February 5, 2010
At Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations in Ontario, Canada, many people have been diagnosed with Minamata disease (mercury poisoning). Many people in these two communities also have Type 2 diabetes.
January 28, 2010
A new study suggests it may be a good idea to consider chelation therapy, which removes unwanted metals from the body, as lead may be one of the main contributors to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The findings published in Current Directions in Psychological Science indicate that genes may be the cause of 70 percent of hyperactivity cases within children. Researchers were determined to figure out the cause of the other 30 percent, leading them to look closely into lead, which is a commonly known detrimental material to health.
Mercury is a well known neurotoxin that comes in various forms. Scientists have learned that all forms of mercury have the potential for toxicity. Mercury intoxication has been increasingly linked to neurological disorders, including autism.
Though the body may rid itself of small amounts of mercury through natural processes, larger amounts received in mercury containing pharmaceuticals or through environmental exposures may result in long-term mercury toxicity.
Lead, a brain poison, is a serious childhood health risk; And Bengaluru residents seems to be quite vulnerable to lead poisoning.
By: Poonam Kuruganti
By: Roger Birner
To the editor:
1. Baby Products Contain Toxic Ingredients*
Although many baby products are touted as being "pure" and "gentle," dozens of top products contain cancer-causing chemicals. In fact, more than half of the products tested for a report released by the nonprofit Campaign for Safe Cosmetics contained dangerous 1,4-dioxane or formaldehyde, or both.
March 29, 2009
Should Oregon have more say over the chemicals used to make your baby's bottle, her toys, your dishwasher detergent and your sofa?
The Legislature gets to answer that question this session, with a dozen bills targeting the chemical hazards of everyday life.
Potential toxics on the hit list range from fire retardants in upholstered furniture to phosphates in dishwasher soap to plastic additives in baby bottles and soft plastic toys.
By: Dan Agin
Thanks to our several generations of stupidity and neglect, the most persistent and dangerous environmental hazard in America is still lead poisoning. Our usual attention is on damage to fetuses and children, but now comes an important public health study that tells us with hard evidence that cumulative lead exposure at ordinary community levels is associated with significant cognitive decline in older women (Weuve et al. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2009. 117(4):574-580).
Ruining the kids motorcycle business.
Last year's Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was supposed to make children safer by reducing the risk of lead poisoning in toys. Instead, the new law has become a case study in how hastily written regulation can club the economy and reduce consumer safety.
By: David Biello
There are some 82,000 chemicals used commercially in the U.S., but only a fraction have been tested to make sure they're safe and just five are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to congressional investigators. But a government scientist says there's no guarantee testing actually rules out health risks anyway.
Levels of the toxin in leg bones are tied to poorer scores on cognitive tests
April 3, 2009
Exposure to higher levels of environmental lead earlier in the life span may be taking a toll on the brains of older American women, a new study finds.
The Harvard study shows that women aged 47 to 74 who tested positive for lead in their blood (indicating a recent exposure to the metal) or bones (an indication of cumulative exposure over the life span) did somewhat worse on cognitive tests than those who did not show signs of lead exposure.
