August 26, 2005

Contents

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TECHNICAL NOTES: ENVIRONMENTAL 3

MEDICAL 3

OCCUPATIONAL 3

PUBLIC HEALTH 4

SAFETY 4

TAMER’S TIPS

Transport 5

HAZARD ALERT

Cyanogen Chloride 6

LEGISLATION

Climate change study ‘alarming’ 7

Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Regulations 2005 adopted 7

Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Regulation passed amending the refrigeration and air conditioning licencing scheme 7

NIOSH funds study to examine filter efficiency for nanoscale particles 8

Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations adopted 8

Surface Coating Materials Regulations adopted 8

Proposal for a Directive on marketing and use restrictions of toluene and trichlorobenzene 9

Top retailers commit to tackling packaging and food waste 9

JANET’S CORNER - NOT TOO SERIOUSLY!

Chemistry is boring 10

Bulletin Board

GOSSIP

Possible exposure to nerve agents and brain cancer deaths in Gulf War veterans 11

Potential ‘Weak Link’ between virus and liver cancer discovered 11

ASEAN nations consider greenhouse pact 11

Man too tall for job 12

Scientists measure cow emissions 12

Bad behaviour ‘linked to smoking’ 13

Sensing environmental estrogens with glowing yeast 13

Kids exposed to pesticides on school grounds 13

‘Is my baby a boy? Is it a girl?’ No one could tell me 14

Brazilian biodiesel blasts off 15

More muscle needed for built environment research 15

Fewer foodborne illnesses 15

China farmers ignore swine flu hygiene orders 16

Contents

Bulletin Board

ENVIRONMENTAL

Selenium impacts on razorback sucker, Colorado River, Colorado I. Adults

Impact assessment of various rearing systems on fish health using multibiomarker response and metal accumulation

Investigation on the status of environmental pollution in a joint venture [of] non-ferrous metal metallurgical enterprise

Can metal concentrations in indoor dust be predicted from soil geochemistry?

Mutagenicity assessment of effluents from textile/dye industries of Sanganer, Jaipur (India): a case study

MEDICAL

Safety assessment of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens)

Effect of Heavy Metals on, and Handling by, the Kidney

Changes of plasma levels of endothelin and NO in acute organophosphate poisoning patients

The mercury was removed and the microelements in human body were retained by compound pellet of soil and gold (CPSG)

Phthalate exposure and reproductive hormones in adult men

Association Between In Utero Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure and Abnormal Reflexes in Neonates

SV40 Enhances the Risk of Malignant Mesothelioma among People Exposed to Asbestos: A Molecular Epidemiologic Case-Control Study

Immunogenicity and safety of a combination pneumococcal-meningococcal vaccine in infants. A randomized controlled trial

Health effects engineering of coal and biomass combustion particulates: influence of zinc, sulfur and process changes on potential lung injury from inhaled ash

OCCUPATIONAL

Associations between XRCC1 and ERCC2 polymorphisms and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocyte among coke oven workers

Preliminary synchrotron analysis of lead in hair from a lead smelter worker

Nephrotoxic effects of ethylene glycol combined with terephthalic acid

The effect of perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate on thyroid function in workers exposed to perchlorate long-term

Reproductive outcomes in DDT applicators

Tollbooth Workers and Mobile Source-Related Hazardous Air Pollutants: How Protective Is the Indoor Environment?

DNA damage in lymphocytes of benzene exposed workers correlates with trans,trans-muconic acids and breath benzene levels

Effects of exposure to termite control drugs on immunological function of professional workers

Changes of liver function in workers long-term exposed to low-level ammonia

Technical NotesNote: Open your Web Browser and click on Heading to link to section.

Investigation on occupational hazard in workers exposed to natural silk dust

Delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase (ALAD) Polymorphism and Susceptibility of Workers Exposed to Inorganic Lead and Its Effects on Neurobehavioral Functions

Malignant atypical mesothelioma of the pleura in a worker with brief exposure to chrysotile asbestos

Influence of genetic polymorphisms on biomarkers of exposure and genotoxic effects in styrene-exposed workers

Urinary mutagenicity, CYP1A2 and NAT2 activity in textile industry workers

Exposure to ozone gases in pulp mills and the onset of rhinitis

PUBLIC HEALTH

Vehicle Self-Pollution Intake Fraction: Children’s Exposure to School Bus Emissions

Human biomonitoring in environmental medicine: Experiences with 500 patients in the environmental unit at the Augsburg Hospital/Germany

Endosulfan and its metabolites in fertile women, placenta, cord blood, and human milk

Study on lead poisoning and related factors of children aged 0-6 years in Shunde

Community-based randomized double-blind study of gastrointestinal effects and copper exposure in drinking water

Lead-free electric matches

Radioecological monitoring of transboundary rivers of the Central Asian Region

SAFETY

Upper flammability limits of some organosilicon compounds

Improved dimensioning method for full-stroke safety valves in non-flashing two- phase flow

New tools and technologies for controlled plant transgene expression and transgene flow: Safety by design

Potential of integrated functional genomics in biosafety assessments

Development and Characterization of a Wake-Controlled Exterior Hood

Methodology for evaluation of occupational dermal exposure to chemicals

Evaluation of sparking safety of powder emulsion explosives

Thermal decomposition of pyrotechnic mixtures containing sucrose with either potassium chlorate or potassium perchlorate

Technical NotesNote: Open your Web Browser and click on Heading to link to section.

Tamer’s Tip

Transport

Lists necessary details for transport purposes such as the Dangerous Goods Code, the HAZCHEM code and the Packaging Group.

The EPG (Emergency Procedure Guide) can also be viewed for a substance from the database. Information detailing spills, disposal, fire fighting and emergency procedures is provided in the EPG. The TREMCARDs (Transport and Emergency) used in Europe and Product Safety Cards used in New Zealand were described in the Custom Labels section.

Eye Protection: [2]

• Wear non-vented, impact resistant goggles when working with fumes, gases, or vapors.

• Wear indirect-vent, impact and splash resistant goggles when working with liquids.

• Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances.

• Contact lenses should not be worn when working with this substance.

Respiratory Protection: [3]

• Ventilation, local exhaust, or breathing protection.

• Pressure demand, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) (SCBA CBRN, if available) is recommended in response to non- routine emergency situations.

• CBRN, Full Facepiece APR (when available) is recommended in non- routine, emergency situation environments less than IDLH but above REL or PEL levels.

Hazard Alert

Cyanogen Chloride

Cyanogen chloride (North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] designation CK) is one of two volatile cyanide military chemical warfare agents. The other similar agent is hydrogen cyanide, or AC. These agents first were used in large quantities by the French and British during World War I. While the United States maintained 500-pound and 1000-pound CK bombs, these were not used during World War II. More recently, Iraq is suspected to have used a cyanide-like agent against the Kurds in the 1980s. [1]

Cyanogen chloride is a colorless vapor at normal temperatures, and a clear liquid at low temperatures. While it has an odor that has been variously described as “pungent,” “biting,” “pepper-like,” and “similar to tear gas,” the first indication of exposure to cyanogen chloride will usually be tearing and irritation rather than detection of any odor. [3]

Health Effects: [2]

Acute Health Effects

The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Cyanogen Chloride:

• Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.

• Breathing Cyanogen Chloride can irritate the nose and throat.

• Breathing Cyanogen Chloride can irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath.

• Exposure can cause headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, and even cause you to pass out.

Chronic Health Effects

The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Cyanogen Chloride and can last for months or years:

• Cyanogen Chloride can irritate the lungs. Repeated exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with cough, phlegm, and/or shortness of breath.

Personal Protection:

Clothing: [2]

• Avoid skin contact with Cyanogen Chloride. Wear protective gloves and clothing. Safety equipment suppliers/manufacturers can provide recommendations on the most protective glove/clothing material for your operation.

• All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean, available each day, and put on before work.

• Safety equipment manufacturers recommend Chlorinated Polyethylene as a protective material.

1. http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic910.htm2. http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/0556.pdf3. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/cyanide/erc506-77-4pr.asp4. http://cbwinfo.com/Chemical/Blood/CK.shtml

Asia Pacific

Climate change study ‘alarming’2005-08-03

Australians should expect higher temperatures, more droughts, severe cyclones and storm surges as a result of inevitable climate change, a new report says. The findings of the Climate Change, Risk and Vulnerability report could be regarded as alarming but the changes would take place over time, Environment Minister Ian Campbell said. Even if greenhouse gas emissions could be miraculously halted tomorrow, there would still be climate change because of the gases already in the environment, the government-commissioned report reveals. With expected higher temperatures, more droughts, severe cyclones and storm surges, the agricultural sector would have to look to new crops and livestock that could handle the environment, Senator Campbell said.

And it was becoming obvious there was human induced climate change through greenhouse gas emissions. “It could be painted as alarming but the reality is that these changes will happen over time,” added Senator Campbell. “They are talking about a 30-50-year time span.

“What we need to know as a nation, what the states’ governments need to know, what the emergency services need to know, town planners need to know is where are these risks the most likely to occur in the short term. “There are a whole range of things we can learn from this report and it can help us adapt.”

The Age News, 26 July 2005

http://www.theage.com.au

Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Regulations 2005 adopted2005-08-03

On 25 May 2005 the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Regulations 2005 (SLI 2005 No. 96) was adopted. The purpose of the Regulations is to facilitate the implementation of the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 as it has been adopted by parallel State and Territory legislation. The Regulations provide that certain decisions of the Regulator are reviewable, define persons taken to be the manufacturer of the product, establish a penalty infringement notice system and detail the content of Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) inspectors’ identification cards.

Enhesa Update, June 2005

Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Regulation passed amending the refrigeration and air conditioning licencing scheme2005-08-03

On 26 May 2005 the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Regulations 2005 (No. 2) entered into force. This amends the refrigeration and air conditioning arrangements in the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995 that were inserted by the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 2) on 1 January 2005. This national licencing system for technicians and businesses who buy, sell or handle ozone depleting substances or synthetic greenhouse gases in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry will commence on 1 July

Australians should expect higher temperatures, more droughts, severe cyclones and storm surges as a result of inevitable climate change...

Legislation

2005. The Regulations are made under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989.

Enhesa Update, June 2005

America

NIOSH funds study to examine filter efficiency for nanoscale particles2005-08-03

Some see the field of nanotechnology as having the potential to yield exciting medical, environmental and consumer product breakthroughs. EHS stakeholders may very well share in that excitement, but they also see some important unanswered questions pertaining to the safety of the workers who are and could be exposed to nanomaterials. A NIOSH-funded study being conducted by scientists at the University of Minnesota aims to answer one of those questions: Will the same respirator filters that protect against silica and other traditional airborne containments be sufficient to capture materials that can be tens of thousands of times smaller than a single human hair?

Preliminary findings from the study are expected to be presented at the second International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health in Minneapolis on October 3-6. Conventional knowledge, based on a substantial body of evidence, holds that airborne particles 0.3 micrometers (µm) in size are more likely to penetrate a filter than particles of other sizes, according to NIOSH. Particles larger than 0.3 µm will be blocked by filter fibers. Those smaller than 0.3 µm will be stuck on and among the fibers through a process called “diffusional capture,” NIOSH says. Consequently, if a filter captures particles 0.3 µm in size, scientists could be confident that the filter would capture particles of any size. However, little experimental work has been done to quantify the performance of filters against particles in the nanometer size range.

OH News, 2 August 2005

http://www.occupationalhazards.com/news

Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations adopted2005-08-03

On 17 May 2005, the Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations were adopted which will enter into force on 1 November 2005 repealing the Export and Import of Hazardous Wastes Regulations (EIHWR) of 1992. The Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations aim at protecting Canada’s environment and the health of its citizens from the risks posed by the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and hazardous recyclable materials through exports from and imports into Canada and at implementing Canada’s international obligations.

Enhesa Update, June 2005

Surface Coating Materials Regulations adopted2005-08-03

On 19 April 2005, the Surface Coating Materials Regulations were adopted under the Hazardous Products Act repealing the Hazardous Products (Liquid Coating Materials) Regulations of 1976. The Regulations further restrict the maximum lead level in certain coating materials and set a restriction on the

...Regulations aim at protec-ting Canada’s environment and the health of its citizens from the risks posed by the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes...

Legislation

maximum mercury level in paints and other surface coating materials.

Enhesa Update, June 2005

Europe

Proposal for a Directive on marketing and use restrictions of toluene and trichlorobenzene 2005-08-03

On 28 April 2004 the European Commission issued a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of toluene and trichlorobenzene (COM(2004)320 final). If approved, this Proposal will amend for the twenty-eighth time Council Directive 76/769/EEC relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations. The Proposed Directive would extend Annex I to Directive 76/769/EEC by adding toluene and trichlorobenzene. Marketing and use of these substances would thus be restricted.

Enhesa Update, June 2005

Top retailers commit to tackling packaging and food waste2005-08-03

Thirteen top grocery retailers have shown their commitment to waste minimisation in a new initiative to reduce the amount of packaging and food waste thrown away by the British public. Companies have all joined forces with WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) by pledging their commitment at executive level to supporting WRAP in achieving its objectives:

• to design out packaging waste growth by 2008

• to deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by March 2010

• to identify ways to tackle the problem of food waste

Known as the Courtauld Commitment, this agreement took shape at a meeting held at the Courtauld Gallery earlier this year, where Environment Minister Elliot Morley and Chief Executive of WRAPJennie Price met with representatives from the majority of the top retailers, as well as the British Retail Consortium.

Elliot Morley said, “Our food and drink industry is a major employer and a major part of our economy, but it is also a major source of waste - accounting for about ten percent of all industrial and commercial waste, notably packaging. “I am encouraged by the response of the major retailers who are taking up the challenge to shrink the amount of packaging and food waste produced both by the industry and by consumers.

DEFRA News, 26 July 2005

http://www.defra.gov.uk

Legislation

Thirteen top grocery retailers have shown their commitment to waste minimisation in a new initiative to reduce the amount of packaging and food waste thrown away by the British public.

Chemistry is boring

IT’S OFFICIAL : CHEMISTRY LECTURES ARE A YAWN.

October 9, 1995

A scientist has come up with proof of something students have known for years -- chemistry lectures are boring. In an article published in the current issue of Chemistry in Britain, a university chemistry lecturer introduced a guest lecturer to a class of 50 doctoral candidates.

Then, he and his colleagues studied variations in what he calls the HTFDR -- “head-to-floor distance reduction.” After about an hour , the average HTFDR dropped from 135cm to 121cm, said the author of the study, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The HTFDR immediately bounced back to normal when the speaker uttered the magic words: “And in conclusion . . .”

Janet’s Corner - Not Too Seriously!

Possible exposure to nerve agents and brain cancer deaths in Gulf War veterans2005-08-03

A new research paper to be published in the August 2005 issue of the American Journal of Public Health finds that Gulf War veterans who may have been exposed to nerve agents during the March 1991 weapons demolitions in Khamisiyah, Iraq, appear to have a higher risk for brain cancer death than veterans who were not exposed.

Researchers compared the causes of death in a group of 100,487 possibly exposed U.S. Army Gulf War veterans with those among 224,980 Army Gulf War veterans who were not exposed to nerve agents released during the demolitions and found no difference in overall mortality or all cancer mortality. However, exposed veterans were about twice as likely to have died from brain cancer as unexposed veterans, corresponding to roughly 12 excess deaths due to brain cancer among the 100,487 exposed veterans over a 9-year period. The study’s authors said additional research is needed to confirm their findings of a higher brain cancer death risk for some Gulf War veterans.

Science Daily, 26 July 2005

http://www.sciencedaily.com

Potential ‘Weak Link’ between virus and liver cancer discovered2005-08-03

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have uncovered a crucial molecular link between a viral infection and development of a common and fatal form of liver cancer. In the process, they have identified a possible way to treat this disease as well as a number of other cancers. In findings reported in the journal Molecular Cell, the researchers traced the pathway by which the hepatitis B virus (HBV) leads to development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and found that it “turns off” an enzyme known as GSK-3fl, which acts to suppress tumor formation as well as inhibit the spread of cancer. GSK-3fl could prove to be the Achilles heel for liver cancer and other tumors - including breast, colon, kidney and stomach - that use a similar “pathway” to cancer development, the researchers say.

“This study identified a novel mechanism for how hepatitis B primes liver cells to turn cancerous, and what we found has potential relevance for other cancers as well,” says the study’s lead author Mien-Chie Hung, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology. Hung collaborated with a team of researchers that included scientists from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, as well as Germany, Taiwan and China.

Science Daily, 26 July 2005

http://www.sciencedaily.com

ASEAN nations consider greenhouse pact2005-08-03

A number of South East Asian nations could soon sign up to a new greenhouse emissions pact backed by Australia and the United States. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said some of Australia’s South East Asian neighbours had expressed interest in the pact. Australia joined the US, China, Japan, South Korea and India in signing the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate last week in Laos. The pact, which has already has come under attack for failing to set targets to reduce emissions, commits

Gossip

...exposed veterans were about twice as likely to have died from brain cancer as unexposed veterans...

member countries to developing and sharing clean technology. Mr Downer said he hoped members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) alsso would add their signatures “The ASEAN governments were asking me whether it would be possible for them to become involved in this partnership in time, and I made it clear that once we’ve worked out how we want it all to come together we, in principle, would be very happy to see ASEAN countries become involved,” he said. “Because, you know, their economies are growing and they are significant emitters as well although not on the scale of China, India or the US.”

Under the pact, member countries must commit to developing new technologies including clean coal, wind power and nuclear technologies to help cut pollution.

Mr Downer said he believed governments and the private sector would have to join forces to fund the new technologies. He said changing price signals for the energy industry could also help drive investment in clean technologies. While precise details of the pact have not been released, Mr Downer insists it is not designed to undermine the Kyoto Protocol, which Australia and the US refused to sign. Instead, he said the pact would complement the Kyoto protocol.

Wired News, 31 July 2005

http://www.wired.com/news

Man too tall for job2005-08-03

A 6ft 10in man was told he couldn’t work as an air traffic controller because his legs would not fit under the desk. Ben Sargeaunt-Thomson, 23, accepted the job after passing an interview and tests a tribunal heard. National Air Traffic Services bosses withdrew the offer after they found Ben’s 38in legs would not fit under their desks.

He was told that cramming his legs under the desk posed a “dangerous risk” to his health. Ben even suggested he could use a special “kneeling seat” but the idea was dismissed. Ben, of Northampton, is claiming sexual discrimination because only a man would be ruled out of a job because he is too tall. Air traffic recruitment boss Andrew Hutchinson said: “I was concerned it would be dangerous to employ Ben considering the safety issues with relation to his height. It could lead to joint or circulation problems.”

Ananova News, 29 July 2005

http://www.ananova.com/news

Scientists measure cow emissions2005-08-03

Cows are being kept inside ‘bio-bubbles’ so scientists can measure gas emissions. The University of California project will be used to help write the state’s first air quality regulations for dairies.

Cows are placed inside the bio-bubbles where monitors measure the gases that they emit. It’s been estimated that an average herd of cows causes more pollution than a car. But researcher Frank Mitloehner believes the problem may have been over-estimated.

Ananova News, 27 July 2005

http://www.ananova.com/news

A 6ft 10in man was told he couldn’t work as an air traffic controller because his legs would not fit under the desk.

Gossip

Bad behaviour ‘linked to smoking’ 2005-08-03

Women who smoke in pregnancy may raise the risk of their child displaying anti-social behaviour, researchers say. There was a “small but significant” link between maternal smoking and both unruly behaviour and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, they said. The average symptom scores for both increased with the number of cigarettes the mother had smoked while pregnant, the study of 1,896 twins found. The Institute of Psychiatry work is in the British Journal of Psychiatry. The researchers said the findings did not mean unruly behaviour and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were linked, although ADHD is known to increase the risk of anti-social behaviour.

A team at the Institute of Psychiatry, in London, sent questionnaires to the parents of 723 identical twins and 1,173 non-identical twins. The parents were asked to provide information on their own smoking habits and on their children’s behaviour. Behaviour was classed as anti-social if the child bullied others, often destroyed his or her own or others’ belongings, had a habit of stealing things, often told lies or was frequently disobedient. A third of the mothers said they had smoked during pregnancy. Overall, a small minority of the children had anti-social behaviour or ADHD - 4-11%. When the researchers looked at the influence of maternal smoking, they found it contributed in a small but significant way to both disorders.

BBC News, 31 July 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health

Sensing environmental estrogens with glowing yeast2005-08-03

With the prospect of assessing thousands of chemicals as potential human and wildlife endocrine disrupters, the U.S. EPA needs faster analytical tests; current ones can take days to provide results. John Sanseverino, a research assistant professor in the center for environmental biotechnology at the University of Tennessee, who has engineered a much speedier detection device-yeast that glows in the presence of estrogens.

These yeast cells have been engineered to glow when they encounter estrogen.

Current evidence suggests that about 87,000 anthropogenic substances, such as the birth control pill, bisphenol-A, and phthalates, may be disrupting the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife. In 1996, Congress mandated that the EPA begin testing chemicals for possible endocrine disruption activity. Since then, the agency has been working to validate assays.

“The EPA’s current system takes 3-5 days,” says Sanseverino. The agency’s technology relies on mammalian cell lines grown in a medium that changes color as the cells respond to estrogens. “With ours, we get results in 2-6 hours.” His research will appear in August in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

e.hormone News, 27 July 2005

http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/news.html

Kids exposed to pesticides on school grounds2005-08-03

American children may be exposed to pesticides at school more often than their parents realize, a new study suggests. Researchers reporting in the July 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association say they found 2,593 acute pesticide-related illnesses associated with exposure in

These yeast cells have been engineered to glow when they encounter estrogen.

Gossip

schools occurring between 1998 and 2002. Just last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that roughly 90 percent of Americans carry pesticides in their bodies, the health risks of which are largely unknown.

In this latest study, both students and school employees were affected, and school pesticide use wasn’t always to blame. In about 30 percent of the cases, pesticide drift from adjacent farmland was the source of the exposure.

“We looked at surveillance data from three surveillance systems for pesticide poisoning cases from pesticide exposure at school or from drift from neighboring farms, and found approximately 2,500 cases,” said study co-author Dr. Geoffrey Calvert, a medical officer with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati. “Fortunately, most were low severity, such as skin rashes or eye irritation, but we don’t want to see any illnesses occurring,” he added. Plus, the authors noted that the actual incidence of pesticide-related illnesses may be even higher because some of the symptoms mimic other illnesses and may not be properly diagnosed.

e.hormone News, 26 July 2005

http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/news.html

‘Is my baby a boy? Is it a girl?’ No one could tell me2005-08-03

As all mothers do, Sue Green remembers vividly the moment that her first baby was born, but not for the usual reasons. “The midwife was smiling, then her face fell,” recalls Sue. “ ‘Congratulations,’ she said. ‘It’s a . . . ‘ And then there was silence.” The silence continued for some time. Doctors looked at the child. So did nurses. And, over the next few hours, medical students. But none of them said anything. With mounting anxiety, the exhausted mother asked what was wrong. “You’re not telling me something!” she remembers screaming. “Is it a boy or a girl?” But they couldn’t tell her.

Sue and her husband John had just become parents to a beautiful child that looked like a boy, but his sexual organs were terribly deformed. The baby had been born with a condition called hypospadias, a malformation whereby the opening in the penis through which urine is passed is in the wrong place. In mild cases it is slightly off centre, but in more severe cases it might be at the base of the penis or even beneath the scrotum. In the case of their son, Mark, they couldn’t find an opening at all. Nor could they identify a penis; it was somehow fused to a tiny scrotum. In fact, it took four weeks of chromosome tests to establish that the baby was a boy.

This augured years of difficult times and painful surgery ahead. Taken as part of a bigger picture, cases such as Mark’s - corrected after six operations over three years - are raising the alarm among medical scientists across the industrialised world, because what happened to him is happening more often to newborn babies in families with no history of the condition. It is part of a growing incidence of genital deformities, poor fertility rates and an explosion in testicular cancers that, together, are screaming out that something is wrong.

As yet, no one can say for sure what causes the problems. However, there are suspicions about chemicals in the environment - compounds that have the potential to upset the delicate balance of hormones in the body. Prosaically called “endocrine disrupters”, they touch on every aspect of our lives. They are found in the plastics, carpets and fabrics all around you. Tiny amounts are found in your milk, vegetables and in some packaging surrounding your food. They are in your make-up, perfumes, face creams and the sun lotions that protect your skin. They are in the pesticides that allow your food to grow - and even in the coatings of slow-release medicines. In fact, there is nothing

As all mothers do, Sue Green remembers vividly the moment that her first baby was born, but not for the usual reasons.

Gossip

that you can do to avoid them.

e.hormone News, 26 July 2005

http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/news.html

Brazilian biodiesel blasts off2005-08-03

With its immense agricultural sector, Brazil has the raw materials to become a leader in biodiesel production. Now it’s building the capacity to turn these resources into fuel. This spring the country saw the opening of its first two biodiesel production plants. Brazilian president Luiz In·cio Lula da Silva said the national biodiesel program will provide not only fuel but also jobs in some of the country’s poorest areas. By 2008, Brazilian investment in biodiesel will reach US$515 million, with production nearing 211 million gallons. Brazilian gas stations were first authorized to sell biodiesel in January 2005. Fuel distributors can add up to 2% biodiesel to conventional diesel. In 2008, the addition will become mandatory.

Environmental Health Perspectives, August 2005

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov

More muscle needed for built environment research2005-08-03

Over half the U.S. population fails to meet the Surgeon General’s recommendations for physical activity. How much are the surroundings we build for ourselves to blame? And of the myriad ways available to alter the built environment, which would have the greatest impact on physical activity levels? A January 2005 report by the National Academies’ Transportation Research Board and the Institute of Medicine says more interdisciplinary research is needed before these and other questions can be answered. The report calls for a multiagency collaboration to develop and fund an appropriate research agenda.

Environmental Health Perspectives, August 2005

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov

Fewer foodborne illnesses2005-08-03

A concerted federal effort appears to be paying off in fewer cases of some foodborne illnesses, according to the 15 April 2005 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. From 1996 to 2004, the incidence of E. coli O157 poisoning decreased 42%, Campylobacter infections decreased 31%, Cryptosporidium infections decreased 40%, and Yersinia infections decreased 45%. Salmonella infections overall were down 8%, although only one of the five most common strains decreased significantly. Shigella infections also did not change significantly, and Vibrio infections saw a 47% rise.

FDA recommendations enacted in 2002 have led to improvements in commercial food handling systems, and educational programs have informed the public about preventing food hazards. The report says more work is needed across the farm-to-table continuum to understand and control still-problematic pathogens.

Environmental Health Perspectives, August 2005

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov

Over half the U.S. population fails to meet the Surgeon General’s recommenda-tions for physical activity.

Gossip

China farmers ignore swine flu hygiene orders2005-08-03

Many frugal farmers in southwest China are refusing to bury infected pigs safely, Chinese media said on Tuesday, raising fears that a deadly swine flu could spread further after infecting almost 200 people and killing 36. Draconian measures were in place around the Chinese capital to prevent infection. The Beijing News said city authorities had blocked inward shipments of about 4,000 tonnes of pork and pork products from stricken Sichuan province up to July 31. Many impoverished Sichuan farmers, having already bought piglets, inoculation and feed, are refusing to spend more on burying sick pigs with disinfectant. Instead, they slaughter them and eat the meat themselves. “Households are not following guidelines in dealing with sick and dead pigs to prevent possible harm,” the Beijing News said.

Google News, 2 August 2005

http://news.google.com/news/gnhealthleftnav.html

Gossip