Morata and Joel Schwartz

Environmental Health 2012, 11:82 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-11-82
Published: 1 November 2012

Abstract (provisional)

Background
The health effects of particulate air pollution are widely recognized and there is some evidence that the magnitude of these effects vary by particle component. We studied the effects of ambient fine particles (aerodynamic diameter < 2.5mum, PM2.5) and their components on cause-specific mortality in Santiago, Chile, where particulate pollution is a major public health concern.

Methods
Air pollution was collected in a residential area in the center of Santiago. Daily mortality counts were obtained from the National Institute of Statistic. The associations between PM2.5 and cause-specific mortality were studied by time series analysis controlling for time trends, day of the week, temperature and relative humidity. We then included an interaction term between PM2.5 and the monthly averages of the mean ratios of individual elements to PM2.5 mass.

Results
We found significant effects of PM2.5 on all the causes analyzed, with a 1.33% increase (95% CI: 0.87-1.78) in cardiovascular mortality per 10mug/m3 increase in the two days average of PM2.5. We found that zinc was associated with higher cardiovascular mortality. Particles with high content of chromium, copper and sulfur showed stronger associations with respiratory and COPD mortality, while high zinc and sodium content of PM2.5 amplified the association with cerebrovascular disease.

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that PM2.5 with high zinc, chromium, copper, sodium, and sulfur content have stronger associations with mortality than PM2.5 mass alone in Santiago, Chile. The sources of particles containing these elements need to be determined to better control their emissions.