Contamination News and Research

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Complete story behind connection between XMRV virus and prostate cancer

A once-promising discovery linking prostate cancer to an obscure retrovirus derived from mice was the result of an inadvertent laboratory contamination, a forensic analysis of tissue samples and lab experiments - some dating back nearly a decade - has confirmed.

20 Sep 2012

Drinking water fails to meet state quality standards at North Carolina migrant farmworker camps

The drinking water at one-third of migrant farmworker camps in eastern North Carolina failed to meet state quality standards, according to a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

15 Sep 2012

Study assesses hand contamination of healthcare workers after disinfection procedures

New research demonstrates that daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces in isolation rooms of patients with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly reduces the rate of the pathogens on the hands of healthcare personnel.

15 Sep 2012

Incidence of Acute gastrointestinal illness is likely to rise in coming years

The distribution system piping in U.S. public water systems that rely on non-disinfected well water or "ground water" may be a largely unrecognized cause of up to 1.1 million annual cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI), involving nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, scientists are reporting. Their study in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology concludes that such illnesses may become more of a problem as much of the nation's drinking water supply system continues to age and deteriorate.

13 Sep 2012

Antipsychotic-induced obsessive compulsive symptoms assessed

Results from a Korean study show that the symptom structure of second-generation-antipsychotic-induced obsessive compulsive symptoms is similar to that seen in patients with “pure” obsessive compulsive disorder.

7 Sep 2012

HHS Global Health Strategy helps protect Americans, 'all persons worldwide'

"The notion that diseases or contamination somehow recognize geographic or political borders is a dangerous illusion. ... Fortunately, the United States has a broad, diverse, and world-class range of experience and expertise in dealing with all manner of global health issues," Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), writes in a perspective piece in the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

7 Sep 2012

Nutritional benefits of organic foods questioned

Strong evidence to support the supposed nutritional benefits of eating organic over conventional foods is lacking in the scientific literature, show results from a systematic review.

6 Sep 2012

Study finds little significant difference in health benefits between organic and conventional foods

You're in the supermarket eyeing a basket of sweet, juicy plums. You reach for the conventionally grown stone fruit, then decide to spring the extra $1/pound for its organic cousin. You figure you've just made the healthier decision by choosing the organic product - but new findings from Stanford University cast some doubt on your thinking.

4 Sep 2012

Country drinking water may pose child health risk

Findings from a UK study published in PLoS ONE suggest that small private drinking water supplies, typically found in countryside locations, are more likely to be contaminated and result in gastrointestinal illness in children than standard mains water supplies.

29 Aug 2012

New method simplifies pharmaceutical production of proteins

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a method to simplify the pharmaceutical production of proteins used in drugs that treat a variety of diseases and health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, arthritis and macular degeneration.

29 Aug 2012

Queen's University Belfast receives Green Apple Environment Award

Queen's University Belfast has won a top award in the national campaign to find Britain's greenest companies, councils and communities.

29 Aug 2012

Researchers develop glue mixture that may reduce risks after laser vision correction surgery

Kansas State University researchers have developed a glue mixture that may reduce risks after laser vision correction surgery.

28 Aug 2012

Lunch boxes and school eating areas are hotspots for bacteria

Canadian moms earn top marks when it comes to good hygiene practices, but a new study by Lysol and the Global Hygiene Council reveals they could do more to safeguard against bacteria hotspots in schools, especially at lunch time.

27 Aug 2012

Heating as well as cleaning contact lens cases kills bacteria best

Heating contact lens cases to a temperature of 60°C while disinfecting with a multipurpose disinfecting solution could improve case hygiene by killing biofilms created by bacteria, report Australian researchers.

24 Aug 2012

Concern over ameba-infested tap water deaths

People with sinusitis who regularly treat their condition using nasal irrigation should be aware of a potential contamination risk associated with using inadequately filtered tap water, say US researchers.

23 Aug 2012

Miniaturized wireless sensors can save lives of wounded soldiers

Early detection of blood loss to save the lives of soldiers wounded on the battlefield is the goal of a three-year research and development project to be launched this fall at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Funded by a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Army, the research will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS).

22 Aug 2012

FDA clears Covalon’s SurgiClear antimicrobial silicone adhesive film dressing

Covalon Technologies Ltd., an advanced medical technologies company, today announced United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") clearance of SurgiClear antimicrobial silicone adhesive film dressing designed to cover and protect wound sites and wound closure devices, as well as secure other primary dressings to a patient's skin.

22 Aug 2012

Women in developing countries could play a major role in remedying sanitation and water crisis

People in ancient Rome 2,000 years ago had better access to clean water and sanitation that keeps disease-causing human excrement out of contact with people than many residents of the 21st century, a scientist said here today.

21 Aug 2012

Two studies examine psychological status of Fukushima workers after nuclear plant disaster

The results of two studies in the August 15 issue of JAMA report on the psychological status of workers at the Fukushima nuclear power plants in Japan several months after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, and the amount of internal radiation exposure among residents of a city north of the power plant that experienced a meltdown.

16 Aug 2012

Portable aspiration system for disposal of liquid biological waste

The VACUSIP from INTEGRA provides an ideal benchtop solution for the safe aspiration and disposal of small volumes of liquid waste in clinical, molecular biology, biochemistry and microbiology labs.

From INTEGRA Biosciences 14 Aug 2012