Video
Is Your Smart Meter Causing Involuntary Spasms
Friday, August 9, 2013
ITU Workshop on Human Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/emf/201307/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/emf/201307/Pages/default.aspx
Key Words: multiple chemical sensitivity, chemical sensitivity, chemical sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivities, MCS, EI, environmental illness, sick building syndrome, idiopathic environmental intolerance, fibromyalgia, chronic fatiuge, FM, CFS, mold illness, clinical ecology, alternative medicine, environmental medicine, neuropathy, encephalopathy, toxic, chemical
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Link between chronic fatigue and sinusitis
http://www.tele-management.ca/2013/08/link-between-chronic-fatigue-and-sinusitis/
http://www.tele-management.ca/2013/08/link-between-chronic-fatigue-and-sinusitis/
"According to the study, sinus symptoms were nine times more common among patients with fatigue and six times more common among those with chronic pain."
Jindal: Chemicals leaking from Lawtell train derailment
http://www.katc.com/news/jindal-chemicals-leaking-from-lawtell-train-derailment/#_
"The train that derailed in Lawtell is leaking chemicals and at least one of two cars carrying a hazardous chemical, vinyl chrloride, is damaged. That's according to Gov. Bobby Jindal who flew into St. Landry Parish to speak about the situation a little after 9:30 p.m. tonight. "Although it's not leaking at this moment, it does have signs of damage," Jindal said. The damage has to be assessed before residents can return home, he said of the vinyl chloride. US 190 near the accident site will be closed for at least two days as the situation is assessed. As of now, 101 homes have been evacuated and 30 families have checked into the evacuation check point, and four are looking for shelter."
http://www.katc.com/news/jindal-chemicals-leaking-from-lawtell-train-derailment/#_
"The train that derailed in Lawtell is leaking chemicals and at least one of two cars carrying a hazardous chemical, vinyl chrloride, is damaged. That's according to Gov. Bobby Jindal who flew into St. Landry Parish to speak about the situation a little after 9:30 p.m. tonight. "Although it's not leaking at this moment, it does have signs of damage," Jindal said. The damage has to be assessed before residents can return home, he said of the vinyl chloride. US 190 near the accident site will be closed for at least two days as the situation is assessed. As of now, 101 homes have been evacuated and 30 families have checked into the evacuation check point, and four are looking for shelter."
Nerve damage and fibromyalgia
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/07/nerve-damage-and-fibromyalgia/
"Small study could lead to identification of treatable diseases for some with chronic pain syndrome"
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/07/nerve-damage-and-fibromyalgia/
"Small study could lead to identification of treatable diseases for some with chronic pain syndrome"
Half of Fibromyalgia Patients Suffer from Nerve Damage
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/8503/20130730/half-fibromyalgia-patients-suffer-nerve-damage.htm
"Fibromyalgia, a disorder that's characterized by a widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues, damages the nerve fibers in the skin of many patients, and for some, shows evidence of a disease called small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN). Unlike fibromyalgia, which has few treatments and a relatively unknown cause, SFPN has a clear pathology and is known to be caused by certain medical symptoms which do respond to treatment in some instances. And fortunately, in some instances, some can even be cured."
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/8503/20130730/half-fibromyalgia-patients-suffer-nerve-damage.htm
"Fibromyalgia, a disorder that's characterized by a widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues, damages the nerve fibers in the skin of many patients, and for some, shows evidence of a disease called small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN). Unlike fibromyalgia, which has few treatments and a relatively unknown cause, SFPN has a clear pathology and is known to be caused by certain medical symptoms which do respond to treatment in some instances. And fortunately, in some instances, some can even be cured."
Sunday, August 4, 2013
High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals alterations of intestinal microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23791918
Frémont M, Coomans D, Massart S, De Meirleir K.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23791918
Frémont M, Coomans D, Massart S, De Meirleir K.
Anaerobe. 2013 Aug;22:50-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2013.06.002. Epub 2013 Jun 19.
Source
R.E.D Laboratories NV, Z-1 Researchpark 100, 1731 Zellik, Belgium. Electronic address: mfremont@redlabs.be.
Source
R.E.D Laboratories NV, Z-1 Researchpark 100, 1731 Zellik, Belgium. Electronic address: mfremont@redlabs.be.
Abstract
Human intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the maintenance of host health by providing energy, nutrients, and immunological protection. Intestinal dysfunction is a frequent complaint in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients, and previous reports suggest that dysbiosis, i.e. the overgrowth of abnormal populations of bacteria in the gut, is linked to the pathogenesis of the disease. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the presence of specific alterations in the gut microbiota of ME/CFS patients from Belgium and Norway. 43 ME/CFS patients and 36 healthy controls were included in the study. Bacterial DNA was extracted from stool samples, PCR amplification was performed on 16S rRNA gene regions, and PCR amplicons were sequenced using Roche FLX 454 sequencer. The composition of the gut microbiota was found to differ between Belgian controls and Norwegian controls: Norwegians showed higher percentages of specific Firmicutes populations (Roseburia, Holdemania) and lower proportions of most Bacteroidetes genera. A highly significant separation could be achieved between Norwegian controls and Norwegian patients: patients presented increased proportions of Lactonifactor and Alistipes, as well as a decrease in several Firmicutes populations. In Belgian subjects the patient/control separation was less pronounced, however some abnormalities observed in Norwegian patients were also found in Belgian patients. These results show that intestinal microbiota is altered in ME/CFS. High-throughput sequencing is a useful tool to diagnose dysbiosis in patients and could help designing treatments based on gut microbiota modulation (antibiotics, pre and probiotics supplementation).
PMID: 23791918 [PubMed - in process]
Human intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the maintenance of host health by providing energy, nutrients, and immunological protection. Intestinal dysfunction is a frequent complaint in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients, and previous reports suggest that dysbiosis, i.e. the overgrowth of abnormal populations of bacteria in the gut, is linked to the pathogenesis of the disease. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the presence of specific alterations in the gut microbiota of ME/CFS patients from Belgium and Norway. 43 ME/CFS patients and 36 healthy controls were included in the study. Bacterial DNA was extracted from stool samples, PCR amplification was performed on 16S rRNA gene regions, and PCR amplicons were sequenced using Roche FLX 454 sequencer. The composition of the gut microbiota was found to differ between Belgian controls and Norwegian controls: Norwegians showed higher percentages of specific Firmicutes populations (Roseburia, Holdemania) and lower proportions of most Bacteroidetes genera. A highly significant separation could be achieved between Norwegian controls and Norwegian patients: patients presented increased proportions of Lactonifactor and Alistipes, as well as a decrease in several Firmicutes populations. In Belgian subjects the patient/control separation was less pronounced, however some abnormalities observed in Norwegian patients were also found in Belgian patients. These results show that intestinal microbiota is altered in ME/CFS. High-throughput sequencing is a useful tool to diagnose dysbiosis in patients and could help designing treatments based on gut microbiota modulation (antibiotics, pre and probiotics supplementation).
PMID: 23791918 [PubMed - in process]
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Migraine in gulf war illness and chronic fatigue syndrome: prevalence, potential mechanisms, and evaluation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23898301
Rayhan RU, Ravindran MK, Baraniuk JN.
Front Physiol. 2013 Jul 24;4:181. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00181. Print 2013.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23898301
Rayhan RU, Ravindran MK, Baraniuk JN.
Front Physiol. 2013 Jul 24;4:181. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00181. Print 2013.
Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract
Objective: To assess the prevalence of headache subtypes in Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) compared to controls.
Background: Approximately, 25% of the military personnel who served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War have developed GWI. Symptoms of GWI and CFS have considerable overlap, including headache complaints. Migraines are reported in CFS. The type and prevalence of headaches in GWI have not been adequately assessed.
Methods: 50 GWI, 39 CFS and 45 controls had structured headache evaluations based on the 2004 International Headache Society criteria. All subjects had history and physical examinations, fatigue and symptom related questionnaires, measurements of systemic hyperalgesia (dolorimetry), and assessments for exclusionary conditions.
Results: Migraines were detected in 64% of GWI (odds ratio = 11.6 [4.1-32.5]) (mean [±95% CI]) and 82% of CFS subjects (odds ratio = 22.5 [7.8-64.8]) compared to only 13% of controls. There was a predominance of females in the CFS compared to GWI and controls. However, migraine status was independent of gender in GWI and CFS groups (x (2) = 2.7; P = 0.101). Measures of fatigue, pain, and other ancillary criteria were comparable between GWI and CFS subjects with and without headache.
Conclusion: The high prevalence of migraine in CFS was confirmed and extended to GWI subjects. GWI and CFS may share dysfunctional central pathophysiological pathways that contribute to migraine and subjective symptoms. The high migraine prevalence warrants the inclusion of a structured headache evaluation in GWI and CFS subjects, and treatment when present.
KEYWORDS:
central sensitization, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, fatigue, fibromyalgia, gulf war illness, migraine, neurolimbic pathway
central sensitization, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, fatigue, fibromyalgia, gulf war illness, migraine, neurolimbic pathway
PMID: 23898301
Oral Argument: Sublingual Findings Challenge Key Assumptions about BPA Exposure
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/121-a257/
"Key assumptions about bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and bioavailability may be off base, according to a new report in EHP that questions the traditional interpretation of biomonitoring data underlying current risk assessments of the chemical.1 Laboratory research suggests that BPA, a widely used chemical for polycarbonate plastics and other products, is an endocrine disruptor with potential adverse health effects involving reproduction, metabolism, and cancer.2,3"
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/121-a257/
"Key assumptions about bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and bioavailability may be off base, according to a new report in EHP that questions the traditional interpretation of biomonitoring data underlying current risk assessments of the chemical.1 Laboratory research suggests that BPA, a widely used chemical for polycarbonate plastics and other products, is an endocrine disruptor with potential adverse health effects involving reproduction, metabolism, and cancer.2,3"
Necrostatin-1 Counteracts Aluminum's Neurotoxic Effects
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130802094852.htm
"Investigators have linked aluminum accumulation in the brain as a possible contributing factor to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience sheds light on the mechanism underlying aluminum-induced neuronal cell death and identifies necrostatin-1 as a substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130802094852.htm
"Investigators have linked aluminum accumulation in the brain as a possible contributing factor to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience sheds light on the mechanism underlying aluminum-induced neuronal cell death and identifies necrostatin-1 as a substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects."
Pesticide exposure and self-reported incident depression among wives in the Agricultural Health Study
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935113001096
Abstract
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935113001096
Abstract
Background
Depression in women is a public health problem. Studies have reported positive associations between pesticides and depression, but few studies were prospective or presented results for women separately.
Depression in women is a public health problem. Studies have reported positive associations between pesticides and depression, but few studies were prospective or presented results for women separately.
Objectives
We evaluated associations between pesticide exposure and incident depression among farmers' wives in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort study in Iowa and North Carolina.
We evaluated associations between pesticide exposure and incident depression among farmers' wives in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort study in Iowa and North Carolina.
Methods
We used data on 16,893 wives who did not report physician-diagnosed depression at enrollment (1993–1997) and who completed a follow-up telephone interview (2005–2010). Among these wives, 1054 reported physician diagnoses of depression at follow-up. We collected information on potential confounders and on ever use of any pesticide, 11 functional and chemical classes of pesticides, and 50 specific pesticides by wives and their husbands via self-administered questionnaires at enrollment. We used inverse probability weighting to adjust for potential confounders and to account for possible selection bias induced by the death or loss of 10,639 wives during follow-up. We used log-binomial regression models to estimate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
We used data on 16,893 wives who did not report physician-diagnosed depression at enrollment (1993–1997) and who completed a follow-up telephone interview (2005–2010). Among these wives, 1054 reported physician diagnoses of depression at follow-up. We collected information on potential confounders and on ever use of any pesticide, 11 functional and chemical classes of pesticides, and 50 specific pesticides by wives and their husbands via self-administered questionnaires at enrollment. We used inverse probability weighting to adjust for potential confounders and to account for possible selection bias induced by the death or loss of 10,639 wives during follow-up. We used log-binomial regression models to estimate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
Results
After weighting for age at enrollment, state of residence, education level, diabetes diagnosis, and drop out, wives' incident depression was positively associated with diagnosed pesticide poisoning, but was not associated with ever using any pesticide. Use of individual pesticides or functional or chemical classes of pesticides was generally not associated with wives' depression. Among wives who never used pesticides, husbands' ever use of individual pesticides or functional or chemical classes of pesticides was generally not associated with wives' incident depression.
After weighting for age at enrollment, state of residence, education level, diabetes diagnosis, and drop out, wives' incident depression was positively associated with diagnosed pesticide poisoning, but was not associated with ever using any pesticide. Use of individual pesticides or functional or chemical classes of pesticides was generally not associated with wives' depression. Among wives who never used pesticides, husbands' ever use of individual pesticides or functional or chemical classes of pesticides was generally not associated with wives' incident depression.
Conclusions
Our study adds further evidence that high level pesticide exposure, such as pesticide poisoning, is associated with increased risk of depression and sets a lower bound on the level of exposure related to depression, thereby providing reassurance that the moderate levels of pesticide exposure experienced by farmers' wives likely do not increase risk.
Our study adds further evidence that high level pesticide exposure, such as pesticide poisoning, is associated with increased risk of depression and sets a lower bound on the level of exposure related to depression, thereby providing reassurance that the moderate levels of pesticide exposure experienced by farmers' wives likely do not increase risk.
Abbreviations
2,4-D, 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid;
2,4,5-T, (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid;
2,4,5-TP, (RS)2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)propanonic acid;
CI, Confidence interval;
DDT, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane;
EPTC, S-ethyl dipropyl(thiocarbamate);
IQR, Interquartile range;
NIEHS, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences;
RR, Risk ratio
2,4-D, 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid;
2,4,5-T, (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid;
2,4,5-TP, (RS)2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)propanonic acid;
CI, Confidence interval;
DDT, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane;
EPTC, S-ethyl dipropyl(thiocarbamate);
IQR, Interquartile range;
NIEHS, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences;
RR, Risk ratio
Chemical board's unfinished investigations hinder agency mission, IG finds
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/08/02/13113/chemical-boards-unfinished-investigations-hinder-agency-mission-ig-finds
"The federal agency charged with investigating chemical accidents is weighed down by a backlog of unfinished investigations, hindering its ability to provide information and advice that could prevent future disasters, a report released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General concluded."
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/08/02/13113/chemical-boards-unfinished-investigations-hinder-agency-mission-ig-finds
"The federal agency charged with investigating chemical accidents is weighed down by a backlog of unfinished investigations, hindering its ability to provide information and advice that could prevent future disasters, a report released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General concluded."
Workers' Silica Exposure at Fracking Sites Far Exceeds OSHA Limit, NIOSH Study Finds
http://www.bna.com/workers-silica-exposure-n17179875594/
"The concentration of silica in the air workers breathe exceeded occupational health criteria at all 11 hydraulic fracturing sites tested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the American Industrial Hygiene Association announced July 31."
http://www.bna.com/workers-silica-exposure-n17179875594/
"The concentration of silica in the air workers breathe exceeded occupational health criteria at all 11 hydraulic fracturing sites tested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the American Industrial Hygiene Association announced July 31."
Women, kids urged to avoid mercury-tainted fish from California lakes
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-mercury-fish-warning-california-lake-reservoir-20130801,0,2446669.story
"Children and women of childbearing age should not eat bass, carp and larger brown trout caught in California lakes and reservoirs because they contain unhealthy levels of mercury, according to a state health advisory issued Thursday.
Instead, they should opt for wild-caught rainbow trout and smaller brown trout, which have less mercury and higher amounts of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment says. The agency also suggests women over 45 and men limit themselves to one serving per week of bass, carp or brown trout more than 16 inches long."
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-mercury-fish-warning-california-lake-reservoir-20130801,0,2446669.story
"Children and women of childbearing age should not eat bass, carp and larger brown trout caught in California lakes and reservoirs because they contain unhealthy levels of mercury, according to a state health advisory issued Thursday.
Instead, they should opt for wild-caught rainbow trout and smaller brown trout, which have less mercury and higher amounts of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment says. The agency also suggests women over 45 and men limit themselves to one serving per week of bass, carp or brown trout more than 16 inches long."
Court says state must limit water toxin by Aug. 31
http://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/Court-says-state-must-limit-water-toxin-by-Aug-31-4701835.php
"A court ruling has put California closer to limiting the amount of a carcinogen in the state's drinking water, a safety measure that was supposed to be adopted nearly a decade ago."
http://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/Court-says-state-must-limit-water-toxin-by-Aug-31-4701835.php
"A court ruling has put California closer to limiting the amount of a carcinogen in the state's drinking water, a safety measure that was supposed to be adopted nearly a decade ago."
School Poisoning Provides Window into India's Pesticide Problem
http://www.theworld.org/2013/08/school-poisoning-provides-window-into-indias-pesticide-problem-2/
"The recent deaths of 23 Indian schoolchildren from pesticide-poisoned lunches was just the latest chapter in the country's long and troubled relationship with chemical pesticides. Host Carol Hills speaks about the problem–and some of the emerging grassroots solutions–with journalist Meera Subramanian. She says India is using 67 pesticides that are banned in other parts of the world. "
http://www.theworld.org/2013/08/school-poisoning-provides-window-into-indias-pesticide-problem-2/
"The recent deaths of 23 Indian schoolchildren from pesticide-poisoned lunches was just the latest chapter in the country's long and troubled relationship with chemical pesticides. Host Carol Hills speaks about the problem–and some of the emerging grassroots solutions–with journalist Meera Subramanian. She says India is using 67 pesticides that are banned in other parts of the world. "
BPA and Altered Airway Cells: Association Seen in Rhesus Macaques after Third-Trimester Exposure
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/121-a254/
"Parental bisphenol A (BPA) exposure has been shown to alter the development of reproductive organs in animal models,1 although the impacts on development of other organ systems remain largely unknown. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, now report in EHP that BPA exposure late in gestation alters airway cell development in rhesus macaques.2
Previous studies have associated BPA exposure with an experimental model of asthma in mice.3 Epidemiological studies have found evidence of an association between prenatal BPA exposure and wheeze in young children,4 and between postnatal exposure and childhood asthma.5 "This study sheds light on the possible mechanisms by which BPA may affect lung health," says Kathleen Donohue, an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University. Donohue was not involved in the current study."
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/121-a254/
"Parental bisphenol A (BPA) exposure has been shown to alter the development of reproductive organs in animal models,1 although the impacts on development of other organ systems remain largely unknown. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, now report in EHP that BPA exposure late in gestation alters airway cell development in rhesus macaques.2
Previous studies have associated BPA exposure with an experimental model of asthma in mice.3 Epidemiological studies have found evidence of an association between prenatal BPA exposure and wheeze in young children,4 and between postnatal exposure and childhood asthma.5 "This study sheds light on the possible mechanisms by which BPA may affect lung health," says Kathleen Donohue, an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University. Donohue was not involved in the current study."
House panel hits EPA with subpoena over pollution studies
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56681889-90/data-epa-studies-agency.html.csp
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56681889-90/data-epa-studies-agency.html.csp
"Washington • House Republicans say they are tired of asking the Environmental Protection Agency to provide the underlying data used in studies tying pollution to serious health problems.
So, they issued a subpoena late Thursday, the first from the Science Committee in 21 years."
So, they issued a subpoena late Thursday, the first from the Science Committee in 21 years."
Birds exposed to 'hidden pollutants' in south Wales valleys
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23532423
"Birds which have returned to the former industrial valleys of south Wales are being exposed to extremely high levels of hidden pollutants, experts warn.
Tests on eggs of dipper birds found chemicals used as flame retardants in furniture and motor vehicles.
The birds have fed on local rivers in growing numbers since heavy industries such as coal mining declined."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23532423
"Birds which have returned to the former industrial valleys of south Wales are being exposed to extremely high levels of hidden pollutants, experts warn.
Tests on eggs of dipper birds found chemicals used as flame retardants in furniture and motor vehicles.
The birds have fed on local rivers in growing numbers since heavy industries such as coal mining declined."
Nigeria: Doctors treat children of world's worst case of lead poisoning after 2-year delay
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/ad0b1e7c7db34d799e01bd0db468dae3/AF--Nigeria-Lead-Poison
"LAGOS, Nigeria — The Nigerian village that suffered one of the world's worst recorded incidents of lead poisoning is now habitable and doctors can start treating more than 1,000 contaminated children, a doctor and a scientist from two international agencies said Friday.
For some, it already is too late to reverse serious neurological damage, said Dr. Michelle Chouinard, Nigeria country director for Doctors Without Borders, told The Associated Press on Friday.
Some children are blind, others paralyzed and many will struggle at school with learning disabilities, she said."
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/ad0b1e7c7db34d799e01bd0db468dae3/AF--Nigeria-Lead-Poison
"LAGOS, Nigeria — The Nigerian village that suffered one of the world's worst recorded incidents of lead poisoning is now habitable and doctors can start treating more than 1,000 contaminated children, a doctor and a scientist from two international agencies said Friday.
For some, it already is too late to reverse serious neurological damage, said Dr. Michelle Chouinard, Nigeria country director for Doctors Without Borders, told The Associated Press on Friday.
Some children are blind, others paralyzed and many will struggle at school with learning disabilities, she said."
How the chemicals in your blood can betray your wealth
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10219251/How-the-chemicals-in-your-blood-can-betray-your-wealth.html
"Doctors may soon be able to tell how wealthy their patients are purely by looking at the chemicals in their blood."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10219251/How-the-chemicals-in-your-blood-can-betray-your-wealth.html
"Doctors may soon be able to tell how wealthy their patients are purely by looking at the chemicals in their blood."
Friday, July 5, 2013
Commission backs EFSA's definition of endocrine-disrupting chemicals
http://www.euractiv.com/health/commission-backs-efsas-definitio-news-529090
"In a letter to the anti-pesticides activist group PAN Europe, EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg backs the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) definition of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, saying it is in accordance with the international scientific consensus.
Some endocrine-disrupting chemicals occur naturally, while synthetic varieties can be found in pesticides, electronics, personal care products and cosmetics. Some can also be found as additives or as unintended contaminants in food.
The Pesticides Action Network campaign group had accused EFSA of creating loopholes for the pesticides industry to escape banning of chemical substances they use."
http://www.euractiv.com/health/commission-backs-efsas-definitio-news-529090
"In a letter to the anti-pesticides activist group PAN Europe, EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg backs the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) definition of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, saying it is in accordance with the international scientific consensus.
Some endocrine-disrupting chemicals occur naturally, while synthetic varieties can be found in pesticides, electronics, personal care products and cosmetics. Some can also be found as additives or as unintended contaminants in food.
The Pesticides Action Network campaign group had accused EFSA of creating loopholes for the pesticides industry to escape banning of chemical substances they use."
Historical Perspective on Effects and Treatment of Sulfur Mustard Injuries.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23816402
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23816402
Graham JS, Schoneboom BA. Chem Biol Interact. 2013 Jun 28. pii: S0009-2797(13)00153-1. doi: 10.1016/j.cbi.2013.06.013. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Office of the Commander, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, 3100 Ricketts Point Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA 21010-5400. Electronic address: john.s.graham1.civ@mail.mil.
Source
Office of the Commander, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, 3100 Ricketts Point Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA 21010-5400. Electronic address: john.s.graham1.civ@mail.mil.
Abstract
Sulfur mustard (2,2'-dichlorodiethyl sulfide; SM) is a potent vesicating chemical warfare agent that poses a continuing threat to both military and civilian populations. Significant SM injuries can take several months to heal, necessitate lengthy hospitalizations, and result in long-term complications affecting the skin, eyes, and lungs. This report summarizes initial and ongoing (chronic) clinical findings from SM casualties from the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), with an emphasis on cutaneous injury. In addition, we describe the cutaneous manifestations and treatment of several men recently and accidentally exposed to SM in the United States. Common, chronic cutaneous problems being reported in the Iranian casualties include pruritis (the primary complaint), burning, pain, redness, desquamation, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, erythematous papular rash, xerosis, multiple cherry angiomas, atrophy, dermal scarring, hypertrophy, and sensitivity to mechanical injury with recurrent blistering and ulceration. Chronic ocular problems include keratitis, photophobia, persistent tearing, sensation of foreign body, corneal thinning and ulceration, vasculitis of the cornea and conjunctiva, and limbal stem cell deficiency. Chronic pulmonary problems include decreases in lung function, bronchitis with hyper-reactive airways, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, stenosis of the trachea and other large airways, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, decreased total lung capacity, and increased incidences of lung cancer, pulmonary infections, and tuberculosis. There are currently no standardized or optimized methods of casualty management; current treatment strategy consists of symptomatic management and is designed to relieve symptoms, prevent infections, and promote healing. New strategies are needed to provide for optimal and rapid healing, with the goals of (a) returning damaged tissue to optimal appearance and normal function in the shortest period of time, and (b) ameliorating chronic effects. Further experimental research and clinical trials will be needed to prevent or mitigate the acute clinical effects of SM exposure and to reduce or eliminate the long-term manifestations.
PMID: 23816402 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Sulfur mustard (2,2'-dichlorodiethyl sulfide; SM) is a potent vesicating chemical warfare agent that poses a continuing threat to both military and civilian populations. Significant SM injuries can take several months to heal, necessitate lengthy hospitalizations, and result in long-term complications affecting the skin, eyes, and lungs. This report summarizes initial and ongoing (chronic) clinical findings from SM casualties from the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), with an emphasis on cutaneous injury. In addition, we describe the cutaneous manifestations and treatment of several men recently and accidentally exposed to SM in the United States. Common, chronic cutaneous problems being reported in the Iranian casualties include pruritis (the primary complaint), burning, pain, redness, desquamation, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, erythematous papular rash, xerosis, multiple cherry angiomas, atrophy, dermal scarring, hypertrophy, and sensitivity to mechanical injury with recurrent blistering and ulceration. Chronic ocular problems include keratitis, photophobia, persistent tearing, sensation of foreign body, corneal thinning and ulceration, vasculitis of the cornea and conjunctiva, and limbal stem cell deficiency. Chronic pulmonary problems include decreases in lung function, bronchitis with hyper-reactive airways, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, stenosis of the trachea and other large airways, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, decreased total lung capacity, and increased incidences of lung cancer, pulmonary infections, and tuberculosis. There are currently no standardized or optimized methods of casualty management; current treatment strategy consists of symptomatic management and is designed to relieve symptoms, prevent infections, and promote healing. New strategies are needed to provide for optimal and rapid healing, with the goals of (a) returning damaged tissue to optimal appearance and normal function in the shortest period of time, and (b) ameliorating chronic effects. Further experimental research and clinical trials will be needed to prevent or mitigate the acute clinical effects of SM exposure and to reduce or eliminate the long-term manifestations.
PMID: 23816402 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Many veterans suffering from diseases linked to Agent Orange still can't get disability compensation
Many veterans suffering from diseases linked to Agent Orange still can't get disability compensation
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/07/many_veterans_suffering_from_d.html
"Forty years after the last U.S. troops left Vietnam, military veterans continue to tussle with the Department of Veterans Affairs over whether they should be compensated for their exposure to the herbicide and defoliant Agent Orange.
Under Secretary Eric Shinseki, himself a Vietnam veteran, the agency has taken enormous strides to acknowledge that exposure to the toxic defoliant caused a variety of health problems, from birth defects to Type II diabetes to lung cancer. Shinseki has been applauded for adding more diseases, including Parkinson's and heart disease, to the list of maladies presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange. The expansion could make as many as 200,000 Vietnam War veterans eligible for compensation."
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/07/many_veterans_suffering_from_d.html
"Forty years after the last U.S. troops left Vietnam, military veterans continue to tussle with the Department of Veterans Affairs over whether they should be compensated for their exposure to the herbicide and defoliant Agent Orange.
Under Secretary Eric Shinseki, himself a Vietnam veteran, the agency has taken enormous strides to acknowledge that exposure to the toxic defoliant caused a variety of health problems, from birth defects to Type II diabetes to lung cancer. Shinseki has been applauded for adding more diseases, including Parkinson's and heart disease, to the list of maladies presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange. The expansion could make as many as 200,000 Vietnam War veterans eligible for compensation."
New chemicals, drugs added to EU water pollution watch list
"The European Parliament, in agreement with EU member states, has added 12 new substances to the EU priority list of pollutants known to pose a risk to surface water. For the first time, three pharmaceuticals will also be included on a "watch list" of emerging pollutants that could one day be added to the priority list."
Backyard Grilling Increases Air Pollution, But Can Texans Live Without It?
http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2013/07/03/how-backyard-grilling-can-increase-air-pollution/
"As you can tell, the appeal of grilling isn't all about the food for Gebhard. It's about the smoke. For him, recent research from The University of California, Davis is about as unwelcome as rain on the Fourth of July. The study highlights the danger of smoke from outdoor grilling to public health."
http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2013/07/03/how-backyard-grilling-can-increase-air-pollution/
"As you can tell, the appeal of grilling isn't all about the food for Gebhard. It's about the smoke. For him, recent research from The University of California, Davis is about as unwelcome as rain on the Fourth of July. The study highlights the danger of smoke from outdoor grilling to public health."
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Low-dose food contaminants trigger sex-specific, hepatic metabolic changes in the progeny of obese mice
http://www.fasebj.org/content/early/2013/06/11/fj.13-231670.abstract
http://www.fasebj.org/content/early/2013/06/11/fj.13-231670.abstract
FASEB Journal. Published online before print June 11, 2013, doi: 10.1096/fj.13-231670
Danielle Navilleet all
Abstract
Environmental contaminants are suspected to be involved in the epidemic incidence of metabolic disorders, food ingestion being a primarily route of exposure. We hypothesized that life-long consumption of a high-fat diet that contains low doses of pollutants will aggravate metabolic disorders induced by obesity itself. Mice were challenged from preconception throughout life with a high-fat diet containing pollutants commonly present in food (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyl 153, diethylhexyl phthalate, and bisphenol A), added at low doses in the tolerable daily intake range. We measured several blood parameters, glucose and insulin tolerance, hepatic lipid accumulation, and gene expression in adult mice. Pollutant-exposed mice exhibited significant sex-dependent metabolic disorders in the absence of toxicity and weight gain. In males, pollutants increased the expression of hepatic genes (from 36 to 88%) encoding proteins related to cholesterol biosynthesis and decreased (40%) hepatic total cholesterol levels. In females, there was a marked deterioration of glucose tolerance, which may be related to the 2-fold induction of estrogen sulfotransferase and reduced expression of estrogen receptor α (25%) and estrogen target genes (>34%). Because of the very low doses of pollutants used in the mixture, these findings may have strong implications in terms of understanding the potential role of environmental contaminants in food in the development of metabolic diseases.—Naville, D., Pinteur, C., Vega, N., Menade, Y., Vigier, M., Le Bourdais, A., Labaronne, E., Debard, C., Luquain-Costaz, C., Bégeot, M., Vidal, H., Le Magueresse-Battistoni, B. Low-dose food contaminants trigger sex-specific, hepatic metabolic changes in the progeny of obese mice.
Environmental contaminants are suspected to be involved in the epidemic incidence of metabolic disorders, food ingestion being a primarily route of exposure. We hypothesized that life-long consumption of a high-fat diet that contains low doses of pollutants will aggravate metabolic disorders induced by obesity itself. Mice were challenged from preconception throughout life with a high-fat diet containing pollutants commonly present in food (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyl 153, diethylhexyl phthalate, and bisphenol A), added at low doses in the tolerable daily intake range. We measured several blood parameters, glucose and insulin tolerance, hepatic lipid accumulation, and gene expression in adult mice. Pollutant-exposed mice exhibited significant sex-dependent metabolic disorders in the absence of toxicity and weight gain. In males, pollutants increased the expression of hepatic genes (from 36 to 88%) encoding proteins related to cholesterol biosynthesis and decreased (40%) hepatic total cholesterol levels. In females, there was a marked deterioration of glucose tolerance, which may be related to the 2-fold induction of estrogen sulfotransferase and reduced expression of estrogen receptor α (25%) and estrogen target genes (>34%). Because of the very low doses of pollutants used in the mixture, these findings may have strong implications in terms of understanding the potential role of environmental contaminants in food in the development of metabolic diseases.—Naville, D., Pinteur, C., Vega, N., Menade, Y., Vigier, M., Le Bourdais, A., Labaronne, E., Debard, C., Luquain-Costaz, C., Bégeot, M., Vidal, H., Le Magueresse-Battistoni, B. Low-dose food contaminants trigger sex-specific, hepatic metabolic changes in the progeny of obese mice.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Global Treaty to Curb Mercury–Except When It Comes to Children's Vaccines
http://www.fairwarning.org/2013/06/global-treaty-to-curb-mercury-except-when-it-comes-to-childrens-vaccines/
"Mercury is notorious for damaging the developing brains and nervous systems of babies and children. Concern about the serious effects of mercury pollution brought delegates from more than 140 nations to Geneva this January to put the finishing touches on a global treaty to minimize emissions. But there's a form of mercury that the treaty won't touch – one that is injected, in tiny amounts, straight into young kids' bodies. Some common vaccines that prevent such diseases as diphtheria, whooping cough and meningitis contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that fights bacteria and fungi. Thimerosal is also used in the production of certain vaccines, which retain trace amounts of the compound."
http://www.fairwarning.org/2013/06/global-treaty-to-curb-mercury-except-when-it-comes-to-childrens-vaccines/
"Mercury is notorious for damaging the developing brains and nervous systems of babies and children. Concern about the serious effects of mercury pollution brought delegates from more than 140 nations to Geneva this January to put the finishing touches on a global treaty to minimize emissions. But there's a form of mercury that the treaty won't touch – one that is injected, in tiny amounts, straight into young kids' bodies. Some common vaccines that prevent such diseases as diphtheria, whooping cough and meningitis contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that fights bacteria and fungi. Thimerosal is also used in the production of certain vaccines, which retain trace amounts of the compound."
EPA defends chemical testing of low-dose hormone effects
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/epa-low-dose
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that current testing of hormone-altering chemicals is adequate for detecting low-dose effects that may jeopardize health. This comes in response to a report written last year by 12 scientists who criticized the government's decades-old strategy for testing the safety of many chemicals found in the environment and consumer products. The scientists specifically focused on a phenomenon called "nonmonotonic dose response," which means that hormone-like chemicals often do not act in a typical way; they can have health effects at low doses but no effects or different effects at high doses. The EPA's conclusion was commended by the chemical industry, which called the evidence "at best, very weak." But a Tufts University scientist said it "flies in the face of our knowledge of how hormones work.""
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/epa-low-dose
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that current testing of hormone-altering chemicals is adequate for detecting low-dose effects that may jeopardize health. This comes in response to a report written last year by 12 scientists who criticized the government's decades-old strategy for testing the safety of many chemicals found in the environment and consumer products. The scientists specifically focused on a phenomenon called "nonmonotonic dose response," which means that hormone-like chemicals often do not act in a typical way; they can have health effects at low doses but no effects or different effects at high doses. The EPA's conclusion was commended by the chemical industry, which called the evidence "at best, very weak." But a Tufts University scientist said it "flies in the face of our knowledge of how hormones work.""
Nitrates in mom's drinking water linked to birth defects in kids.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2013/06/nitrate-in-moms-drinking-water/
"Babies whose mothers consume nitrates in drinking water have a higher risk of spina bifida, cleft palate and other birth defects, according to a large study of children in Texas and Iowa. Used as fertilizers on crops, nitrates are one of the most widespread chemical contaminants in aquifers around the world. The study is the first to compare birth defects in kids to their mothers' consumption of nitrates-tainted drinking water during pregnancy."
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2013/06/nitrate-in-moms-drinking-water/
"Babies whose mothers consume nitrates in drinking water have a higher risk of spina bifida, cleft palate and other birth defects, according to a large study of children in Texas and Iowa. Used as fertilizers on crops, nitrates are one of the most widespread chemical contaminants in aquifers around the world. The study is the first to compare birth defects in kids to their mothers' consumption of nitrates-tainted drinking water during pregnancy."
Dramatic increase in hospitalization of US children with inflammatory bowel disease
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130625141208.htm
"The largest investigation to date has found a dramatic increase in the number of hospitalizations for children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during the past decade in the United States."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130625141208.htm
"The largest investigation to date has found a dramatic increase in the number of hospitalizations for children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during the past decade in the United States."
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Early-life Air Pollution Linked with Childhood Asthma in Minorities, in Study
http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/06/106861/early-life-air-pollution-linked-childhood-asthma-minorities-study
"A research team led by UC San Francisco scientists has found that exposure in infancy to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a component of motor vehicle air pollution, is strongly linked with later development of childhood asthma among African Americans and Latinos. The researchers said their findings indicate that air pollution might, in fact, be a cause of the disease, and they called for a tightening of U.S government standards for annual exposure to NO2."
http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/06/106861/early-life-air-pollution-linked-childhood-asthma-minorities-study
"A research team led by UC San Francisco scientists has found that exposure in infancy to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a component of motor vehicle air pollution, is strongly linked with later development of childhood asthma among African Americans and Latinos. The researchers said their findings indicate that air pollution might, in fact, be a cause of the disease, and they called for a tightening of U.S government standards for annual exposure to NO2."
Monday, June 17, 2013
NIH Launched Dietary Supplement Label Database
http://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/
http://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/
"Searchable collection contains product information and ingredients from labels of dietary supplements sold in U.S. Researchers, as well as health care providers and consumers, can now see the ingredients listed on the labels of about 17,000 dietary supplements by looking them up on a website. The Dietary Supplement Label Database, free of charge and hosted by the National Institutes of Health."
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Scientists say new study shows pig health hurt by GMO feed
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/11/us-gmo-pigs-study-idUSBRE95A14K20130611
"Pigs fed a diet of only genetically modified grain showed markedly higher stomach inflammation than pigs who dined on conventional feed, according to a new study by a team of Australian scientists and U.S. researchers."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/11/us-gmo-pigs-study-idUSBRE95A14K20130611
"Pigs fed a diet of only genetically modified grain showed markedly higher stomach inflammation than pigs who dined on conventional feed, according to a new study by a team of Australian scientists and U.S. researchers."
Landslide Vote for GMO Labeling in Maine Legislature
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/11-6
"In a landslide 141-4 vote, the Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday to advance bill LD 718, which would require special labeling for seeds and foods made with genetically modified (GMO) ingredients."
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/11-6
"In a landslide 141-4 vote, the Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday to advance bill LD 718, which would require special labeling for seeds and foods made with genetically modified (GMO) ingredients."
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Lautenberg's death leaves chemical safety bill hanging
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Lautenberg-s-death-leaves-chemical-safety-bill-4577160.php?t=b3728060f34d372650&t=b3728060f3
"The death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., at 89 came just as he was shepherding what some believe - and others fear - may be the most significant federal law in his considerable political career. Lautenberg's priority for more than a decade had been modernizing the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, one of the country's bedrock environmental laws, and one that experts across the health and industrial spectra agree is hopelessly out of date."
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Lautenberg-s-death-leaves-chemical-safety-bill-4577160.php?t=b3728060f34d372650&t=b3728060f3
"The death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., at 89 came just as he was shepherding what some believe - and others fear - may be the most significant federal law in his considerable political career. Lautenberg's priority for more than a decade had been modernizing the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, one of the country's bedrock environmental laws, and one that experts across the health and industrial spectra agree is hopelessly out of date."
Mercury linked to neural tube defects in Chinese newborns.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/12/2013-0522-mercury-pregnancy-higher-risk-neural-tube-defects/
"Babies with two serious neural tube birth defects had higher levels of mercury in their placentas than babies without the birth defects, according to a study conducted in China.The infants with spina bifida and anencephaly were 12 times as likely to have higher-than-average mercury levels. The rural region studied has a high prevalence of neural tube defects and heavy pollution from coal-burning plants, a major source of mercury. However, the babies from this region did not have unusually high mercury exposures."
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/12/2013-0522-mercury-pregnancy-higher-risk-neural-tube-defects/
"Babies with two serious neural tube birth defects had higher levels of mercury in their placentas than babies without the birth defects, according to a study conducted in China.The infants with spina bifida and anencephaly were 12 times as likely to have higher-than-average mercury levels. The rural region studied has a high prevalence of neural tube defects and heavy pollution from coal-burning plants, a major source of mercury. However, the babies from this region did not have unusually high mercury exposures."
U.S. orders new safety upgrades at nuclear plants
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/06/us/nuclear-reactors-upgrades/
"U.S. regulators are directing 31 nuclear reactors similar in design to the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan, where an earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown two years ago, to take additional steps to help contain radiation and other damage from any accident that is not quickly halted."
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/06/us/nuclear-reactors-upgrades/
"U.S. regulators are directing 31 nuclear reactors similar in design to the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan, where an earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown two years ago, to take additional steps to help contain radiation and other damage from any accident that is not quickly halted."
Common solvent linked to liver cancer risk
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/06/us-health-solvet-cancer-idUSBRE95516520130606
"Scandinavian workers exposed to a common industrial cleaning fluid showed higher risk for developing cancers of the liver, kidneys and cervix in a large new study."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/06/us-health-solvet-cancer-idUSBRE95516520130606
"Scandinavian workers exposed to a common industrial cleaning fluid showed higher risk for developing cancers of the liver, kidneys and cervix in a large new study."
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Indoor Air Pollution | PSR
http://www.psr.org/environment-and-health/environmental-health-policy-institute/indoor-air-pollution.html
http://www.psr.org/environment-and-health/environmental-health-policy-institute/indoor-air-pollution.html
"Americans spend the majority of our time indoors, whether it's in our home, school or office.
Yet indoor air is estimated to be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency lists poor indoor air quality as the fourth largest environmental threat to our country. It has been associated with a range of symptoms including headache, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Specific diseases such as Legionnaires' disease, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and humidifier fever have been directly traced to specific building-based problems. In addition, exposure to toxins such as asbestos and radon may not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to cancer years after exposure.
Other building-related concerns that can affect health include poor lighting, excessive noise and heating and cooling issues.
How is it that the buildings we spend the most time in -- raising our families, learning, earning a living -- can be the most toxic? What can we do about it, what sort of recourse do we have? Please read on, as the contributors to this month's Environmental Health Policy Institute aim to answer those questions."
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Toxic Chemicals: Are Stricter Regulations Needed?
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/05/30/toxic-chemicals
"A new big push is on to rewrite federal regulations on the toxic chemicals in our lives. We'll look at whether it's a great compromise or a great sellout.
When it comes to toxic chemicals, you might think there's somebody looking out for you, your health, your basic safety.
You might be wrong.
The 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, which governs American chemical regulation, is widely considered a joke. Out of 85,000 registered chemicals in the US, the federal government has required testing of only 200. Only five have been banned as dangerous. And we wonder what's in our environment.
New legislation would update controls. But is it a real fix?"
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/05/30/toxic-chemicals
"A new big push is on to rewrite federal regulations on the toxic chemicals in our lives. We'll look at whether it's a great compromise or a great sellout.
When it comes to toxic chemicals, you might think there's somebody looking out for you, your health, your basic safety.
You might be wrong.
The 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, which governs American chemical regulation, is widely considered a joke. Out of 85,000 registered chemicals in the US, the federal government has required testing of only 200. Only five have been banned as dangerous. And we wonder what's in our environment.
New legislation would update controls. But is it a real fix?"
Friday, May 31, 2013
Probiotics Affect Brain Activity
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/805012
"A new study provides the first evidence in humans that probiotics in the diet can modulate brain activity.
In a proof-of-concept study using functional MRI (fMRI), researchers found that women who regularly consumed probiotic-containing yogurt showed altered activity of brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation. The study was funded by Danone Research."
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/805012
"A new study provides the first evidence in humans that probiotics in the diet can modulate brain activity.
In a proof-of-concept study using functional MRI (fMRI), researchers found that women who regularly consumed probiotic-containing yogurt showed altered activity of brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation. The study was funded by Danone Research."
Monday, May 27, 2013
Divers say they still suffer ailments from 2010 BP oil spill
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/divers-say-they-still-suffer-ailments-from-2010-oil-spill/212313 4
"During the Deepwater Horizon disaster three years ago, few people got as close to the action as Scott Porter.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/divers-say-they-still-suffer-ailments-from-2010-oil-spill/212313 4
"During the Deepwater Horizon disaster three years ago, few people got as close to the action as Scott Porter.
Porter, a diver with a degree in marine biology, worked in Louisiana as a contractor for oil companies and had become fascinated with the corals growing on oil rigs. He and some friends volunteered to collect samples of corals near the spill for federal officials. They were also paid to take reporters from CBS News and other outlets into the Gulf of Mexico to view the spreading slick.
Federal officials "kept telling us it was safe," Porter said. So he and the other divers he worked with relied on that advice and kept plunging into the gulf.
At the time, Porter was a fit, healthy guy, just 42, who had performed 6,000 dives. He competed in martial arts tournaments. He didn't expect to get sick. But soon after swimming through murky water full of oil and chemical dispersants, he said, he began suffering from a variety of ailments — a burning sensation in his chest, migraine headaches, skin rashes, nausea."
Seeking Food Ingredients That Aren't Gene-Altered
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/business/food-companies-seeking-ingredients-that-arent-gene-altered.html?_r=0
"Food companies big and small are struggling to replace genetically modified ingredients with conventional ones.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/business/food-companies-seeking-ingredients-that-arent-gene-altered.html?_r=0
"Food companies big and small are struggling to replace genetically modified ingredients with conventional ones.
Pressure is growing to label products made from genetically modified organisms, or "G.M.O." In Connecticut, Vermont and Maine, at least one chamber of the state legislature has approved bills that would require the labeling of foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, and similar legislation is pending in more than two dozen other states. This weekend, rallies were held around the globe against producers of genetically altered ingredients, and consumers are threatening to boycott products that are not labeled.
And so, for many businesses, the pressing concern is just what it will take to gain certification as non-G.M.O."
Bipartisan Senate bill would give EPA power to ban dangerous chemicals
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/flames/ct-nw-toxic-chemical-bill-20130523,0,3671250.story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/flames/ct-nw-toxic-chemical-bill-20130523,0,3671250.story
"In a rare display of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill, a group of key senators unveiled legislation Wednesday that would require chemical companies to provide more health and safety information about their products and give regulators more power to force harmful compounds off the market."
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Electrosmog may cause health problems, group says
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/05/25/montreal-electrosmog-electromagnetic-hypersensitivity-smart-meters.html
"A relatively new type of air pollution called electrosmog may be the cause of a variety of ailments, said the Quebec a Quebec group dedicated to fighting air pollution. Known by its French acronym AQLPA, the organization is calling for a moratorium on Hydro Québec's smart meters project."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/05/25/montreal-electrosmog-electromagnetic-hypersensitivity-smart-meters.html
"A relatively new type of air pollution called electrosmog may be the cause of a variety of ailments, said the Quebec a Quebec group dedicated to fighting air pollution. Known by its French acronym AQLPA, the organization is calling for a moratorium on Hydro Québec's smart meters project."
Xenobiotic Sensor- And Metabolism-Related Gene Variants in Environmental Sensitivity-Related Illnesses: A Survey on the Italian Population
Daniela Caccamo1, Eleonora Cesareo2, Serena Mariani2, Desanka Raskovic3, Riccardo Ientile1, Monica Currò1, Korkina Liudmila2, DeLuca Chiara2
1Dept. of Biomedical Sciences and Morpho-Functional Imaging, Polyclinic University of Messina, Messina, Italy
2Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Skin Pathophysiology, Dermatology Institute (IDI IRCCS), Rome, Italy
32nd Dermatology Division, Dermatology Institute (IDI IRCCS), Rome, Italy
Corresponding Author: Dr. Chiara De Luca,PhD, Laboratory of Tissue
Engineering and Skin Pathophysiology, Dermatology Institute (IDI
IRCCS), Via Monti di Creta 104, Rome 00167, Italy,
Tel. +39 06 9112193, fax +39 06 9112192, e.mail c.deluca@idi.it.
Abstract
In the environmental sensitivity-related illnesses (SRI) multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (FCS), fibromyalgia (FM), the search for genetic polymorphisms of phase I/II xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes as suitable diagnostic biomarkers produced so far inconclusive results, due to patient heterogeneity, geographic/ethnic differences in genetic backgrounds, different methodological approaches. Here, we compared the frequency of gene polymorphisms of selected cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolizing enzymes, and for the first time of the xenobiotic sensor Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), in the three cohorts of 145 diagnosed MCS, 94 suspected MCS, 80 FM/FCS patients, vs. 113 healthy controls. Contrary to our previous results on 110 Italian MCS patients, we showed, after careful evaluation of MCS established diagnostic criteria, exclusion of FM and FCS co-morbidities, and with techniques reaching 100% specificity and sensitivity for heterozygous genotypes, significantly different polymorphism distributions in-between patients' groups, and vs. controls, concerning CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2D6*4, CYP2D6*41 allele and heterozygous genotype frequencies, also confirmed
by disease risk Odds Ratios. Results allowed us to propose genotyping for these specific CYP variants, together with the AHR Arg554Lys variant, as reliable, cost-effective genetic parameters to be included in the still undefined biomarkers' panel for laboratory diagnosis of the main types of environmental-borne SRI.
1Dept. of Biomedical Sciences and Morpho-Functional Imaging, Polyclinic University of Messina, Messina, Italy
2Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Skin Pathophysiology, Dermatology Institute (IDI IRCCS), Rome, Italy
32nd Dermatology Division, Dermatology Institute (IDI IRCCS), Rome, Italy
Corresponding Author: Dr. Chiara De Luca,PhD, Laboratory of Tissue
Engineering and Skin Pathophysiology, Dermatology Institute (IDI
IRCCS), Via Monti di Creta 104, Rome 00167, Italy,
Tel. +39 06 9112193, fax +39 06 9112192, e.mail c.deluca@idi.it.
Abstract
In the environmental sensitivity-related illnesses (SRI) multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (FCS), fibromyalgia (FM), the search for genetic polymorphisms of phase I/II xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes as suitable diagnostic biomarkers produced so far inconclusive results, due to patient heterogeneity, geographic/ethnic differences in genetic backgrounds, different methodological approaches. Here, we compared the frequency of gene polymorphisms of selected cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolizing enzymes, and for the first time of the xenobiotic sensor Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), in the three cohorts of 145 diagnosed MCS, 94 suspected MCS, 80 FM/FCS patients, vs. 113 healthy controls. Contrary to our previous results on 110 Italian MCS patients, we showed, after careful evaluation of MCS established diagnostic criteria, exclusion of FM and FCS co-morbidities, and with techniques reaching 100% specificity and sensitivity for heterozygous genotypes, significantly different polymorphism distributions in-between patients' groups, and vs. controls, concerning CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2D6*4, CYP2D6*41 allele and heterozygous genotype frequencies, also confirmed
by disease risk Odds Ratios. Results allowed us to propose genotyping for these specific CYP variants, together with the AHR Arg554Lys variant, as reliable, cost-effective genetic parameters to be included in the still undefined biomarkers' panel for laboratory diagnosis of the main types of environmental-borne SRI.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
MCSA NEWS
May-June 2013, Volume 8, Issue 2
Entire PDF Edition: http://www.mcs-america.org/mayjune2013.pdf
(View, Download, and Print)
Inside This Issue:
- Nevada Governor Declares May MCS Awareness Month
- May is Toxic Injury & Chemical Awareness Month in
- Jennifer Parker Foundation National Walk-a-Thon
- Awareness Month Observed in
- Patient Support & Resources
- Featured Research Studies
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Copyrighted © 2013 MCS
You have received this newsletter because you subscribed to it.
If you wish to unsubscribe, please send a message to unsubscribe@mcs-america.org.
This newsletter may be forwarded provided it is forwarded in it's entirety.
Some individuals may receive this newsletter through forwarded posts from independent listserves/groups.
If you no longer wish to receive mail, contact your administrator or unsubscribe from your listserv/group.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Arkansas Governor Declares May 2013 Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
Arkansas Governor Declares May 2013 Food Allergy Awareness Week
http://www.mcs-america.org/arkansas2013fa.pdfFriendships over Fragrances
https://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2013/04/29/friendships-over-fragrances/
https://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2013/04/29/friendships-over-fragrances/
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Observance of MCS/EMS Awareness Month May 2013 in Florida, USA.
http://www.nettally.com/prusty/Formww52.htm Christiane Tourtet, B.A., Founder and President of International MCS/EMS Awareness, presents her MCS/EMS Awareness Month Display at The Dr. B. L. Perry, Jr. Public Branch Library, Tallahassee, Florida
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Niagara Falls Turns Purple for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOddoUsXMsQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOddoUsXMsQ
"On May 12th, 2013 at 10:15-10:30pm (EST) Niagara Falls recognized and payed honor to Fibromyalgia Awareness Day and the 1 in 50 people in the world suffering from this widespread chronic pain condition."
Michigan Proclaims May 2013 as Toxic Injury and Chemical Awareness Month
http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577_59874-302897--,00.html
http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577_59874-302897--,00.html
Saturday, May 18, 2013
[COMMENT: The prevalence of 'so-called' mental disorders is dramatic and the increase can be time correlated to the increases in the number of chemicals and vaccines in use over the years. Mental Illness? Or Poisoning?]
Up to 1 in 5 children suffer from mental disorder -CDC
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/16/usa-health-children-idUSL2N0DX1C820130516 "Up to 20 percent of children in the United States suffer from a mental disorder, and the number of kids diagnosed with one has been rising for more than a decade, according to a report released on Thursday by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention."
At trade talks, U.S., E.U. ready for fight on genetically modified crops
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/at-trade-talks-us-eu-ready-for-fight-on-genetically-modified-crops/2013/05/17/8e61176a-bdb0-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html
"LENNEWITZ, Germany — Many Europeans see American farming and its reliance on genetically modified crops as more Frankenstein than Farmer in the Dell. Now, the opposition here to U.S. agricultural practices is threatening to become a major battle in discussions starting next month that could sweep away trade barriers between the United States and Europe. Many here worry that a trade pact would ease regulations that have made it difficult for genetically modified crops and products to reach European shores. Genetically modified crops are broadly unpopular in Europe, and farmers and environmentalists fear that if trade restrictions are lowered, both genetically modified seeds and U.S.-grown genetically modified products would quickly take over European farmland and grocery stores."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/at-trade-talks-us-eu-ready-for-fight-on-genetically-modified-crops/2013/05/17/8e61176a-bdb0-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html
"LENNEWITZ, Germany — Many Europeans see American farming and its reliance on genetically modified crops as more Frankenstein than Farmer in the Dell. Now, the opposition here to U.S. agricultural practices is threatening to become a major battle in discussions starting next month that could sweep away trade barriers between the United States and Europe. Many here worry that a trade pact would ease regulations that have made it difficult for genetically modified crops and products to reach European shores. Genetically modified crops are broadly unpopular in Europe, and farmers and environmentalists fear that if trade restrictions are lowered, both genetically modified seeds and U.S.-grown genetically modified products would quickly take over European farmland and grocery stores."
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Studies: Endocrine disruptors, cocaine common in Minnesota waters
http://www.wisconsinwatch.org/2013/05/13/studies-endocrine-disruptors-common-in-mn-waters/
http://www.wisconsinwatch.org/2013/05/13/studies-endocrine-disruptors-common-in-mn-waters/
Even Low Levels of Lead Hamper Kindergartners' Reading Skills: Study
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136805.html
"Some experts say no level of exposure is safe, push for zero tolerance from CDC"
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136805.html
"Some experts say no level of exposure is safe, push for zero tolerance from CDC"
Everyday Noise Levels May Affect the Heart
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136668.html
"Even not-so-loud sounds seemed to raise people's heart rate in small study"
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136668.html
"Even not-so-loud sounds seemed to raise people's heart rate in small study"
Food Allergy Awareness Week 2013 – Online Resources
In observance of Food Allergy Awareness Week 2013, NIAID encourages the public to learn more about and share valuable information about food allergy. Following are online resources about food allergy:
| ||||||||
Follow us on Twitter
Visit us on Facebook
Follow us on LinkedIn'Nonsmoking' Hotel Rooms May Not Fully Protect Guests
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136808.html
"Partial smoking bans still left study participants with signs of tobacco exposure"
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136808.html
"Partial smoking bans still left study participants with signs of tobacco exposure"
Living Near Heavy Traffic May Harm Kidney Function
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136807.html
"Polluted air can lower organ's filtering ability, new research suggests"
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136807.html
"Polluted air can lower organ's filtering ability, new research suggests"
Materials in Some Household Products Tied to Lung Damage
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MCS-America/95671789291
"Breathing in 'nanomaterials' seems to cause inflammation, study contends"
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MCS-America/95671789291
"Breathing in 'nanomaterials' seems to cause inflammation, study contends"
Please share!
Webinar: How to Create Greener and Healthier Schools for Children and Teachers
WHEN: Thursday May 23 – 4:30pm – 5:45 pm
WHERE: Free Webinar From Your Home/Computer
RSVP online at: http://bit.ly/healthyschoolswebinar
Healthy schools that are free from toxic chemicals are critical to children's health. Unfortunately school building materials and products can contain chemicals harmful to children's health that have been linked to asthma, learning and developmental disabilities, cancer and other serious health problems on the rise. For example, hazardous chemicals and materials like mercury, phthalates, vinyl and halogenated flame retardants have been found in lighting, flooring, office supplies, and/or other products in schools. The good news is safer and affordable alternatives are available for schools and parents to use and purchase.
Learn how you can encourage your school to be greener and healthier by launching an environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) program.
Join this free webinar sponsored by NYS United Teachers (NYSUT), the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) and the Green Schools Alliance.
RSVP online at: http://bit.ly/healthyschoolswebinar
Questions? Contact mike@chej.org / 212-964-3680.
Funding provided by the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute through a grant from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Environmental Conservation
Mike Schade, Markets Campaign Coordinator
Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ)
212.964.3680 / mike@chej.org
http://www.chej.org
"PORTLAND – A Bureau of Maintenance employee has sued the City of Portland, claiming she was sickened by personal fragrances.
Julie Reynolds' suit claims that she suffers from a condition called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), that is triggered by a wide variety of chemicals contained in scent-bearing products like perfume and hand lotion.
The lawsuit states that one of Reynolds' co-workers wore a scented product that triggered a severe reaction, and that Reynolds' doctor warned the city that workplace exposure could be "life-threatening" to Reynolds."
Saturday, May 11, 2013
'Pacific Fatigue Lab' (Workwell) Continues On After University Cuts Them Loose
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=18072
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=18072
"Working Well For ME/CFS (Still) – 'Pacific Fatigue Lab' (Workwell) Continues On After University Cuts Them Loose
By Cort Johnson
WORKING WELL FOR ME/CFS
Our goal is to facilitate an understanding of the biological basis for fatigue and provide objectively determined therapeutic interventions that will improve quality of life for this population. Staci Stevens, Program Director for Workwell"
International Awareness Day, May 12th 2013: Worldwide Protests and Events
http://phoenixrising.me/archives/16915
http://phoenixrising.me/archives/16915
Friday, May 10, 2013
Chemical Sensitivity: Pathophysiology or Pathopsychology?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23642291
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23642291
Genuis SJ. Clin Ther. 2013 May 1. pii: S0149-2918(13)00175-6. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2013.04.003. [Epub ahead of print]
Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: sgenuis@ualberta.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Escalating numbers of people throughout the world are presenting to primary care physicians, allergists, and immunologists with myriad clinical symptoms after low-level exposure to assorted everyday chemicals such as smoke, perfumes, air fresheners, paints, glues, and other products. This clinical state is referred to by various diagnostic labels, including multiple chemical sensitivity disorder, environmental intolerance, chemical sensitivity (CS), and sensitivity-related illness, and has been the subject of much controversy within the health care community.
Escalating numbers of people throughout the world are presenting to primary care physicians, allergists, and immunologists with myriad clinical symptoms after low-level exposure to assorted everyday chemicals such as smoke, perfumes, air fresheners, paints, glues, and other products. This clinical state is referred to by various diagnostic labels, including multiple chemical sensitivity disorder, environmental intolerance, chemical sensitivity (CS), and sensitivity-related illness, and has been the subject of much controversy within the health care community.
OBJECTIVE:
The goal of this study was to provide a brief overview of the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management of CS. An evaluation of the medical community's response to this emerging diagnosis was also explored.
The goal of this study was to provide a brief overview of the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management of CS. An evaluation of the medical community's response to this emerging diagnosis was also explored.
METHODS:
This review was prepared by assessing available medical and scientific literature from MEDLINE, as well as by reviewing numerous books, toxicology journals, conference proceedings, government publications, and environmental health periodicals. A primary observation, however, is that there is limited scientific literature available on the issue of CS. The format of a traditional integrated review was chosen because such reviews play a pivotal role in scientific research and professional practice in medical issues with limited primary study and uncharted clinical territory.
This review was prepared by assessing available medical and scientific literature from MEDLINE, as well as by reviewing numerous books, toxicology journals, conference proceedings, government publications, and environmental health periodicals. A primary observation, however, is that there is limited scientific literature available on the issue of CS. The format of a traditional integrated review was chosen because such reviews play a pivotal role in scientific research and professional practice in medical issues with limited primary study and uncharted clinical territory.
RESULTS:
The sensitization state of CS seems to be initiated by a significant toxic exposure, occurring as a 1-time event, or on surpassing a threshold of toxicity after toxicant accrual from repeated lower-level exposures. Once sensitized through a toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, individuals exposed to inciting triggers such as minute amounts of diverse everyday chemicals may experience various clinical and immune sequelae, sometimes involving lymphocyte, antibody, or cytokine responses. Precautionary avoidance of inciting triggers will prevent symptoms, and desensitization immunotherapy or immune suppression may improve symptoms in some cases. Sustained resolution of the CS state occurs after successful elimination of the accrued body burden of toxicants through natural mechanisms of toxicant bioelimination and/or interventions of clinical detoxification. Despite extensive clinical evidence to support the veracity of this clinical state, many members of the medical community are reluctant to accept this condition as a pathophysiologic disorder.
The sensitization state of CS seems to be initiated by a significant toxic exposure, occurring as a 1-time event, or on surpassing a threshold of toxicity after toxicant accrual from repeated lower-level exposures. Once sensitized through a toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, individuals exposed to inciting triggers such as minute amounts of diverse everyday chemicals may experience various clinical and immune sequelae, sometimes involving lymphocyte, antibody, or cytokine responses. Precautionary avoidance of inciting triggers will prevent symptoms, and desensitization immunotherapy or immune suppression may improve symptoms in some cases. Sustained resolution of the CS state occurs after successful elimination of the accrued body burden of toxicants through natural mechanisms of toxicant bioelimination and/or interventions of clinical detoxification. Despite extensive clinical evidence to support the veracity of this clinical state, many members of the medical community are reluctant to accept this condition as a pathophysiologic disorder.
CONCLUSIONS:
The emerging problem of ubiquitous adverse toxicant exposures in modern society has resulted in escalating numbers of individuals developing a CS disorder. As usual in medical history, iconoclastic ideas and emerging evidence regarding novel disease mechanisms, such as the pathogenesis of CS, have been met with controversy, resistance, and sluggish knowledge translation.
The emerging problem of ubiquitous adverse toxicant exposures in modern society has resulted in escalating numbers of individuals developing a CS disorder. As usual in medical history, iconoclastic ideas and emerging evidence regarding novel disease mechanisms, such as the pathogenesis of CS, have been met with controversy, resistance, and sluggish knowledge translation.
PMID: 23642291 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
Nevada Governor Proclaims May 2013 as Toxic Encephalopathy and Chemical Injury Awareness Monthhttp://gov.nv.gov/news/item/4294973586/
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Birch Grove Park walk to benefit people with environmental illness
http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/mainland-/news/37955-birch-grove-park-walk-to-benefit-people-with-environmental-illness.html
http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/mainland-/news/37955-birch-grove-park-walk-to-benefit-people-with-environmental-illness.html
"Runners and walkers who lace up their sneakers Sunday, May 5 at Birch Grove Park in Northfield and 19 other locations nationwide will be walking with a purpose: to draw attention to environmental illness.
Organizer Jennifer Parker of Somers Point was diagnosed seven years ago with mycotoxicosis, more widely recognized as multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS. The disease can make prisoners of its victims and is more prevalent than she could have imagined when she first got sick."
May is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) Awareness Month!
"Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness." - James Thurber
May is MCS Awareness month!
"Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness." - James Thurber
May is MCS Awareness month!
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) affects over 48 million men, women, and children of all races. Even though MCS is of widespread epidemic prevalence, public awareness of the toxicity of common environmental insults and ways to manage and accommodate MCS remain limited.
MCS America works to educate the public and advocate for people with MCS, specifically to gain medical, legal, and social recognition for multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) as a disorder of organic biological origin induced by toxic environmental insults. We also work to ensure that environmental toxicants are identified, reduced, regulated, and enforced.
MCS America works to educate the public and advocate for people with MCS, specifically to gain medical, legal, and social recognition for multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) as a disorder of organic biological origin induced by toxic environmental insults. We also work to ensure that environmental toxicants are identified, reduced, regulated, and enforced.
Chemicals cause many health problems in addition to MCS. Among them are asthma, cancer, allergies, and many more! Everyone can benefit from learning more about chemical exposures and how to limit them and find less toxic alternatives. So let's get talking!
Many events are occurring around the United States this year, including a nationwide walkathon on May 5th and legislation towards safer chemicals. Won't you join us for this important observance?
Brochures and signs are available for download, printing, and distribution free of charge at http://mcs-america.org/index_files/MCSBrochuresPostersSigns.htm. There are also activist materials free for download, printing, and distribution at http://mcs-america.org/index_files/ReadytoGoMCSActivist.htm.
One of the greatest ways to generate awareness is to wear clothing and accessories which mention and promote MCS. MCS America has provided several designs to Cafe Press on a volunteer basis to further the awareness of MCS and to support the mission of MCS America. All the designs are available in yellow shirts and bags. Cafe Press prints these designs and sells the items from their website. Our Cafe Press mark-up is 0%, so we take no income from this project and buyers pay Café Press's wholesale cost only. Sample designs are available at http://mcs-america.org/index_files/MCSstore.htm.
Happy MCS Awareness Month from MCS America!
One of the greatest ways to generate awareness is to wear clothing and accessories which mention and promote MCS. MCS America has provided several designs to Cafe Press on a volunteer basis to further the awareness of MCS and to support the mission of MCS America. All the designs are available in yellow shirts and bags. Cafe Press prints these designs and sells the items from their website. Our Cafe Press mark-up is 0%, so we take no income from this project and buyers pay Café Press's wholesale cost only. Sample designs are available at http://mcs-america.org/index_files/MCSstore.htm.
Happy MCS Awareness Month from MCS America!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Tackling chronic fatigue syndrome from the top down
http://www.scienceomega.com/article/1053/tackling-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-from-the-top-down
"A top-down approach has helped to advance research within the field of chronic fatigue syndrome, explains the CFS Research Foundation's Anne Faulkner…
For more than a quarter of a century, chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), has stimulated vigorous debate amongst members of the medical research community. From the outset, however, those working to promote investigation into this illness have been involved in an uphill struggle. Surprisingly, one of the most significant obstacles originated from sections of the medical community that were reluctant to recognise CFS/ME as a genuine illness. Moreover, pejorative terms such as 'yuppie flu' did little to improve the condition's credibility within a broader societal context."
http://www.scienceomega.com/article/1053/tackling-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-from-the-top-down
"A top-down approach has helped to advance research within the field of chronic fatigue syndrome, explains the CFS Research Foundation's Anne Faulkner…
For more than a quarter of a century, chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), has stimulated vigorous debate amongst members of the medical research community. From the outset, however, those working to promote investigation into this illness have been involved in an uphill struggle. Surprisingly, one of the most significant obstacles originated from sections of the medical community that were reluctant to recognise CFS/ME as a genuine illness. Moreover, pejorative terms such as 'yuppie flu' did little to improve the condition's credibility within a broader societal context."
Environmental exposures: an underrecognized contribution to noncommunicable diseases.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23612529
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23612529
Norman RE, Carpenter DO, Scott J, Brune MN, Sly PD.
Rev Environ Health. 2013;28(1):59-65. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2012-0033.
Abstract
Abstract Previous attempts to determine the degree to which exposure to environmental factors contribute to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have been very conservative and have significantly underestimated the actual contribution of the environment for at least two reasons. Firstly, most previous reports have excluded the contribution of lifestyle behavioral risk factors, but these usually involve significant exposure to environmental chemicals that increase risk of disease. Secondly, early life exposure to chemical contaminants is now clearly associated with an elevated risk of several diseases later in life, but these connections are often difficult to discern. This is especially true for asthma and neurodevelopmental conditions, but there is also a major contribution to the development of obesity and chronic diseases. Most cancers are caused by environmental exposures in genetically susceptible individuals. In addition, new information shows significant associations between cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and exposure to environmental chemicals present in air, food, and water. These relationships likely reflect the combination of epigenetic effects and gene induction. Environmental factors contribute significantly more to NCDs than previous reports have suggested. Prevention needs to shift focus from individual responsibility to societal responsibility and an understanding that effective prevention of NCDs ultimately relies on improved environmental management to reduce exposure to modifiable risks.
Abstract
Abstract Previous attempts to determine the degree to which exposure to environmental factors contribute to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have been very conservative and have significantly underestimated the actual contribution of the environment for at least two reasons. Firstly, most previous reports have excluded the contribution of lifestyle behavioral risk factors, but these usually involve significant exposure to environmental chemicals that increase risk of disease. Secondly, early life exposure to chemical contaminants is now clearly associated with an elevated risk of several diseases later in life, but these connections are often difficult to discern. This is especially true for asthma and neurodevelopmental conditions, but there is also a major contribution to the development of obesity and chronic diseases. Most cancers are caused by environmental exposures in genetically susceptible individuals. In addition, new information shows significant associations between cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and exposure to environmental chemicals present in air, food, and water. These relationships likely reflect the combination of epigenetic effects and gene induction. Environmental factors contribute significantly more to NCDs than previous reports have suggested. Prevention needs to shift focus from individual responsibility to societal responsibility and an understanding that effective prevention of NCDs ultimately relies on improved environmental management to reduce exposure to modifiable risks.
PMID: 23612529 [PubMed - in process]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
