Maine has to do more to prevent toxic products from harming kids
Portland Press Herald - 12/15/2009. Op-Ed by Dr Paul Liebow. Congratulations to Maine for again leading the nation in a rational approach to preventing toxic chemicals' effects on our children, especially babies. Special concerns are phthalates and BPA in everything from IVs in newborn nurseries to toys and baby food packaging. Evidence mounts daily suggesting damage to animal embryos and now to human fetal development. A public hearing on the next steps implementing Maine's "Kid-Safe Products Act" is being held on Thursday at the Augusta Civic Center.
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Plastics component affects intestine: study
AFP - 12/14/2009. The chemical Bisphenol A used in plastic containers and drinks cans has been shown for the first time to affect the functioning of the intestines, according to a French study published Monday.
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New CDC Survey Tracks Mercury Levels in Americans
New York Times - 12/11/2009. Mercury exposure in the United States increases with age, then starts tapering off when people turn 50, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a study released today.
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Speak Up For Safe Products
ACHM Announcements - 12/10/2009. Speak Up for Safer Products With The Alliance For A Clean And Healthy Maine. Important public hearing on December 17 in Augusta. Keep Maine’s Kid-Safe Products Law on track. Stop the chemical industry’s plan to derail safer products. |
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A seasonal check for toy toxicity
Waterville Morning Sentinel - 12/9/2009. Kristine Jenkins pointed the device down at the plastic pink phone made by Disney, holding it in place for 30 seconds as the device's little red light blinked and numbers materialized on a small screen. Corinne Pace, of Fairfield, looked on with interest; the toy phone belonged to her 4-year-old granddaughter, Skylar. "She always licks the telephone," Pace said. "I just want to be sure." Pace was among more than a dozen parents Tuesday morning who stopped by the United Steelworkers Local 449 Hall on Benton Avenue. With the holiday season under way, several groups hosted an event for people to bring in toys to be tested for toxic chemicals such as lead, chromium, chlorine and other substances.
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Cancer From the Kitchen?
New York Times - 12/5/2009. Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed. The battle over health care focuses on access to insurance, or tempests like the one that erupted over new mammogram guidelines. But what about broader public health challenges? What if breast cancer in the United States has less to do with insurance or mammograms and more to do with contaminants in our water or air -- or in certain plastic containers in our kitchens? What if the surge in asthma and childhood leukemia reflect, in part, the poisons we impose upon ourselves?
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