Study points to dangers of children's exposure to coal tar sealants

Study points to dangers of children's exposure to coal tar sealants
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-coal-tar-kids-20120215,0,3210022.story

"Study comes amid attempts across U.S. to ban use on playgrounds, parking lots and driveways

Children living next to driveways or parking lots coated with coal tar are exposed to significantly higher doses of cancer-causing chemicals than those living near untreated asphalt, according to a study that raises new questions about commonly used pavement sealants."

Air pollution tied to stroke, memory loss

Air pollution tied to stroke, memory loss
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/us-air-pollution-memory-loss-idUKTRE81C24N20120213

"A study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine found a higher risk of stroke after "moderate" compared to "good" air quality days in Boston-area residents, especially when traffic-related pollution was high."

Employees face perfume ban at work to protect allergy sufferers

Employees face perfume ban at work to protect allergy sufferers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2100377/Employees-face-perfume-ban-work-protect-allergy-sufferers.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

"Public workers in New Hampshire will be unable to wear fragrances at work if proposed law is passed"

UPDATE 2-Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning in France

UPDATE 2-Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning in France
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/france-pesticides-monsanto-idUSL5E8DD5UG20120213

"A French court on Monday declared U.S. biotech giant Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning of a French farmer, a judgment that could lend weight to other health claims against pesticides."

Mystery disease kills thousands in Central America

Mystery disease kills thousands in Central America
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Mystery-disease-kills-thousands-in-Central-America-3288301.php

"Jesus Ignacio Flores started working when he was 16, laboring long hours on construction sites and in the fields of his country's biggest sugar plantation.

Three years ago his kidneys started to fail and flooded his body with toxins. He became too weak to work, wracked by cramps, headaches and vomiting.

On Jan. 19 he died on the porch of his house. He was 51. His withered body was dressed by his weeping wife, embraced a final time, then carried in the bed of a pickup truck to a grave on the edge of Chichigalpa, a town in Nicaragua's sugar-growing heartland, where studies have found more than one in four men showing symptoms of chronic kidney disease.

A mysterious epidemic is devastating the Pacific coast of Central America, killing more than 24,000 people in El Salvador and Nicaragua since 2000 and striking thousands of others with chronic kidney disease at rates unseen virtually anywhere else. Scientists say they have received reports of the phenomenon as far north as southern Mexico and as far south as Panama."

The Aromatic Plug-In Air Fresheners

The Aromatic Plug-In Air Fresheners
http://www.theday.com/article/20120212/USR04/120219929/-1/frontpagemobile

"Definition
An air freshener is a product designed to mask or remove unpleasant room ordors. These products typically deliver fragrance and other odor counteractants into the air.

 

History
Fragrance compounds have been used since antiquity to freshen air and mask odors, For example, the ancient Egyptians were known to use musks and other natural materials to scent their tombs. Over the last 2,000 years a variety of compounds, including numerous spices and floral extracts, have been used for their ability to impart a pleasant aroma. However, it was not until 1948 that the first modern air freshener was introduced. This product, using technology developed by the military to dispense insecticides, was a pressurized spray containing about 1% perfume, 24% alcohol or other solvents, and 75% chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellant. This was able to deliver a fine mist of fragrance that remained suspended in the air for a long period of time.

Today as the popularity of these scented air fresheners are on the rise, allergists are hearing more complaints about reactions to these toxic scented products."

China probes "bouncing" boiled eggs

China probes "bouncing" boiled eggs
http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/sns-rt-us-china-food-safetytre8190qn-20120210,0,6105186.story

"BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities are investigating eggs which bounce after being boiled and may make men sterile, state media reported Friday, in the latest food safety scare to hit the country."

California sets trends in health regulation

California sets trends in health regulation
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/10/health/california-leads-health-laws/index.html

"(CNN) -- Beyond skateboards, Silicon Valley and hippies, California has a trendsetting streak of a different kind.

The state has been first to pass major public health initiatives that have spread throughout the country. California was first to require smog checks for clean air, pass anti-tobacco initiatives and bike helmets laws.

While these laws were met with skepticism and ridicule, they've often become standard practice in other states. The Golden State was first to ban smoking in workplaces, bars and restaurants in 1998. Now similar rules exist throughout the country.

Some advocates tout the state as a forward-thinking vanguard in which its health and safety laws are routinely emulated by other states."

BPA fosters diabetes-promoting changes

BPA fosters diabetes-promoting changes
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338202/title/BPA_fosters_diabetes-promoting_changes

"Low doses alter insulin secretion"

Is cadmium the new lead? Link reported between the ubiquitous metal and kids with learning disabilities.

Is cadmium the new lead? Link reported between the ubiquitous metal and kids with learning disabilities.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/is-cadmium-the-new-lead

"It's a heavy metal. It's linked to learning problems in school children. And every child is exposed. Sounds like lead? It's cadmium. Signs are emerging that cadmium – a widespread contaminant that gets little attention from health experts and regulators – could be the new lead. Children with higher cadmium levels are three times more likely to have learning disabilities and participate in special education, according to new research. Absorbed from the soil, cadmium is found in certain foods, particularly potatoes, grains, sunflower seeds and leafy greens, as well as tobacco. It also is used in some inexpensive children's jewelry, prompting new voluntary industry standards last fall. Harvard's Robert Wright said the links to learning disabilities and special education were found at commonplace levels previously thought to be benign. "One of the important points of the study is that we didn't study a population of kids who had very high exposures. We studied a population representative of the U.S.," he said. "That we found any [effect] suggests this is occurring at relatively low levels.""

Poisoned development

Poisoned development
http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/695119/Poisoned-development.aspx

"The 3.7 million residents of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, kicked off the Year of the Dragon with a panic-stricken scramble for clean drinking water.

A warning went out that the city might have to cut drinking water supplies after more than 20 tons of industrial waste contaminated with the heavy metal cadmium had spilled into the Longjiang River some 60 kilometers upstream.

Water samples in the worst-hit areas showed levels of cadmium 80 times higher than national standards. Local fish farmers, where the spill by two companies occurred, had their stocks virtually wiped out and hundreds of villagers had to have their drinking water trucked in."

'Chemicals of concern' list stuck at OMB

'Chemicals of concern' list stuck at OMB
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/02/09/8109/chemicals-concern-list-stuck-omb

"About 21 months ago, a proposed list of widely used chemicals that may pose health risks landed at the White House's Office of Management and Budget for review.

It's still there."

Caught with the packaging? Doping tests clouded by widespread use of plasticizer

Caught with the packaging? Doping tests clouded by widespread use of plasticizer
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/plasticizer-clouds-cyclists-doping-tests

"In the race to catch drug cheats, sports officials are turning to more sophisticated tests. Since cheaters are rarely caught red-handed, scientists devised a plan to catch them with the packaging – inside their bodies - by looking for residues of a plasticizer. But the chemical is so ubiquitous that it has clouded the results of these blood doping tests in the professional cycling world. Some experts – and Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who was found guilty of doping Monday – say that these phthalate residues are so widespread that there is doubt about how they got into an athlete's body. But others say that spikes of these chemicals are a red flag for doping."

Growing Up On a Farm Directly Affects Regulation of the Immune System, Study Finds

Growing Up On a Farm Directly Affects Regulation of the Immune System, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132549.htm

"Dr Marie Lewis, Research Associate in Infection and Immunity at the School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the research, said: "Many large-scale epidemiological studies have suggested that growing up on a farm is linked to a reduced likelihood of developing allergic disease. However, until now, it has not been possible to demonstrate direct cause and effect: does the farm environment actively protect against allergies, or are allergy-prone families unlikely to live on farms?"

In the study, piglets were nursed by their mothers on a farm while their siblings spent their early life (from one day onwards) in an isolator unit under very hygienic conditions and were fed formula milk, therefore, reflecting the extremes of environment human babies are raised in."

Embattled Institute Retains Major Grant to Study Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Embattled Institute Retains Major Grant to Study Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/02/embattled-institute-retains-major.html?ref=hp

"The Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease (WPI), well known for a retracted study published by Science in 2009 that linked a mouse retrovirus to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), will continue to receive funding from the U.S. government for a $1.5 million, 5-year grant to study the disease."

Health problems may indicate mold

Health problems may indicate mold
http://www.abc-7.com/story/16689856/2012/02/06/health-problems-may-indicate-mold

 

"Southwest Florida is known for its humid conditions. And that excess moisture outside your home can seep inside and cause some big problems. We found out how a drop in your health could be the first sign of mold blooms."

Students Suffering from Uncontrollable Tics

Students Suffering from Uncontrollable Tics
http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/154420/1/Doctor-Offers-Second-Opinion-on-LeRoy-Case

"A doctor working to determine what is causing more than a dozen teenage girls to experience uncontrollable tics announced all the girls he has seen have tested positive for infections that could mean they are suffering from Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS, formerly known as PANDAS.)"

Is perfume making us fat?

Is perfume making us fat?
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/07/2628033/is-perfume-making-us-fat.html

"The causes of obesity are many. The most significant are overeating, genetics and inactivity, heightened by an abundance of sedentary activities such as television viewing, video gaming and computer use. Some researchers are delving into environmental factors that could be minor but controllable contributors to this growing public health issue."

Slowly, Toxic Vets Get Recognition

Slowly, Toxic Vets Get Recognition
http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2012/02/06/slowly-toxic-vets-get-recognition/

"Some two million men and women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since the wars began in 2001. Little did these individuals know that surviving the improvised explosive devices and insurgent gunfire wouldn't necessarily guarantee their health or survival once they got home."

Whole Fraud: Exposing the Myth of So-Called Natural Foods

 

SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Whole Fraud: Exposing the Myth of So-Called Natural Foods Whole Foods Market is attacking the Organic Consumers Association again. They say we're too "hard-line" for insisting that they stop selling, or at least start labeling, so-called "natural" foods in their stores that are laced with unlabeled, hazardous genetically engineered (GE) ingredients. What do you think? Should Whole Foods label their so-called "Natural" foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients? Learn More & Take Action Below Are a Few GMO Labeling Campaigns Whole Foods Should Support... Ask Congress to Tell FDA to Label GMOs The Organic Consumers Association was among 450 organizations and businesses who joined together under the "Just Label It" banner to file a legal petition urging the Food & Drug Administration to require clear labeling of genetically engineered foods. Now, we're joining an effort begun by our ally, the Truth In Labeling Coalition, to organize supporters in Congress to send a letter to the FDA. This week, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Peter DeFazio began circulating a letter asking their fellow legislators to join them in writing the FDA in support of the Just Label It petition. This "Dear Colleague" letter reads, in part: "Opponents of providing consumers this basic right to information will argue that it would only confuse consumers, be costly, or imply that the products are unsafe. Yet, the FDA requires the labeling of over 3,000 ingredients, additives, and processes. Providing basic information doesn't confuse the public, it empowers them to make choices. Without labeling, consumers will continue to be deceived by current labeling practices. For example nearly 80% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain GE ingredients, many marketed with labels such as 'all natural' or 'natural'." Please write your Senators and Member of Congress, asking them to join Boxer and DeFazio. Take Action The California Label GMOs 2012 Ballot Initiative Polling shows 80% of CA voters support labels on genetically engineered foods. They want the right to know what they're eating and they're going to have the chance to win it at the polls in November 2012. Signature gathering is set to begin February 18 and we'll have until April 18 to submit 504,760 valid signatures. To be safe, we need to collect 800,000. We need your help! Learn More and Volunteer Donate Attend a Label GMOs Event State Legislation to Label GMOs In the 2011-2012 legislative session, 17 states introduced legislation to label GMOs. In Washington, the Monsanto-funded chairs of the Agriculture Committees blocked votes on SB 6298 and HB 2637 despite hearings packed with supporters, but advocates feel the show of public support was a measurable "win" and are committed to another push next session, or an initiative if necessary.   The number of calls and emails on GMO labels in WA is second only to gay marriage - without a single comment in support of Monsanto's position!   Learn More   In Hawaii, SB 2279 still has a chance if we can get enough letters and calls to Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Nishihara urging him to hear the bill. If you're in Honolulu, visit Senator Nishihara in his capitol office, room 204. Otherwise, please contact him by phone at 808-586-6970 or email at sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov. A successful lobby day for this bill on Tuesday generated lots of local media. Hawaii Residents Lobby for Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods Molokai Group Fights for GMO Labeling Legislation Monsanto Responds as Maui Occupy Group Launches Demonstration Rally to Stop Monsanto From Poisoning Hawaii!   In Vermont, the Right to Know GMOs coalition composed of the Vermont Northeast Organic Farming Association, Rural Vermont, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, and others has formed to pass H722, the Vermont Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act. The Act has been referred to the House Committee on Agriculture where testimony is anticipated to occur later this month. Get ready to come to Montpelier! Learn More & Take Action Learn More & Take Action on State Bills Nationwide Support the OCA and the OCF In 2012, whether we're talking about getting antibiotics out of animal feed or labeling GMOs, we're fighting harder than ever. With the 2012 California Ballot Initiative, and GMO labeling legislation gaining momentum in Vermont, Washington, Connecticut, Hawaii and other states, we have a real chance to hit Monsanto with the skull and crossbones they fear so much - mandatory labels on genetically engineered food. We also plan to step up our efforts to strengthen organic standards and significantly expand the market for organic food and products, especially those produced locally and regionally. Please be as generous as you can during our February fundraising drive. Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible) Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our efforts in California) OCCUPY MONSANTO! Secret Video Shows CEO Hugh Grant's Response to GMO Labeling On January 24, Monsanto shareholders gathering for their annual meeting were greeted by 50 protesters calling for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) to be labeled in the marketplace. While "Occupy-Monsanto" events are becoming more common worldwide, one activist working on behalf of socially responsible shareholders took the anti-GMO message deep inside the inner circle of Monsanto's highly paid executives and recorded the encounter. A newly released hidden video is available for unrestricted use by the members of media at a new website. Occupy Monsanto is calling for protests on September 17, 2012, at Monsanto facilities across the globe to demand GMO labeling and the elimination of cancer causing toxic chemicals in our food supply. Learn More & Watch Little Bytes: Top Stories of the Week A Suit Airs Debate on Organic vs. Modified Crops Occupy vs. Monsanto: Activists, Farmers Fight the Corporation They Fear Will Take Over All America's Crops The Seed Emergency: The Threat to Food and Democracy What's That Coating on Your Vegetables? The Scary Danger of Meat (Even For Those Who Don't Eat It) Sponsored Message Join the OCA-Endorsed National Buying Club for Organic and Non-GMO Foods: The Green Polka Dot Box OCA is happy to announce the formation of a new national distribution service for home delivery of organic and non-GMO foods, at 30-50% below the cost of retail, with free shipping on orders of $150 or more. The new national distribution club is called the Green Polka Dot Box (GPDB). Click here 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 \      If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here.

VIDEO: Bubble girl's lonely life

VIDEO:  Bubble girl's lonely life
http://thetruthaboutmcs.blogspot.com/2012/02/bubble-girls-lonely-life.html

"After suffering a severe reaction to pest sprays, a promising young designer has had to spend the last three years living locked up in a bubble."

Bubble girl's lonely life

After suffering a severe reaction to pest sprays, a promising young designer has had to spend the last three years living locked up in a bubble.
http://thetruthaboutmcs.blogspot.com/2012/02/bubble-girls-lonely-life.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

Reports: China environmental accidents on rise, chemicals industry key cause, as costs mount

Reports: China environmental accidents on rise, chemicals industry key cause, as costs mount
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/reports-china-environmental-accidents-on-rise-chemicals-industry-key-cause-as-costs-mount/2012/02/07/gIQABLOdvQ_story.html

"Public anger over heavy pollution, explosions at chemical plants, oil spills and other disasters has been mounting, raising pressure on the government to do more to counter environmental damage resulting from three decades of laxly regulated industrialization."

Childhood obesity linked to phthalate exposure.

Childhood obesity linked to phthalate exposure.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/01/2012-0205-childhood-obesity-phthalates/

"Higher urinary concentrations of phthalates most commonly used in personal care products were associated with body size measures in overweight children."

Smart meters for energy to be voluntary (in the UK)

Smart meters for energy to be voluntary (in the UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/financialservices/utilities/Business-energy/9053100/Smart-meters-for-energy-to-be-voluntary.html

"Plans to force households to have energy smart meters installed have been shelved over health and privacy fears."

'Inactive' phthalates widespread in medications.

'Inactive' phthalates widespread in medications.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/01/2012-0205-phthalates-in-supplements/

"The use of phthalates as inactive ingredients in medicines and supplements is common but possible health risks from these exposures is not known."

Wearing Scented Products Like Perfume or Cologne in Public Could Become Regulated

Wearing Scented Products Like Perfume or Cologne in Public Could Become Regulated
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/health/perfume-cologne-fragrance-wearing-scented-proucts-could-become-regulated-20120203

"Chicago - Put a twist on a classic office dilemma: What to do about a co-worker who wears cologne or perfume that's, let's say, disagreeable.

Just about everyone has a story. What's new is that people are getting serious about dealing with the issue.

How serious? In New Hampshire, a law has been proposed, that would ban state employees who work with the public from wearing fragrances or any scented products on the job."

Trapped in her room for over 1000 days

Trapped in her room for over 1000 days
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/trapped-in-her-room-for-over-1000-days/story-e6frea6u-1226262752095

"MINUTE after minute, hour after hour, for more than 1000 interminable days, Amelia Hill has watched the world go by from behind a plate of glass.

The 36-year-old's life has narrowed to this tiny space, a room that could be crossed in five long strides - if she could manage them."

Air pollution worse than smoking mother: study

Air pollution worse than smoking mother: study
http://www.thelocal.se/38930/20120205/

"Exhaust fumes and ground-level (tropospheric) ozone increase the risk for premature birth, according to a study by a team of researchers at Umeå University in northern Sweden.

The study, carried out in Stockholm - a city with comparatively low exhaust emissions - showed that ozone and fumes affect the foetus more than if the mother were a smoker."

Washington Recognizes MCS Awareness Month, May 2012

Washington Recognizes MCS Awareness Month, May 2012

PDF Download:

http://www.mcs-america.org/washington2012MCS.pdf

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