Healthy Children Project Monthly e-News

Feel free to let your friends, family and colleagues know about this valuable new resource. Instructions to subscribe or unsubscribe are at the end of this e-newsletter. MI Healthy Children's e-newsletter is part of a collaborative effort with the Learning Disabilities Association of America's Healthy Children Project and the Institute for Children's Environmental Health with support from the Beldon Fund. 

Partners in Pollution: An Assessment of Continuing Canadian and United States Contributions to Great Lakes Pollution
http://www.pollutionwatch.org/pub/partners.jsp
Government data from the US and Canada reveal that the 4000+ industrial plants around the Great Lakes released or transferred over a billion pounds of pollutants in the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River basin in 2002. The US contribution amounted to 65% of that total. These watersheds hold 80% of the lake and river water in North America, and provide drinking water for 24 million people.

Virtual Toxic Tour* of Detroit

http://www.sph.umich.edu/mcech/toxic_tour.wmv

*This virtual tour requires a media player on your computer such as Windows Media Player.  Most computers come pre-equipped with this software.

Persistent Pesticides in Human Breast Milk and Cryptorchidism
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8741/abstract.html
Prenatal exposure to some pesticides can adversely affect male reproductive health in animals. We investigated a possible human association between maternal exposure to 27 organochlorine compounds used as pesticides and cryptorchidism among the offspring.

Harmful Teflon Chemical To Be Eliminated by 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012502041.html
Eight U.S. companies, including giant DuPont Co., agreed yesterday to virtually eliminate a harmful chemical used to make Teflon from all consumer products coated with the ubiquitous nonstick material. Although the chemical would still be used to manufacture Teflon and similar products, processes will be developed to ensure that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) would not be released into the environment from finished products or manufacturing plants.
 

Pesticides: A Closer Look
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060227/NEWS01/602270312/1001
Almond farmer Dennis Serpa is trading in his chemical pesticides for a cheaper and slightly odd solution -- compost tea. But the switch is not just about money but about the environmental costs of pesticides, too. The concern is over pyrethroids, a type of pesticide found in dozens of farm and home products. Over the past decade, pyrethroids -- derived from the nectar of chrysanthemums -- replaced an entire generation of pesticides that were found dangerous to humans. State and federal agencies view pyrethroids as less toxic to humans than the old stuff. But pyrethroids are still deadly, according to recent studies.

Rollback Sought on Reporting of Toxics
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1139809009201740.xml&coll=1#continue
The Bush administration wants to exempt thousands of industrial plants from providing the public with detailed reports on the toxic chemicals those companies release into the environment. A pending proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would alter rules established under the nation's 20-year-old Right to Know Act, which was designed to inform communities about hazardous substances used at and discharged from industrial plants. The change would reduce the financial burden on business and free more than 3,800 industrial plants from disclosing the specific quantities of chemicals they release into the environment.

Exposures to Air Pollutants During Pregnancy and Preterm Delivery
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8733/abstract.html
The association between preterm delivery (PTD) and exposure to air pollutants has recently become a major concern. We investigated this relationship in Incheon, Republic of Korea, using spatial and temporal modeling to better infer individual exposures.

Black Mold Evokes Olfactory Sensory Neuron Loss and Inflammation in the Nose and Brain
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8854/abstract.html
This EHP-in-Press article has been peer-reviewed, revised, and accepted for publication. Satratoxin G (SG) is a macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxin produced by Stachybotrys chartarum, the "black mold" suggested to contribute etiologically to illnesses associated with water-damaged buildings.

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What You Can Do to Protect Children from Environmental Risks
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/tips.htm
A fact sheet from the Environmental Protection Agency that lists tips on keeping your child safe from radon, mercury, lead poisoning, and other environmental hazards.

Comparison of Blood and Brain Mercury Levels in Infant Monkeys Exposed to Methylmercury or Vaccines Containing Thimerosal (PDF)

http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/MercuryStudy.pdf
Thimerosal is a preservative that has been used in manufacturing vaccines since the 1930s. Reports have indicated that infants can receive ethylmercury (in the form of thimerosal) at or above the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for methylmercury (MeHg) exposure, depending on the exact vaccinations, schedule, and size of the infant. This study compared the systemic disposition and brain distribution of total and inorganic mercury in infant monkeys following thimerosal exposure with infants exposed to MeHg.

Rhode Island: Three Lead Paint Makers Are Found Guilty
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/22/ap/business/mainD8FUA1EG1.shtml
Three former makers of lead paint created a public nuisance that continues to poison children, a jury decided in the state's landmark lawsuit against the companies. The verdict means the companies that once made lead paint and pigment could be held responsible for millions of dollars in cleanup and mitigation costs, though the state never put a dollar value on its lawsuit.

Lead Paint Ruling Could Lead to More Lawsuits, Experts Say
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/02/23/lead_paint_

ruling_could_lead_to_more_lawsuits_experts_say/
A jury's decision to hold three former lead paint makers liable for creating a public nuisance could spark more lawsuits nationwide and force the companies to make hugely expensive repairs. Rhode Island, the smallest state in the nation, broke ground last week by becoming the first state to win a lawsuit over the dangers of the companies' products.
 

Study: High Mercury Levels in Hair Samples
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mercury9feb09,0,7054908.story?page=1
A study conducted by environmental groups, using hair samples from volunteers, links contamination levels to amount of fish in diet. A study of hair samples identified the states that had the highest percentage of participants with mercury levels exceeding one part per million. The EPA considers mercury exposure at those levels unsafe for pregnant women and children. Percentage of participants with at least 1.0 ppm of mercury in Michigan: 20.9%. The study was based on hair samples sent in by more than 6,000 volunteers. The states listed in the article are the top 10 among 20 states that had at least 100 participants. Michigan is one of those states.
 

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Neurotoxicants, Micronutrients, and Social Environments
http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/pspi6_3_1.pdf
Systematic research evaluating the separate and interacting impacts of neurotoxicants, micronutrients, and social environments on children's cognition and behavior has only recently been initiated. Years of extensive human epidemiologic and animal experimental research document the deleterious impact of lead and other metals on the nervous system. However, discrepancies among human studies and between animal and human studies underscore the importance of variations in child nutrition as well as social and behavioral aspects of children's environments that mitigate or exacerbate the effects of neurotoxicants.
 

New Thinking on Neurodevelopment
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/114-2/focus.html
About 17% of school-age children in the United States suffer from a disability that affects their behavior, memory, or ability to learn, according to a study published in the March 1994 issue of Pediatrics by a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The list of maladies includes attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autistic spectrum disorders, epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, and less specific conditions such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy. All are believed to be the outcome of some abnormal process that unfolded as the brain was developing in utero or in the young child.

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Children’s Health and the Environment in North America: A First Report on Available Indicators and Measures
http://www.cec.org/pubs_docs/documents/index.cfm?varlan=english&ID=1917
As we learn more about the unique vulnerabilities and susceptibilities of children to environmental risks, there is an increasing call for data and information that can be used to improve public policy in this area. This document is the first integrated, regional report providing indicators for a series of children’s health and environment issues.
 

Funding for Wide-Ranging Kids' Health Study Axed
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5196751
The Bush administration has canceled funding for the most ambitious study of children's health ever designed -- prompting outrage among scientists and public health officials. The study was to investigate the causes of widespread obesity and asthma, among other children's health problems.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH): FY 2007 President's Budget Request
NIH has posted its FY 2007 Congressional Justification materials on its Budget Office Website at http://officeofbudget.od.nih.gov/UI/2007budget.htm.  A 10 page overview of the FY 2007 budget is available online at http://officeofbudget.od.nih.gov/pdf/Press%20info%20final.pdf.

University of Michigan Center for the Environment and Children's Health
http://www.sph.umich.edu/mcech/
The Michigan Center for the Environment & Children's Health (MCECH - pronounced "M-Check") is one of 12 "Centers of Excellence for Children's Environmental Health" funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for five years, beginning in the fall of 1998. MCECH is a community-based participatory research initiative which is seeking to investigate the environmental, pathophysiological and clinical mechanisms of childhood asthma and to evaluate comprehensive community and household level interventions aimed at reducing asthma-related environmental threats to children, families and neighborhoods.

The Green Guide
http://www.theGreenGuide.com
CHE headquarters receives numerous calls from people wanting to be healthy consumers. While we do not endorse individual products or websites, we do feel confident that many CHE Partners might benefit from the "Green Guide", an excellent resource for those concerned about environmental health. A recent New York Times interview with their executive director, which serves as a good introduction to their perspective and work, may be found on their home page under "Green Guide in the News." (from www.HealthandEnvironment.org)

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The Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan is pleased to offer grants to 501(C) 3 non-profit organizations located in Michigan for educational programs/events/materials which will help inform key stakeholders of the existing and emerging science linking certain chemical exposures to learning, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. Priority will be given projects which target families and disability groups and/or promote action towards creating a healthier environment for all children. Grantees will be responsible for submitting a final project report, documentation of all expenditures, and copies of materials produced. Maximum award $400. Click here to download an application (PDF).

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For more information on The Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan's Healthy Children Project visit http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/healthychild.htm.

 
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For more information on the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative, coordinated by the Institute for Children’s Environmental Health visit http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html.

 
For more information on The Beldon Fund visit http://www.beldon.org/.

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