MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'environmental health'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:01:00 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5020726&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F07%2F10%2Fenvironmental-public-health%2F http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/ The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network) is a system of integrated health, exposure, and hazard information and data from a variety of national, state, and city sources. On the Tracking Network, you can view maps, tables, and charts with data about: chemicals and other substances found in the environment some chronic diseases and conditions the area where you live (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5020726 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 18:57:52 +0100 5020726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4986171&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F06%2F30%2Fpoor-housing-health-issues%2F According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, poor housing conditions in the United States have been linked to childhood lead poisoning, asthma, and other adverse health effects. June was Home Safety Month - Did your home get a check-up? Find out how to maintain a healthy home at the CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network site:  http://bit.ly/kj0Pmx (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4986171 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:46:04 +0100 4986171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984415&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_UfOKyFyi-o%2F Just in time for the July 4th weekend, the Natural Resources Defense Council is advising beachgoers to beware. “Our nation’s beaches continue to suffer from bacterial pollution that puts swimmers at risk,” the environmental group says. Last year was the second-worst for beach closings and health warnings in the 21 years that the group has been tracking the issue, with 24,091. The problem: bacteria that sickens as many as 3.5 million Americans each year with illnesses like skin rashes, pink eye, meningitis and hepatitis.  Children are especially vulnerable, the NRDC report says. Talk about raining on the parade. And that’s part of the point: David Beckman, NRDC’s Water Director, tells USA Today that would-be beachgoers should hold off after a rainstorm, when b... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984415 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:22:01 +0100 4984415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4936901&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Fsafe-in-toxic-world%2F http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/toc.htm Change Agent Issue 32 This issue of The Change Agent, produced in collaboration with TERC’s Statistics for Action project, will explore the local environment and will tell our stories of environmental clean-ups and community efforts to identify pollution sources and deal with them. Includes inspiring articles by learners and lots of math and science, as well as reading and writing and opportunities for critical thinking. (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4936901 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:33:27 +0100 4936901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4923280&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F06%2F13%2Fclimate-change-ph%2F Climate Change: Mastering the Public Health Role June 29, 2011 12:30 pm-1:30 pm EST Registration required:] https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=kuy60aki9vpf Climate change is one of the most serious health threats facing our nation.  Public health professionals have a key role to play in responding to and preparing for these health threats.  Much can be learned from current public health efforts to prevent and prepare for climate-related impacts.  Last year’s webinar series brought together experts in the field of climate change to discuss topics such as climate science, health risk communication, adaptation strategies and more.  This year, we bring you a continuation of the series featuring speakers who will highlight state and local public health practices, climate ... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4923280 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:22:27 +0100 4923280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893368&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F03%2Fpost-on-health-reform-and-medicare-tops-mays-ha-blog-most-read-list%2F Thomas Saving’s and John Goodman’s post on the implications of the Affordable Care Act for Medicare leads the list of most-read Health Affairs Blog posts for May. On the list as well are posts on the hazards of ignoring the lessons of the Clinton years; the opportunities offered by clinical registries; and the implications of [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893368 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:40:41 +0100 4893368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4885697&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F05%2F31%2Faraticles-of-note%2F Eye Health and Latino Farm Workers http://ht.ly/4MAim Article Abstract from the Journal of Agromedicine:  Farmworkers face a variety of risk factors for eye injuries. Measures of eye protection use and of eye safety knowledge and beliefs are based on a survey of 300 Latino farmworkers in North Carolina. Few farmworkers report using eye protection (8.3%); most (92.3%) report that employers do not provide eye protection. Approximately 70% report that they are not trained in preventing eye injuries; 81% believe that their chances of getting an eye injury are low. Many farmworkers choose to take risks in order to save time. Interventions are needed that target farmworker knowledge and beliefs about eye safety. [J Agromedicine. 2011 April; 16(2): 143–152.] doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2011.55477... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4885697 Tue, 31 May 2011 22:12:28 +0100 4885697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862491&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F24%2Fprotecting-children-from-environmental-chemical-exposures-an-economic-priority%2F In the May Health Affairs issue, Sarah Vogel and Judy Roberts map out the disastrous history of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the major legislation that regulates chemicals.  TSCA makes it difficult for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restrict use of any of the 62,000 chemicals already in commerce.  It does not [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862491 Tue, 24 May 2011 13:03:06 +0100 4862491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820795&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fcommunity-development-and-health-is-topic-of-november-ha-cluster%2F Health Affairs plans a thematic cluster for its November 2011 issue on the topic of community development and health. Manuscript submissions are due no later than July 5, 2011. Papers will be selected for the issue based on competitive review. The publication of this cluster is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which in [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820795 Fri, 13 May 2011 21:42:55 +0100 4820795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813231&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2Fstrengthen-restrictions-on-health-threatening-chemicals-says-study%2F With growing evidence of the link between exposure to toxic chemicals and chronic diseases, especially in children, the United States needs to step up its efforts to protect the public from hazardous chemicals, say researchers writing in the May issue of Health Affairs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stymied by the outdated Toxic Substances Control [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813231 Tue, 10 May 2011 15:16:51 +0100 4813231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4805963&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F05%2F09%2Fenvironmental-information%2F Monday, May 23 — Friday, June 10, 2011 University of New Mexico, Informatics Training Laboratory This course is for MS students and professionals with a BS in biology, geology, ecology, or other environmental sciences, environmental engineering, geography or science librarianship  Scientists, engineers, and data librarians are working in an increasingly data-intensive research environment. The Environmental Information Management (EIM) Institute provides MS and PhD students and professionals with the conceptual and practical hands-on training that allows them to effectively design, manage, analyze, visualize, and preserve data and information. Participants completing the three-week Institute will be at a significant competitive advantage as they pursue further academic and professio... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4805963 Mon, 09 May 2011 17:11:31 +0100 4805963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789192&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F05%2Fhealth-systems-and-environmental-health-reducing-harm-and-costs%2F Editor’s Note: In our April issue, Health Affairs examined efforts to improve quality in hospitals and other health care settings. Our May issue, which will be published online later this week, looks at the myriad connections between the environment and health. These two themes come together in the blog post below, which examines how hospitals have sought [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789192 Thu, 05 May 2011 20:04:33 +0100 4789192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789194&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F04%2Fenvironmental-illness-in-children-costs-76-6-billion-annually%2F Poor childhood health caused by environmental factors, such as air pollution and exposure to toxic chemicals, cost the United States $76.6 billion in 2008, according to a new study in the May issue of Health Affairs. This price tag represents a dramatic increase,  from 2.8 percent of total health care costs in 1997 to 3.5 [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789194 Wed, 04 May 2011 13:38:56 +0100 4789194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780284&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F03%2Fhealth-affairs-briefing-reminder-environmental-challenges-for-health%2F Tomorrow, on Wednesday,  May 4, Health Affairs will hold a Washington D.C. briefing in connection with its first ever issue on environmental health. National environmental health and policy experts will discuss the state of environmental health and its future, and will present new research in the field. The briefing and Health Affairs issue on environmental [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780284 Tue, 03 May 2011 16:30:33 +0100 4780284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4759480&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Ftoxic-world%2F http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/ The Change Agent, March 2011 This issue of The Change Agent, produced in collaboration with TERC’s Statistics for Action project, will explore the local environment and will tell our stories of environmental clean-ups and community efforts to identify pollution sources and deal with them. Includes inspiring articles by learners and lots of math and science, as well as reading and writing and opportunities for critical thinking. [HealthLiteracy listserv] (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4759480 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:48:55 +0100 4759480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753650&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F26%2Fhealth-affairs-briefing-environmental-challenges-for-health%2F Amid the ongoing debate over restructuring health care and implementing health reform, other factors that could affect health usually get far less attention.  One, the recently enacted $1.6 billion cut in the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency for fiscal 2011, could impair the agency’s ability to enforce rules governing clean air and water. Also [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753650 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:59:40 +0100 4753650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714690&cid=t_106585_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F15%2Fsunbeds-regulation-act-2010-guidance-on-the-implementation-of-the-sunbeds-regulation-act-2010%2F Title: Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010: Guidance on the implementation of the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 Skinny: Guidence report for local authorities to support enforcement of the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 The purpose of this guidance is to support local authority authorised officers in successfully implementing the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 (the Act), which comes into force on 8 April 2011. The main purpose of the Act is to prevent the use of sunbeds on commercial business premises by children and young people under the age of 18. The Act also contains powers for further regulation. The Welsh Assembly Government intends to introduce the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 (Wales) Regulations 2011 in October 2011 to further regulate sunbed businesses in Wales. At this time, the Secreta... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714690 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:45:58 +0100 4714690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4671631&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F04%2F01%2Fwebinar-radiation-emergency%2F https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=m20k3gqn91v0 Tuesday, April 5 12:00 p.m., ET “Crisis in Japan: medical and public health implications of a radiation emergency,” will explore scenarios involving individual- and population-based exposures. The program also will address the different types of ionizing radiation, relative medical and public health consequences of radiation exposure, and diagnostic and treatment considerations for acute radiation syndrome. The program will provide information for physicians and other health professionals to advise patients and the public on necessary steps to prepare for a radiation emergency. [MRCLEADERS-L listserv] (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4671631 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:48:20 +0100 4671631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4616595&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F03%2F20%2Fep-resources%2F Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) Toolkit http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/surveillance/ The Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Health Studies Branch (DEHHE/HSB) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) toolkit to assist personnel from any local, regional, state, or federal public health departments in conducting the CASPER during disaster. One of the main objectives in developing this toolkit is to standardize the assessment procedures focusing on United States disaster response. The CASPER toolkit provides guidelines on data collection tool development, methodology, sample selection, training, data collection, analysis, and report ... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4616595 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:11:42 +0100 4616595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4580893&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpregnant-women-and-exposure-to-paint%2F2011.03.13 I came across an article the other day about paint and pregnancy. Yes, that paint — the kind that you put on a canvas or slap on your walls. Did you know that paint is made of pigment particles in a liquid base called a medium? Oil paints are thinned or cleaned with paint thinners. Latex paints are thinned or cleaned with water. Most paint that’s used in the home is latex. Can environmental forces affected pregnancy? The short answer is “yes,” according to the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), whose mission is to study malformations of the unborn. Regarding paint and pregnancy, the amount of exposure is important. A one-time household exposure causes fewer problems than ongoing exposure through a work setting. And there have been medical stu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4580893 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:00:06 +0100 4580893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4571635&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F03%2F10%2Furban-physical-environments%2F This report explores two aspects of the urban physical environment known to negatively affect health: outdoor air pollution and heat extremes. This report shows that those who are already more vulnerable to poor health may be at increased risk of being exposed to the effects of air pollution and heat extremes because of the areas in which they live.” [WHO/PAHO Equity Listserv] (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4571635 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:21:08 +0100 4571635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532979&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F02%2F28%2Fgulf-study%2F A new study that will look at possible health effects of the Gulf of Mexico’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill on 55,000 cleanup workers and volunteers begins today in towns across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The GuLF STUDY (Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study) is the largest health study of its kind ever conducted among cleanup workers and volunteers, and is one component of a comprehensive federal response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The study is being conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, and is expected to last up to 10 years Many agencies, researchers, outside experts, as well as  members of the local community, have provided input into how the study should be designed and impleme... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532979 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 03:28:43 +0100 4532979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540544&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F17%2Ffoundation-blogs-round-up-health-reform-disparities-global-health-obesity-and-more%2F%3Fcat%3Dgrantwatch As my work week draws to a close, I have put together a quick listing of some foundation-related posts that I think you might want to check out. If your foundation has a blog about health care and it is not listed on GrantWatch Blog’s Blogroll, let me know about it! Disparities in Health: “Poll [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540544 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:56:06 +0100 4540544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4373577&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fconferences-17%2F Call for Poster Abstracts Fourth Evidence-Based Practice on the Frontline:  Building a Culture of Quality, Safety and Nursing Professionalism April 14 Holiday Inn Executive Center Columbia, MO http://bit.ly/ijGFhE To provide a forum to explore how front line nurses can discover and use the latest evidence to guide their everyday practice in order to improve nursing care and patient outcomes. EPA Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call February 3, 2011 at 3 p.m. ET http://bit.ly/fiTzfC Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice one of EPA’s top priorities. http://bit.ly/i2h1hu In support of this priority, we invite environmental justice advocates to participate on our next Quarterly Environmental J... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4373577 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:43:52 +0100 4373577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4356425&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F01%2F17%2Fbuilding-capacity-to-reduce-children%25e2%2580%2599s-environmental-exposures-in-child-occupied-settings-grant%2F The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection is pleased to announce the release of a solicitation for grant proposals to address children’s environmental health in underserved communities by building capacity for these communities to reduce environmental exposures in child-occupied settings, eg, homes, schools and child care centers.  Funds available for award are expected to total approximately $1.5 million, and EPA intends to award approximately 15-20 awards, each for an amount not to exceed $100,000.  The due date for initial proposals is February 18, 2011.  For complete information regarding this Request for Initial Proposals, see http://bit.ly/igTcve [CBPR Listserv] (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4356425 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:01:31 +0100 4356425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4332340&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F01%2F11%2Fscience-resources%2F Connecting Middle School Students to Environmental Health Information http://www.kidsenvirohealth.nlm.nih.gov Introducing the Environmental Health Student Portal from the National Library of Medicine January 10, 2011 – The National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Specialized Information Services Division announces the launch of the Environmental Health Student Portal (http://www.kidsenvirohealth.nlm.nih.gov).  This Web site introduces middle school students to environmental health science within the context of current middle school science curriculum standards.  This newest edition to the family of NLM resources for students is a FREE non-subscription- based Web site that contains links to government and other reviewed and selected sites and provides a safe and reliable environment f... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4332340 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:16:57 +0100 4332340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4300534&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FeIRNYaWR7wE%2F Also: nutritional labels to hit meat in 2012; Nintendo warns on 3-D games for young users; first organ donor dies. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4300534 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 13:41:43 +0100 4300534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272946&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D12817 Webinar Series- What Healthy Communities Need from their Transportation Networks http://bit.ly/eBkviE Public health and transportation professionals have the opportunity to participate in a new, four-part webinar series in 2011 that covers how transportation systems impact health in diverse communities across the nation. This series explores the intersections between health and transportation, highlights innovative state and local programs that leverage opportunities in transportation that benefit health, and explains what the future may hold for the federal surface transportation Webinar 1: Community Health and Transportation Planning on Tuesday, January 18,  2-3 pm EST (11-12 pm PST, 1-2pm CST) Webinar 2: The Health Benefits from Active Transportation on Tuesday, February 15, 2-3 pm E... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272946 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:30:09 +0100 4272946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4122354&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D11923 The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting the Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call November 4, 2010 from 4-5pm EST Conference Line: (866) 453-9042, Conference ID: 21401789 EPA cordially invites you to participate on the next Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call. As EPA continues to expand the conversation on environmentalism and work for environmental justice, EPA remains dedicated to engaging community stakeholders to better identify and address issues that concern overburdened communities. On November 4th, EPA will provide community stakeholders with an update on recent Agency environmental justice activities. We will also make sure that participants have time to raise matters that are important to your communities. For more information, and if you would like to pr... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4122354 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 12:05:43 +0100 4122354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105774&cid=t_106585_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F26%2Fthe-stressful-situation-of-disease%2F In this study, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham recruited 148 African and European-America children about eight years of age. Children were seen up to five times during a period of nine years. At each study visit, cortisol was measured in the children’s blood samples. Unemployment, poverty, female-headed households with children and vacant houses were used to determine neighborhood environments. Researchers adjusted for differences, including age, weight, gender and other personal factors. Overall, children who lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods had lower levels of cortisol. When the researchers looked closer at the role of race on the results, they found that the association between neighborhood and decreased cortisol was greatest in African-American children... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105774 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:01:20 +0100 4105774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4068448&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D11661 October 15 is Blog Action Day http://blogactionday.change.org/ The focus of annual event this year is on access to clean safe drinking water. In support of water as a human right, an environmental issue, a global issue that effects us all, I wanted to share some resources from the National Library of Medicine on water! ToxTown is a fun website on environmental health concerns (how can anyone make that fun?). The link to Drinking water http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/locations.php?id=18 on ToxTown provides a good basic understanding of where drinking water comes from, how it can be contaminated and what some health effects occur if people consume contaminated water.  In addition to the basic overview, the page provides a list of links to resources from the National Library of Medic... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4068448 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:07:48 +0100 4068448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060571&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FFyx8vtJ8IIk%2F Also: Cerberus/Caritas Christi deal poised to clear hurdle; bilingualism protects functioning from dementia symptoms; Ft. Bragg investigation. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060571 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:33:53 +0100 4060571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4037585&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D11527 http://blogactionday.change.org/ Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action. (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4037585 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 02:21:36 +0100 4037585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027217&cid=t_106585_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F04%2Fthe-situation-of-illness%2F Situationist readers may want to check out a new website and blog devoted to the problem of environmental sources of illness.  The website is devoted primarily to video interviews of experts studying, and activists fighting, the effects of environmental toxins.  So far, the Upstream website has fascinating interviews of Columbia University’s Dr. Frederica Perera and of Drs. Carlos Sonnenschein and Ana M. Soto from Tufts University. The Upstram Blog contains regular updates of environmental-health news stories. In a culture and policy regime that focuses on individual causes and cures of disease, the Upstream project seems like a promising and worthwhile resource for those interested in a more situationist perspective. * * * To review a sample of related Situationist posts, see &#82... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027217 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:02:43 +0100 4027217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3995237&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D11273 6th Annual Healthy Indoor Environments Conference http://www.hiech.org/conference/ FREE REGISTRATION FOR EVERYONE!! Through new special conference sponsorships we are proud to announce that the 6th Annual Healthy Indoor Environments Conference is NOW FREE TO EVERYONE!  To get breakfast and lunch INCLUDED for BOTH DAYS, you must register at the web site so we can get a head count to order the food. If you do not register, food will not be provided for you. The conference is proud to highlight local experts from the four state region of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska as well as national experts, presenting topics relating to the built environment and how it impacts public health and wellbeing. This year’s Conference will be held October 7 – 8, 2010, at the Overland Park Convent... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3995237 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 02:42:54 +0100 3995237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3939425&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D11045 BP will provide additional funds for research The National Institutes of Health will launch a multi-year study this fall to look at the potential health effects from the oil spill in the Gulf region. The Gulf Worker Study, announced by NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., in June, is in response to the largest oil spill in U.S. history, caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Collins pledged $10 million in NIH funding for the study’s initial phases. NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services have had a continuous presence in the Gulf since the explosion occurred. The NIEHS Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) used its 24 years of experience preparing people for hazardous conditions to contribute t... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3939425 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:26:07 +0100 3939425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3904740&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D10979 New Orleans Five Years After the Storm: A New Disaster Amid Recovery http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8089.cfm This comprehensive survey of the experiences of New Orleans residents is the third in a series conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation since 2005.  Five years after Hurricane Katrina, an increasing majority of the city’s residents says the rebuilding process is going well, but substantial majorities still report that the city has not recovered and feel the nation has forgotten them.  The survey also finds the scope and immediacy of the Gulf oil spill weighing heavily on New Orleans residents’ minds. Report Analyzes Implications for Health Inequities of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The new health care reform law establishes a strong foundation for eliminati... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3904740 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:48:13 +0100 3904740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3869834&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D10769 http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/call.pdf When people think of “the environment,” they often imagine natural landscapes—forests, oceans, and mountains. But your home and yard and nearby parks, schools, and businesses, your workplace, the bus stop on the corner—these are the “environments” that you function in every day. The health of these environments affects your health. Are there toxins in the air, soil, and water in your neighborhood? What chemicals are in the paint or vinyl on your home, the exhaust from buses and planes, and the waste from nearby factories? How do these things affect your health or your children’s health? What is anyone doing about it? The next issue of The Change Agent (in collaboration with TERC’s Statistics for Action) will explore the local enviro... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3869834 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:06:45 +0100 3869834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872528&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FzCjzB-g1wKw%2F Writing in JAMA, scientists warned of possible direct effects on the skin and respiratory system, as well as indirect impact on mental health and seafood safety. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872528 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:19:37 +0100 3872528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3850218&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D10657 http://bit.ly/dCgA3L At the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the IOM convened a public workshop June 22-23 to begin planning for the surveillance of the Gulf oil spill’s effects on human health. Speakers explored the potential adverse health effects for at-risk populations living in the Gulf region or assisting with clean-up activities. Participants also discussed current monitoring activities, the types of research methods and data sources currently available, and options to consider when developing short- and long-term surveillance plans. Additionally, participants considered effective ways to communicate potential health risks to the public and to engage them in research on the spill’s effects. This document summarizes the workshop. (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3850218 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:04:46 +0100 3850218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802384&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-consequences-and-ecological-effects-of-the-oil-spill%2F2010.07.29 The health consequences of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could be really serious and may include cancer, respiratory diseases, and hormonal disruptions. These health effects and the ecological issues are shown on a new infographic. Click on the image for the full version: *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802384 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:00:43 +0100 3802384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786128&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=38261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vibrantglow.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fare-xenoestrogens-ruining-your-girlish.html When your hormones are perfectly in balance, you feel like you can conquer the world, but when they are off, they can make add volume to your belly, hips and thighs; may cause a number of health problems; and ignite terrible mood swings.While a number of factors influence the balance of our hormones, women in many developed nations have an additional man-made force playing havoc on our hormones that our great grandmothers didn't have to contend with--xenoestrogens, compounds that mimic estrogen in our bodies and can alter hormonal activity. They are found in plastics, pesticides and growth hormones given to livestock and poultry, which we consume.Since men are also inundated with these chemicals, they are also suffering from estrogen dominance when exposed to xenoestrogens, ... Vibrant Glow blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786128 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:20:00 +0100 3786128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780356&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoes-anesthesia-contribute-to-the-end-of-the-world%2F2010.07.22 In a development that may have you undergo your next medical procedure the old-fashioned way, two researchers from the University of California-San Francisco and the University of Oslo are reporting that inhaled anesthetics significantly contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer and add to the overall global warming gas content in the atmosphere. Moreover, the study’s authors conclude with some valuable advice for your own practice: “From our calculations, avoiding N2O and unnecessarily high fresh gas flow rates can reduce the environmental impact of inhaled anesthetics.” We’d like to venture even further. Not only would we recommend closed-circuit, low-flow anesthesia even with sevoflurane (damn those kidneys!), we’d also suggest that patients arrive b... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780356 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:00:01 +0100 3780356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3711780&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D10173 The University of Idaho is pleased to announce a new Professional Science Master’s (PSM) in Natural Resources and Environmental Science. The PSM is an innovative interdisciplinary degree that prepares graduates for science careers in business, government, or nonprofit sectors, and focuses on sustainability science as it applies to natural resources and the environment. They have 6 $25K National Science Foundation fellowships to award; minority and other students interested can find more information at http://www.uidaho.edu/cogs/psm.aspx (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3711780 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:11:34 +0100 3711780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695516&cid=t_106585_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F24%2Flots-of-iom-presentations-on-the-oil-spill-and-human-health-now-available%2F Normally this is the kind of thing I’d just share over Twitter, but it was all failwhale when I tried. The Institute of Medicine just wrapped up a meeting, Assessing the Human Health Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: An Institute of Medicine Workshop. If you go to the meeting page and look to your right, where it says “Other Meeting Resources,” there is a Presentations section. There are a whole bunch of presentations freely available there, on topics including human health effects generally, pregnancy, mental health, child health, occupational hazards for cleanup workers and volunteers, monitoring for effects and public health surveillance, and other concerns. Filed under: Health, Miscellaneous (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695516 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:27:57 +0100 3695516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690817&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FbhU2e453aOA%2F The study looked at 1,397 British kids aged up to 4 years with cancer, then compared them to similar kids who didn't have cancer. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690817 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:45:41 +0100 3690817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690818&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FzZ31sZRP0kg%2F Also: another look at the Avandia brouhaha; small businesses and their health-insurance choices; health effects of the Gulf oil spill. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690818 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:17:59 +0100 3690818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3665902&cid=t_106585_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fexperts-health-risks-bp-oil-spill-years-current-seafood-supply-safe%2F Multiple experts testified on Capitol Hill today that the health risks for the Gulf oil spill will last for years, but the seafood now in stores and restaurants is safe. Officials testifying today include FDA Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylor, Department Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services Lisa Kaplowitz, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Aubrey Miller, and Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safey John Howard. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3665902 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:53:34 +0100 3665902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3637543&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D9877 Visualizing the Oil Spill Map - http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/ from Natural Hazards Center newsletter “This is your neighborhood. This is your neighborhood covered with a Deep Horizon-sized oil spill. Any questions? Those looking for perspective on the mammoth Gulf oil spill only need to enter their zip code to see the scope of the disaster transposed on their hometown. The unnerving results are brought to you in real-time using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, and others.” [[DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB listserv] National Library of Medicine “Crude Oil Spills and Health” http://disaster.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/oilspills.html Websites, information about hazards related to oil spills and burning oil, response and recovery and more. (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3637543 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:16:48 +0100 3637543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625467&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F180778%2F Major Retailers to Limit Lead in Handbags: Today more than 40 retailers agreed to set new standards for lead content in handbags and purses, settling a lawsuit with the Center for Environmental Health. (via Planet Green) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625467 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:32:26 +0100 3625467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610317&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fc98U8k5M944%2F Initial concerns about spill-related health problems are focusing on cleanup workers, some of whom were hospitalized this week after reporting nausea, dizziness and headaches. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610317 Fri, 28 May 2010 18:14:12 +0100 3610317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603557&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fcould-your-faucet-kill-you-watch-for-lead-exposure-in-your-sink%2F Lead exposure is widely recognized as a serious environmental health threat, and it turns out your kitchen faucet is one of the most likely places you’ll get it. Though most of us have learned to look for lead-free products, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that at least 20% of human lead exposure comes from plumbing, and often from our sink faucets. Part of the problem lies in old plumbing; prior to 1996, the lead content of faucets and plumbing wasn’t regulated. But even so-called “lead-free” faucets might be leaching lead into your water: Federal laws still allow “lead-free” labelled faucets to contain up to 4% lead. Lead exposure causes everything from aggressive behavior and criminal activity to heart disease and nervous system disord... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603557 Wed, 26 May 2010 21:18:36 +0100 3603557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595564&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FcYY_fkPMh4A%2F Studies investigating the health hazards of certain chemicals are difficult to do, but necessary, the physician and New Yorker writer says. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595564 Mon, 24 May 2010 16:10:48 +0100 3595564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542564&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FoaPv-2-k2RE%2F Harder than figuring out if a substance can cause cancer is to calculate how many cases of the disease spring from being exposed to low amounts of substances over time. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542564 Fri, 07 May 2010 15:42:03 +0100 3542564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519476&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F1biOZvtFf1o%2Fmultiple_sclerosis_and_the_cur.php On the surface the story in Wired made perfect sense: Twin Study Deepens Multiple Sclerosis Mystery. It is about a new study from the National Center for Genome Resources that compared the genetic endowments of three sets of identical twins, one each of which contracted multiple sclerosis (MS), the other didn't. This was a full bore effort that wound up costing $1.5 million over a year and a half to sequence 2.8 billion base pairs in each twin, determine if they come from the mother or father and then -- and this is the amazing part -- determine the entire epigenome of the CD4 cell, one of the white cells in the immune system that plays a central part in MS. MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease where the patient aberrantly makes antibodies to his or her own nerve tissues. The epigenom... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519476 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:31:43 +0100 3519476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3512848&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D9297 A new page of links to information on “Crude Oil Spills and Human Health” is now available from the National Library of Medicine at http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/oilspills.html. The page has links to information on how the US responds to oil spills, state agencies in the Gulf region that respond to spills, occupational hazards for professionals and volunteers assisting with clean-up, seafood safety and more. The links under “Featured Sites” focus on the latest updates about the recent spill and subsequent controlled burning of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico following the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit oil platform. (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3512848 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:30:42 +0100 3512848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3509205&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D9265 http://toxlearn.nlm.nih.gov Module I (“Introduction to Toxicology and Dose-Response”) of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) ToxLearn was recently released. ToxLearn (http://toxlearn.nlm.nih.gov/) is a free, multi-module learning tool that provides an introduction to fundamental toxicological principles and concepts.  It is a joint project of the National Library of Medicine (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/) and the Society of Toxicology (http://www.toxicology.org/). ToxLearn is a multi-module learning tool providing an introduction to fundamental toxicological principals and concepts. It does not require any prerequisite knowledge beyond a basic understanding of biology and chemistry. ToxLearn is an update of NLM ToxTutor (http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/toxtutor.html), which was designed t... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3509205 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:32:03 +0100 3509205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499995&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D9217 National Ag Safety Database (NASD) http://www.nasdonline.org/index.html Provides prevention information and educational materials on agricultural safety and health. Informational materials include fact sheets, training materials, PowerPoint presentations, video references, and on-line videos. New CDC Report Tells How to Design Communities to Support Good Health http://fridayletter.asph.org/article_view.cfm?FLE_Index=12521&FL_Index=1617 A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illustrates the importance of considering public health factors—such as physical activity, respiratory and mental health, water quality, social equity, healthy aging and social capital—when creating the built environment. West Virginia Rural Health Research Center Conducting Surve... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499995 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:42:24 +0100 3499995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448878&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FFOkLc4zZiEQ%2Fjohn_snow.php Yesterday I gave a nod to an important epidemiologist, the late Alice Stewart. I'm old enough to have known her, but not old enough to know the most famous epidemiologist of all -- indeed sometimes called the "Father of Epidemiology" -- Dr. John Snow. Snow is also claimed as the "Father of Anesthesiology" because he administered chloroform to Queen Victoria during the births of her second and third children, thus popularizing the practice in the mid 19th century. Neither epidemiologists nor anesthesiologists seem to be aware that their dad had two families, but that's another issue. The significance of Snow's pioneering studies on cholera weren't generally recognized until the 1930s, but since, his studies have become icons for epidemiology's preventive role in public health. In fact our s... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448878 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:29:08 +0100 3448878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448879&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FuEh0nlyZYGM%2Falice_stewart.php If you aren't an epidemiologist of a certain age -- or even if you are -- you've probably not heard of Alice Stewart. Alice was one of England's premier epidemiologists in the mid to late 20th century, but I didn't meet her until she was in her 80s. At the time she could still bound up the two flights of stairs to my office like a teen in good shape. I'm not exaggerating. She literally took it at top speed and without becoming breathless. When she died at age 95 in 2002, obituaries frequently described her as "indefatigable," and she was certainly that. "Boundless energy" might be another phrase, along with "sharp as a tack." I thought about her again when I ran across a short bio of her on the British Medical Journal's YouTube channel, which I've embedded below, and realized how little kn... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448879 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:17:51 +0100 3448879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3441710&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D8959 http://www.earthday.org/earthday2010 April 22, 2010 Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Environmental Health & Toxicology from the National Library of Medicine http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro.html Databases and other resources related to toxicology and environmental health From Hesperian Publishing A Community Guide to Environmental Health provides community members of all ages, health educators, development promoters, and social activists information on how to transform the conditions of our communities.  From restoring lands to planting trees, from preventing waste to protecting community water, this book can help people assert their rights and empower ... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3441710 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:53:09 +0100 3441710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440748&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F173288%2F Cancer in Columbus: Two young girls living in the same apartment building in Columbus, Ohio were diagnosed with the same type of rare brain cancer, but the Ohio Health Department denies conclusive evidence of a link. We smell Erin Brockovich: The Sequel. via EnvironmentalHealthNews.org Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440748 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:52:08 +0100 3440748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3405453&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D8795 Tox Town, the National Library of Medicine interactive guide to commonly encountered toxic substances, has released a Bisphenol A (BPA)  page.  http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=69 Information is provided on where and how one might be exposed to BPA in the environment and how exposure can affect one’s health.BPA is used to make lightweight, hard plastics and can be found in food and drink packaging and baby bottles. BPA can leach into food and beverages that are stored in these consumer products. More research is needed to determine how these findings affect human health. The summary can also be found in Spanish at http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/chemicals.php?id=70 (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3405453 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:21:28 +0100 3405453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3400551&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D8757 The National Library of Medicine Specialized Information Services (SIS) has released an update for the Toxicology and Environmental Health (TEHIP) page (http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro.html). One of the goals of the update was to make the site more approachable and understandable with the use of images, descriptions, and other tools. The site can now be navigated with less scrolling. TEHIP maintains a comprehensive toxicology and environmental health information web site http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro.html that includes access to resources produced by it and by other government agencies and organizations. This web site includes links to databases, bibliographies, tutorials, and other scientific and consumer-oriented resources. TEHIP also is responsible for the Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET�... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3400551 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:28:26 +0100 3400551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3371487&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D8613 A webmaster without the high-speed Web http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/16/life.without.broadband/index.html?hpt=C1 By John D. Sutter, CNN March 16, 2010 “It will take more than an improved broadband infrastructure to get people who aren’t familiar with computers to go online, said John Horrigan, director of consumer research at the FCC. The federal government on Tuesday will propose programs to help educate people about the Internet and increase Web access in public libraries, he said, but he cautioned that none of those will be a quick fix.” Can the EPA’s Lisa Jackson Rally Black Communities Around the Environment? http://tinyurl.com/yd6eg5k By Amelia Timbers | March 16th, 2010 Although environmental harm is disproportionately concentrated in low-income communities and... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3371487 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:30:51 +0100 3371487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3281108&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D8139 http://www.highlighthealth.com/eco-friendly/how-to-properly-dispose-of-medication/ Highlight Health To minimize environmental contamination resulting from disposal of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, most medications should not be flushed down the toilet or poured down the drain. Read this article to learn what you should do with medications to dispose of them. (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3281108 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:58:28 +0100 3281108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3281112&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D8109 on Nantechnology From ToxTown http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/ the website to learn about connections between chemicals, the environment, and the public’s health, see the information page on nanoparticles and nanotechnology: http://bit.ly/9iUOst From NLM’s Specialized Information Services Environmental Health and Toxicology section see these resources http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/nanotechnology.html Oprah Winfrey’s Magazine Recommends MedlinePlus Googling Your Way Back to Health: What the Web’s Health Sites Can Offer http://www.oprah.com/health/The-Most-Reliable-Health-Websites/1 (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3281112 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:35:57 +0100 3281112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3213873&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D7783 Protecting health from climate change: connecting science, policy and people World Health Organization 2009 Available online PDF [36p.] at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241598880_eng.pdf “……….All populations will be affected by a changing climate, but the initial health risks vary greatly, depending on where and how people live. People living in small island developing states and other coastal regions, megacities, and mountainous and polar regions are all particularly vulnerable in different ways.” {PAHO/WHO Equity listserv] TOXMAP Data can be Displayed in Google TOXMAP (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov) is a  Geographic Information System (GIS) from the Division of Specialized Information Services  (http://sis.nlm.nih.gov) of the US National Library of Medicine... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3213873 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:28:09 +0100 3213873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3045923&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D7191 In a powerful new book, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Investigator Jason Corburn, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, examines why most American cities are unable to offer healthy surroundings to all their residents. Toward the Healthy City: People, Places and the Politics of Urban Planning uses success stories, past and present, to identify what city planners, health departments, activists and residents themselves can do to improve the physically and socially toxic environments that are too common in our cities today.  Learn more about the book http://www.rwjf.org/humancapital/product.jsp?id=52309 (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3045923 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:02:52 +0100 3045923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3041076&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D7123 ToxLearn NLM’s Specialized Information Services hopes to release a new resource, ToxLearn later this week. http://toxlearn.nlm.nih.gov ToxLearn is a multi-module online learning tool that provides an introduction to toxicology. It can be used as an ancillary curriculum to a first-level undergraduate toxicology course, and can provide users of NLM’s toxicology databases with a working knowledge of basic toxicology principles.   Only Module One will be released at this time.  Additional modules will come later. ToxLearn is an update of the earlier NLM ToxTutor, which was designed to provide a basic understanding of toxicology as an aide for users of toxicology literature contained in the National Library of Medicine’s toxicological and chemical databases.  http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/en... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3041076 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:32:43 +0100 3041076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2964714&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D6791 The objective of the SEJCA initiative is to provide funding to eligible entities so that they may work collaboratively with an affected community(ies) to understand, promote and integrate approaches to provide meaningful and measurable improvements to the public health and/or environment in the community(ies). [American Indian Library Association listserv] 2010 Conference on Environmental Justice, Air Quality, Goods Movement, and Green Jobs: Evolution and Innovation January 25-27, 2010 New Orleans, Louisiana http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/events.cfm?id=2485 Poster abstracts are being accepted until November 13, 2009 [CBPR listserv] (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2964714 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:40:51 +0100 2964714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2896188&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D6563 Today is Blog Action Day and the theme is climate change.  Below are some ways to learn more about how climate change affects health. The National Library of Medicine’s(NLM) premiere consumer health website MedlinePlus includes a health topic on climate change http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/climatechange.html This website includes a link to a “preformulated” PubMed search on professional articles. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/climatechange.html#cat59 The NLM website ToxTown includes a section on climate change as well http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/locations.php?id=125 This section includes an explanation of climate change along with links to other websites; there are lots of good resources here to allow you to fully explore the topic. University of No... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2896188 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:36:54 +0100 2896188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890663&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fm1rN_Qp8biE%2Fbeverage_of_your_choice_and_at.php I don't fly as much as I used to but I still fly too often for my likes and when the cart comes around for the free beverages it's either orange juice "with no ice" or a bloody mary mix "with no ice." I rarely drink water, but if I did, I would never drink the water out of a pitcher, as offered to me a couple of weeks ago on Air Canada. From a bottle, maybe, but since bottled water isn't as well regulated as tap water, I usually don't partake. I know a fair amount about public drinking water, but one day I was seated on a plane next to somebody who knew a lot about airplanes and he said he'd never drink water on an airplane. Shortly thereafter the news carried stories that the US EPA had determined that 15% of water on a sample of 327 aircraft flunked the total coliform standards and inspe... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890663 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:59:33 +0100 2890663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883965&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D6495 Tool Book to Protect Children from Lead Poisoning http://tinyurl.com/ygdphze Tool for local agencies to eliminate lead poisoning in their communities. Public Health Grand Rounds Webcast – Global Climate Change: Implications for Public Health http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/climate/index.htm November 5, 2009, 2:00 – 4:00 PM ET Household Products Database – Pesticides http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/prodtree?prodcat=Pesticides Information on the health effects of pesticides available to consumers from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). PHPartners http://phpartners.org/ – New Links for the week of Oct 09, 2009 (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883965 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:54:36 +0100 2883965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715890&cid=t_106585_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F19%2Frecent-health-related-statutory-instruments-11%2F SI 2009 No. 2200 (C. 95) Health Care And Associated Professions. Doctors. The Medical Profession (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008 (Commencement No. 2) Order of Council 2009 SI 2009 No. 2191. Clean Air, England. The Smoke Control Areas (Authorised Fuels) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No. 2190. Clean Air, England. The Smoke Control Areas (Exempted Fireplaces) (England) (No.2) Order 2009 Posted in Legislation, Statutory Instruments Tagged: Environmental Health, Legislation, Medical Staff, Professional Discipline, Public Health, Statutory Instruments (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715890 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:54:41 +0100 2715890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715891&cid=t_106585_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F19%2Foccupational-and-environmental-medicine-2009-volume-66-issue-9%2F Contents page Fade Fave: Acute childhood leukaemia and residence next to petrol stations and automotive repair garages: the ESCALE study (SFCE) Fade Skinny: Suggests that living next to a petrol station may be associated with acute childhood leukaemia. The results also suggest that the role of low-level exposure to benzene in acute childhood leukaemia deserves further evaluation. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Posted in Access, Access from Home, Access from Work, Access in the Library, Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals Tagged: Athens Password, Cancer, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Environmental Health, Leukaemia, Occupational Health (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715891 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:45:51 +0100 2715891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2710370&cid=t_106585_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fmcr%2Fbhic%2F%3Fp%3D5845 From August 15 through October 31, 2009, CDC’s Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute (EPHLI) will accept applications for the class of 2010–2011. Each year, approximately 30 practicing environmental public health professionals are admitted to the program. EPHLI strengthens the country’s environmental public health system by enhancing the leadership capabilities of state, local, and tribal environmental public health professionals. Application instructions and program information are posted at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/EPHLI/application.htm. For more information about EPHLI, please contact Maggie Byrne at MByrne@cdc.gov or John Sarisky at JSarisky@cdc.gov. [posted on Kansas Rural Health Information Service (KRHIS)] (Source: BHIC) BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2710370 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:33:35 +0100 2710370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660756&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FeIZHRqXqjU8%2Fthe_shape_of_man_hole_covers_r.php The Revere troop is still on the road (we arrive at our beach destination later today), and while WiFi in motels is convenient, it's not so easy to blog without the usual creature comforts (a library, good coffee, my own workspace and lots of unread/half read papers with great sounding titles that might become blog posts). However I do have Mrs. R. for company and our old and hobbling dog is along to be a literal creature comfort for both of us. So I'm going to reprise an oldie but goodie from the archives (January 2007), this one the follow-up to an earlier post asking "why are man hole covers round?" I came to the question because I am interested in sewers. Some might consider this a character defect, but I came by it honestly, having once edited a volume of historical documents on the h... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660756 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:35:13 +0100 2660756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2601970&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FVa2vTZzw0Z8%2F When we think of substances that can contaminate a house, asbestos and lead come to mind. But this morning’s New York Times highlights a different type of contaminant — toxins from methamphetamine — that is plaguing some homeowners. Contamination from former meth labs can cause respiratory and other health problems as the chemicals linger in the walls, carpets, insulation and air ducts, even years after the substance isn’t being produced in the home anymore. Clean-up is expensive, costing anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000, according to the NYT. Though home owners are supposed to disclose whether the house ever housed a meth lab, they may lie or may not know if a family member or friend has secretly set up shop in the home. Nearly 7,000 clandestine meth labs were disc... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2601970 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:09:23 +0100 2601970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452397&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FSVuYxsdRDaA%2F Despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s endorsement of using bits of rubber tire to cushion children’s playgrounds, the agency is now concerned that it doesn’t have enough data about the potential health risks of the chemicals in the rubber material, according to the Associated Press. There’s no current evidence that they cause health problems. But, in an internal memo sent in January and obtained by the AP, EPA Assistant Regional Administrator Stephen Tuber wrote, “It appears that there are valid reasons to take a broader perspective of all potential risks associated with crumb rubber” through a study. The EPA said it hasn’t come to any new conclusions yet. “From everything I’ve been able to see, I’m not sure there’s... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452397 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:19:34 +0100 2452397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441216&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FL0VyOsNuSqY%2Fcritical-link-environment-and-womens.html In recent years there has been an increased awareness of the connections between environmental contaminants, fertility, and health -- and a growing body of evidence supporting these concerns that link reduced fertility to pregnancy loss, adverse birth outcomes, reproductive tract abnormalities, learning disabilities in children, and various cancers to environmental contaminants. It is becoming increasingly clear to those of us who work for women's health that we must begin to turn our attention to the environmental toxicants that are affecting the ability of couples to become pregnant, have healthy pregnancies, and give birth to healthy babies.At Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, we feel a responsibility as a health care organization to help our patients and communities make the... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441216 Fri, 29 May 2009 19:51:55 +0100 2441216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2310020&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FyhRsGbe4xfc%2Fcockroaches_in_the_intensive_c.php If you know your bugs you know that Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana are cockroaches. They aren't the only cockroach species. In fact there are an estimated 4000 different kinds of cockroach, many of them living in fields, forests or jungles. Unless they are living in your hospital's Intensive Care Unit: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2310020 Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:16:14 +0100 2310020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2144478&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FtoX-gQi5YWw%2Ffood_safety_system_fail.php Even as the the peanut cum salmonella recall spreads (sorry, couldn't resist), we learn that the Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia thought to be its source has a history of "problems": Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2144478 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:05:10 +0100 2144478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764406&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F382530150%2F The volume in the debate over the safety of bisphenol-A, a chemical used in everything from plastic baby bottles to sunglasses, just got turned up a notch. The National Toxicology Program, a federal interagency initiative, released a final report saying it has “some concern” that BPA is linked to health and developmental problems in humans. Of the NTP’s five categories of concern, “some” would rate a three, or the middle of the dial between the extremes of negligible and serious. The report doesn’t say whether BPA should be banned, saying more research is needed. But the analysis won’t go very far in clearing the worries many have about the chemical. “Unfortunately, it is very difficult to offer advice on how the public should respond to this informat... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764406 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:20:28 +0100 1764406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790341&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F365360935%2Fmonth-without-plastics.html Over on the BBC website, reporter Chris Jeavans is blogging about her August challenge: to live a month without buying or accepting anything wrapped in or made with plastic. Why? Because even though we're all repeatedly implored to reduce, reuse and recycle, plastics are still one of the most common things to make it into our trash, our landfills, and our oceans. So she wanted to track exactly how life would change if she gave up plastics - first, of course, tracking how much plastics she and her family used over the course of one month. The numbers were surprising: 603 items, including: * 36 carrier bags * 67 food packaging bags and films such as bread bags, cheese wrappers (and a jumbo pack of Maltesers!) * 23 polystyrene tea cups with lids and 24 coffee cup lids * 15 fruit punnets a... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790341 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:50:21 +0100 1790341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1727806&cid=t_106585_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F23%2Ffrom-zero-to-hero-hmgb1-protein-found-to-promote-dna-repair-prevents-cancer%2F “An abundant chromosomal protein [HMGB1] that binds to damaged DNA prevents cancer development by enhancing DNA repair, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.” “An abundant chromosomal protein that binds to damaged DNA prevents cancer development by enhancing DNA [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1727806 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:42:04 +0100 1727806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1646559&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F342560372%2F Here’s a reason we hadn’t heard before to support a move to electronic medical records: It’s environmentally friendly. Medical waste and other garbage washed onto a 10-mile stretch of Lake Michigan beaches earlier this month. (AP Photo/News Advocate,Dan Wrzesinski) The tree-sparing virtue of electronic records was a plus for a Washington medical practice that’s switching to a high-tech system. The practice, the Washington Wellness Institute, also boasts that its physical plant is entirely free of toxins and that everything including the carpet and wall panels is made of natural and recycled materials. And among other things, the doctors use washable hemp gowns instead of disposable paper ones. The environmentally friendly options are described in this morning&#82... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1646559 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:46:28 +0100 1646559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1499854&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F306761564%2Fthe_mortgage_crisis_and_diseas.php Like most public health scientists I am fascinated by the complicated relationship between the environment and disease. You build a military base somewhere and sexually transmitted diseases follow. You build a dam in Egypt and urinary schistosomiasis, a chronic debilitating disease that also predisposes to bladder cancer, entrenches itself in an area because infected workers are attracted from far away endemic areas. They work and often urinate in the water, seeding the shallows of rivers and lakes with schistosome eggs. When the eggs get into the snails, they germinate, the schistosome matures and eventually finds its way to humans by water contact. In fact any vector borne disease can be affected by the environment in unexpected ways. Here I am including the social environment in the e... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1499854 Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:09:32 +0100 1499854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1477830&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F300590800%2Fmore_hilarity_from_junk_scienc.php Earlier in the month there was a hilarious piece on Fox News (where else?) by hack lawyer turned hack commentator Steven Milloy trying to counter the extremely bad publicity one of his closest friends was getting. This close friend was a chemical, bisphenol A (BPA; see here and here) which just got panned by the Canadian government, the US National Toxicology Program, Walmart, Nalgene (maker of BPA containing water bottles) and even the Washington Post. Here's Milloy turning away from the scientific evidence and standing on his head, a contortion guaranteed to bring you face to face with an asshole: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1477830 Thu, 29 May 2008 15:25:21 +0100 1477830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1465983&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F296675996%2Fshutting_down_the_information.php If you aren't in the business of figuring out if a chemical is a health hazard you might never have heard of the EPA's IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) database but suffice it to say it is a wealth of valuable information on the topic. Considered authoritative by many states and countries, its judgements have become the basis for official standards. It's been around since the start of Reagan's second term (1985) so there is no claim it is some kind of fringe environmentalist fantasy. It's not the Last Word but it's a loud voice and taken seriously by anyone tasked with protecting the public from toxic hazards. Just the kind of thing we expect the Bush administration to monkey around with. We are not disappointed: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1465983 Fri, 23 May 2008 17:02:07 +0100 1465983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449255&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F292284587%2Fbush_admin_on_perchlorate_in_d.php It contaminates the water supplies of about 11 million people in 35 states. It is suspected of interfering with iodide cycling in a way that could suppress thyroid hormone, a hormone necessary for the proper development of the fetus. Its source is military bases and aerospace companies. The health and environmental agencies of affected states have been waiting years for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate it. A decision may come "before the end of the year" (just after the election): Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449255 Sat, 17 May 2008 13:55:30 +0100 1449255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401324&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F278227440%2Fepa_gets_the_doubt_of_the_bene.php We frequently observe here that almost everything in public health, from the societal level to the molecular level, is a balancing act. With most benefits comes a risk and with many risks a benefit. Of course there is a problem when the benefits and risks accrue to different parties as when the public runs the risks and the corporation gets the benefits. So that's one problem in making the trade-offs. Another is when the risks and benefits are completely different, essentially non-comparable. We often try to solve this by measuring them on a common scale like total number of lives saved or lost, or more commonly, by monetizing both and measuring things in dollars (soon to be Euros if things keep up the way they have recently). However you do it, it is nice to do it in some consistent way. ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401324 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:29:20 +0100 1401324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353900&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F265216000%2Fepa_scientific_committees_and.php About a month ago (March 1, 2008) we brought you the story of how a highly reputable and knowledgeable scientist, Dr. Deborah Rice of the Maine Department of Maine Department of Health and Human Services, was bonced off of an EPA scientific advisory committee because the chemical industry trade group, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), objected that she had a bias. How did they know? Dr. Rice, as part of her duties as toxicologist for the State of Maine, testified before its legislature that on the basis of a review of the scientific evidence she believed the deca congener of the brominated flame retardant PBDE should be banned. The Bush EPA, compliant as ever to industry wishes, bent over and Dr. Rice was relieved of her responsibilities on the committee. This was not unusual for the B... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353900 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:26:35 +0100 1353900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1322326&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F256993101%2Fpiped_water_two_edged_sword.php If you want to know what advances in public health and medicine in the last 150 years have done the most for the overall health of the community a major contender for the top spot would have to be the provision of safe and abundant drinking water. The first piped water supplies for major American cities date to shortly before the Civil War (mid nineteenth century) and disinfection with chlorine didn't start until the end of the first decade of the 20th century. The results for major waterborne infectious diseases like typhoid fever and various maladies just categorized as diarrhea and dysentery was immediate and dramatic. Evidence at the time suggested that it wasn't just waterborne disease that was affected either. A claim variously called Hazen's Theorem or the Mills-Reincke Phenomenon s... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1322326 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:37:00 +0100 1322326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1270502&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F243857383%2Fbush_epa_high_jinks_again_sigh.php Full disclosure: I know the toxicologist who is the subject of this post. Not well. But I know her and I know her work and she is, as the story from the LA Times says, a highly respected scientist. And no shrinking violet, which accounts for the fact that the Bush EPA has dismissed her from an expert panel on brominated flame retardants widely used in consumer products like upholstery and electronic equipment. Your body is also full of them. Well, at least that's true for some 90% of Americans. Maybe you are the one in ten. Back to the one in 300,000,000, the President of this country (for 324 days), George W. Bush, and his Environmental Protection Agency: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1270502 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:37:25 +0100 1270502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258086&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F241466659%2Flifes_a_contaminated_beach.php As I write this I am at 30,000 feet winging my way to Montreal, Canada, where the temperature is below freezing. So what more appropriate topic than microbial hazards of bathing beaches? Maybe it was my foray into the wonderful world of fecal accidents that prompted me to look further into the subject but I found a couple of papers from last year by a groups at Johns Hopkins about the effect of bather density on levels of parasites pathogenic for humans at one particular beach in Maryland, the Hammerman area of Gunpowder Falls State Park in Chase, Maryland in mid to late summer of 2006 (here and here). Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258086 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:05:57 +0100 1258086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1256192&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F241107732%2Fthat_pesky_cell_phone_issue_ag.php I hate writing posts like this almost as much as people hate reading them. But write them I must. It's the cell phone issue again. Health risks from cell phones aren't supposed to happen because the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation involved is not energetic enough to ionize molecules. The damage done by ionizing radiation is related to the chemical changes that ensue from the ionizations. Those chemical changes don't occur with exposure to non-ionizing radiation. The most non-ionizing radiation is supposed to do is heat of up the tissue (as in a microwave oven), and the thermal effects from most kinds of non-ionizing radiation are so small they are lost in the noise of normal thermal fluctuations. Moreover we are bathed in non-ionizing radiation. Visible light, for example, is of... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1256192 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:09:49 +0100 1256192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1237404&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F236224781%2Fcdc_confirms_fema_did_a_heck_o.php It's official. Living in one of the 120,000 trailers FEMA supplied after Hurrican Katrina is bad for you: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1237404 Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:30:25 +0100 1237404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1223726&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F233422659%2Fendocrine-disruptors-skewing-birth.html From the polar ice cap to the middle of the world, comes study after study linking synthetic chemicals and their lethal properties, to a reported steady decline in the number of boys born each... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1223726 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:12:53 +0100 1223726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169574&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F221215096%2Fepa_takes_the_fifth.php Recently we posted on the EPA highly unusual (as in unprecedented) decision to reject Californian's new greenhouse gas regulations. Why did they do it? Good question and one the California Congressional delegation wanted an answer to. To whom did EPA talk about the regulations? Who advised them to reject it? Sorry. Mum's the word. Actually its words. Executive privilege: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169574 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:37:10 +0100 1169574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1136777&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F213434071%2Fthe_gospel_of_environmental_pr.php Faith-based environmental protection. Why not? The Bush administration isn't using the law or regulations: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1136777 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:56:47 +0100 1136777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1133795&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F212802617%2Ffluorescent_lights.php Lots of countries have or will mandate the use of low-energy light bulbs. That's it, for the incandescent bulb. Soon it will be just compact fluorescents or LEDs or whatever comes next. Along with this comes the inevitable news articles that start, "Health experts are warning that . . . ": Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1133795 Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:01:18 +0100 1133795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1114452&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fglobal-warming-spreads-tropical-disease.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1114452 Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:07:00 +0100 1114452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106413&cid=t_106585_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F202812911%2F So your kid wants a cockapoo, but you’re worried that a pet might be a bad idea, given the family history of eczema. Well, don’t sweat it. Go ahead, get the kid a puppy. In fact, it might help him avoid developing the painful skin condition. That’s the take-home from an analysis in the current edition in the Archives of Dermatology. The researchers reviewed the medical literature to determine if exposure to pets at an early age raised the risk of eczema. Their review found “no clear evidence” of an increased risk. In fact, the evidence leaned toward “a possible protective effect” against eczema for kids exposed to furry pets at an early age. So does this mean you should be throwing a furry animal into the crib with your newborn? Probably not. &... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106413 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:22:44 +0100 1106413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1087540&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F198842842%2Ftoxic_releases_shhhh.php One of the most effective environmental regulations that wasn't a command and control item was something called the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Program. Here's EPA's description: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1087540 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:29:43 +0100 1087540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=988403&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F176832173%2Fchemical_plants_internal_dange.php Bruce Schneir, the security guru at Wired's Danger Room blog, reminds us of something important: It's not true that no one worries about terrorists attacking chemical plants, it's just that our politics seem to leave us unable to deal with the threat. (Wired) Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=988403 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:56:24 +0100 988403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=952044&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F170309623%2Fblog_action_day_the_gospel_acc.php [Today is Blog Action Day, where bloggers of all political stripes and subject interest are encouraged to put up a post on an environmental topic. Here is the second of two.]] The January 2005 good news press release from the DuPont company was not exactly "the gospel truth." No, not exactly. Dupont's good news was about PFOA. A scientific study by the company showed it was perfectly safe. PFOA, or ammonium perfluorooctanoate (also called C8), is used by DuPont to make Teflon, but in reality, PFOA is a DuPont dollar's way of making another dollar. A stop-off point for investment, not a permanent home. Unless you are a DuPont worker. Or you. Or your children. PFOA and its chemical cousins have been found in over 90% of blood samples taken of the general population. Is that bad? Read the re... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=952044 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:07:49 +0100 952044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=950841&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F170108935%2Fblog_action_day_chickenshit_on.php [Today is Blog Action Day, where bloggers of all political stripes and subject interest are encouraged to put up a post on an environmental topic. Here is the first of two.] Maryland and its Chesapeake Bay have a water pollution problem. The size of the problem is not chickenshit, either. Or rather, it is chickenshit. 1 billion pounds of it. A billion. That's not chickenshit. Or rather, it is chickenshit. There's really a lot of chickenshit around in Maryland. Maryland regulators have been too chickenshit to regulate the source: the poultry business. Why? Guess: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=950841 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:56:15 +0100 950841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=911784&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F162425590%2Fmethyl_iodide_strawberry_field.php If regulators in the state of California, a slate of scientists and doctors including 6 nobel laureates in chemistry and environmental and farmworker groups were all against registering a new toxic fumigant for fruits and vegetables, who would you expect to be in favor of it? If you guessed the Bush administration lap dog agency, the US Environmental Protection Agency, you'd be right. But it wasn't that hard a question. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=911784 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:54:34 +0100 911784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=873715&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F156820182%2Fthe_best_of_the_worst_is_still.php I spend some of my time working with citizen groups from contaminated communities. There are a frightful number of them in the United States, as there are everywhere. The stories are frequently heartbreaking and the polluters heartless. So it's good to remind myself that things could be worse. A lot worse. In fact the US is much better off than most other countries in the world, including European countries when it comes to a polluted environment. The main reason government environmental protection regulations. I'm not saying they have done the job they need to do, and under the Bush administration we have been backsliding. So I'm not saying we've done enough. On the contrary, I am saying something quite different. These regulations work and they need to be made stronger. Much stronger. Th... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=873715 Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:51:26 +0100 873715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853419&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F09%2F_and_breathe_normally.php Flying on an airplane used to be something special. Now it's just another means of mass transit, with all that implies. So our attention is more and more directed to the unpleasant parts of flying, which, for many is the lousy air quality. Modern pressurized airliners fly high -- very high indeed. Stratospherically, literally. When you are up 35,000 or 40,000 feet you are in the stratosphere, a layer of the atmosphere where there is little vertical movement of air (it is essentially a temperature inversion) and high ozone levels. Those ozone levels are a good thing for those of us at on the ground because ozone absorbs radiation in the ultraviolet, shielding us from a solar carcinogen. Ozone isn't very good to breathe, however, and high ozone levels (90% of photochemical smog is ozone) are... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853419 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:34:42 +0100 853419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=823542&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F08%2Fwere_having_a_heat_wave.php I'm at the beach and it's hot. It's supposed to be that way at the beach. When I get overheated I head back to the unit, which is air conditioned, and I cool off. Actually, I don't. I stay the same temperature (body temperature), but that aside, it's no problem. But not everyone is so lucky and recently a good section of the US south has been having a heat wave. The same thing happens every summer (although some are worse than others), and two years ago I wrote about this on the old site. Instead of just reposting it I decided to rewrite it. At the time I was struck by a headline in the Philadelphia Enquirer which said, "It's not the heat . . . actually, yes, it is." It bothered me because in fact the old adage, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" is much more correct. Here's why: Read ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=823542 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:29:23 +0100 823542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=786652&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F08%2Fwater_kicking_the_bottle.php Maybe I'm not the right person to bring this message as I drink very little in the way of fluids each day, at least compared to my students who will, I am sure, have to be surgically removed from their water bottles. Of course I've also had kidney stones twice, so I'm not suggesting anyone do as I do. How much you should drink is unknown. The 64 oz. recommendation everyone has heard is probably way too high and has no basis in science. But whether it's 40 oz. or 50 oz. or something else I don't know and neither does anyone else. My 30 oz. is probably too low. But I would also urge you to think twice about buying bottled water, if only for your pocket book's sake. Bottled water, gallon for gallon, is more expensive than gasoline. Then there's the health aspect: Read the rest of this post.... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=786652 Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:24:31 +0100 786652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=777552&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F08%2Fflight_of_the_bumblebee.php We don't usually talk about stories published in Physics Today, a publication of the American Institute of Physics. But a recent one caught our attention for two reasons. One, it is about the effects of non-ionizing radiation (in this case an oscillating electric field) and a biological effect, cell division. The second reason is that physicists have been telling us for decades such effects are physically impossible. The only physical effect would be heating a cell, they said. They ridiculed epidemiologists who found an association between powerline frequency electromagnetic fields and childhood leukemia, saying such biological effects were outside the realm of modern physics. The magnetic fields from powerlines are two weak and much smaller than the earth's own field. Read the rest of thi... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=777552 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:03:00 +0100 777552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=775322&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F08%2Frescuing_tce_from_regulatory_l.php When it comes to protecting us from chemical carcinogens, the Bush administration has never been part of the solution. In fact they have consistently taken the side of the solvent, in this case the ubiquitous (and notorious) chlorinated ethylene solvent, trichloroethylene, or TCE for short. One of the most prevalent contaminants in US groundwater, TCE has been in regulatory limbo for years while EPA does one evaluation after another. If it doesn't like the answer it gets from its scientists and outside panels, it kicks it over to the National Academy to study some more. NAS then confirms what other scientists have found. TCE was considered a "probable human carcinogen" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in its 1995 evaluation. Since then the evidence has only become stron... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=775322 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:04:52 +0100 775322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=751631&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F07%2Fheck_of_a_job_fema.php This morning we discussed mosquito-borne disease in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But arboviruses are not the only potential hazard faced by displaced hurricane residents. There is also the dreaded FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), an agency that didn't do so many things it should of and did do many they shouldn't have. Like providing 120,000 trailers to residents of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, many of which off gas formaldehyde into the living space, making the occupants sick. 60,000 trailers are still be used. Formaldehyde is the main ingredient in embalming fluid. When occupants started to complain of respiratory problems, FEMA turned a willfully blind eye: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=751631 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:37:52 +0100 751631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716425&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F07%2Fthe_terminator_terminates_envi.php I'd rather have a governor that said the right things about the environment, even if he acted to undercut his self-proclaimed goals, than one who said the most reactionary, retrograde and ignorant things. But why should I have to choose? Take Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California who has gotten brownie points for bucking the Bush administration on global warming even though he is a Republican. Maybe it says something about the rock bottom expectations we have about anything a Republican says on the environment that some progressives have praised him. But he still acts like a typical Republican (and too many Democrats; let's clean house there, too): Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716425 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:06:01 +0100 716425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=547156&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2F2007%2F04%2Fcell_phones_and_honeybees.php There's a curious story in the UK newspaper, The Independent, on mobile phones and the collapse of bee colonies (hat tip Randy, aka MRK). I don't quite know what to make of it, although I am skeptical: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=547156 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:55:12 +0100 547156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=496600&cid=t_106585_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Feffectmeasure%2Fupload%2F2007%2F03%2Frc_map.gif Pregnant Latina women in the Salinas Valley in CAlifornia have pesticides in their bodies. The surrounding farmland is loaded with pesticides. But how is it getting from the land to them? Or is it? Tom McKone and his colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs set out to find out. It turned out not to be that easy. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=496600 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 21:22:34 +0100 496600