These bulletins are archived and searchable on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDIbulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group at the bottom of the application.
Monday June 9, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Troutdale, Oregon
at McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey Street
Sponsor: North American Hazardous Materials Managers Association, NW Chapter
State and local governments, green business representatives, regional chemical policy and management experts, toxics reduction advocates and interested citizens will come together in a day of presentation and discussion. Mark Schapiro, editorial director for the Center for Investigative Reporting and author of the recent book "Exposed", will keynote. The Chemical Policy Forum is part of the North American Hazardous Materials Managers Association, NW Chapter, Conference June 9 to 12, 2008. Register at the NAHMMA website as listed below for the forum or for the full conference that includes the forum. Forum registration without lunch is available on the day of the event.
Price: $15 includes lunch
Website: http://www.nahmma.org
Contact: Lisa Heigh, 503-797-1611 or lisa.heigh@oregonmetro.gov
Tuesday June 10, 2008
1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Clinical Directors Network, Inc.
The presenter will be Mike Rowland, MD, of the Maine Migrant Health Program.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.cdnetwork.org/NewCDN/LibrarySearch.aspx?more=upcoming
Contact: eLearning, 212-382-0699 x231 or eLearning@cdnetwork.org
Wednesday through Friday, June 11 - 13, 2008
San Jose, Costa Rica
at the Ramada Plaza Herradura
Sponsor: The Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional (IRET-UNA) and International Commission of Occupational Health (ICOH)
The conference theme is "Multiple Exposures, Multiple Effects" and will include presentations on neurotoxic disorders in children, fetal origins, neurotoxic disorders in adults, neurobehavioral changes by different neurotoxic agents and more.
Price: see http://www.epicoh-neureoh2008.com/index.php?module=Pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=3&pid=4
Website: http://www.epicoh-neureoh2008.com/index.php
Contact: Jennifer Crowe, 506-853-5957 or info@epicoh-neureoh2008.com
Wednesday through Saturday, June 18 - 21, 2008
Marmaris, Turkey
at the Divan Mares Hotel
Sponsor: Anadolu University
The purpose of the conference is to bring internationally known experts around the world together to share knowledge and experience on Special Education. The conference will highlight key experts in the field of Special Education. The official language of the conference will be English. Preconference workshops, educational and cultural tours/trips and other activities are being considered to provide an array of opportunities to participants. The conference covers the following groups but not limited to any groups or any topics in special education: cognitive disabilities/mental retardation, autism, & other developmental disabilities; communicative disabilities and deafness (deaf or hard of hearing); speech and language disorders; behavioral and emotional disorders; learning disabilities; gifted and talented education; physical and health disabilities; and visual impairments.
Price: see http://icose2008.anadolu.edu.tr/index_prop_eng.htm
Website: http://icose2008.anadolu.edu.tr/home.htm
Contact: ICOSE Secretary, +90-222-335-0580 (3545) or icose2008@gmail.com
Sunday through Wednesday, June 22 - 25, 2008
Tucson, Arizona
Sponsor: National Environmental Health Association
A description of the event will be posted at the website below.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.neha.org/AEC/2007/index.html
Contact: 303-756-9090 or staff@neha.org
Monday and Tuesday, June 23 - 24, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
at the Hyatt Regency Chicago
Sponsor: Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research
The objective of the society is to foster pediatric and perinatal epidemiologic research. This research includes the study of any factors that influence maternal health and the health and development of children, from conception through adolescence. The work presented at Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research's annual meeting represents the cutting edge of research in pediatric and perinatal epidemiology.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.sper.org/Annual_Meeting.htm
Contact: Marcia Feldkamp, 801-257-0566 x 203 or Marcia.feldkamp@hsc.utah.edu
Wednesday through Saturday, June 25 - 28, 2008
Los Angeles, California
at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, 2025 Avenue of the Stars
Sponsor: National Assembly on School-based Health Care (NASBHC)
This convention will focus on taking action against health inequities. Conference tracks include mental health, primary care, evaluation and quality, operations and administration, policy and advocacy, youth and community engagement, and leadership in adolescent and child health.
Website: http://www.nasbhc.org/site/c.jsJPKWPFJrH/b.2708163/
Contact: National Assembly on School-based Health Care, 202-638-5872 or info@nasbhc.org
Thursday through Sunday, June 26 - 29, 2008
Indian Wells, California
at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort
Sponsor: Lyme-Induced Autism Foundation
A description of this conference will be available at the website below.
Price: see the website below
Website: http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/summer2008caconference.html
Contact: Lyme-Induced Autism Foundation at http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/contactus.html
Saturday through Wednesday, June 28 - July 2, 2008
Monterey, California
at the Hyatt Regency Monterey, 1 Old Golf Course Road
Sponsor: Program Committee of the Teratology Society, Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) and Neurobehavioral Teratology Society (NBTS). See http://teratology.org/meetings/2008/sponsors.asp for a complete list.
The 2008 scientific program covers important issues in birth defects research and education, ranging from the latest findings in basic research on embryonic and fetal hypoxia to hot topics in nutrition and food safety as they relate to normal and abnormal fetal and child development.
Price: see http://www.teratology.org/meetings/2008/registration_information.asp
Website: http://teratology.org/meetings/2008/index.asp
Contact: Teratology Society, 703-438-3113
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Members. The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative welcomes these new members:
For a full list of LDDI members, please visit the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html
Measurement study funding opportunity. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking applications proposing an observational exposure measurement study to identify and characterize the determinants of exposure for early life stages (i.e., very young children less than three years of age) to chemicals in their environment. Applications are due July 15, 2008.
http://www.epa.gov/nerl/opportunities/announcement.html
Special journal on human health and mercury. The Journal of Environmental Research (Vol. 107, No. 1, May 2008) has published a special issue on human health and exposure to mercury, containing selected papers from the Eighth International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00139351
Chlorine 'may cause birth defects.' Tap water treated with chlorine can double the risk of serious heart and brain abnormalities in unborn babies, say scientists. Newcastle Journal, England, 3 June 2008.
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/uk-news-world/2008/06/02/chlorine-may-cause-birth-defects-84229-21012530/
Few take advantage of free lead testing for children. Only one in three Indiana children on Medicaid has received a free lead poisoning test even though the toxic metal can damage a child's brain, a newspaper found. Associated Press, 3 June 2008.
http://www.reporter-times.com/stories/2008/06/02/state.qp-0567855.sto
State holds coal plant to tough pollution controls. Revisiting its approval of a coal-burning power plant, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources said that Duke's Cliffside plant must meet the most stringent pollution controls available. Raleigh News & Observer, North Carolina, 3 June 2008.
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1094231.html
Conference sheds light on autism. Stanford's autism conference offered researchers' data about genetic factors connected to the disorder and possible environmental elements that may play a role. Palo Alto Daily News, California, 2 June 2008.
http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/2008-6-2-autism
Low-birth weight may increase autism risk, especially in girls. Autism strikes low birthweight baby girls at a higher rate than similar-sized boys when the infants are compared with larger children, according to a study that suggests risk factors for the disorder vary by sex. Bloomberg News, 2 June 2008.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aTFctNRzXIYg&refer=home
The great autism rip-off. In the absence of solutions, desperate parents are increasingly turning to potentially harmful types of alternative medicine in their search for a cure. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 1 June 2008.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1023351/The-great-autism-rip---How-huge-industry-feeds-parents-desperate-cure-children.html
Parents take bigger role in autism research. A sold-out event was the first Stanford and Packard Children's Hospital gathering that brought together some of the world's leading researchers and experts on autism, and the parents who deal directly with the disorder. San Jose Mercury News, California, 1 June 2008.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9445038
Sniffing out the dangers in fragrance. Listings of scent ingredients are unregulated, and only have to be labeled on the package as "fragrance." Meanwhile, some research suggests the chemicals may act as hormone disrupters, carcinogens, and cause neural damage. Toronto CP24 TV, Ontario, 30 May 2008.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_23221.aspx
EPA restricts rat poisons to protect children. The government imposed new restrictions Thursday on some of the biggest-selling rat poisons, citing the danger they pose to children, pets and wildlife. Associated Press, 30 May 2008.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/politics/story/373295.html
Eye on safety as formaldehyde use increases. Formaldehyde isn't just for embalming anymore. It's used in hundreds of household products. But as its use has increased, so has concern about its safety. All Things Considered, NPR, 30 May 2008.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90957184
The hidden chemical in cans. Tests conducted for The Globe and Mail and CTV have found high levels of bisphenol A in canned food sold in Canada. Is it time to consider cutting back on canned goods? Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario, 29 May 2008.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080528.wcans29/BNStory/Front/
Editor's note: see a related article in the New York Times at http://topics.nytimes.com:80/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/bisphenol_a/index.html ]
Rising lead, crime linked. A new study from the University of Cincinnati suggests that there's a connection between young children with high levels of lead in their blood and whether they commit crimes as adults. Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio, 28 May 2008.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/NEWS01/805280382/1077/COL02
Children who lived in Katrina trailers may face lifelong ailments. Doctors fear that tens of thousands of youngsters may face lifelong health problems because the temporary housing supplied by FEMA contained formaldehyde fumes up to five times the safe level. Associated Press, 28 May 2008.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/19285309.html?location_refer=Homepage
Prenatal fish intake benefits kids' brains. Three-year-olds whose mothers ate more fish while pregnant with them score better on several tests of cognitive function than their peers whose mothers avoided seafood, a new study shows. Reuters, 28 May 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL75877420080527
Chemicals polluting kids. A nonprofit, consumer advocacy group is pushing to pass the "Kids Safe Chemical Act." Tampa Bay WTSP TV, Florida, 28 May 2008.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=81316
Exposé: Chemicals in food. If not for the work of a muckraking journalist a century ago, the FDA might never have existed. Now, with information from investigative journalists, the Senate is challenging the FDA to back up legislation on bisphenol A. Bill Moyers' Journal, PBS, 28 May 2008.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05232008/watch2.html
Discovery of lead in turf raises concerns. Two federal agencies, spurred by findings of lead in a few synthetic athletic fields on the East Coast, are examining whether synthetic turf poses risks for the people who play on it. Portland Oregonian, Oregon, 27 May 2008.
http://www.oregonlive.com/prepfootball/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/121185511199650.xml&coll=7
Maine's message to toymakers is clear: Get the lead out. A newly passed Maine law has established the country's strictest lead standard for children's products, and toymakers that don't comply could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Portland Press Herald, Maine, 26 May 2008.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=189846&ac=PHnws
Cosmetics firms heed calls for organics. Interest in natural and organic products can be attributed in part to social responsibility -- but concerns about carcinogens, endocrine disrupters, and neurotoxins have consumers searching for more than the season's newest colors. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 26 May 2008.
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2008/05/26/cosmetics_firms_heed_calls_for_organics/
Coca-Cola to phase out use of controversial additive after DNA damage claim. Coca-Cola, the world's biggest soft drinks company, is phasing out a controversial additive [sodium benzoate] that may cause hyperactivity and DNA damage. London Independent, England, 25 May 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/cocacola-to-phase-out-use-of-controversial-additive-after-dna-damage-claim-834021.html
Candies' potential hazards emphasized. Kids usually don't care what's in candy, as long as it tastes good. So keeping them from eating Mexican candies that contain lead can be a challenge. Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska, 25 May 2008.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10342923
How safe are vaccines? Spurred by claims that vaccinations can be linked to autism, increasing numbers of parents are raising questions about whether vaccines, far from panaceas, are actually harmful to children. Time Magazine, 23 May 2008.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1808438,00.html
Disney recalls sleeping bags, magic wands over lead paint. Thousands of sleeping bags and magic wands contaminated by excessive levels of lead paint are being recalled by The Walt Disney Co., federal inspectors said Thursday. Associated Press, 23 May 2008.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_9347282
Waukegan firm recalls magnets with lead paint. A Chicago suburban locally-based scientific supply company performed a voluntary recall of 2.3 million magnets for violating federal lead paint standards. Lake County News Sun, Illinois, 23 May 2008.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/965994,5_1_WA23_MAGNETS_S1.article
UNH experts say toxins inside gaming devices not a big threat. But experts like Christopher Bauer, professor of chemistry chair of the University of New Hampshire's chemistry department, say such studies often can't be taken at face value. Foster's Daily Democrat, New Hampshire, 23 May 2008.
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/GJNEWS_01/118714791/-1/FosNEWS
L.A. firm is fined $10 million over lead-tainted lunchboxes. A company that sold 100,000 lead-tainted lunchboxes to the state health department last year has been ordered to pay a $10-million fine for violating California laws on toxic substances. Los Angeles Times, California, 22 May 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-lunchbox22-2008may22,0,3286179.story
Earlier the better for autism therapy? Intervening in autism before 3 years of age used to be unheard of, but now researchers are looking for signs in children as young as 9 months. New Scientist, England, 22 May 2008.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19826574.900-earlier-the-better-for-autistism-therapy.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=top1_head_Earlier%20the%20better%20for%20autism%20therapy?
USDA axes the sole national survey to chart pesticide use. Consumers lost a key source of information about what's sprayed on their food on Wednesday, the last day the government published a long-standing national survey that tracks the amount of pesticides used on crops. Associated Press, 22 May 2008.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/bayandstate/ci_9336987?nclick_check=1
Study finds toxic chemicals in baby products. Toxic chemicals are put into baby and children products on a regular basis, according to a study released Tuesday by a network of environmental organizations. San Francisco KPIX TV, California, 21 May 2008.
http://cbs5.com/consumer/toxi.baby.products.2.728692.html
Health warning issued. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is warning consumers not to drink two dietary supplements produced by an Atlanta company. Somerset County Daily American, Pennsylvania, 21 May 2008.
http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/05/21/news/news/news904.txt
C8 researchers seek more data for health study. Scientists researching whether a chemical used to make the nonstick product Teflon [C8 or PFOA] is a health risk are seeking 40,000 new interviews with residents who consumed water containing traces of the chemical. Associated Press, 21 May 2008.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x1657959542
Choke screen. What are the health impacts of waste incineration? Detroit Metro Times, Michigan, 21 May 2008.
http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=12902
USDA to tighten cow slaughter rules. The government plans to close a loophole in meat inspection rules that led to the record recall of 143 million pounds of ground beef this year, Agriculture Secretary Edward T. Schafer said Tuesday. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 21 May 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-usda21-2008may21,0,3633332.story