The Canary Report

Open Tabs

Posted on Mar 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, News, Susie Collins

More from my series Open Tabs, sharing links to the pages I have open on my browser.

I’m sorry I don’t always remember where the links come from, many are sent to me through Facebook or email. I try to give credit when I can. I’m not working in a vacuum, most info I find is sent to me in one way or another and I thank all of you for taking the time to share. xoxo

Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion

My online friend, Missy, sent me this link to a book about losing weight, Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion. Before you get the wrong idea, this book is not about another fad diet so your can fit into your Gucci pants, this is serious information of value to people who have a weight problem due to toxic chemical or mold exposure. It’s also available on Kindle.

A renowned naturopathic doctor shows you how to get lean and be green while helping to save the planet.

Now you can lose weight and be good to the environment, too-without starvation diets, calorie counting, complicated meal plans, or even having to exercise. Dr. Walter Crinnion, a naturopathic doctor and environmental medicine physician, shows you how to clean up your diet and clear out your body and home to eliminate unwanted pounds and toxins from your life. You’ll be able to get rid of nagging health problems such as allergies and fatigue and enjoy greater energy and a greener planet. Clean, Green, and Lean:

* Shares an effective program to shed pounds and stay healthy by getting rid of toxins in your body and your life in just four weeks
* Combines losing weight with being good to the environment
* Can help reduce aches and pains, depression, and other health problems
* Is written by one of the country’s foremost authorities on environmental medicine who has appeared on The View and other programs

If you’re serious about losing weight and safeguarding your health, follow the expert advice of Dr. Crinnion and start getting clean, green, and lean today.

Here’s an enlightening essay by Helen Larkin on Women and the Environment: Understanding Connections.

America was created, designed, and governed by men, yet now we are one of the most violent Westernized countries, infested with cancer, and have the greatest disconnection from our ecological impacts. Young women today need to enter into the sciences with a vengeance studying toxicology, agriculture, biomimicry, conservation, green chemistry, alternative energy, health, nutrition, and ecological dynamics. Women today must enter all realms of governance. We need to preserve the best of modern living while walking as gently as possible on the planet. We must educate and KNOW that female is creation, female is nature, and female is the future. Most important: Female is Life.

The Environmental Working Group has an excellent page on Scented Secrets: Fragrances Hide Toxic Chemical Ingredients. It was produced as guidance for Valentine’s Day presents, but can be applied any day. The Environmental Working Group is one of the best places on the web to get information about toxic chemicals in consumer goods, it’s info you can trust.

Take a quick look at a personal care product label, and you’ll nearly always find a long list of chemical ingredients in tiny print. Chances are, somewhere in the midst of these technical chemical terms, is the simple word “fragrance.” Although companies are required by law to list all chemicals ingredients in a product, a special loophole allows them to hide what’s in the “fragrance” component[1]. And what’s hidden in that simple word can include complex mixtures of up to hundreds of chemicals that studies show may be linked to a variety of health problems, including allergies, skin reactions, endocrine/hormone disruption, and possibly even birth defects. Companies are not required to test cosmetics for safety before they are sold. The label is the primary protection we have to make decisions about products we rub, pour, and lather on our skin and hair. Yet when it comes to fragrances, we don’t even have this simple protection.

An online friend asked me to share some info about burn pits. I’ve covered this story previously on The Canary Report, but here’s a recent report in the New York Times: Veterans speak out against burn pits, a range of health problems are linked to the pits on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, toxic substances have been found in the smoke.

On the website Fragrance Free Living, Bonnie tells her story about losing her job and almost her house due to her Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’m pleased to see my online friend Roberta Bradley, vice president at the Environmental Health Association of Alberta, leave a comment for Bonnie with links and information.

Common Dreams reports Cities Sue Manufacturer of Weed-Killer Found in Tap Water: Federal Lawsuit Seeks Funding to Remove Atrazine from Water Supply. This story is interesting because the states are arguing that they shouldn’t have to pay for filtering out the contaminant that the chemical company is responsible for manufacturing and selling as safe. I would argue the federal government is equally to blame for this problem, having not done their job of protecting public health before protecting corporate interest.

Annie Bond writes about toxic teeth, BPA and dental bonding materials. This is a product about which every canary should be aware.

Okay, that’s enough, that should keep you busy for awhile! Thanks to everyone who sent me the links!

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Environment, Fragrance, Perfume, Pesticides, Policy, Pollution, Products, Research, Toxic

Metamorphosis inside Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Posted on Feb 16, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, MCS, Media/Videos

My most radical metamorphosis was when I fell ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

By guestblogger Eva Caballé, Spain.

Originally published in Spanish at Delirio, No 5.

As originally published at Delirio online magazine.

During our lives we suffer several metamorphoses, some are painful, others are positive, chosen or not. The experience, the life itself, makes us change and evolve.

My story is not different, although my most radical metamorphosis was when I fell ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. But although I got sick suddenly, the process itself happened slowly. I was preparing for MCS for many years before I was aware of it. My body was warning me repeatedly without my understanding what it wanted to tell me. But how could I know that everything happening to me was the prelude to MCS? It’s almost impossible to know since information about MCS is kept secret from the public and when anyone dares to raise a voice, they are automatically silenced by those who say MCS is all in the minds of the patients.

It’s not easy to understand what happens to you as you search for a diagnosis, all the while trying not to fail during the long journey while you are riddled with attempts to damage your self-esteem as you struggle with a more diminished health status every day. The last stage of this particular metamorphosis happens when you finally know what it is happening: you have MCS. And then you start to reconsider the life you have known before in order to adapt yourself and to survive into the future.

[...]

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Tags: Books, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Book ties toxic chemicals to rising healthcare costs

Posted on Jan 11, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Home & Garden, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, Research

Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA: A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick, by Catherine J. Frompovich (2009, BookSurge Publishing)

Post by Linda Sepp.

I just ran across a reference to this.

From the Industrial revolution and onward, the world has become an environment that is overflowing with dangerous toxins. Mass manufacturing has resulted in thousands of chemical pollutants being released in the atmosphere, water, and soil. As well, there has been a widespread increase of chemicals being added to almost every type of food and retail product. With this overwhelming chemical exposure, there has been an increase in research and studies showing the life threatening impacts on our health and well being. In her book, Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, author Catherine J Frompovich delves into the effects of a chemical laden world on the body at a cellular level.

Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA is an important “wake up call’ about the current and future state of our toxic environment and what will happen if important changes are not made. Not only is it highly educational, the attention to detail makes the book a handy health resource tool. It is highly recommended to not just mass readers, but also to politicians, manufacturing industry officials, and health professionals.

Link to the author’s website.

Link to Amazon.com and good review.

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pesticides, Toxic

Franny Armstrong’s new e-book featured in local paper

Posted on Dec 17, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

Northumberland News reports on Canary Report contributor Franny Armstrong’s new e-book Small Packages.

Author Franny Armstrong hopes to bring some Christmas cheer to her readers with her new novel Small Packages.

The story, about a woman who becomes a recluse after the death of her husband, was an easy one for Ms. Armstrong to write. The author, who suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder (MCS) rarely leaves the house for fear of encountering fragrances and other chemicals, which cause severe reactions.

“Writing has been so healing for me because I have focus and drive now where I never had before,” she explained.

To read an excerpt from ‘Small Packages: A Christmas Story’, visit www.paranovelgirls.com. Complete e-books can be purchased for $3.99 online at www.redrosepublishing.com

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Tags: Art, Books, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Book: The Value of Nothing

Posted on Nov 20, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

Available January 5th, 2010. To read the first chapter, click here: http://bit.ly/1ajaxZ . For more information on both Raj Patel and The Value of Nothing, visit http://www.rajpatel.org .

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Tags: Air, Books, Chemicals, Environment, Environmental Health, Healthy Living, Indoor Pollution, Organic, Policy, Toxic, Video

Dutch book on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity now published in English

Posted on Nov 13, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

English version of MCS book is now launched worldwide by McFarland.

Els Valkenburg of the Netherlands reports that her book entitled Understanding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Causes, Effects, Personal Experiences and Resources has just been published in English. The book is now published in three languages, this time in the US worldwide version by publisher McFarland. I should be receiving a copy to review very soon!

This personal view of multiple chemical sensitivity and environmental illness is supported by research. In a question-and-answer format, the effects of exposure to perfume, smoke, air fresheners, cleaning products, exhaust, and other air contaminants are examined and linked to symptoms such as headaches, allergies, asthma, and fatigue. The book contains additional testimony and reports from 37 sufferers, as well as listings of resources and an index of related scientific articles.

Els Valkenburg wrote the first Dutch book on multiple chemical sensitivity, and this is the English-language edition. She operates the resource Web site www.the-abc-of-mcs.com.

She lives in the Netherlands.

Congratulations, Els! I look forward to reviewing your book.

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Fragrance, Healthy Living, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Perfume, Pesticides

Perfume, poisoning, and green spaces

Posted on Oct 22, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, News

Canary’s Cry.

Post by Linda Sepp.

Green and Save reports on Perfume and Colognes: Dangerously Chemical.

CTV News reports that getting the recommended treatment for severe carbon-monoxide poisoning depends on where you live in Canada and who your doctor is.

CBC News reports green spaces boost the body and the mind.

Reuters reports polluted air may give you a headache.

Building Green reports on an EPA warning: Older buildings may harbor PCBs.

The Canadian Center for Occupational Safety reports a webinar will be held on ototoxic industrial chemicals and potentially harmful exposure. Dr. Thais Morata of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will discusses the effects of chemical agents, the interaction between these agents and noise, and strategies for preventing work-related hearing loss.

The Star reports Web surfing boosts brain circuitry in older adults.

King’s College London reports on research showing pesticides exposure is linked to suicidal thoughts. Full article here.

The Wall Street Journal reports a bill backed by industry and environmental groups would set federal limits on a potentially dangerous chemical inside your home: formaldehyde.

Best selling author Barbara Ehrenreich has a new book out, Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. I just saw her talking about it on the Daily Show and she was brilliant. She said there’s an empathy deficit (no kidding). She also said, “I never think delusion is ok.” YAY for speaking up!

###

The health and ability for those with environmental sensitivities rests with the choices and actions of others. For more information, see The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities.

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Tags: Air, Books, Canary's Cry, Chemicals, Environment, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, Perfume, Pesticides, Products, Research, Toxic, Video, Work

Toxic assault on our kids

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Research, Susie Collins

We and our children are exposed to toxins invisibly, stealthily, without our knowledge.

I can’t recommend this book enough to any parent wondering if they need to consciously and actively do all they can to protect their kids from toxic chemicals. If you don’t believe those of us with chemical sensitivity who are sounding the alarm, then at least listen to the scientists who are doing the hard research. Journalists Alice Shabecoff and Philip Shabecoff have done just that and written a book about their findings.

In this shocking and sobering book, journalists Alice Shabecoff and Philip Shabecoff directly and definitively link industrial toxins to the current rise in childhood disease and death. In the tradition of Silent Spring, POISONED PROFITS: the Toxic Assault on Our Children is a landmark investigation, an eye-opening account of a country that prizes money over children’s health.

From autism to cancer

With indisputable data, the Shabecoffs reveal that the children of baby boomers—the first to be raised in a truly “toxified world”—have higher rates of birth defects, asthma, cancer, autism and a frightening range of other neurological illnesses from ADHD to mental retardation, and other serious chronic illnesses compared to previous generations.

They reveal that one out of two pregnancies fails to come to term or results in a less than healthy child, that premature births and infertility are on the rise as this generation matures, while the ratio of male babies dwindles.

These children are victims of a (perhaps unwitting) crime; the perpetrators are the companies who manufacture and use poisonous product.

Environmental exposures from conception to early life can set a person’s cellular code for life and can cause illness at any time from childhood until old age. Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases and breast cancer are examples.

Covering up the evidence

Why does the toxic assault on our children’s environmental health continue?: because the evidence is routinely obscured by controversy deliberately generated by the companies that profit, abetted by government collusion, scientists-for-hire, lobbyists, lawyers and cynical public relations.

Poisons in the environment

From fetus to adulthood, in our homes, yards, schools, cars and buses, and playgrounds. the assault is everywhere: air pollution, water pollution, pesticides, mercury and lead, industrial solvents, food additives, artificial growth hormones, arsenic, synthetic hormones (bisphenol A and phthalates) in bottles and teething rings and other plastic products, radioactive pollutants in the water, and even rocket fuel in lettuce.

Solutions

POISONED PROFITS is in the end a book about hope and optimism. Now we know what is happening. These poisons are manmade; manufacturers can take them out of our children’s lives and make profits from safe products. Find here the policy changes to spur this shift.

Find here the solutions to reduce your child’s risk and to alter the system.

Powerful, unflinching, and eminently readable, POISONED PROFITS is a wake up call that is bound to inspire talk and force change.

Link

Thanks, Linda!

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, Pesticides, Research, Toxic

When a strong countermeasure is necessary

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week.

Post by Linda.

I think that there is a very close connection between humility and patience. Humility involves having the capacity to take a more confrontational stance, having the capacity to retaliate if you wish, yet deliberately deciding not to do so. That is what I would call genuine humility. I think that true tolerance or patience has a component or element of self-discipline and restraint—the realization that you could have acted otherwise, you could have adopted a more aggressive approach, but decided not to do so. On the other hand, being forced to adopt a certain passive response out of a feeling of helplessness or incapacitation—that I wouldn’t call genuine humility. That may be a kind of meekness, but it isn’t genuine tolerance.

Now when we talk about how we should develop tolerance towards those who harm us, we should not misunderstand this to mean that we should just meekly accept whatever is done against us. [Laughs] Rather, if necessary, the best, the wisest course, might be to simply run away—run miles away!

Sometimes, you may encounter situations that require strong countermeasures. I believe, however, that you can take a strong stand and even take strong countermeasures out of a feeling of compassion, or a sense of concern for the other, rather than out of anger. One of the reasons why there is a need to adopt a very strong countermeasure against someone is that if you let it pass—whatever the harm or the crime that is being perpetrated against you—then there is a danger of that person’s habituating in a very negative way, which, in reality, will cause that individual’s own downfall and is very destructive in the long run for the individual himself or herself. Therefore a strong countermeasure is necessary, but with this thought in mind, you can do it out of compassion and concern for that individual.

–from The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

Link

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Tags: Books, Healthy Living

The Smart Mama is a great resource

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

Environmental attorney, author and blogger specializes in protecting kids from toxic chemical exposure.

Jennifer Taggart, aka The Smart Mama, is the new Green Living Expert at Real Savvy Moms Go Green. You can ask her any question you want about everyday toxic chemicals in household products and what she thinks are the best alternatives.

Jennifer is a children’s environmental health advocate and an environmental attorney specializing in environmental law and consumer product labeling, and is raising two kids, ages 3 and 5, in a non-toxic environment.

Her recommendations are most often, but not always, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity-safe, so as with all product recommendations, proceed cautiously. We MCSers are each unique and learn what works by trial and error.

I’ve learned a lot from Jennifer about the chemistry behind toxic products that make MCSers ill, and have implemented many of her suggestions for safe products. She even helped me choose the right type of pipe for my new bathroom sink: copper. She’s a fierce critic about the presence of phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and lead in consumer goods.

I greatly admire Jennifer for the work she is doing on behalf of children in educating parents about how to keep their kids safe from toxic chemical exposure.

Jennifer blogs at The Smart Mama and is author of Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure, due out in June.

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Tags: Books, Children's Health, Healthy Living, Home, Products

Researchers show common household products are poisoning us

Posted on May 09, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Research

Seven toxic chemicals show up in high levels in blood and urine tests conducted on volunteers.

Health Zone reports two researchers directly dosed themselves by eating certain common foods and using familiar chemical-laden products, then underwent blood tests.

Commonplace things – an upholstered chair, deodorant, non-stick cookware, stain-repellent clothing, bath toys – are poisoning us.

That’s the message in Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health by Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, and Bruce Lourie, environmentalist and president of the Ivey Foundation. They write about seven troubling substances showing up in high levels in blood and urine tests conducted on volunteers.

As an experiment, Smith and Lourie directly dosed themselves by eating certain common foods and using familiar chemical-laden products, then underwent blood tests. The Toronto-based environmentalists talked to the Toronto Star about the test results and the toxicity of tuna and toy boxes.

Why be guinea pigs?

Smith: In our Toxic Nation campaign, we’ve now tested 50 people across the country and everybody has the same questions: How did this get into me? What can I do to prevent it? They want specific answers. So it was a desire to answer those questions, to manipulate the levels of pollutants in our own bodies in real time and demonstrate cause and effect.

What did you take and what were the results?

[...]

Smith: Phthalates are associated with fragrance in personal care products. I steer away from scented products, but for this research I showered for two days with highly scented products – soaps, shampoo, conditioner, shaving products – all brand names off the drugstore shelf that millions of people use every day. As a result, my levels of monoethyl phthalate (MEP), one of the most common, went up 22 times.

These products also contained triclosan, present as an “antibacterial” agent. My levels for that went through the roof, increasing 2,900 times.

For bisphenol A, I mostly ate for two days canned food reheated in plastic containers in the microwave and drank out of a polycarbonate baby bottle. My bisphenol A levels went up more than seven times.

Link to full report at Health Zone.

Thanks, Linda!

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Tags: Air, Asthma, Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, Personal Care, Products, Research, Stink, Toxic

The controversial science of diet and health

Posted on May 04, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Food, Guest Bloggers, Home & Garden, Media/Videos

Book review: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease by Gary Taubes.

Post by Rachel MacIntyre.

“A vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.” — Michael Pollan.

According to the CDC, over TWO-THIRDS of our country is overweight or obese. The American Cancer Society now estimates that one in two men and one in three women will have some form of invasive cancer in their lives. In 2007, it was estimated that 23.6 MILLION (!) people in this country have diabetes, 90-95% of those being type 2 diabetics. These statistics are staggering! And, yet, to some degree they are of little surprise when one considers what children are being served in school lunches and the fact that healthy fruits and vegetables make up only 10% of our daily caloric intake as a nation.

We are a country that is increasingly fueled by white flour, white sugar, white potatoes, and white rice with a boatload of preservatives and chemicals thrown in. Combine this with a basically sedentary lifestyle and is it really any wonder that we are so ill?

In my never ending quest to keep up with the latest science involving food, I ran across a book that had me immediately intrigued. The book is called Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease by Gary Taubes. Mr. Taubes has spent the better part of the last 15 years as an investigative journalist covering public health issues and spent over five years researching the information that went into this book. The information is pretty incredible. Among other things, he discovered that:

Dietary fat, saturated or otherwise, was not the cause of heart disease
Consuming refined carbohydrates may very well be the cause of Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer
Obesity is caused by excess fat accumulation, not overeating
Consuming excess calories doesn’t make us fatter – carbohydrates DO.

To read a great synopsis about the book, check out this article written by Taubes himself.

This excerpt was originally published at my blog The Friendly Kitchen.

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Tags: Books, Food, Healthy Living

New book on protecting babies from lead poisoning

Posted on May 03, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden, Media/Videos, Products

Lead Babies: Breaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD, behavior and autism

Lead Babies was just released May 1. Authors says it’s an empowering, informative read for parents and parents-to-be.

By Joanna Cerazy, M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham, Ph.D.

Some things are preventable. Lead poisoning is one of them.

Autism, ADHD, behavior disorders, lowered IQ and learning disabilities are an epidemic in North America and throughout the world. We have known of the serious health problems caused by lead for years, but in utero lead transfer from mother to baby is critical new information that will impact every demographic in every country of the world. At the time when the developing baby is most vulnerable to toxic materials, lead from a multitude of apparently harmless sources passes from the mother to the brain and other organs of her unborn child.

The exterior paint on houses, the water in the taps, the toys in the playroom, the food in the refrigerator, the furnishings in the home: all of these can be sources of toxic lead that can harm unborn babies and adults alike. Lead Babies gives detailed information to help readers lead-proof their homes and protect their children from the beginning of pregnancy through rearing.

Link

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Tags: Books, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, Healthy Living, Home, Products, Research

Toxic everyday products, birth defects, and pollution near schools

Posted on Mar 04, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, Products

Canary’s Cry for Wednesday, March 4

Democracy Now reports US Lags Behind Europe in Regulating Toxicity of Everyday Products. Amy Goodman speaks to award-winning investigative journalist Mark Schapiro, author of Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power. Schapiro writes, “The European-led revolution in chemical regulation requires that thousands of chemicals finally be assessed for their potentially toxic effects on human beings and signals the end of American industry’s ability to withhold critical data from the public.” Report includes a transcript and video of the interview.

Christopher Gavigan at The Huffington Post reports Birth Defects Surge in a Toxic World. Gavigan writes that once China makes up its mind, it may move pretty fast at cleaning up toxicity in products and the environment, while the US continues to drag its feet.

Chron.com reports Texas homeowners still pay the highest insurance rates in the nation despite measures designed to lower them and worse weather losses in other states. Industry officials blame Texas’s unpredictable weather, which includes hurricanes, hailstorms and tornadoes. A rash of mold claims several years ago also drove up rates.

The Star reports environmental groups lobbying the Ontario government for a powerful cosmetic pesticide ban say the province is set to announce sweeping new regulations that will outlaw hundreds of chemical products from use on neighbourhood lawns. The Ministry of the Environment is expected to make its list of banned chemicals public tomorrow. If approved, most of the 85 substances – found in roughly 250 products – would be barred from sale and use for cosmetic purposes, said Gideon Forman of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

USA Today reports that in an unprecedented step aimed at protecting children from toxic chemicals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce plans Monday to determine whether industrial pollution taints the air outside schools across the nation. The EPA plan, promised by new administrator Lisa Jackson (at left) during her Senate confirmation hearings in January, calls for regulators to identify 50 to 100 schools where pollution might pose significant health risks. At many of those locations, the agency will work with state and local regulators to monitor the air for a variety of toxic chemicals.

Thanks, Linda and Bobby, for contributions to this post!

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Tags: Air, Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Garden, Health, Home, Law, Mold, Policy, Products, Toxic

Risk Assessment of Chemicals: An Introduction, Revised

Posted on Mar 01, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Law, Media/Videos

Book on Risk Assessment of Chemicals is revised specifically for professionals involved in implementing legislation of the European Union’s new framework for industrial chemicals.

This book is the 2nd edition of a book published in 1995. The first book was written parallel to major developments in the science of risk assessment following the introduction of EU-legislation on industrial chemicals in the period 1970-1995. The present edition reflects the progress and experience since 1995 and again aims at providing background and training material for a new generation of risk assessors, specifically for those who will be involved in implementing legislation in the EU (REACH, the new legislative framework for industrial chemicals) and, in addition, the USA, Japan and Canada.

The book is an introduction to risk assessment of chemicals and contains basic background information on sources, emissions, distribution and fate processes for the estimation of exposure of plant and animal species in the environment and humans exposed via the environment, consumer products, and at the workplace. This book includes chapters on environmental chemistry, toxicology and ecotoxicology as well as information on data requirements, data estimation methodologies and intelligent testing strategies. It describes the basic principles and methods of risk assessment in the legislative frameworks of the EU, USA, Japan, and Canada. It also provides an overview of the OECD Chemicals Program.

The book is intended to be used by those who are involved in risk assessment of chemicals in government, research institutes, academia and industry as well as by students in technology, health and environmental sciences.

Link

Link to Kindle edition

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Environment, Policy, Research, Toxic