Contaminants: Chemicals, Metals and Particles
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Contaminants
General Information
NEWS:
9/11 Responders May Be At Raised Myeloma Risk
Asbestos fibres in carpet underlay
BPA, chemical used to make plastics, found to leach from polycarbonate drinking bottles into humans
China birth defects 'up sharply' “A 2007 commission report said the rate of defects had risen 40% since 2001, from 104.9 per 10,000 births to 145.5 in 2006. Officials blame emissions from Shanxi's large coal and chemical industry for the problems there. "The problem of birth defects is related to environmental pollution, especially in eight main coal zones," …”
Concerns raised over Asian dental products
Functional MRI Shows Permanent Brain Damage From Lead Poisoning in Early Childhood “New research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate brain function has found that adults who were exposed to lead as young children incur permanent brain injury.”
Home Repair Raises Lead Levels in Kids “Repair, renovation, and painting of older homes can raise lead in the blood of children living in such environments to dangerous levels, the CDC says. In a study in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, construction and renovation activities were identified as probable sources of lead exposure in 14% of children in New York (outside New York City) with highly elevated lead levels. In the cases of the affected children, renovations often included sanding and scraping, removal of painted materials or structures, and other activities known to release particles of lead-based paint.”
How Healthy Is Your Water Bottle?
Intense, Prolonged Exposure To World Trade Center Attack Linked To New Health Problems Years Later
Landmark U.S. Geological Survey Study Demonstrates How Methylmercury, Known to Contaminate Seafood, Originates in the Ocean “A new landmark study published today documents for the first time the process in which increased mercury emissions from human sources across the globe, and in particular from Asia, make their way into the North Pacific Ocean and as a result contaminate tuna and other seafood. Because much of the mercury that enters the North Pacific comes from the atmosphere, scientists have predicted an additional 50 percent increase in mercury in the Pacific by 2050 if mercury emission rates continue as projected.”
Lead In The Blood Increases Women's Mortality “This study shows that environmental toxicants, such as lead, may account for some of the burden of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. It kills nearly half a million women in the United States every year, more than the next five causes of death combined and nearly twice as many as all forms of cancer, including breast cancer. The authors conclude, "While the damage may already have been done for some older people, it is important that we recognize the harm that environmental exposure to lead can cause. We must remain vigilant and ensure that lead pollution is minimized for the sake of future generations' health".”
Lead Sickens 1,300 Children in China “Lead pollution from a newly opened and unlicensed manganese smelter has poisoned more than 1,300 children in southeastern China’s Hunan Province, state-run media said on Thursday, the second case of mass lead poisoning in the past month.”
Lead-based Consumer Paint Remains A Global Public Health Threat “In a new study, Scott Clark, PhD, and his team have found that approximately 73 percent of consumer paint brands tested from 12 countries representing 46 percent of the world’s population exceeded current U.S. standard of 600 parts per million (ppm) for lead in paint. In addition, 69 percent of the brands had at least one sample exceeding 10,000 ppm. With the majority of American consumer goods being produced overseas, Clark says that lead paint exposure remains a serious global health threat.”
Market survey on toxic metals contained in tattoo inks. (Sci Total Environ. 2009)
Mercury in fish is widespread, U.S. survey finds “"This science sends a clear message that our country must continue to confront pollution, restore our nation's waterways, and protect the public from potential health dangers," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement. Mercury consumed by eating fish can damage the nervous system and cause learning disabilities in developing fetuses and young children. The main source of mercury to most of the streams tested, according to the researchers, is emissions from coal-fired power plants. The mercury released from smokestacks here and abroad rains down into waterways, where natural processes convert it into methylmercury — a form that allows the toxin to wind its way up the food chain into fish. High levels in Southeast Some of the highest levels in fish were detected in the remote blackwater streams along the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana, where bacteria in surrounding forests and wetlands help in the conversion. The second-highest concentration of mercury was detected in largemouth bass from the North Fork of the Edisto River near Fairview Crossroads, S.C.”
Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated With Mercury, New Study Finds “Mercury was found in nearly 50 percent of tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new article published today in the scientific journal, Environmental Health. A separate study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) detected mercury in nearly one-third of 55 popular brandname food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient-including products by Quaker, Hershey's, Kraft and Smucker's. HFCS use has skyrocketed in recent decades as the sweetener has replaced sugar in many processed foods. HFCS is found in sweetened beverages, breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS. Consumption by teenagers and other high consumers can be up to 80 percent above average levels. "Mercury is toxic in all its forms," said IATP's David Wallinga, M.D., and a co-author in both studies. "Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply.”
Phthalate Exposure Linked to Less-Masculine Play by Boys
Plastics Chemical Tied to Aggression in Young Girls “In the latest study to suggest an association between the plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and adverse effects on humans, researchers report that BPA may affect the behavior of little girls. Girls exposed to higher levels of BPA displayed more "externalizing" behaviors, such as aggression and hyperactivity, according to the study, which is published in the Oct. 6 online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives. "We found almost all of the women [in the study] had detectable levels of bisphenol A in at least one of the tests, and elevated concentrations were associated with externalizing behaviors in female children," said study author Joe Braun, a graduate student and research assistant in epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Not everyone agreed with the study's conclusions, however. "This type of study has no capability to establish cause and effect, only associations. At the end of the study, the authors even point out that the results 'should be viewed cautiously,'" noted Steven Hentges, executive director of the polycarbonate/BPA global group at the American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemicals industry. BPA is a commonly used chemical that's found in hard plastics and epoxy resins. The chemical is used in water bottles, food containers, infant bottles and medical devices. BPA may also be found in the lining of canned foods. Most human exposure comes through diet when the chemical leaches into food and beverages from the containers, according to the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Previous studies suggest that more than 90 percent of people in the United States have detectable levels of BPA in their urine.”
Plastics Chemical, Bisphenol A, Retards Growth, Function Of Adult Reproductive Cells
Report Finds Toxins Common in Products for Children, Pets “The group tested the products for such chemicals as lead, brominated flame retardants (BFR), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), cadmium, arsenic and mercury, which studies have linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer. “The more we test, the more we find that the presence of toxic chemicals is widespread in everyday consumer products," said Jeff Gearhart, Research Director at the Ecology Center, who created the site. "It should not be the responsibility of public health advocates to test these products. Product manufacturers and legislators must take the lead and replace dangerous substances with safe alternatives." Gearhart said children and pets are especially vulnerable to the chemicals found in these products, which are common in our homes, schools, daycares, offices, and cars.”
Strategy Being Devised To Protect Use of BPA: Groups Hope to Block Ban of Chemical “Manufacturers of cans for beverages and foods and some of their biggest customers, including Coca-Cola, are trying to devise a public relations and lobbying strategy to block government bans of a controversial chemical used in the linings of metal cans and lids. According to internal notes of a private meeting, obtained by The Washington Post, frustrated industry executives huddled for hours Thursday trying to figure out how to tamp down public concerns over the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA. The notes said the executives are particularly concerned about the views of young mothers, who often make purchasing decisions for households and who are most likely to be focused on health concerns. “
Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products
Use of Polycarbonate Bottles and Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations EHP 2009 (EHP 2009) “Conclusions One week of polycarbonate bottle use increased urinary BPA concentrations by two thirds. Regular consumption of cold beverages from polycarbonate bottles is associated with a substantial increase in urinary BPA concentrations irrespective of exposure to BPA from other sources.”
World's Highest Drug Levels Entering India Stream “Last year, The Associated Press reported that trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals had been found in drinking water provided to at least 46 million Americans. But the wastewater downstream from the Indian plants contained 150 times the highest levels detected in the U.S. … At first, Joakim Larsson, an environmental scientist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, questioned whether 100 pounds a day of ciprofloxacin could really be running into the stream. The researcher was so baffled by the unprecedented results he sent the samples to a second lab for independent analysis. When those reports came back with similarly record-high levels, Larsson knew he was looking at a potentially serious situation. After all, some villagers fish in the stream's tributaries, while others drink from wells nearby. Livestock also depend on these watering holes.”
ARTICLES:
15 Toxic Ingredients in Personal Care
Lipstick and Lead: Questions and Answers
Stimulus takes on stubborn foe — lead in homes
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
A Prospective Study of Bone Lead Concentration and Death From All Causes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Cancer in the Department of Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (Circulation. 2009) “Conclusions— We found bone lead to be associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in an environmentally exposed population with low blood lead levels. This study suggests that cumulative lead exposure from prior decades of high environmental exposures continues to significantly affect risk of death despite recent declines in environmental lead exposure.”
Drinking water contamination by chromium and lead in industrial lands of Karachi. (J Pak Med Assoc. 2009)
Hunting with lead: Association between blood lead levels and wild game consumption. (Environ Res. 2009)
Use of oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (succimer) in adult patients with inorganic lead poisoning. (QJM. 2009)
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