The Environment
Posted on June 16, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Parenting, Recent Studies, The Environment
A new study review points out that sun exposure earlier in life—from infancy through adolescence—could lead to melanoma and other skin cancers later in life. The review is published in the July issue of Pediatrics.
Researchers point out that young skin has lower levels of the skin-protecting melanin and a thinner outer layer that allows UV rays to penetrate more easily the melanin-producing cells called melanocytes. One study included in the review finds that 1 in 33 babies born today will develop melanoma during their lives, versus 1 in 1,500 babies born in 1935.
In order to protect babies from the harmful rays, the American Association of Pediatrics advises parents to keep kids 6 months or younger out of the sun entirely. As babies get older, the association recommends that parents dress infants in brimmed hats and sun-protective clothing. They also suggest that parents apply sunscreen to any patches of exposed skin and minimize the child’s exposure to sunshine during the midday hours.
Sun-related skin changes could occur as early as the first year of life, the review found. Damage to skin cells sustained early in life could seems to be associated with different cell changes and an earlier diagnosis of melanoma than exposure in the adult years, the article points out.
What other steps can you take to reduce infant sun exposure?
Posted on May 16, 2011 in Health & Medicine, The Environment
A natural gas production technique has been linked to the contamination of drinking water, according to a report released by the National Academy of Sciences. The study, conducted by scientists at Duke University, showed potentially harmful levels of methane in drinking water near drilling sites in Pennsylvania and New York associated with the process of hydraulic-fracturing, or fracking.
Fracking involves releasing natural gas trapped in shale formations by blasting a mix of water, sand and chemicals into the rock. It has unlocked reserves that could supply the United States for 100 years. The technique is controversial, with environmentalists warning that it could taint the drinking water supply.
Methane concentrations were detected in 51 of 60 drinking-water wells across the region, regardless of gas industry operations, but concentrations were much higher closer to natural-gas wells, according to the study. Researchers suggested that “greater stewardship, data, and possibly regulation are needed to ensure the sustainable future of shale-gas extraction and to improve public confidence in its use.”
Posted on April 17, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, The Environment
The newest in a line of water bottles that promise to filter out lead, chlorine, and other toxic chemicals has an edge over the competition: it’s the only bottle that gets rid of Chromium 6, a cancer-causing chemical.
WaterGeeks say that their WaterGeeks Pure Blue Bottles have the only filter that purges out Chromium 6, which can leak into water from industrial processes like stainless steel production. Erin Brokovich famously campaigned to rid drinking water of the toxic substance, but Chromium 6 is still present in our water supply. While it’s debated how much of the chemical can cause adverse health effects like cancer, the National Toxicology Program has concluded that animals who drank the water showed “clear evidence of carcinogenic activity.”
In September 2010, a draft toxicological review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that Chromium 6 is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” Despite the evidence, the EPA has not yet set a legal limit on the amount of Chromium 6 in tap water nationwide. The Environmental Working Group estimates that at least 74 million Americans in 42 states drink chromium-polluted water.
In addition to filtering out the chemical, WaterGeeks will donate about 20 percent of proceeds from sales from a fall 2011 line designed by Annalynne McCord and Teri Hatcher to charities that focus on providing better water to people in third-world countries.
Do you use a water filter? What toxic substances do you expect to be protected from?
Posted on April 16, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, The Environment
A study conducted at the University of Southern California revealed that freeway damage causes significant brain damage to mice. Exposure to the pollution had a harmful impact on neurons used in learning and memory, as well as causing inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, exposed live mice to air polluted with freeway particulate matter. The mice were surveyed for a total of 150 hours over the course of 10 weeks.
The culprit behind the brain damage isn’t smog, but tiny particles that are made up of burning fossil fuel and weathering of car parts and pavement. Each particle is about one-thousandth the width of a human air, allowing it to easily bypass car filtering systems.
Study authors hope that the findings of the experiment will prompt further research into freeway pollution. Southern California freeway pollution has already been linked to heart and respiratory problems, but little work has been done on the many potential health hazards of living near a freeway.
Do you or a loved one live near a freeway?
Posted on March 12, 2011 in Health & Medicine, The Environment
An 8.9 magnitude earthquake shocked northern Japan on March 11, triggering tsunamis
and racking up a death toll that might surpass 1,000. Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast
received a tsunami warning soon afterwards. In the aftermath of the Japan quake, how
can you stay safe and prepared for unexpected disaster?
- -Educate yourself and your family about the safest places to weather an earthquake. Identify in advance desks and inside walls where nothing can fall on you, and practice dropping, covering your head, and holding on to something stable.
- -Designate one out of town contact, in case phone lines in the area go down. During an emergency situation, this person should be willing to receive calls from family members reporting their location and where they can be reached.
- -Prepare a disaster kit that includes food, water and supplies for at least 72 hours and up to two weeks. Keep cash with the kit, since lack of electricity may prevent you from accessing an ATM or using a credit card. Include at least one change of clothing and a pair of sturdy shoes. Important documents like passports and social security cards should be kept in a waterproof, portable container.
- -Don’t forget to neglect the needs of your pets—keep food, water, medications and vaccination information with the rest of your disaster kit. A leash and litter box may also be necessary.
- -Take the necessary safety steps if you live in an area at risk of tsunami. Know the height of your street above sea level and the distance of your street from the coast or other high- risk waters. Plan an emergency evacuation route that involves an area 100 feet above sea level or two miles inland.
Those who want to help can go to www.redcross.organd donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. People can also donate $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to support our disaster relief efforts in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.
Posted on January 22, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Recent Studies, Technology, The Environment
Studies have previously reported on the connection between too-bright lights in the bedroom at night and poor health. Now, Harvard researchers are reporting that exposure to indoor light could have a negative effect at all times of the day, by diminishing the hormone melatonin.
Light we’re exposed to in the evening hours before bedtime is still the most suspect, impacting sleep quality and the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, blood pressure and glucose levels. For the study, researchers enlisted 116 healthy volunteers aged 18-30 years, exposing them to room light or dim light in the eight hours before bedtime, five days in a row. They measured melatonin levels every 30 to 60 minutes and found that light on in a room reduced melatonin on an average of 90 minutes.
The solution health experts suggest is to keep lights dim in your house before and at bedtime. Doing so could reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases, as well as diabetes and insomnia. Melatonin has been studies for its role in treating cancer, poor sleep and hypertension.
Posted on January 16, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Recent Studies, The Environment
The Health and Human Services Department lowered the recommended limits for fluoride in water on Friday, saying that children may be sustaining tooth damage from the previous levels. The decision follows a risk-assessment study that found some children under the age of 8 may be exposed to fluoride due to high fluid intake or because of high fluoride levels in their drinking water.
The recommended limit is now at the lower end of the previously recommended 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, at 0.7 milligrams. In response, the Environmental Protection Agency said it would re-examine rules about how high fluoride levels can go. Excess levels of fluoride can cause a condition called dental fluorosis, in which a change in the enamel of the teeth occurs. The CDC says that too much fluoride can lead to an increased likelihood of bone fractures or the rare skeletal fluorosis.
Still, experts recommend fluoridated water for the public. It is estimated that every $1 invested in fluoridating public water saves over $38 million in dental treatment costs. Water supplemented with fluoride cuts the rate of cavities roughly from 40 percent to 60 percent.
Posted on January 13, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, The Environment
A news conference sponsored by Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families revealed a list of common household chemicals linked to reproductive health problems, including early puberty and infertility. The list includes the plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA), antibacterial agent triclosan, and mercury, according to the health experts speaking at the event.
Many of these chemicals can be found in nonstick cookware, flame retardants, and cleaning agents. The 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was originally intended to protect people from exposure to harmful chemicals, but now consumer research organizations find it outdated. Only chemicals deemed “unreasonable risks” are subject to regulation, and 22,000 more chemicals have been introduced without being tested since the law went into effect. The National Resources Defense Council finds that upward of 80,000 chemicals commonly used in the United States have never been fully assessed for hormonal and reproductive risks.
Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families is advocating for the passage of a bill that requires companies who make chemicals to test them for safety. The group published a health report in November 2010 suggesting that chemicals act as endocrine disruptors, interfering with normal hormone function and regulation. Animal studies link exposure to BPA with reproductive changes, infertility, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.
Posted on December 19, 2010 in Recent Studies, The Environment
A new U.N. report says the threat to ocean ecosystems posed by acidification is
increasing, making it difficult for marine organisms to survive. Coral and shellfish
may be in particular danger, since the acid shrinks the minerals necessary to form their
skeletons.
The report suggests that pH levels in seas and oceans worldwide have fallen by an
average of 30 percent since the Industrial Revolution, and will increase to a rate of 150
percent if emissions rise at the current rate. Some of the ecosystems and organisms
affected provide food for billions, causing an extreme risk to food security. According
to the report, about a quarter of the world’s C02 emissions are being absorbed into the
oceans, where they are absorbed into carbonic acid.
Report authors urge several measures on policymakers to protect the ocean by reducing
C02 emissions. “Ocean acidification is yet another green flag being raised, carrying
planetary health warnings about the uncontrolled growth of greenhouse emissions,” said
Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environmental Program.
Posted on December 6, 2010 in Consumer Goods, The Environment
Picking out the perfect Christmas tree is the basis of many a holiday adventure. In an
effort to go green, however, around 70% of Americans are passing up the annual trip to
the tree farm in favor of an artificial tree. Which choice is better for the environment?
Since most Christmas trees are now raised on farms, there’s no need to worry about
causing deforestation. However, shipping the trees from afar often means that pesticides
and burned fuel is involved. Artificial trees aren’t much better from a green standpoint,
usually made in China from pollution-causing polyvinyl chloride.
The choice comes down to a number of personal factors, including location. A locally
grown tree will make less of an environmental impact than a bigger tree farm that ships
greenery in. Reusing a fake tree makes sense for the long run, especially if that trip to tree
farm is more hectic then holiday fun. If you choose to discard an artificial tree, donate as
opposed to trashing or recycling it—it might take years to decompose in landfill, lasting
longer than many holiday traditions.
