Taking action on developmental toxicity: Scientists' duties to protect children

Taking action on developmental toxicity: Scientists' duties to protect children
http://www.ehjournal.net/content/pdf/1476-069X-11-61.pdf

Kristin Shrader-Frechette.  Environmental Health 2012, 11:61 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-11-61
Published: 10 September 2012

Abstract (provisional)

Background
Although adaptation and proper biological functioning require developmental programming, pollutant interference can cause developmental toxicity or DT.

Objectives
This commentary assesses whether it is ethical for citizens/physicians/scientists to allow avoidable DT.

Methods
Using conceptual, economic, ethical, and logical analysis, the commentary assesses what major ethical theories and objectors would say regarding the defensibility of allowing avoidable DT.

Results
The commentary argues that (1) none of the four major ethical theories (based, respectively, on virtue, natural law, utility, or equity) can consistently defend avoidable DT because it unjustifiably harms, respectively, individual human flourishing, human life, the greatest good, and equality. (2) Justice also requires leaving "as much and as good" biological resources for all, including future generations possibly harmed if epigenetic change is heritable. (3) Scientists/physicians have greater justice-based duties, than ordinary/average citizens, to help stop DT because they help cause it and have greater professional abilities/opportunities to help stop it. (4) Scientists/physicians likewise have greater justice-based duties, than ordinary/average citizens, to help stop DT because they benefit more from it, given their relatively greater education/consumption/income. The paper shows that major objections to (3)-(4) fail on logical, ethical, or scientific grounds, then closes with practical suggestions for implementing its proposals.

Conclusions
Because allowing avoidable DT is ethically indefensible, citizens---and especially physicians/scientists---have justice-based duties to help stop DT.

Dietary 'excitotoxins' linked with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome

Dietary 'excitotoxins' linked with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome

http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/08/31/dietary-excitotoxins-linked-with-fibromyalgia-and-irritable-bowel-syndrome/

 

"A lot of conventional medicine is about symptom suppression. For example, with someone with 'cramping' in the gut we may give a drug to reduce the cramping. A better (I think) though more alternative approach would be to attempt to find out what's causing the cramping and sort that out. As an aside, cramping in the gut and 'irritable bowel syndrome' is very often caused by food sensitivity in my experience, and wheat and perhaps other grains are common culprits."

Vancouver researcher finds flu shot is linked to H1N1 illness

Vancouver researcher finds flu shot is linked to H1N1 illness
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Vancouver+researcher+finds+shot+linked+H1N1+illness/7217609/story.html

"Skowronski, who outlined the work at a webcast press conference, worked with 32 ferrets, giving half the 2008 seasonal flu shot and the rest a placebo injection. The work was blinded, meaning the researchers didn't know which ferrets received which shot. Later, all the ferrets were infected with the pandemic H1N1 virus.  The ferrets in the vaccine group became significantly sicker than the other animals..."

EWG releases Online Guide to Healthy Cleaning

EWG releases Online Guide to Healthy Cleaning
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/ewg-releases-online-guide-to-healthy-cleaning

"Many household cleaning products contain toxins, including some that claim to be 'green.' The Environmental Working Group has an online guide that helps consumers find safer products."

NEWSLETTER: MCS America News - September 2012

MCSA NEWS
Setember 2012, Volume 7, Issue 9

 

 

 

Entire PDF Edition: http://mcs-america.org/September2012.pdf (View, Download, and Print)

 

Inside This Issue:

 

• Article:  Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals:  Doctors May as Well Be Gagged
• Scientific Study:  Perfume and Fragrance Intolerance Under-diagnosed
• Op-Ed:  Q&A:  Validity of Brain Retraining Programs
• Patient Support & Resources
• Community News
• Featured Research Studies

 

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Pesticide violations cost Scotts Miracle-Gro $12.5 million

Pesticide violations cost Scotts Miracle-Gro $12.5 million
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/07/us-usa-miraclegro-penalties-idUSBRE8861AW20120907

"Lawn product company Scotts Miracle-Gro Co will pay $12.5 million in criminal fines and civil penalties for illegally including insecticides in bird food products and for other violations, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday."

Common household chemical tied to heart disease risk

Common household chemical tied to heart disease risk
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_128938.html

"People who had higher levels of a common synthetic chemical in their blood were more likely to have heart disease or have had a stroke, in a new U.S. study.

The chemical, known as perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA, is found in everything from food containers to ski jackets to carpets. But the lead researcher emphasized that the new findings don't prove PFOA itself is dangerous or should be avoided."

No Place to Hide - Fukushima Fallout Findings Widespread

No Place to Hide – Fukushima Fallout Findings Widespread

http://www.enviroreporter.com/2012/08/no-place-to-hide-fukushima-fallout-findings-widespread/all/1/

 

 

Tobacco smoke tied to flu complications in kids

Tobacco smoke tied to flu complications in kids
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_128861.html

"Kids hospitalized with the flu are more likely to need intensive care and a longer stay if they've been exposed to second-hand smoke at home, a small new study finds.  Analyzing the records of more than 100 kids hospitalized with flu in New York state, researchers found those exposed to second-hand smoke were five times more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and required a 70 percent longer stay in the hospital, compared to the kids not exposed to smoke."

Increased nuclear factor-?B and loss of p53 are key mechanisms in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

Increased nuclear factor-κB and loss of p53 are key mechanisms in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877%2812%2900358-1/abstract

Gerwyn Morris, Michael Maes
Received 14 June 2012; accepted 31 July 2012. published online 29 August 2012.

Abstract
Fukuda's criteria are adequate to make a distinction between Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and chronic fatigue (CF), but ME/CFS patients should be subdivided into those with (termed ME) and without (termed CFS) post exertional malaise [Maes et al. 2012]. ME/CFS is considered to be a neuro-immune disease. ME/CFS is characterized by activated immuno-inflammatory pathways, including increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and aberrations in mitochondrial functions, including lowered ATP. These processes may explain typical symptoms of ME/CFS, e.g. fatigue, malaise, hyperalgesia, and neurologic and autonomic symptoms. Here we hypothesize that increased NF-κB together with a loss of p53 are key phenomena in ME/CFS that further explain ME/CFS symptoms, such as fatigue and neurocognitive dysfunction, and explain ME symptoms, such as post-exertional malaise following mental and physical activities. Inactivation of p53 impairs aerobic mitochondrial functions and causes greater dependence on anaerobic glycolysis, elevates lactate levels, reduces mitochondrial density in skeletal muscle and reduces endurance during physical exercise. Lowered p53 and increased NF-κB are associated with elevated reactive oxygen species. Increased NF-κB induces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which increase glycolysis and further compromise mitochondrial functions. All these factors together may contribute to mitochondrial exhaustion and indicate that the demand for extra ATP upon the commencement of increased activity cannot be met. In conditions of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, high NF-κB and low p53 may conspire to promote neuron and glial cell survival at a price of severely compromised metabolic brain function. Future research should examine p53 signaling in ME/CFS.

Junk Science and Frankenfoods

 

VIEW THIS ISSUE ONLINE | SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage  No More RoundUp Ready GMO Crops! Monsanto's RoundUp Pesticide Causes Birth Defects Take Action! Five of the twelve new GMO crops that agro-chemical companies Monsanto, Dow, Bayer, and BASF have submitted for approval from the US Department of Agriculture are genetically engineered with a soil bacteria that keeps them alive, even when they're sprayed with massive doses of the herbicide RoundUp. More of these so-called "RoundUp Ready" crops means more RoundUp sprayed on our food. This is horrible because Monsanto's RoundUp causes birth defects. Instead of "RoundUp Ready" we should call these GMOs "Birth-Defect Ready"! According to a report published by Earth Open Source, industry's own studies - including one commissioned by Monsanto - showed that as long ago as the 1980's that RoundUp's active ingredient, glyphosate, causes birth defects in laboratory animals. We have until September 11th to urge the USDA to block these new Birth-Defect Ready GMO crops. Take action Read more India Moves to Not Only Label GMO Foods, But to Ban GMO Crops as Well In very bad news for Monsanto, India, the largest agricultural nation in the world, not only plans to label GMO foods, but appears likely to ban GMO crops as well. Read more On Our Way to 200,000 Names . . . and Michelle Obama's Desk! "This is the biggest fraud being perpetrated on the public health since tobacco and we need transparency on it urgently." – Gregg, from Mead, CO. Two weeks after the launch of our petition asking Michelle Obama to remind the President to honor his campaign promise to label GMOs, more than 70,000 people from all over the world have signed on. Many of the signers have included comments, like the one above from Gregg in Mead, CO – a good sign that people understand the importance of labeling, and the importance of passing this historic initiative in California. We need 200,000 signatures to be able to hand-deliver this petition to Mrs. Obama's staff – and when we do, we'll arrange for the media to be there so we can generate awareness and support for Prop 37, this country's first GMO labeling law. If you think President Obama should honor his campaign promise to label GMOs, please add your signature today! Thank you! Sign the petition here Support OCA and OCF Your Donation Could Mean 'YES' for GMO Labeling! In less than two months, Californians will decide whether or not their state will adopt the nation's first mandatory GMO labeling law – a decision that will have a huge impact on the future of GMO labeling in the US, and the very future of our food. Will they vote YES on Prop 37? Or NO? While polls show that more than 70% of California voters believe genetically modified ingredients should be labeled, we also know that Monsanto, Dow, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and others have raised more than $25 million to convince the state's voters that labeling is a bad idea. Right now, there are thousands of volunteers on the ground in California distributing leaflets, speaking at events, and writing letters to the editor in an effort to educate people who haven't heard of Prop 37 and don't know that more than 75% of the processed foods they buy contain genetically engineered ingredients. California is a big state. We need many more people, and a lot more materials to reach California voters, educating them on the dangers of GMOs, and get them to the polls in order to pass this law. You can help! Please pitch in today, and please let your family and friends know how critical it is – for all of us – that we win this battle in California. Your donation could mean another vote for GMO labeling. Thank you! Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible, helps  support our public education work against GMOs and chemical food, and our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and sustainable farming) Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our legislative efforts in California and other states) International Homesteading Education Month Mother Earth News and their sister magazine, Grit, invite you to participate this September as they host International Homesteading Education Month. You can learn a lot from books and magazines, but as the Mother Earth News Fairs have shown us, there is simply no substitute for the kind of excitement that firsthand, face-to-face interactions can generate. Read more and find an event near you September 17th Global Week of Action Against Monsanto Let's take our message to the Biotech Bully's front doorsteps! Organic Consumers Association and Millions Against Monsanto are working with the Occupy Monsanto network to organize protests and direct action at Monsanto facilities during the September 17th Global Week of Action Against Monsanto. There are over 70 actions planned at Monsanto facilities worldwide. Click here to attend an action near you! Stanford Junk Science Slanders Organic A "junk science" article released to the media this week preposterously claims that organic food is no better than chemical and GMO food. Read an excellent rebuttal by Chuck Benbrook of the Organic Center (PDF) Little Bytes Essential Reading for the Week New Junk Science Study (PDF) 5 Ways the Stanford Study Sells Organics Short Did You Know Monsanto Previously Claimed to Support GMO Labeling? Nestlé Says GMOs Are "Not the Answer" to Feeding the Poor The Last Antibiotic Message From Our Sponsors Dr. Bronner's is Celebrating Our 60th Anniversary! Marking the 60th Anniversary of the company, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps is pleased to announce that all classic liquid & bar soaps are now not only certified under the USDA National Organic Program, but also certified Fair Trade! In addition, we are pleased to introduce a revolutionary new range of high-quality organic products, from hair rinses to shaving gels – all certified under the same USDA program that certifies organic foods. Please Visit Us on the Web! 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

Why perfume could be making you depressed

Why perfume could be making you depressed
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/30/why-perfume-could-be-making-depressed/

"Your coworker's cologne, an overly air-freshened car, that waft of smoke clinging to a stranger's coat—for most of us, those are just temporary annoyances.

 

But for others, everyday odors can be debilitating, and according to a new study in the Annals of Family Medicine, the number of people who suffer from chemical intolerance is higher than most doctors suspect."

Doctors fight "gag orders" over fracking chemicals

Doctors fight "gag orders" over fracking chemicals
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/08/27/gvl10827.htm

"When several unrelated patients visited McMurray, Pa.-based plastic surgeon Amy Paré, MD, she initially was unsure what to make of the bleeding, oozing legions covering their faces.

The wounds were not cancerous, but the inflammation was severe and becoming worse. Dr. Paré's suspicions grew when she learned that the patients lived near the same natural gas drilling site. Tests later found that the patients had phenol and hippuric acid in their urine, two contact irritants rarely found in humans. The patients improved after they stopped drinking water from their underground wells.

"Knowing what chemicals they had been exposed to would have sped up the process" of treating the patients, said Dr. Paré, who specializes in treating skin conditions.

How tough are state chemical disclosure rules?

But at the time, no official route existed for doctors to learn what chemicals patients may have been exposed to near drilling sites, information that remains protected as trade secrets unless lawmakers dictate otherwise. Under a new Pennsylvania law, natural gas companies must tell physicians the substances patients might have come into contact with. But doctors must sign confidentiality agreements promising they will use the information only for those patients' treatment.

More than a dozen states require firms to disclose chemicals used in fracking because of health concerns.

Some doctors say the agreements amount to gag orders that interfere with their ability to treat patients and to share information freely with colleagues and medical researchers. The conflict has led to a legal challenge by Pennsylvania nephrologist Alfonso Rodriguez, MD, against the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection. He claims that the law's doctor-contract provision is vague and violates physicians' First Amendment rights."

Heavy Metal Toxicity Raises Your Risk of Electromagnetic Sensitivity

Heavy Metal Toxicity Raises Your Risk of Electromagnetic Sensitivity
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/25/heavy-metal-electromagnetic-fields.aspx?e_cid=20120825_DNL_artNew_2

"Electomagnetic fields (EMFs) are all around us, no matter where you live these days. They emanate from power lines, televisions, household electrical wiring, appliances and microwaves.

They come from cell phones, cell phone towers and wireless Internet connections.

It is estimated that 3-8 percent of populations in developed countries experience serious electrohypersensitivity symptoms, while 35 percent experience mild symptoms, according to Dr. Thomas Rau, medical director of the world-renowned Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland.1

There are a number of factors that influence the degree to which you may be affected by EMFs.

For example, your body weight, body-mass index, bone density, and water and electrolyte levels can alter the conductivity and biological reactivity to EMFs. Heavy metals in your brain also act as micro-antennas, concentrating and increasing reception of EMF radiation."

Association of Active Human Herpesvirus-6, -7 and Parvovirus B19 Infection with Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Association of Active Human Herpesvirus-6, -7 and Parvovirus B19 Infection with Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22927850

Chapenko S, Krumina A, Logina I, Rasa S, Chistjakovs M, Sultanova A, Viksna L, Murovska M.

Adv Virol. 2012;2012:205085. Epub 2012 Aug 13.

Source
August Kirchenstein Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Riga Stradins University, Ratsupites Street 5, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia.

Abstract
Frequency of active human herpesvirus-6, -7 (HHV-6, HHV-7) and parvovirus B19 (B19) infection/coinfection and its association with clinical course of ME/CFS was evaluated. 108 ME/CFS patients and 90 practically healthy persons were enrolled in the study. Viral genomic sequences were detected by PCR, virus-specific antibodies and cytokine levels-by ELISA, HHV-6 variants-by restriction analysis. Active viral infection including concurrent infection was found in 64.8% (70/108) of patients and in 13.3% (12/90) of practically healthy persons. Increase in peripheral blood leukocyte DNA HHV-6 load as well as in proinflammatory cytokines' levels was detected in patients during active viral infection. Definite relationship was observed between active betaherpesvirus infection and subfebrility, lymphadenopathy and malaise after exertion, and between active B19 infection and multijoint pain. Neuropsychological disturbances were detected in all patients. The manifestation of symptoms was of more frequent occurrence in patients with concurrent infection. The high rate of active HHV-6, HHV-7 and B19 infection/coinfection with the simultaneous increase in plasma proinflammatory cytokines' level as well as the association between active viral infection and distinctive types of clinical symptoms shows necessity of simultaneous study of these viral infections for identification of possible subsets of ME/CFS.
 

PMID: 22927850 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Is chronic fatigue syndrome the same illness as fibromyalgia: evaluating the 'single syndrome' hypothesis.

Is chronic fatigue syndrome the same illness as fibromyalgia: evaluating the 'single syndrome' hypothesis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22927538

Abbi B, Natelson BH.  QJM. 2012 Aug 26. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
From the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, DVA Medical Center, East Orange, NJ and Pain and Fatigue Study Center, Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, USA.

Abstract
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are medically unexplained syndromes that can and often do co-occur. For this reason, some have posited that the two are part of the same somatic syndrome-examples of symptom amplification. This hypothesis would suggest that few differences exist between the two syndromes. To evaluate this interpretation, we have searched the literature for articles comparing CFS to FM, reviewing only those articles which report differences between the two. This review presents data showing differences across a number of parameters-implying that the underlying pathophysiology in CFS may differ from that of FM. We hope that our review encourages other groups to look for additional differences between CFS and FM. By continuing to preserve the unique illness definitions of the two syndromes, clinicians will be able to better identify, understand and provide treatment for these individuals.

PMID: 22927538 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

New Report: Hidden Toxic Chemicals Found in Children's "Back-to-School" Supplies

New Report: Hidden Toxic Chemicals Found in Children's "Back-to-School" Supplies
http://chej.org/2012/08/backtoschool2012/

"Did you know toxic phthalates may be in your children's back-to-school supplies?  Our brand new report, Hidden Hazards: Toxic Chemicals Inside Children's Vinyl Back-to-School Supplies found toxic chemicals linked to asthma and birth defects widespread in children's vinyl back-to-school supplies.

Seventy-five percent of children's "back-to-school" supplies tested in a laboratory had elevated levels of toxic phthalates, including popular Disney, Spiderman, and Dora branded school supplies, such as vinyl lunchboxes, backpacks, 3-ring binders, raincoats, and rainboots.

The levels of phthalates found in children's school supplies would be illegal if these products were toys. Just like toys, school supplies are used by young children that are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposure."

Exposure to PCE-tainted water before birth to age 5 affects color vision decades later.

Exposure to PCE-tainted water before birth to age 5 affects color vision decades later.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/07/2012-0823-perchloroethylene-in-water-color-blind/

Getz, KD, PA Janulewicz, S Rowe, JM Weinberg, MR Winter, BR Martin, VM Vieira, RF White and A Aschengrau. 2012. Prenatal and early childhood exposure to tetrachloroethylene and adult vision. Environmental Health Perspectives http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1103996.

"Adults exposed to higher levels of the commercial solvent PCE from before birth to age 5 were less able to see contrast and distinguish colors years after the exposures were reduced. While not life-threatening, the ability to tell light from dark and yellow from green affects visual perception and quality of life. The findings are part of a larger, ongoing study assessing the long-term health effects of exposure during early development to PCE-contaminated drinking water in communities near Cape Cod, Mass. Exposure to PCE at work has been linked to impaired color vision. This is the first study to show similar kinds of vision deficits decades after the original exposures."

Family wants more research on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Family wants more research on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Family-wants-more-research-on-Chronic-Fatigue/FGH9Q_lVT06HkM5cVaS8_A.cspx

"Family wants more research for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a debilitating disease that does not have a universally accepted definition of the disorder, a diagnosis, or treatment and yet roughly 17 million people around the world are believed to have it."

Big Chem, Big Harm?

Big Chem, Big Harm?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/opinion/sunday/kristof-big-chem-big-harm.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

"NEW research is demonstrating that some common chemicals all around us may be even more harmful than previously thought. It seems that they may damage us in ways that are transmitted generation after generation, imperiling not only us but also our descendants."

Is human saliva an indicator of the adverse health effects of using mobile phones?

Is human saliva an indicator of the adverse health effects of using mobile phones?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22894683?dopt=Abstract

Hamzany Y, Feinmesser R, Shpitzer T, Mizrachi A, Hilly O, Hod R, Bahar G, Otradnov I, Gavish M, Nagler RM. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2012 Aug 15. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; hamzany@tx.tau.ac.il.

Abstract
Increasing use of mobile phones creates growing concern regarding harmful effects of radiofrequency non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (NIER) on human tissues located close to the ear where phones are commonly held for long periods of time. We studied 20 subjects in the 'mobile phone group' who had a mean duration of mobile phone use of 12.5 years (range 8-15) and a mean time use of 29.6 hours per month (range 8-100). Deaf individuals served as controls. We compared salivary outcomes (secretion, oxidative damage indices, flow rate and composition) between mobile phone users and non-users. We report significant increase in all salivary oxidative stress indices studied in mobile phone users. Salivary flow, total protein, albumin and amylase activity were decreased in mobile phone users. These observations lead to the hypothesis that the use of mobile phones may cause oxidative stress and modify salivary function.

PMID:  22894683  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

The United Kingdom's Rulings Relating to the Lightning Process

The United Kingdom's Rulings Relating to the Lightning Process
http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2012/8/Phil-Parker-Group-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_158035.aspx

Low Level Lead Exposure Linked to Poor School Performance

Low Level Lead Exposure Linked to Poor School Performance
http://www.nchh.org/tabid/139/default.aspx?ContentID=155

"Columbia, MD (August 20, 2012) –Today, NCHH released new findings on the impact of low-level lead exposure on school performance. The issue brief, "Childhood Lead Exposure and Educational Outcomes," summarizes new research connecting small amounts of lead in a child's blood to problems in school later in life."

Obama Takes an Interest in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome » White House Chronicle

Obama Takes an Interest in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome » White House Chronicle
http://www.whchronicle.com/2012/08/obama-takes-an-interest-in-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/

"On April 21, 2011, at a town hall meeting in Reno, NV, local resident Courtney Miller asked President Obama for help. Specifically, she asked the president what the administration was doing to fund research into the debilitating lifelong illness Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Miller's husband, Robert, is a sufferer.

Now the president has responded fulsomely.

Obama has designated his deputy chief of staff for policy, Nancy-Ann DeParle, as his point person for dealing with the disease and  to work with the National Institutes of Health. She has been in contact with Miller by email and phone."

Chemical widely used in antibacterial hand soaps may impair muscle function

Chemical widely used in antibacterial hand soaps may impair muscle function
http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10301

"Triclosan, an antibacterial chemical widely used in hand soaps and other personal-care products, hinders muscle contractions at a cellular level, slows swimming in fish and reduces muscular strength in mice, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado. The findings appear online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America."

Non-occupational exposure to paint fumes during pregnancy and risk of congenital anomalies: a cohort study

Non-occupational exposure to paint fumes during pregnancy and risk of congenital anomalies: a cohort study
http://www.ehjournal.net/content/11/1/54/abstract

Dorrit Hjortebjerg, Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen, Ester Garne, Ole Raaschou-Nielsen and Mette Sørensen

Environmental Health 2012, 11:54 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-11-54

Abstract (provisional)

Background
Occupational exposure to organic solvents during the 1st trimester of pregnancy has been associated with congenital anomalies. Organic solvents are also used in the home environments in paint products, but no study has investigated the effect of such exposure in a general population.

Methods
We studied associations between residential exposure to paint fumes during the 1st trimester of pregnancy and predefined subgroups of congenital anomalies, using data from the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC). During 2001 and 2003, a total of 20 103 pregnant women, enrolled in the DNBC, were interviewed in the 30th week of gestation about the use of paint in their residence during pregnancy. By the end of first trimester, information about smoking habits, alcohol consumption and occupation were collected. Information on congenital anomalies was obtained from national registers. Associations were examined by estimating odds ratios (OR) using logistic regression.

Results
In total 1404 women (7 %) had been exposed to paint fumes during the 1st trimester of pregnancy and 1086 children were diagnosed with congenital anomalies; 73 children with congenital anomalies had been exposed to paint fumes in utero. Exposure to paint fumes seemed positively associated with congenital anomalies of the nervous system (OR 2.19, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.76 to 6.32), ear, face and neck (OR 2.15, 95 % CI 0.84 to 5.55) and the renal system (OR 2.16, 95 % CI 1.02 to 4.58) after adjustment for maternal age, smoking, alcohol consumption and occupational solvent exposure. Congenital anomalies in the remaining subgroups were not associated with the exposure.

Conclusions
Our results suggest that in the general population, exposure to paint fumes during the 1st trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk of some types of congenital anomalies, but the findings need to be confirmed.

Can Electrons Act as Antioxidants? A Review and Commentary

Can Electrons Act as Antioxidants? A Review and Commentary
http://www.healingnh.com/Portals/64/Docs/Laser-ElectronsAsAntioxidants.pdf

James L. Oschman, Ph.D.  The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.  Volume 13, Number 9, 2007, pp. 955–967

ABSTRACT

A previous study demonstrated that connecting the human body to the earth during sleep (earthing) normalizes the daily cortisol rhythm and improves sleep. A variety of other benefits were reported, including reductions in pain and inflammation. Subsequent studies have confirmed these earlier findings and documented virtually immediate physiologic and clinical effects of grounding or earthing the body. It is well established, though not widely known, that the surface of the earth possesses a limitless and continuously renewed supply of free or mobile electrons as a consequence of a global atmospheric electron circuit. Wearing shoes with insulating soles and/or sleeping in beds that are isolated from the electrical ground plane of the earth have disconnected most people from the earth*s electrical rhythms and free electrons. The most reasonable hypothesis to explain the beneficial effects of earthing is that a direct earth connection enables both diurnal electrical rhythms and free electrons to flow from the earth to the body. It is proposed that the earth*s diurnal electrical rhythms set the biological clocks for hormones that regulate sleep and activity. It is also suggested that free electrons from the earth neutralize the positively charged free radicals that are the hallmark of chronic inflammation. A relationship between cortisol and inflammation was established in the pioneering work of H. Selye published in the 1950s. Current biomedical research has led to an inflammation hypothesis that is establishing chronic inflammation as the culprit behind almost every modern chronic illness. The research summarized here and in subsequent reports provides a basis for a number of earthing technologies that restore and maintain natural electrical contact between the human body and the earth throughout the day and night in situations where going barefoot on the earth is impractical. It is proposed that free or mobile electrons from the earth can resolve chronic inflammation by serving as natural antioxidants.

DOI: 10.1089/acm.2007.7048

Mold Exposure in Infancy May Raise Asthma Risk

Mold Exposure in Infancy May Raise Asthma Risk
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_128150.html

"Infants exposed to certain types of mold are at greater risk for childhood asthma, according to a new study.

"This is strong evidence that indoor mold contributed to asthma development, and this stresses the urgent need for remediating water damage in homes, particularly in low-income urban areas where this is a common issue," the study's lead author, Tiina Reponen, a professor in the environmental health department at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said in a university news release."

Dr. Anne Steinemann Interview About Fragranced Chemicals

Dr. Anne Steinemann Interview About Fragranced Chemicals

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

Guideline of the Austrian Medical Association for the diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses (EMFsyndrome)

Guideline of the Austrian Medical Association for the diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses (EMFsyndrome)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/87308119/Guideline-of-the-Austrian-Medical-Association-for-the-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-EMF-related-health-problems-and-illnesses-EMF-syndrome