Odd chemicals turn up in drinking water

Odd chemicals turn up in drinking water
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-drinking-water-pharmaceuticals20110806,0,79540,print.story

"Chicago tests find trace amounts of sex hormones, prescription drugs, flame retardants and herbicides"

Toxic chromium found in Chicago drinking water

Toxic chromium found in Chicago drinking water
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-drinking-water-chromium-20110806,0,5490284,full.story

"Detected levels are more than 11 times higher than California's new standard"

Toxic Bronx New School to be shuttered in fall: city education officials

Toxic Bronx New School to be shuttered in fall: city education officials
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/08/06/2011-08-06_toxic_bronx_new_school_to_be_shuttered_in_fall_city_education_officials.html

"The Bronx New School will be shuttered before next fall.

A Bronx school building that parents say is making their kids sick is so contaminated with high levels of a toxic chemical it's being shuttered in the fall, city education officials said yesterday.

For roughly two decades, the Bronx New School has held class in a former industrial building, where tests of air quality detected unsafe levels of TCE."

Cosmetics Industry To Disavow Hair Straighteners

Cosmetics Industry To Disavow Hair Straighteners
http://www.enviroblog.org/2011/06/cosmetics-industry-to-disavow-hair-straighteners-1.html

 

"On June 28th, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, a self-policing body created by the mainstream cosmetics industry in hopes of averting federal regulation, belatedly declared formaldehyde to be unsafe in "cosmetic products that will be heated." That's code for formaldehyde-based hair-straighteners, the best known of which is Brazilian Blowout. Salon workers use hot flatirons and blow dryers to force the chemical mixture to penetrate the hair, where it forms chemical bonds, allowing the hair to be reshaped stick-straight (which people are getting sick for)."

PETITION: NO MORE psychiatric research into ME/CFS

PETITION

NO MORE psychiatric research into ME/CFS
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-more-psychiatric-research-into-mecfs/

JAN Newsletter, Volume 9, Issue 3, Third Quarter 2011

The latest JAN E-News is now available at:

http://askjan.org/enews/2011/Enews-V9-I3.htm

 

E-News topics include:

1. Much Ado About Mitigating Measures

2. Return to Work or Stay at Work and Accommodations

3. My Oh My, It's Hot! Workplace Accommodations for Heat Sensitivity

4. Material Lifting Devices, Final Series Installment
5. Getting to Work on Time
6. Accommodating Employees with Hearing Aids: A Beginner's Guide to T-coils
7. Twitter: Tweet Me Accessible
8. JAN Releases New Resources
9. E-vents
10. JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule

Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee

Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee
http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/07/18/2011-18038/solicitation-of-nominations-for-appointment-to-the-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-advisory-committee#p-5

"The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office on Women's Health, HHS, is seeking nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment as a member of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC)."

Common Mold Causes Oxygen Shortage in the Lungs

Common Mold Causes Oxygen Shortage in the Lungs
http://www.rtmagazine.com/news/2011-08-05_01.asp

"Researchers at Montana State University have found that a shortage of oxygen occurs in the lungs after an invasion of the common mold Aspergillus fumigatus, which can cause deadly infections in humans. The study, which appears in the journal PLoS Pathogens, is the first to show a strong link between hypoxia and fungal infections."

Antibodies linked to long-term Lyme symptoms

Antibodies linked to long-term Lyme symptoms
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110805/full/news.2011.463.html

"Researchers find molecules that might mark elusive syndrome."

Investigating Viruses in Cells Used to Make Vaccines; and Evaluating the Potential Threat Posed by Transmission of Viruses to Humans

Investigating Viruses in Cells Used to Make Vaccines; and Evaluating the Potential Threat Posed by Transmission of Viruses to Humans
http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/scienceresearch/biologicsresearchareas/ucm127327.htm

"Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a recently discovered human retrovirus that has been found in both chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer patients. Although these findings need further confirmation, there is a potential safety concern regarding XMRV in cell substrates used in vaccines and in transmission by blood transfusion and blood products. We are developing sensitive detection assays for XMRV to evaluate cell substrates and investigate virus transmission by blood transfusion in a monkey model."

Occurrence and fate of the herbicide glyphosate and its degradate aminomethylphosphonic acid in the atmosphere.

Occurrence and fate of the herbicide glyphosate and its degradate aminomethylphosphonic acid in the atmosphere.

Chang FC, Simcik MF, Capel PD.

Environ Toxicol Chem. 2011 Mar;30(3):548-55. doi: 10.1002/etc.431. Epub 2011 Jan 19.

Source
School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Abstract
This is the first report on the ambient levels of glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the United States, and its major degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in air and rain. Concurrent, weekly integrated air particle and rain samples were collected during two growing seasons in agricultural areas in Mississippi and Iowa. Rain was also collected in Indiana in a preliminary phase of the study. The frequency of glyphosate detection ranged from 60 to 100% in both air and rain. The concentrations of glyphosate ranged from <0.01 to 9.1 ng/m(3) and from <0.1 to 2.5 µg/L in air and rain samples, respectively. The frequency of detection and median and maximum concentrations of glyphosate in air were similar or greater to those of the other high-use herbicides observed in the Mississippi River basin, whereas its concentration in rain was greater than the other herbicides. It is not known what percentage of the applied glyphosate is introduced into the air, but it was estimated that up to 0.7% of application is removed from the air in rainfall. Glyphosate is efficiently removed from the air; it is estimated that an average of 97% of the glyphosate in the air is removed by a weekly rainfall ≥ 30 mm.

PMID:  21128261 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Mold Exposure During Infancy Increases Asthma Risk, Study Finds

Mold Exposure During Infancy Increases Asthma Risk, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110804082002.htm

 

"Stachybotrys chartarum, a type of black mold, shown in magnification under electron microscope. (Credit: University of Cincinnati)ScienceDaily (Aug. 4, 2011) — Infants who live in "moldy" homes are three times more likely to develop asthma by age 7 -- an age that children can be accurately diagnosed with the condition."

Health effects associated with geographical area of residence during the 1991 gulf war: a comparative health study of iraqi soldiers and civilians.

Health effects associated with geographical area of residence during the 1991 gulf war: a comparative health study of iraqi soldiers and civilians.

Jamil H, Hamdan TA, Grzybowski M, Arnetz BB.

US Army Med Dep J. 2011 Jul-Sep:86-95.

Source
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.

Abstract

CONTEXT:
Although Iraqis sustained the gravest exposure conditions during the 1991 Gulf War (GW), little is known about the possible relationship between environmental exposures during the GW and long-term health in Iraqis.

OBJECTIVE:
To study the relationship between distance from Kuwait during the GW and somatic health among Iraqi Soldiers vs civilians.

METHODS:
A survey questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 742 GW veterans and 413 civilians in Iraq. The odds ratios were calculated for somatic disorders as a function of distance from Kuwait during the GW, as well as a self-reported environmental exposure index.

RESULTS:
Soldiers reported a significantly higher prevalence of somatic disorders as compared to civilians. Soldiers closest to Kuwait reported significantly more somatic disorders as compared to Soldiers deployed further away from Kuwait.

CONCLUSION:
Iraqi GW veterans are at an increased risk of numerous somatic disorders. Soldiers are at an increased risk compared to civilians, suggesting that war-associated exposures are of etiologic relevance.

 

PMID: 21805460 [PubMed - in process]

Woman's extreme allergy means even setting foot in supermarket cleaning aisle could make her collapse

Woman's extreme allergy means even setting foot in supermarket cleaning aisle could make her collapse
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2022320/Multiple-chemical-sensitivity-Woman-s-extreme-allergic-reaction-cleaning-products-means-setting-foot-supermarket-make-collapse.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

"A mother-of-one has a good excuse for avoiding housework - because she fears using everyday cleaning products could kill her.  Mary-Grace Milner from Rochford in Essex is so allergic to bleach and other cleaning agents that the slightest whiff can send her body spiraling into a severe allergic reaction."

More Chemical Data, More Often

More Chemical Data, More Often
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/89/i32/8932news4.html

"Chemical manufacturers will have to supply more data to the Environmental Protection Agency more frequently about the quantity of substances they make and the uses of those products, under a rule unveiled on Aug. 2."

 

How Safe Is Your Soil?

How Safe Is Your Soil?
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/how-safe-is-your-soil/Content?oid=2947105

"Urban farming has become hugely popular in the East Bay, but lead and other heavy metals in the soil pose potential health risks. Meanwhile, there's little consensus on what to do about it."

Advancing Research on Mixtures: New Perspectives and Approaches for Predicting Adverse Human Health Effects

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is hosting a workshop entitled "Advancing Research on Mixtures: New Perspectives and Approaches for Predicting Adverse Human Health Effects on September 26-27, 
2011 at the Sheraton Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

The goal of the Mixtures Workshop is to identify and focus on key issues  that present challenges in mixtures research (for this workshop, "mixtures" includes combined independent exposures). The NIEHS will use the results from the workshop to inform the development of an intramural and extramural mixtures research strategy. This workshop will also provide input to the scientific community for advancing mixtures research.

Specifically, this workshop will:
* Identify and prioritize the knowledge gaps and challenges in mixtures research specific to each of the following disciplines: toxicology, epidemiology, exposure science, risk assessment, and statistics
* Obtain advice on integrating multidisciplinary capabilities to address critical topics in mixtures research
* Provide recommendations for research on key topics
* Inform the development of a long-term NIEHS mixtures research agenda
* Foster collaborations between extramural and NIEHS scientists

For more information and to register for this workshop, please visit http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/conferences/dert/mixtures/.  Deadline to register for this workshop is Monday, September 12, 2011.

Questions? Please contact Cynthia Rider, PhD (cynthia.rider@nih.gov) or
Danielle Carlin, PhD. (danielle.carlin@nih.gov).

Organic Bytes: Consumer Power and Organic Food Deserts

 

| SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Consumer Power and Organic Food Deserts #288, August 4, 2011 In this issue: Essay of the Week: The Organic Movement's Challenge World Food Day, Right2Know March & the GMO Labeling Fight October 16, 2011: World Food Day Rallies for the Right to Know Right2Know March NYC to DC Oct 1-16, 2011 What Would You Do To Force Mandatory Labels on Genetically Engineered Food in Your State? Alert Update: Stop Monsanto's Failed "Drought Resistant" Corn Video of the Week: Help Make a Movie About Why Genetically Engineered Food Should Be Labeled Little Bytes Essay of the Week Organic Food Deserts, Whole Paycheck, and the Myth of "Natural": The Organic Movement's Challenge by Ronnie Cummins "Before we pat ourselves on the back for reaching a point where $30 billion of the U.S.'s $750 billion in yearly grocery store sales are certified organic (consumers are also buying another $51 billion worth of so-called "natural" foods and products); before we congratulate ourselves on the fact that there are thousands of well-stocked health food stores and co-ops across the country, as well as 6,132 farmers markets (up 350% since 1994), and 13,000 local CSA (community supported agriculture) buying clubs with a total of 400,000 members, let's put our organic movement's accomplishments in perspective. The overwhelming majority of Americans are still eating non-organic, pesticide-laden, genetically engineered, overly processed, junk foods on a regular basis, spending half of their food dollars on super-sized industrial chow in restaurants, cafeterias, and fast-food outlets. Skyrocketing rates of obesity, cancer, heart disease, and other diet-related diseases, and a devastated rural landscape of factory farms, monoculture crops, lifeless soil, polluted waterways, and depleted aquifers are a testimony to the monumental challenge that still lies ahead..." Read more JOIN A MILLIONS AGAINST MONSANTO EVENT Nationwide, October 16, 2011: World Food Day Rallies for the Right to Know About Genetically Engineered Foods In the United States, there are few causes that nine out of ten people support, but 90% of consumers agree that we deserve the right to know about genetically engineered foods. If almost everyone wants them, why aren't there labels on genetically engineered foods? Because we haven't yet built up a large enough movement to force companies, grocery stores, and elected public officials to bend to the peoples' will. That's what OCA's Millions Against Monsanto campaign is all about. We have an opportunity now to greatly increase involvement and action in the Millions Against Monsanto campaign for labels on genetically engineered foods. Please join us in your area on World Food Day, October 16, 2011, for one of numerous local events in the Millions Against Monsanto Right to Know campaign. Volunteer for the Millions Against Monsanto campaign RSVP for World Food Day on Facebook Find out what's happening where you live Read more about World Food Day Support the OCA Help the Organic Revolution Move Forward Our heartfelt thanks to the 3000 Organic Bytes readers who sent in donations over the past three weeks, enabling OCA to meet our July online fundraising goal of $75,000. Now we are soliciting matching funds from our major donors in the hope that we can double the funds that you sent us, and thereby secure adequate resources to finance our Fall Offensive. For 13 years, OCA has been "growing the revolution" - 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 to raise a substantial amount of money over the summer to do so. Please donate march with us New York to DC, October 1-16, 2011: Right2Know March for GMO Labeling Please join us as we march from New York City to the White House in Washington, DC, and gather for events along the way to demonstrate support for labels on genetically engineered food. - Walkers can join for the entire two weeks, a weekend or just a few hours. - We will be walking at a steady pace for about 8 hours per day, with multiple rest stops. - Bikes, rollerblades, skateboards and wheelchairs are welcome. You can also join the support caravan in a vehicle. - Food and drinks will be provided at a small cost, now estimated at $5 - $10 per meal. - People with vegan/raw food/gluten free dietary restrictions will have options (we will be traveling from one health food store or farmers' market to another). - Walkers will bring their own tents and sleeping bags, which will be carried by the support vehicles. Camping arrangements will be made ahead of time. - All are welcome at the exciting events held along the way; stay tuned for announcements on presenters and musical acts. - Campers will have a chance to bathe in the All-One Ark, the "Interblastive Foam Shower and Spa Experience!" Sign up for the Right2Know March RSVP for Right2Know events on Facebook Find out what's happening where you live More about the Right2Know March Take Action California: What Are You Willing to Do to Force Labels on Genetically Engineered Foods? Monsanto is force-feeding us genetically engineered Frankenfoods with foreign genes from plant viruses and bacteria that have never before been consumed by human beings. Winning our right to know what's in our food is likely the only viable strategy to stop this madness. Once consumers see a label that says that a food has been genetically engineered they will seek out organic foods or foods without GMOs. The Organic Consumers Association is launching a multi-state, multi-year campaign to win ballot initiatives and legislation for labels on genetically engineered foods. There's a movement in California that we think has real potential to be the first major initiative of the campaign, LabelGMOs.org, a 2012 ballot initiative campaign for our right to know about genetically engineered foods. OCA is 100% in support of LabelGMOs.org, but as a national group with a limited budget in a state like California where an average of nearly $17 million is spent per initiative, we know we're in over our heads and need to enlist the support of major donors to be successful. Of course, major donors won't chip in unless they know there's going to be a critical mass of grassroots support. It takes more than money to get on the ballot. In California, 504,742 valid signatures must be collected (which means we actually have to get about 800,000) - in 150 days. That's more than the Millions Against Monsanto campaign has collected in all 50 states in a year! If you live in California, what would you do to force mandatory labels on genetically engineered foods? Would you be willing to help collect signatures? Organic Consumers Association has about 50,000 Bytes subscribers in California. If everyone collected just 16 signatures, we would have enough to get the Label GMOs initiative on the ballot. Californians, please pledge today Everyone, nationwide, please donate to LabelGMOs.org Start a ballot initiative campaign in your state Support state laws to label genetically engineered foods Alert Update Stop Monsanto's Failed "Drought Resistant" Corn Comments Due August 11, 2011 Last week, we reported that Monsanto is seeking regulatory approval for the first genetically engineered crop that, according to them, could benefit farmers, a so-called "drought-resistant" corn variety. According to a USDA review of Monsanto's data, it doesn't work; Monsanto's genetically engineered, so-called "drought-resistant" corn doesn't perform any better than varieties produced through conventional breeding techniques. And, as researchers around the world have pointed out, the real varieties of "drought-resistant" corn under cultivation are those that are cultivated organically, with yields 50-70% higher than chemical and GMO varieties under drought conditions. We can't allow the USDA to approve failed "drought-resistant" genetically engineered crops, when it's inevitable that they will contaminate and ruin the proven ability of resilient organic crops to adapt to climate change. Take action Video of the Week Help Make a Movie About Why Genetically Engineered Food Should Be Labeled Making a feature-length documentary is a very expensive and challenging process - particularly getting it off the ground. Jeremy Seifert, the maker of the film Dive, a compelling story about how much food we waste, has a new project, a film about why genetically engineered food should be labeled, and he needs your help to make the movie. Click here to learn more & donate Click here to watch the sizzle reel Little Bytes Organic Farmers Can Sue Conventional, GMO Farmers whose Pesticides 'Trespass' and Contaminate Their Fields Read more Eight Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Resistance Read more Warning: Santa Cruz Organic Supports GMOs Read more No Free Pass for New Genetically Engineered Crops! Read more The Plastics Industry Will Do Anything to Keep You Using Plastic Bags Read more 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 Sponsored Message Eden Foods Offers OCA Customers 15% Discount Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers that go beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond. As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a 15% discount rate on any Eden Foods products by going here. Become an OCA Sponsor! Every issue of Organic Bytes now goes to 286,000 organic consumers with a thousand new subscribers each week. Please help us and your business by letting our subscribers know who you are and that you support the work of the OCA. Please contact us if you want more information! 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

Study links asthma to magnetic-field exposure of pregnant moms

Study links asthma to magnetic-field exposure of pregnant moms
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/conditions/asthma/study-links-asthma-to-magnetic-field-exposure-of-pregnant-moms/article2116238/

"Can magnetic fields from power lines, computers and even common household appliances lead to health problems down the road?

 

A new study suggests that pregnant women with the highest levels of exposure to magnetic fields are more likely to have a child who develops asthma, compared to pregnant women with low exposure levels."

Indoor mold poses key asthma risk for babies

Indoor mold poses key asthma risk for babies

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/02/indoor-mold-poses-greatest-asthma-risk-for-babies/

"When infants are exposed to mold in the home, their risk for developing asthma more than doubles, according to a study published Tuesday in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The study doesn't prove mold causes asthma, but it does suggest that exposure to mold during infancy is linked to the development of chronic inflammation of the lung airways, which causes wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing."

Strontium-90 detected in fish near Vermont Yankee

Strontium-90 detected in fish near Vermont Yankee
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110802/NEWS03/110802026/Strontium-90-detected-fish-near-Vermont-Yankee-

"A sample of fish taken in 2010 from the Connecticut River, nine miles upstream from the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, yielded some eyebrow-raising results that came to light Tuesday."

Record Radiation Levels at Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Record Radiation Levels at Fukushima Nuclear Plant
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56721 

"Record levels of radiation have been recorded at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant reactor, just months after the nuclear accident resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in March." 

EPA Publishes Rule to Improve Reporting of Chemical Information

EPA Publishes Rule to Improve Reporting of Chemical Information
www.epa.gov/iur  

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is increasing the type and amount of information it collects on commercial chemicals from chemical manufacturers, allowing the agency to better identify and manage potential risks to Americans' health and the environment. The improved rule, known as the chemical data reporting rule (CDR), also requires that companies submit the information electronically to EPA, rather than on paper, and limits confidentiality claims by companies. The changes are part of EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's commitment to strengthen the agency's chemical management program and increase the transparency of critical information on chemicals."

Cruel taunts as teen battles health condition

Cruel taunts as teen battles health condition
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/health/cruel_taunts_as_teen_battles_health_condition_1_3638517

"I CANNOT wait to get back to being a normal teenager."

"With those words, South Tyneside schoolgirl Jessica Thompson outlines her determination to win her health battle
The 14-year-old was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome back in November, forcing her to withdraw from classes and take a break from the performing arts she loves so much."

NTP UPDATE: NIEHS Environmental Factor now available online

The August 2011 issue of the NIEHS Environmental Factor is now online at:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/index.cfm <http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/index.cfm>

New oil spill grants, scientific director presentations, a strategic planning stakeholder workshop, an innovative engineered tissues symposium, and the two-day ONES workshop may top the headlines this month. But many of the stories in the August issue of the newsletter highlight the accomplishments of current and former trainees, administrators, and intramural scientists with papers featured in top journals.

This month the Environmental Factor also showcases new leading-edge research in papers and presentations by intramural and extramural scientists, record-breaking philanthropy in the Feds Feed Families food collection campaign, and science outreach by NIEHS scientists and staff.

Stories include:

 *   NIH-funded research network to explore oil spill health effects
 *   NIEHS hosts lecture series from scientific director final four
 *   NIEHS takes next step in strategic planning
 *   Interns enjoy program of career narratives
 *   Research fellow joins faculty at the University of South Carolina
 *   Fellows fare well in 2012 award competition
 *   NTP fellow wins travel award
 *   NTP postdocs pass laboratory animal medicine boards
 *   Henry and Thigpen Tart accepted in leadership program
 *   Former NIEHS trainee to spearhead expansion of cancer registry
 *   Mutation cluster discovery wins postdoc Roberts a poster prize
 *   Neurobiologist McPherson wins travel award to meeting in Athens
 *   Jung honored with mentoring award
 *   NIEHS celebrates five years of ONES research
 *   Symposium highlights emerging role of 3D tissue modeling in EHS
 *   Using nutrition to alter host susceptibility to environmental toxicants
 *   Study links phthalate and BPA exposure to altered thyroid signaling in humans
 *   Journal features Jean Harry article
 *   NIEHS investigators discover new mechanism in learning and memory
 *   New study explores the unexpected interface of RNA and DNA
 *   New journal makes surprising impact in first year of publication
 *   Ribonucleotide incorporation into DNA study honored by JBC
 *   Study finds BPA-exposed male deer mice less attractive to females
 *   Designing a human RNA-binding domain outlined in JBC paper of the week
 *   Interns participate in a series of scientific presentations
 *   Committee recommends alternative method for product safety testing

This month in EHP:

 *   Extramural papers of the month
 *   Intramural papers of the month
 *   Feds Feed Families off to a great start at NIEHS
 *   Future scientists are exposed to everyday chemistry
 *   NIEHS and NIH personnel unite for disabilities awareness
 *   Students from Duke summer program tour NIEHS
 

Fetal Exposure to Magnetic Fields From Appliances, Power Lines May Up Kids' Asthma Risk

Fetal Exposure to Magnetic Fields From Appliances, Power Lines May Up Kids' Asthma Risk
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_114885.html

"Experts call for further research into possible effect of high levels of exposure

MONDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- A new study suggests that the children of mothers exposed to high levels of magnetic fields during pregnancy are at increased risk of developing asthma, findings that are sure to reignite the controversy over the health dangers that might be posed by exposure to power lines and electronics."

Occupational Asthma in the U.S. Workplace

Occupational Asthma in the U.S. Workplace
http://ehstoday.com/industrial_hygiene/ventilation/occupational-asthma-us-workplace-0801/

"Occupational asthma is an issue in some workplaces, but there are things employers can do to improve indoor air quality.  Modern evidence suggests we cannot separate our working lives from the working environment. We respond instinctively to our surroundings at a human level and if those surroundings fail to meet our basic needs, we can be made sick by them. One such environmental illness even has a name: sick building syndrome (SBS)."

Maternal Exposure to Magnetic Fields During Pregnancy in Relation to the Risk of Asthma in Offspring

Maternal Exposure to Magnetic Fields During Pregnancy in Relation to the Risk of Asthma in Offspring
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/archpediatrics.2011.135

De-Kun Li, MD, PhD; Hong Chen, MPH; Roxana Odouli, MSPH

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Published online August 1, 2011. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.135

Objective 

To determine whether maternal exposure to high levels of magnetic fields (MFs) during pregnancy is associated with the risk of asthma in offspring.

Design 

A prospective cohort study.

Setting 

Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Participants 

Pregnant Kaiser Permanente Northern California members in the San Francisco area.

Main Outcome Measures 

Asthma was clinically diagnosed among 626 children who were followed up for as long as 13 years. All participants carried a meter to measure their MF levels during pregnancy.

Results 

After adjustment for potential confounders, a statistically significant linear dose-response relationship was observed between increasing maternal median daily MF exposure level in pregnancy and an increased risk of asthma in offspring: every 1-mG increase of maternal MF level during pregnancy was associated with a 15% increased rate of asthma in offspring (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.27). Using the categorical MF level, the results showed a similar dose-response relationship: compared with the children whose mothers had a low MF level (median 24-hour MF level, 0.3 mG) during pregnancy, children whose mothers had a high MF level (>2.0 mG) had more than a 3.5-fold increased rate of asthma (aHR, 3.52; 95% CI, 1.68-7.35), while children whose mothers had a medium MF level (>0.3-2.0 mG) had a 74% increased rate of asthma (aHR, 1.74; 95% CI, 0.93-3.25). A statistically significant synergistic interaction was observed between the MF effect and a maternal history of asthma and birth order (firstborn).

Conclusion 

Our findings provide new epidemiological evidence that high maternal MF levels in pregnancy may increase the risk of asthma in offspring.

Cashiers sought for health study

Cashiers sought for health study
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/08/01/1382388/cashiers-sought-for-health-study.html

"Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences are recruiting cashiers willing to have blood and urine samples taken to be tested for a potentially toxic chemical - bisphenol A, or BPA for short - that is used to manufacture the slick receipt paper many cashiers handle on a daily basis."

NEWSLETTER: MCS America News - August 2011

MCSA NEWS
August 2011, Volume 6, Issue 8

 

Entire PDF Edition: http://mcs-america.org/August2011.pdf (View, Download, and Print)

  

Direct Links to Articles Inside This Issue:

 

How Smart Meters May Cause Autism & Cancer

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg234567.pdf

 

Book Review:  They're Poisoning Us From the Gulf War to the Gulf of Mexico

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg8.pdf

 

Mold Exposure May Lead to Sarcoidosis

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg9.pdf

 

Provocation Challenge:  EMF Sensitivity a Bona Fide Illness

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg10.pdf

 

ME/CFS Researchers Receive Death Threats

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg1112.pdf

 

Patient Support & Resources

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg1314151617181920.pdf

 

Community News

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg21.pdf

 

Featured Research Studies

http://mcs-america.org/August2011pg222324.pdf

 

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities America

http://www.mcs-america.org

admin@mcs-america.org

 

Copyrighted © 2011 MCS America

 

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