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RECENT EH HEADLINES
"Sick buildings" improve with UV lights 11/28/03 Ultraviolet lamps can kill bacteria, mold, fungi and other germs in the ventilation systems of big office buildings, preventing headaches, coughs, congestion and other symptoms. Mr. Clean's Dream House 10/9/03 Gig Harbor school reopening after thorough cleaning 4/8/03 Health complaints bring on school closure 4/23/02 Library's air taking toll on staffers: Nearly 1 in 3 miss work for health reasons 6/7/00 The vermiculite risk hits home: Local insulation remover worries about a growing, deadly asbestos problem 8/24/00 "Don't touch vermiculite insulation, state says: Homeowners are urged to get professional help in handling asbestos-contaminated matter. This report also has resource links on the topic. Suit over air quality on jets is rejected: Flight attendants claimed defects brought in fumes 5/21/02> AIR QUALITY (OUTDOOR) Iraqi official says pollution poses urgent health problem. 12/3/03 The head of Iraq's environmental cleanup effort said Tuesday that polluted air is the country's most urgent public health problem, created by years of gross neglect and lack of control under Saddam Hussein. Good, bad news on air, water 5/7/02 Columbia River shipping blamed for part of smog: Nitrogen oxide emissions from boats found at 2.6 times previous estimates 4/15/02 Snowmobiles foul Yellowstone: ban studies 2/16/02 EPA eases clean-air regulations: Plants could avoid installing costly pollution controls 8/23/03 Clean Air Agency cites Lafarge after South Park residents raise a stink 3/10/03 Why the great smog of London was anything but great 8/12/03 7 States to Sue E.P.A. Over Standards on Air Pollution 2/21/03 Seven state attorneys general, all Democrats mostly from the Northeast, are accusing the Environmental Protection Agency of failing to enforce the Clean Air Act. U.S. releases climate research goals 7/24/03 The Bush administration on Thursday released its strategy for dealing with climate change - one that calls for more study before taking any stronger action. Field burning fills the air with smoke: Activists see pollution dangers 8/11/03 ALTERNATIVE ENERGY Clean energy and efficiency investments would create 3.3 million jobs, says study 1/9/04 An alliance of labor, environmental, civil rights, business, and political leaders in the United States have laid out a vision for a "New Apollo Project" to create 3.3 million new jobs and achieve energy independence in 10 years. ANTIBIOTICS Doctors
prescribe fewer antibiotics to kids. 9/2/03 EPA study says treated wood may pose cancer threat 11/14/03 Panel won't ban arsenic in kids' play equipment. 11/5/03 How much is too much arsenic? 9/11/00 High level of arsenic found at playground 5/22/03 Court upholds EPA's stricter water standard: Agency was sued after ordering public water systems to cut arsenic levels Orchard Country faces Lead,Arsenic Contamination 9/11/00 ASARCO SMELTER Asarco sued to get it to move tainted soil 6/14/03 Neighbors of smelter site 'want our community back' 1/22/03 ASBESTOS King County 4th in U.S. for asbestos deaths 3/5/04 Toll now coming to light is partly a legacy of World War II shipyards Asbestos in crayons (PI Special Report series) 5/23/00 Asbestos suit decision sparks furor 2/12/03 In a move that outraged some in the legal community, the American Bar Association yesterday voted to accept new medical criteria that would eliminate the vast majority of asbestos cases. Stopping asbestos is job for Congress, administration 1/15/03 Tens of millions of homes, schools and businesses may contain insulation heavily contaminated by the cancer-causing material. It isn't a cause for panic, but it deserves attention. The Bush administration, however, has so far ignored the health risks for millions of Americans. Grace Under Pressure 7/2/03 For decades, the W.R. Grace Company knowingly poisoned mine workers and residents of Libby, Mont., with tremolite, a particularly nasty form of asbestos. In a new book, journalist Andrea Peacock looks at how the company broke faith with the people of Libby. ASTHMA Sudan Grasshopper Swarm Blamed For 11 Deaths 11/4/03 West Seattle public housing to put 'asthma-safe' construction to test 10/27/03 Asthmatic children react to "moderate" pollution 10/8/03 Children with severe asthma start suffering from symptoms even at what are now considered to be acceptable levels of air pollution, U.S. researchers reported Tuesday. Asthma Project Reaches Out in Harlem 5/1/03 Fake Fog Fells Opera Singer? 7/31/03 A San Francisco singer has sued her opera company over fake fog used in performances, alleging the mist made her sick with asthma... BIOACCUMULATION Chemical PBDE showing up in breast milk 2/24/04 Scientists measuring levels of pollution in human bodies 12/26/03 BODY PIERCING Oral piercings can lead to gum disease, infections and fractures 9/7/03 BOTOX Botox does more than remove wrinkles 1/2/03 It is probably premature to declare Botox the penicillin of the 21st century, but the deadly poison turned wrinkle remover is being put to some startling new uses. CAFFEINE Study: Caffeine concentrations differ widely per cup 11/2/03 Highly active compound found in coffee may prevent colon cancer 10/15/03 CANCER Chipmakers to fund cancer study 3/18/04 EPA study says treated wood may pose cancer threat 11/14/03 Cancer rates found no higher for islands 1/24/01 Study looking at cancer rates for residents of Vashon and Maury Islands even with Asarco smelter nearby. CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS Our Troubled Sound: Duwamish muck headed for Tacoma: Delays in telling the public, arsenic cleanup raise concern 8/16/03 Flame-retardant chemicals raise health worrries. Study showing that certain chemicals still used in furniture and other places in US are bioaccumulating and are as toxic as PCBs. Beware toxic metal in local parks. 7/3/03 CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Keeping children safe from toxics 11/05/03 CLONING In Initial Finding, F.D.A. Calls Cloned Animals Safe as Food 10/31/03 COMMUNITY ACTION Love in the Time of Benzene 11/17/03 In the power corridors of Silicon Valley, Amanda Hawes and Ted Smith could be called the antipower couple. Still the Sundance Kid 11/13/03 Robert Redford gets heated up about the Bush environmental agenda, clean energy, and more. COMPUTER POLLUTION Dell to give grants to recycle computers 11/12/03 Dirty little secret of high tech revolution 2/25/03 By recycling 'e-waste,' U.S. harming people overseas, report says. Garbage in, garbage out 4/20/03 Mounds of obsolete computers tax the environment. Old, worthless computers are worth less than nothing these days... China Serves As Dump Site For Computers 2/24/03 Unsafe Recycling Practice Grows Despite Import Ban Washington Post Foreign Service, Monday, February 24, 2003; Page A01 New legislation would ensure that old computers are recycled. 3/12/03 House bill 1942 would hold manufacturers financially responsible for the environmentally sound collection, recycling, and disposal of electronic wastes such as old computers, televisions, and cell phones. Info on a new California law that would require old computer equipment to be recycled 7/11/03 (hopefully therefore reducing the amount of lead and other industrial waste that ends up in landfills.) DIESEL EMISSIONS Big cuts proposed in emissions from diesel engines. 4/16/03 DIOXINS Study: Dioxins may have wiped out trout 11/8/03 It's long been a whopper of a whodunit, the mysterious disappearance of the lake trout from the Great Lakes. Now, experts say they think they've identified the suspect that killed off the fish in a few decades, leaving behind a devastated Great Lakes commercial fishing industry and a void. DRUGS Drugs May Harm Frogs and Fish in the Wild 10/31/03 Despite the Danger Warnings, Ephedra Sells 2/20/03 The dietary supplement may or may not have contributed to the death of a Baltimore Orioles pitcher. But what is clear is that ephedra can be dangerous. EDUCATION Life Study: How nature nurtures students at an inner-city high school. Nov/Dec 03 EMFs (electromagnetic fields) Good article from Science News. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Our Planet, Our Selves: Spring 2003 issue of the journal YES focuses on environmental health. Know your environment: Toxins take a toll on Gen Y's health 3/22/03 Better Child Health Is Seen as Environment Ills Decline 2/20/03 A new government report concludes that children's health has improved in areas where the government has taken aim at environmental hazards. Private labs fake environmental tests, government finds. 1/22/03 Private labs are increasingly being caught falsifying test results for water supplies, petroleum products, underground tanks, and soil, hampering the government's ability to ensure Americans are protected by environmental laws, investigators say. E.P.A. Orders Companies to Examine Effects of Chemicals 4/15/03 Scientists and regulators are raising concerns about the potential health and environmental effects of an important family of industrial chemicals. EPA weighs easing toxic disclosures: Companies complain of reporting burdens 9/26/03 The Environmental Protection Agency is studying ways to ease requirements for industry to report the toxic chemicals they put into the environment. ETHICS Humans as lab rats -- experts will weigh in 1/4/03\ Should chemical and pesticide companies be allowed to replace lab rats with humans to test the safety of toxic chemicals? That's the volatile question a special panel of the National Academy of Sciences is scheduled to take up next week. San Francisco has become the first city in the nation to adopt the Precautionary Principle 1/18/03 2 Women, 2 Deaths and an Ethical Quandary. Article and lesson plan entitled: Writing Bioethical Case Studies About Controversial Decisions in Medical Science. FARMING Stink raised over farm manure rule (includes lesson plan) 7/15/03 Did you know that large-scale beef, poultry and pork factories produce 220 billion gallons of manure annually? Not only is that fabulously gross, but it's also an environmental health problem. The EPA on Monday issued a rule affecting large farms -- and the manure their animals produce -- but industry said it would be costly while environmentalists said its just a license to continue polluting. FERTILIZER EPA won't limit dioxins in sludge 10/18/03 The EPA says it will not regulate dioxins in sewage sludge used as farm fertilizer, citing new studies indicating such usage does not pose significant health or environmental risks. Fear in the Fields: How Hazardous Wastes become Fertilizer. An alarming and award-winning series from 1997 Seattle Times that lead to the book: "Fateful Harvest : The True Story of a Small Town, a Global Industry, and a Toxic Secret." A must-read eye-opening expose of the practice of turning hazardous waste into fertilizer. FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 2 drinks can harm unborn baby's brain 2/16/04 FOOD SAFETY Mad-cow beef 4 times amount earlier said The fish you buy to carry a label this fall: 2/04/04 You'll know its origin and whether it's wild or farmed. Mad Cow Disease Raises Safety Issues Beyond the Kitchen 1/29/04 Cows are everywhere, and they are not just for dinner anymore. Their carcasses provide the glues that hold the human universe together, like the gelatin in Gummy Bears, the lipids in lipsticks, the foam in fire extinguishers and the rubber in tires. Cattle blood banned from feed: 1/27/04 Some body parts also to be kept out to protect against mad cow disease. It's a mad mad mad world 1/25/04 Mad cow creates new animal-disposal woes. MABTON, Wash. -- Rocky Ross jubilantly swung his sport utility vehicle into the Sunnyside Wildlife Area, certain he had caught his prey: illegal dumpers. His grin collapsed to a wry smile when the quarry turned out to be two reporters caught peering at a half-dozen dead calves. Sound's salmon carry high PCB levels: 1/15/04 But state says health benefits of eating the fish outweigh risks. Study warns of danger in eating farmed salmon: 1/09/04 Critics blast report saying it ignores health benefit. Farm raised salmon linked to pollutants 1/08/04 Food labels don't always stick to the rules: 11/26/03 Some foods deemed eco-friendly may not be. Hepatitus outbreak curbs onion sales 11/26/03 Group Names Most-Contaminated Produce 10/20/03 Apples, peppers, celery and cherries top a list compiled by an environmental research organization of the 12 fruits and vegetables it considers the most contaminated by pesticides. Embalming fluid in milk? Such was life before food laws 12/11/02 In the let-the-buyer-beware days before food companies were required to inform customers what's in the food they are selling, it was common to add embalming fluid to milk to stop curdling, cure hams with borax and heap teaspoons of aspirin in canned soup. Salmonella Survivor Endorses Push for Food Safety Agency 2/12/03 Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, who was stricken with salmonella poisoning when she was 2 years old, is on a campaign to clean up the nation's dirty food. Meat Safety at Risk 2/1/03 A court ruling last week in Nebraska has dealt a devastating blow to the nation's program for policing meat safety. Parents protest U.S. schools irradiated meat plan 12/13/02 Irradiated meat is about to be added to the diets of kids across the nation: The Bush administration's plan to allow irradiated meat to be served to millions of U.S. school children is raising the ire of some concerned parents. Irradiation, which has been endorsed by the World Health Organization, exposes food to low doses of electrons or gamma rays to destroy deadly microorganisms such as E. coli O157:H7 and salmonella. Harmful bacteria found in 42 percent of chicken 12/11/02 A consumer magazine says it found harmfulbacteria, much of it drug-resistant, in almost half the chickens it bought from stores nationwide. Plant's Sanitation May Have Link to Deadly Bacteria 12/11/02 A federal meat inspector said that a Pennsylvania poultry plant had persistent sanitation problems that could have fostered a listeria outbreak that has killed eight people since July. Tests find toxic fuel ingredient in lettuce 4/28/03 A laboratory test of 22 types of lettuce purchased at Northern California supermarkets found that four were contaminated with perchlorate, a toxic rocket-fuel ingredient that has polluted the Colorado River, the source of the water used to grow most of the nation's winter vegetables. FREON Mexican, U.S. officials discuss measures to combat freon smuggling 2/7/03 The contraband is smuggled across the Rio Grande in backpacks, hidden from border inspectors in the cavities of cars, and shipped north by the ton concealed in 18-wheel tractor-trailers. FUEL Fueling up: gasoline consumption in the Pacific Northwest 10/23/02 University of Idaho gets biodiesel fuel grant 10/17/02 The University of Idaho has received a $960,000 federal grant to promote the use of biodiesel. In oil we trust? Russian islanders have mixed feelings 10/13/02 New Hampshire sues over MTBE 10/6/03 New Hampshire on Monday sued 22 major oil companies because of the gasoline additive MTBE, which has been found to pollute water, Gov. Craig Benson said. EPA Backs Stricter Guidelines 4/16/03 The Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules that would deeply cut the smog-forming pollution spewing from diesel engines in nonroad equipment. One Huge Step for Cleaner Air 4/16/03 An editorial in that same issue Researchers find new metal combination for cheaper production of hydrogen as fuel 6/27/03 Organic wastes such as paper mill sludge or cheese whey can be converted into hydrogen using an inexpensive metal catalyst, researchers say, in a process that could boost efforts to replace oil and gas fuels. Fill 'er up with Crispy Crème 3/19/03 Article about biodiesel fuel. GARBAGE Cell phone rules may trash some models 10/30/03 If predictions hold true, millions of cell phones will be put out to pasture starting in late November under a new rule allowing people to keep their phone numbers when switching cellular carriers. GENES AND GENE/ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS Three articles discussing the genetic revolution, and gene-environment interactions: Voices on DNA 2/24/03 Not Just Genes: Moving Beyond Nature vs. Nurture 2/23/03 Genetic Revolution: How Much, How Fast? 2/25/03 How the Arms of the Helixes Are Poised to Serve 2/25/03 Plant-derived drugs contaminate food crops 12/10/02 In Kentucky, tobacco plants are turning into cancer-fighting drug factories. In Virginia, corn is being harvested to treat cystic fibrosis, and in Nebraska, researchers are hoping that fertile farm fields will yield part of a cure for AIDS. From fields of barley in Washington State to Hawaiian sugar cane groves, U.S. scientists are cultivating agricultural advances that have nothing to do with food and everything... Scientists, police use DNA to track pot 7/25/03 State forensic scientists are taking the war on drugs to the molecular level. Students Find Key to Award Hidden in Rice's Genome 12/10/03 Two high school seniors from Jersey City who helped identify a crucial segment of the rice genome are among this year's Siemens Westinghouse Competition winners. The real dirt on your diet: Grittier than you think, not as bad as you fear 3/30/03 You'll eat a pound of dirt in your lifetime. Most of us have heard that bit of folk wisdom. But should we believe it? Nope. Now, the gritty truth: A pound is just the appetizer... Gene Therapy Used to Treat Patients With Parkinson's GLOBAL WARNING Our Warming World: Effects of climate change bode ill for Northwest 11/13/03 From the crest of the Cascades to the bottom of Puget Sound, this region stands in coming decades to be transformed: shorter ski seasons, more winter flooding, reduced summer water supplies, increasingly destructive wildfires and further-stressed salmon runs. Locke details plan to cut global warming 10/02/03 Gov. Gary Locke, stepping up the state's effort to combat global warming, announced plans yesterday for what he called the United States' toughest siting standards for new power plants. HANFORD Hanford inquiry promised. 2/27/04 Energy secretary to examine actions of medical contractor. State to investigate Hanford reports. 2/21/04 Some allege cleanup workers were made sick. Weighing the risks at Hanford. 8/13/03 Workers worry about their safety--and their jobs. HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE CDC studies impact of dozens of toxins found in households 2/1/03 IRAQ UN urges action on Iraq pollution Iraq's water, sewage, and waste systems need immediate attention to prevent drastic environmental and human health problems in the wake of war, the United Nation's Environment Programme announced late last week. A few days earlier, doctors in Baghdad reported the first suspected incidents of cholera and typhoid, two potentially fatal diseases spread by poor water sanitation. LABOR Teen jobs more risky than they seem. Dangers often overlooked in excitement of paycheck 8/13/03 LEAD DC lead issue was debated for months Federal authorities responsible for ensuring the safety of Washington's water knew about the toxic levels of lead and the likely solution more than a year ago but took no action. Worried parents should test children for lead, experts say Ice core from Greenland reveals 250-year record of lead pollution 12/3/03 A new study suggests the ebb and flow of North American industry since the dawn of the Industrial Age can be tracked through lead traces found in a 135-meter (450-foot) ice core drilled in Greenland three years ago. The core contains a high-resolution record of how much lead settled from the atmosphere onto Greenland between 1750 and 1998. The study says the source of the lead appears to have been factories in the United States. Lawmaker wants answers about arsenic, lead contamination 4/9/02 State Rep. Shay Schual-Berke said yesterday she wants answers from health officials about risks of arsenic and lead contamination spread across a 200-square-mile section of southern King County, and about a two-year delay in releasing some testing results there. MAD COW DISEASE Testing for Mad Cow disease to expand 3/15/04 The Agriculture Department, under fire for the way it has handled the discovery of mad cow disease in a Washington state cow, said yesterday that it will greatly expand the number of cattle it will test for the deadly infection. Washington Post. MERCURY FDA: Some People Should Limit Fish Intake What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish. Americans should eat their fish but be wary of it, too EPA may tighten its proposal on mercury The Bush administration says it is rethinking its proposed rules limiting mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants and as a result may tighten the proposal. Mercury emissions rule geared to benefit industry, staffers say Political appointees in the EPA bypassed agency professional staff and a federal advisory panel last year to craft a rule on mercury emissions preferred by the industry and the White House, several longtime EPA officials say. More newborns said to be at risk from mercury 2/06/04 It's a fishy world: Mercury risk to newborns alarming 2/05/04 About 630,000 children are born each year at risk for lowered intelligence and learning problems caused by exposure to high levels of mercury in the womb, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency. Mercury Contamination Keeps Nevada School Closed 1/08/04 A bill aimed at reducing and regulating mercury in Washington state headed to the governor on Tuesday, after winning approval from the House and Senate. Mercury Contamination Keeps Nevada School Closed 1/08/04 A bill aimed at reducing and regulating mercury in Washington state headed to the governor on Tuesday, after winning approval from the House and Senate. Scientists urge FDA to expand warning on mercury in tuna 12/12/03 U.S. Proposes Easing Rules on Emissions of Mercury 12/3/03 The Bush administration is proposing that mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants should not be regulated in the same way as some of the most toxic air pollutants, reversing a stance on air pollution control taken by the Clinton administration in 2000. Mercury bill heads to governor A bill aimed at reducing and regulating mercury in Washington state headed to the governor on Tuesday, after winning approval from the House and Senate. Does Mercury Matter? Experts Debate the Big Fish Question What to eat? A diet full of fish could mean a diet full of mercury 7/2/03 Mercury poisoning. Mercury occurs naturally but is mostly a byproduct of coal-burning, mining and other industries. Once in the water supply, it forms methyl mercury, which lingers in fish flesh, making predator fish such as swordfish and halibut the most toxic. Mercury Threat to Kids Rising, Unreleased EPA Report Warns 2/20/03 U.N. Conference Backs Efforts to Curb Mercury Pollution 2/10/03 Delegates attending an environmental conference in Kenya endorsed a crackdown on pollution caused by mercury, although the U.S. blocked efforts for binding restrictions. California sues grocers over mercury in fish 1/20/03 A lawsuit by California's attorney general over mercury in seafood has activists hoping that other states will soon file their own actions against supermarkets. Mercury from colonial Spanish silver mines poses threat in Mexico 11/14/02 Thousands of laborers were killed and maimed in Spanish mines that extracted tons of silver from Mexico between 1550 and 1820. Centuries later, the long-closed mines still pose a threat. In one of the world's oldest cases of industrial pollution, millions of pounds (kilograms) of mercury used in ancient silver mines still lie beneath the soil... Toddlers could be tested for mercury 6/29/03 States seek grants to address threat posed by toxic metal found in fish METHAMPHETIMINES Ex-drug czar to students: 'Meth is like a blow-torch' 2/06/04 MINING Defunct uranium mine continues to contaminate Indian reservation 11/29/03 For nearly three decades, the Midnite Mine on the Spokane Indian Reservation was a source of paychecks and pride. Mine allowed to pollute river 11/20/03 The state will allow a mine near Metaline Falls to dump as much as 560,000 gallons of heavy metal-tainted water a day into the Pend Oreille River. GOP Lawmakers want Superfund rejected on Lake Roosevelt 11/26/03 Lake Roosevelt should not be declared a federal Superfund site because of mining pollution, the three Republican members of Congress from Washington contend. The Copper Mine Ran Through It: Tales of a River's Rescue 4/1/03 When the talk here turns to fishing, as it often does, it is usually about the Blackfoot River, which meanders out of snow-mottled mountains to the north and was affectionately portrayed in "A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean. Confessions of a Dangerous Mine 6/24/03 Illegal gold mining in Ghana shafts locals' health and the environment MOLD Worker sickness brings bid to move offices 6/13/02 NUTRITION Coca-Cola, educators agree to schools vending machine policy 11/15/03 U.S. agriculture department survey shows some farmers don't comply with biotech rules 9/11/03 No cold relief from Echinacea: Study of Seattle children finds 'no evidence' it is effective 12/3/03 The popular herbal remedy echinacea does nothing to reduce cold symptoms in children and can sometimes cause allergic reactions, according to a team of medical and naturopathic researchers in Seattle. London Journal: U.S. Eating Habits, and Europeans, Are Spreading Visibly 10/31/03 Study: Low - Calorie Diet Can Extend Life 9/20/03 It has long been known that laboratory animals live longer on a low-calorie diet. Now a study suggests that even if sensible eating is delayed until middle age, health can be improved and life extended. If NY Times won't let you open, search for title on Google to get from other source. Pizza helps Italians reduce cancer risk Despite research findings, would similar results emerge elsewhere? 8/1/03 Are raw food diets enlightened or inane? 9/3/03 Heart-healthy corn bound for store shelves. 9/7/03 Tests find toxic fuel ingredient in lettuce 4/28/03 OBESITY Working poor face higher obesity rates 3/04/04 Study: Obese women earn 30% less Obesity turning into major threat for nation's kids 2/05/04 15-Nation look at obese teens: US has most 1/06/04 Pediatrics group urges schools to pull sodas to curb obesity 1/05/04 PCBs EPA lifts ban on selling PCB-tainted properties 9/03/03 What's PCB level in salmon? 7/30/03 Study renews debate. Spawning salmon may pollute lakes with PCBs 9/18/03 A new study says some of Alaska's pristine and remote lakes are getting polluted with industrial PCBs through an unlikely source: sockeye salmon. PESTICIDES Babies Are Larger After Ban on 2 Pesticides, Study Finds 3/22/04 Study: Tree thinners at higher pesticide risk 2/08/04 Pesticides restricted to protect salmon; West Coast ruling is sweeping 1/23/04 Lawsuit over pesticides blames EPA 1/14/04 Attorneys representing farm workers in Washington and other states yesterday sued the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to adequately protect workers and the environment from the use of toxic pesticides. Pesticide testing ahead for many state farmworkers 12/01/03 Weeding out pesticides 11/26/03 Group Names Most-Contaminated Produce 10/20/03 Apples, peppers, celery and cherries top a list compiled by an environmental research organization of the 12 fruits and vegetables it considers the most contaminated by pesticides. Study: Herbicides may lower sperm courts 6/18/03 A group's study claims to have linked three common farm chemicals to lower sperm counts and quality, following up on its earlier findings that semen in rural mid-Missouri men appears significantly poorer than in urban males. Study about pesticides showing up in Puget Sound streams. 5/28/03 Activists want pesticide use on roadsides stopped 5/30/03 The state applied more than 120,000 pounds of weed-killers along public roads last year -- an eight-year high. Alternatives to spraying simply cost too much to be used everywhere, officials contend. Toxic trade-off: South Africa deploys DDT against malaria 2/10/03 The notorious insecticide linked to a decline in wildlife and risks to human health has been pressed back into service to control mosquitoes and the killer disease they carry. Even ardent opponents of DDT have reluctantly accepted the need when faced with this reality: Malaria kills nearly 1 million people a year on the continent, most of them young children in sub-Saharan countries. Exposure to Pesticides Is Lowered When Young Children Go Organic 3/25/03 Richard Fenske and Kai Elgethun's study from the UW on children and pesticide exposure. Organophosphorus Pesticide Exposure of Urban and Suburban Preschool Children with Organic and Conventional Diets. Environmental Health Perspectives Vol 111, Number 3, pp 377-382, March 2003. Study discussed in NY Times article above. Behind Roses' Beauty, Poor and Ill Workers 2/13/03 As Ecuador's colorful blooms radiate romance around the world, large growers here have been accused of misusing a toxic mixture of pesticides, fungicides and fumigants to grow and export unblemished pest-free flowers. Flowery Thoughts 2/14/03 The roses we will be exchanging on Valentine's Day may be the cause of serious health problems for the Ecuadorians who grew them. Banned pesticides saturate Cambodia 2/2/03 Poisoning frogs: Are people next? 1/17/03 Despite new findings by the University of California at Berkeley, which link the pesticide atrazine to sexual mutations in frogs, the EPA is considering a three- to four-fold increase for atrazine standards in drinking water. If passed, the acceptable level of atrazine could rise from three parts per billion (ppb) to as high as 12 ppb. Knapweed may hold key to creating effective, natural herbicide 3/4/03 An invasive weed that has taken over vast swaths of grazing land in the West may hold the key to creating an effective, natural herbicide. A greener valley: Walla Walla vineyards grow environmentally friendly 3/5/03 As winter pruning clips along in Walla Walla Valley vineyards, growers are collectively thinking about cutting back on other things too; like their use of farm chemicals. Activists want pesticide use on roadsides stopped 5/30/03 The state applied more than 120,000 pounds of weed-killers along public roads last year -- an eight-year high. Alternatives to spraying simply cost too much to be used everywhere, officials contend. A fly in the ointment 6/18/03 The green take on insect repellants and sunscreens -- by Molly Rauch with P.W. McRandle for the Green Guide Banana workers get day in court 1/18/03 Banana workers and pesticide exposure Study Finds Atmospheric Decline in Pesticide Harmful to Ozone Tainted land : Mishandling of pesticide contamination called 'government at its worst' March 1999 article from Seattle PI about pesticide (ethylene dibromide) misuse that contaminated groundwater in Whatcom County, possibly connected to leukemia cluster. This story was also covered in detail in a series of Bellingham Herald articles from 1998 called Testing Our Water. Orchard Country faces Lead,Arsenic Contamination POLLUTION Pollution unites town, but solution tears it apart Some NE states have sued dozens of plants in the Midwest and South to reduce their emissions which cause acid and exacerbate asthma. PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE SanFrancisco has become the first city in the nation to adopt the Precautionary Principle 6/18/03 RADIOACTIVE WASTE National Nuclear Security Offices in Nevada Contaminated with Beryllium 9/26/03 Workers who had visited a nuclear test site may be the source of beryllium contamination that sickened one person last year and forced the closure of an Energy Department office building. Safety problems at nuclear plants is cited. 9/8/03 Audit: Nuclear disposal site could fill up sooner than planned. 7/31/03 Hanford's Unfinished Business Special report in Seattle PI- lots of detailed info plus downloadable maps. Depleted-uranium weapons should be banned 4/21/03 Depleted-uranium (DU) weapons are creating a radioactive nightmare for our troops and the civilians and combatants in the countries where they are used around the world. Use of depleted uranium weapons lingers as health concern Depleted uranium weapons used by the U.S.-led forces in the war have left battle sites throughout Iraq contaminated with abnormally high levels of radiation. A Great Grandma 4/16/03 An Aboriginal elder battles construction of a radioactive-waste dump in Australia In the 1950s and '60s, the British military conducted a dozen full-scale nuclear tests in the desert of southern Australia. RECYCLING Greening the Classroom - One King County Student's Mission 07/01/2003 One 14-year-old boy from Tolt Middle School is taking it upon himself to start a recycling program on campus, and his initiatives are catching on statewide. Richard Minor, from Carnation, WA is taking part in a pilot program set forth by King County that gets students involved in conservation. The goal is to cut garbage volume (and collection fees), reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and raise community awareness. Read more about this ambitious program to get students, teachers, and the community more involved in conservation and find out some green tips that will get you started! REMEDIATION The New Toxic-Site Cleanup Agent: A Bacterium That Gobbles Up Poison The Caldwell Trucking Superfund site, a few miles west of the Willowbrook Mall, is a nine-acre repository of poison-laced sewage, hauled here and dumped until the 1970's, when the threat of drinking-water contamination was recognized. Kalakala spawns scrubbing organisms 6/26/03 Oil-devouring microbes detected on 'silver slug'. They knew the ferry Kalakala was historic. And they knew it had a lot of rust. What they didn't know was that the old boat rescued from the Alaska mud last year was also a giant petri dish for what may be a new strain of oil-spill-eating bacteria. Microbe gobbles toxic plastic waste 7/2/03 Scientists report in the journal Nature that they've found a microbe that gobbles up oxic waste deep underground, a potential remedy for contaminated aquifers. SARS Disease outbreatk reported 3/20/03 Here's the most recent update from the WHO on SARS SEAFOOD Our Troubled Sound. A series of great articles about pollution of Puget Sound. November 2002 Mystery' marine toxin closes shellfish beds near Port Townsend 9/19/03 A mysterious marine toxin previously found only at trace levels in Washington's inland waters has been discovered at a concentration high enough to force closure of shellfish beds. Farmed salmon not so safe, report says 7/30/03 Toxins higher than EPA recommends in fish from wild Farmed Salmon Is Said to Contain High PCB Levels 8/1/02 Study worries tribes that eat Columbia fish. Salmon show alarming levels of illegal chemicals 9/1/01 Toxins permeate all levels of marine life, report says 12/12/01 SEWAGE Sewage 'blending' stirs anger EPA wants to sanction practice that allows bypassing some steps. SKIN CANCER Skin cancer is a growing threat, even in the cloudy Northwest 5/16/03 Skin cancer is the most common cancer; more than a million new cases are expected this year. Even at Seattle's northern latitude, even in a city shrouded in gray much of the year, even for people with dark skin -- the sun is a danger. SMALL POX Smallpox Vaccine Transmission Raises Liability Issue> 12/16/03 If a smallpox vaccine recipient inadvertently transmitted the virus in the vaccine to other people and they fell ill, who would pay for the sick people's medical care? Smallpox: What Health Care Workers Need to Know SEIU Web site. SMOKE Health Problems: Effects of Wildfire Smoke Vary, Experts Say 10/30/03 SMOKING Pierce County adopts sweeping ban on smoking; legal fight ahead 12/4/03 Health board wants to clear way for 'a smoke-free Pierce County 12/3/03 Study finds that federal program helps to reduce number of smokers in states 11/19/03 States Fail to Meet No-Smoking Goals for Women 9/30/03 Tobacco-related diseases are still the leading cause of preventable death in women, and most states are not meeting the nation's goals to discourage women from smoking. No thanks, smokers say to test that figures cancer risk 3/19/03 Julia Purdy knows her smoking habit isn't healthy, but she's not interested in a new tool that helps certain smokers determine their risk of getting lung cancer. "Ignorance is bliss," the Seattle woman said. SUSTAINABLE LIVING Sustainable Living Issue July 23, 2003 Seattle Weekly's Summer Turf Issue looks at recycled materials, ancient grasses and fluffy pillows. SUPERFUND SITES News summaries: Love Canal, Tigers, Cars that run on air, AND MORE! Stand up for Superfund One in four Americans lives within four miles of a Superfund site. These sites, the most toxic hazardous waste dumps in our nation, pose a threat to land, water, air, and people. By law, polluters must pay for cleanup, but powerful corporations like General Electric and DuPont would like to see that change. Ask members of Congress to strengthen, not weaken. Ten sites chosen for Superfund cleanup 7/17/03 The Bush administration has added 10 new sites to the list of big-money Superfund toxic waste cleanup projects and delayed work on 10 others, factoring in the potential for economic development as well as possible health risks in choosing the locations. TANNING Teens' tanning booth use prompts concern 9/8/03 THIRD RUNWAY It's a solution in search of a problem. 7/8/03 Also: Leaching tests can not identify quanity of toxics TOXIC WASTE The New Toxic-Site Cleanup Agent: A Bacterium That Gobbles Up Poison 10/19/03 The Caldwell Trucking Superfund site, a few miles west of the Willowbrook Mall, is a nine-acre repository of poison-laced sewage, hauled here and dumped until the 1970's, when the threat of drinking-water contamination was recognized. EPA won't limit dioxins in sludge 10/18/03 VIRUSES Researchers to gauge bird flu's lethal potential 2/25/04 Flu season hitting early and severely 11/28/03 At least three deaths linked to influenza have occurred in Washington state this fall in one of the earliest flu seasons in memory, health officials say. Researchers create virus in record time of two week 11/14/03 Hepatitus outbreak is US'worst 1/15/03 Outbreak at Sea 12/16/02 Ships are ideal incubators, and there is no entirely effective way of preventing viruses from spreading on them. Distrust Reopens the Door for Polio in India 1/19/03 Borne along by rumor and fear as much as any biological route of transmission, the polio virus has made a comeback in India. WATER QUALITY List of polluted local waters grows: 75 lakes, rivers, and creeks deemed 'impaired' by state ecology agency 1/16/04 School's water supply at issue: Wedgwood Elementary tested for lead, zinc, cadmium content 12/3/03 ` Just how safe is the drinking water in public schools? Hard to tell. With a few exceptions, schools are not required to test water for contaminants. Puget Sound cleanup effort cash-starved U.S. slashes money for the massive restoration project 11/20/03 ` Nebraska town residents are warned not to touch tap water due to solvents 10/09/03 ` Lake Roosevelt toxins could become airborne 8/23/03 EPA warns company: Study pollution or face Superfund designation 7/26/03 He's swimming the Columbia -- all of it -- to keep it pollution-free 6/12/03 Columbia River Swimmer Homing in on Ocean Finish 5/27/03 Christopher Swain is attempting to swim the entire length of the Columbia River to generate support for clean water. He talks about swimming past pesticide applicators, sewage outfalls, and other pollutants. Our Troubled Sound 11/02 A special five part special report in the Seattle PI covering: Polluted waters, Extinction or bust, Ruinous runoff, Maritime mess, Turning things around. Simple safe-water system is cutting diarrheal disease in developing countries 3/6/03 For a few cents each month, families in poor countries are purifying drinking water by using diluted bleach and germ-resistant jugs as part of a program that is cutting in half the deadly cases of waterborne diarrheal diseases, U.S. health officials said Wednesday. Toxic Water Numbers Days of a Trailer Park 5/5/03 The poisoning of the aquifer at the Myrtle Grove Trailer Park in Louisiana has resulted in a criminal investigation by both state and federal authorities. Pricey Water Filters May Be Put You At Risk 7/16/03 WEST NILE VIRUS West Nile plans being hatched 3/24/03 Whidbey Island -- Following the discovery of West Nile virus in the state last year, local governments around Puget Sound are crafting plans to try to stem the spread of the mosquito-borne disease this spring. WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROBLEMS Health problems plague WTC rescurers 9/9/03 ZOONOIC DISEASES Zoonosis explosion? Animal-borne diseases, oh my 7/3/03 Monkeypox is under control, and SARS appears to be on its way out. But the threat of new diseases - especially those that jump to people from other animals - is high as ever, experts say. |
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