News
Urban air pollutants may damage IQs before baby's first breath, scientists say
In a sweltering summer in New York City back in 1999, Yolanda Baldwin was eight months pregnant with her first child. She lived across the street from a busy intersection and often wondered what the fumes might be doing to her unborn child. Now Baldwin and several hundred other mothers whose sons and daughters have been monitored for a decade have an answer: Before children even take their first breath, common air pollutants breathed by their mothers may reduce their IQs. A pair of studies involving more than 400 pregnant women in two cities has found that 5-year-olds exposed in the womb to above-average levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, score lower on IQ tests. The compounds, created by the burning of fossil fuels, are ubiquitous in urban environments. Columbia University scientists say their findings in Poland, published in April, bolster New York City data because they found the same effect in different conditions, in different parts of the world. This “adds to a growing literature implicating exposures to environmental toxicants with stunting of children's intellectual abilities,” said Bruce Lanphear of Simon Fraser University.
California unveils proposed regulations to rid consumer products of riskiest chemicals
California regulators proposed regulations Wednesday that would force manufacturers and importers to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in everyday consumer products. California’s proposal would be the most ambitious program in the nation to regulate toxic substances and encourage greener alternatives.
NIEHS director reacts to study of pregnant women, urges more investigation of flame retardants
The director of the national institute that oversees environmental health research said Monday that a new study raises many important questions about how flame retardants in common household items may pose a threat to the health of pregnant women and their infants.
Flame retardants can alter thyroid hormones in pregnant women, new study shows
High levels of brominated flame retardants can alter pregnant women’s thyroid hormones, which are critical to a baby’s growth and brain development, according to a California study published Monday. The study is considered important because it is the first human research showing a link between the ubiquitous chemicals and altered levels of the hormones in pregnant women. The effects on babies are unknown, but some researchers say it may lead to smaller fetuses, and reduce children's intelligence and motor skills.
Cancer by the numbers: How many are caused by the environment?
More than 60 percent of U.S. cancer deaths are caused by smoking and diet. But what about the rest? Some experts say a decades-old estimate that six percent is due to environmental and occupational exposures is outdated and far too low. But scientists most likely will never be able to tease out the true role of environmental contaminants. “It’s like looking at strands of a spider web and deciding which one is important,” said Dr. Ted Schettler, director of the Science and Environmental Health Network. A report by the President's Cancer Panel, released earlier this month, reignited the 30-year-old controversy about how large a role environmental factors play in the No. 2 killer of Americans.
Few people know their name, but these chemicals have become EPA priority
An obscure family of chemicals – important to the metalworking industry but virtually unknown to the public – is suddenly the subject of scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The chemicals, called short-chain chlorinated paraffins, persist in the environment, accumulate in human breast milk, can kill small aquatic creatures and travel to remote regions of the globe. Since their introduction in the 1930s, they have received little attention from U.S. authorities. But now the EPA, in an unprecedented move, has placed the compounds, known as SCCPs, on a short list of worrisome chemicals that the agency may regulate because of the risks they pose to wildlife and the environment.
California mounts ambitious effort to fill chemical gaps
Across the globe, scientists and regulators are encountering huge gaps in knowledge about the potential ecological effects of the estimated 70,000 to 90,000 chemicals in commerce today. California is mounting an effort to try to fix that.
President's Cancer Panel: Environmentally caused cancers are 'grossly underestimated' and 'needlessly devastate American lives.'
"The true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated," says the President's Cancer Panel in a strongly reported report that urges action to reduce people's widespread exposure to carcinogens. The panel today advised President Obama "to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation's productivity, and devastate American lives."
Lingering legacies for Earth Day 2010: U.S. food still tainted with old chemicals
Thirty-eight years after DDT was banned, Americans still consume trace amounts of the infamous insecticide every day, along with more than 20 other banned chemicals. These legacy contaminants are ubiquitous in U.S. food, particularly dairy products, meat and fish. Their decades-long presence underscores the dangers of a new generation of chemicals with similar properties and health risks.
Farm pesticides linked to deadly skin cancer
Sun exposure has always been considered the driving force behind rising rates of melanoma. But new research suggests that repeated, long-term use of pesticides may be an important factor, too.
Breaking News: EPA to investigate environmental impact of BPA
Declaring it a “chemical of concern,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced that it is mounting an investigation of the environmental effects of bisphenol A.
Pet flea treatments can be dangerous, more safety steps in the works, EPA says
Warning that the powerful poisons can endanger some dogs and cats, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require new instructions and labeling for on-spot flea products. The EPA began investigating the products, which include the popular Frontline and Advantage brands, after discovering a sharp rise in the number of dogs and cats reported to be sick. The investigation concluded that certain pets – small dogs between 10 and 20 pounds – are most susceptible to the problems, which include rashes, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. Incidents reported by consumers rose from 28,895 in 2007 to 44,263 in 2008, an increase of 53 percent. Most of the problems were minor, such as skin rashes, but about 600 dogs and cats died in incidents reported in 2008.
Derived from flowers, but not benign: Pyrethroids raise new concerns
Chemicals derived from flowers may sound harmless, but new research raises concerns about compounds synthesized from chrysanthemums that are used in virtually every household pesticide. For at least a decade, pyrethroids have been the insecticide of choice for consumers, replacing organophosphate pesticides, which are far more toxic to people and wildlife. But evidence is mounting that the switch to pyrethroids has brought its own set of new ecological and human health concerns.
Too much pavement, too little oversight: EPA to tackle stormwater runoff
Across the country, stormwater runoff hammers thousands of rivers, streams and lakes. Communities are left to struggle with the consequences of too much pavement and too little oversight. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is gearing up to tighten federal stormwater rules that have been criticized by environmental groups and deemed ineffective by a national panel of researchers.
Children more likely to have attention, behavioral problems when exposed to phthalates in womb, New York study says
Children exposed in the womb to chemicals in cosmetics and fragrances are more likely to develop behavioral problems commonly found in children with attention deficit disorders, according to a study of New York City school-age children published Thursday. Scientists said the findings uncovered a new problem that could be related to phthalates - effects on a child’s developing brain. "More phthalates equaled more behavioral problems," said Stephanie Engel, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "For every increase of exposure, we saw an increase in frequency and severity of the symptoms," including attention problems, poor conduct and aggression. The connection was only detected for the types of phthalates used in perfumes, shampoos and other personal care products, not the ones found in vinyl toys and other soft plastics.
Scientists link flame retardants and reduced human fertility
Scientists for the first time have found evidence that flame retardants - ubiquitous in homes and in the environment - may be reducing human fertility. California women exposed to high levels of the compounds take substantially longer to get pregnant than women with low levels.
FDA shifts stance on BPA, announces "some concern" about children's health
The FDA shifts its position on BPA, saying it has "some concern" about health of children exposed to the chemical in plastic bottles and cans.
Autism clusters found in California, linked to highly educated parents
California scientists have identified clusters of autism, largely in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, where children are twice as likely to have autism as children in surrounding areas. The 10 clusters were found mostly among children with highly educated parents, leading researchers to report that they probably can be explained by better access to medical experts who diagnose the disorder. Because of the strong link to education, the researchers from University of California at Davis said the new findings do not point to a localized source of pollution, such as an industry, near the clusters. “I suspect access to services plays the major role,” said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, senior author of the study published Tuesday in the journal Autism Research. They added, however, that there could be other reasons why higher-educated parents lead to more autism, including environmental exposures, such as chemicals from consumer products.
EPA announces plan to require disclosure of secret pesticide ingredients
Reversing a decade-old decision, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it plans to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose to the public the inert ingredients in their products. An inert ingredient is anything added to a pesticide that does not kill or control a pest. In some cases, those ingredients are toxic, but companies do not identify them on pesticide labels. For 11 years, EPA denied petitions seeking disclosure of the chemicals but now the new administration says it plans to draft a rule that will increase transparency and encourage companies to replace toxic substances. Manufacturers worry about revealing trade secrets.
Heavy metal: Some airborne particles pose more dangers than others
Around the world, whenever airborne particles increase, so do deaths from heart and lung diseases. Now new evidence is emerging that some particles may be more dangerous than others. A growing body of research – much of it in New York City – suggests that breathing nickel and other metals may put acute stress on the lungs and heart, resulting in illnesses and deaths at particulate levels below national standards.
