Toxic Times - News Highlights from March 18 - March 24, 2009

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News Highlights from March 18, 2009 - March 24, 2009

MICHIGAN NEWS

House votes 88-20 to restrict Rx use of pesticide lindane

Michigan Information and Research Service, Tuesday, March 17, 2009

On an 88-20 vote, the House passed HB 4402, legislation to limit the use of

lindane to situations under a physician's supervision in his or her office. 

Lindane is a chemical used to treat lice infestations in people and animals. 

Among those speaking out passionately in favor of the bill was Rep. Rick Jones

(R-Grand Ledge), who said he has seen first hand the damage lindane can cause. 

" There is absolutely no reason to use this product on a child, " Jones said. 

" This is an important vote for children's health, " said Ken Fletcher, Director

of Government Affairs for the Michigan Nurses Association. " We applaud

legislators for supporting this measure, and urge the Senate to quickly follow

suit to help protect Michigan's children. "   The Department of Community Health

does not recommend lindane use for either head lice or scabies and supports the

legislation.

 

EPA official: Quicker pace for dioxin cleanup

The Associated Press, Thursday, March 19, 2009

The EPA is looking for Dow Chemical Co. to increase its pace for the cleanup of

a Lower Peninsula watershed that has been contaminated with dioxins since the

1980s.

http://www.mlive.com/ newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/ base/business-20/

1237479252242140.xml & storylist=newsmichigan

 

Study links DDT, obesity in women

The Muskegon Chronicle, Friday, March 20, 2009

New research from Michigan State University suggests that women whose mothers

consumed Great Lakes fish contaminated with DDT or DDE (a byproduct of DDT

decomposition) during pregnancy are at greater risk of being

obese.http://www.mlive.com/ news/chronicle/index.ssf?/

base/news-16/1237544111171580. xml & coll=8

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Flame retardant creates hyperactive mice

Environmental Health News, Thursday, March 19, 2009

New research indicates that early life exposure to deca-BDE, a common flame

retardant, causes hyperactivity and adjustment disorders in mice.  The mental

issues-believed to be a disruption of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine-were

detected at low dosages, worsened at higher doses, and became worse as

individuals aged.

http://www. environmentalhealthnews.org/ ehs/newscience/flame-

retardant-causes-hyper-mice/ 

 

Dioxin alters ability to fight infection, mouse study finds

Environmental Health News, Wednesday, March 18, 2009

According to new research, mouse pups born of mothers who were exposed to small

amounts of dioxin had fewer white blood cells that fought flu infections, but

had more of a type of white blood cell that caused pulmonary inflammation-a

condition that researchers claim actually makes the illness more severe and

hinders recovery.

http://www. environmentalhealthnews.org/ ehs/newscience/2007-aryl-

hydrocarbon-receptor-during- ontogeny-of-the-immune-system- hogaboam-et-al/ 

 

Toxic emissions fell in 2007, EPA says

The New York Times, Thursday, March 19, 2009

According the Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of toxic chemicals

released into the environment or processed for disposal were down over the

numbers in 2006. However, exactly what was produced, the quantities, and the

fate of the chemicals yields both good and bad news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/ 03/20/science/earth/20toxic. html?_r=1

 

Book dealers told to get the lead out

The Washington Post, Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Libraries and second-hand book retailers are asking for an exception to the

newly enacted Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.  The law makes children's

books printed before 1985 illegal contraband due to the possibility of lead in

the ink.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/article/2009/

03/23/AR2009032301764.html

 

Change is coming

Chemical and Engineering News, Monday, March 16, 2009

The Toxic Substances Control Act, a law signed by President Ford in 1976, has

remained relatively unaltered since its inception.  Now a new political climate

and backing from members of both the Senate and the House may cause drastic

policy changes.

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/ government/87/8711gov3. htmlhttp://pubs.acs.org/cen/

government/87/8711gov3.html

 

How to tell if you are poisoning yourself with fish

Discover, Wednesday, March 19, 2009

By blending genetics with human environmental toxicology, scientists are looking

for genetic differences that may cause some individuals to have more pronounced

effects from seemingly lower doses of compounds, such as methylmercury in fish.

http://discovermagazine.com/ 2009/apr/19-how-to-tell-if-

you.re-poisoning-yourself- with-fish 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Pacific ocean awash in toxic seas of plastic

The Japan Times, Sunday, March 22, 2009

Plastic refuse from Asia and America is carried on Pacific currents, coalescing

into enormous masses in the ocean.  New studies suggest that plastics not only

release, but also absorb toxins in the ocean, making exposure to these plastics

even more dangerous for marine life.

http://search.japantimes.co. jp/cgi-bin/fl20090322x1.html

 

City's air quality back to square one

Dhaka Daily Star, Saturday, March 21, 2009

Dhaka's air pollution had decreased since the phase-out of two-stroke vehicles

in 2003. However, an increase in the number of vehicles, brick kilns, and

building construction has pushed the concentrations of fine particulate matter

back toward more dangerous levels.

http://www.thedailystar.net/ newDesign/news-details.php? nid=80635

 

 

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The Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health is a coalition of

health professionals, health-affected groups, environmental organizations, and

others dedicated to a safe and less toxic world for Michigan's children. 

Through education, outreach, and advocacy, we seek to protect Michigan's

children from adverse impacts caused by exposure to widespread hazardous

chemicals. Visit: www.mnceh.org.