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Use of intensive pesticide in banana plantations leads to contamination

Shoppers spend over -10 billion on bananas annually and now this demand is being linked to the contamination of Central America's crocodilians. New research, published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, analyses blood samples from spectacled caiman in Costa Rica and finds that intensive pesticide use in plantations leads to contaminated species in protected conservation areas.

19 Sep 2013

T-rays are ideal for detecting early signs of melanoma

The technology that peeks underneath clothing at airport security screening check points has great potential for looking underneath human skin to diagnose cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages, a scientist said here today.

12 Sep 2013

New book debunks popular myths on how to prevent cancer

Award-winning science journalist George Johnson debunks popular assumptions about how to prevent cancer.

7 Sep 2013

Scientists develop new way to detect threatening nanoparticles in food

Over the last few years, the use of nanomaterials for water treatment, food packaging, pesticides, cosmetics and other industries has increased. For example, farmers have used silver nanoparticles as a pesticide because of their capability to suppress the growth of harmful organisms. However, a growing concern is that these particles could pose a potential health risk to humans and the environment.

23 Aug 2013

New Dartmouth study finds many people unnecessarily fear low amounts of chemicals in their food

When it comes to what's for dinner - or breakfast and lunch for that matter-- many people suffer from chemophobia, an irrational fear of natural and synthetic chemicals that pose no risk to our health, a Dartmouth study finds.

16 Aug 2013

Discovery points to new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease

Biologists at The Scripps Research Institute have made a significant discovery that could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.

25 Jul 2013

Discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease

Biologists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a significant discovery that could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.

25 Jul 2013

Researchers use peels of apples and tomatoes to purify water

One of the most crucial problems affecting the world today is the scarcity of potable water. In a bid to make clean water available at low cost, Mr Ramakrishna Mallampati, a PhD candidate at the National University of Singapore, experimented with water treatment techniques using materials that are easily available, and came up with novel ways to purify water using the peels of apples and tomatoes.

22 Jul 2013

Study shows foreign fruit has higher content of pesticides than Danish fruit

Foreign fruit generally has a higher content of pesticides than Danish fruit, and fruit has a higher content of pesticides than vegetables. Danes' intake of pesticide residues appears to be on a par with the latest monitoring from 2003.

15 Jul 2013

Inorganic arsenic in apple juice: FDA sets new limits

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today proposed an "action level" of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in apple juice. This is the same level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for arsenic in drinking water.

12 Jul 2013

More than half of pregnant women use insecticide that is harmful to offsprings

Pregnancy and infancy are the periods of greatest vulnerability to the use of household insecticides. This is one of the findings of the first study of its kind to be carried out in Spain, which concludes that more than half of expectant mothers routinely use these chemical compounds.

20 Jun 2013

Gulf War illness may have two distinct forms, study says

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say their new work suggests that Gulf War illness may have two distinct forms depending on which brain regions have atrophied. Their study of Gulf War veterans, published online today in PLOS ONE, may help explain why clinicians have consistently encountered veterans with different symptoms and complaints.

15 Jun 2013

Mother's exposure to environmental contaminants associated with vigorous fetal motor activity

A study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has for the first time found that a mother's higher exposure to some common environmental contaminants was associated with more frequent and vigorous fetal motor activity.

12 Jun 2013

New analytical techniques show certain foodstuffs exceed permitted levels of mycotoxins

Researchers from the University of Granada (Spain) have analysed the presence of patulin, a type of toxin produced by fungi, in several commercial apple juices. The results show that more than 50% of the samples analysed exceed the maximum limits laid down by law.

10 Jun 2013

Renowned pathologist warns about possible consequences of silicone use in breast reconstruction

The public and the press were electrified in early May when superstar actress and filmmaker Angelina Jolie announced in a New York Times opinion piece that she had received a double mastectomy and follow-up breast reconstruction. Renowned pathologist Rahim Karjoo M.D ., F.C.A.P., F.A.S.C.P., is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of Morgellons disease, an illness that is little known or acknowledged in the mainstream medical community.

1 Jun 2013

Exposure to bug or weed killers is associated with higher risk of Parkinson's disease

A large analysis of more than 100 studies from around the world shows that exposure to pesticides, or bug and weed killers, and solvents is likely associated with a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The research appears in the May 28, 2013, print issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 May 2013

State roundup: Miss. Gov. says Medicaid can go on without reauthorization

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he thinks he can run Medicaid even if lawmakers don't reauthorize the program or set its budget by the time the state's new fiscal year starts July 1. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported Bryant's remarks and said he spoke about Medicaid after taking part in a tourism event at the state Capitol (5/9).

10 May 2013

Scientists call for global action against the use of synthetics chemicals in consumer products and pesticides

Today, a group of influential scientists called for swift action by the UN system to prevent harm from a wide variety of synthetic chemicals in consumer products and pesticides that play a role in increased incidences of reproductive diseases, cancer, obesity, and type-2 diabetes worldwide.

26 Apr 2013

Packard Children's recognized for leadership in health care food service

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford has been honored with the "Food, Climate, Health Connection Award" from the Health Care Without Harm Healthy Food in Health Care program.

25 Apr 2013

ACOEM re-issues environmental checklist to improve quality of indoor environment

To commemorate the annual observance of Earth Day on April 22, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has re-issued its checklist of Ten Environmental Hazards You Can Live Without.

22 Apr 2013